Hey guys, after being without a gen3 Smith for a while now, I just stumbled across an irresistable deal on a 5906 on my local Armslist, but now I'm needing a spare mag, or two, and had some questions.
First, to save money I'm looking at Mec-gar mags rather than factory originals. I'm seeing they make blued steel mags, as well as nickel-plated mags. Any significant difference?
Also, are the 17-rd mags any better or worse than the 15-rd mags? (other than the obvious)
And finally, where's the best deal on these right now? Ebay was a wash, but they could still be there, and I just can't find them.
Buds and gunmagwarehouse had fairly steep shipping for just one piddly magazine.
Sportsmanguide has the nickel 15-rd mags for $24.99, so if I order two, I can use one of their min-$49 free shipping codes ( virtually the same as 2 mags from gunmagwarehouse, but those are blued).
Anyway, you get the idea. Any solid info is much appreciated....

edit: The best deals i've found so far are right at $50,delivered, for two mags, at several places. But Sportsmansguide may be the best deal, since I can get the nickel mags for that price, and the nickel mags are more expensive everywhere else. Still hoping to find out that there isn't any reason to avoid the nickel mags.

If you're interested I'd sell your choice of either 2 Factory Stainless 15 round LEO marked magazines or 2 Factory Pre-Ban Stainless 14 round magazines for $60 shipped.

Hey, I appreciate the offer Charlie, but I'm scraping pennies here, after buying a pistol I didn't need, and didn't have the spare money for,LOL!!
It looks like I can get a pair of the nickel-plated mecgars from SG for $45 delivered (with the temporary club membership). I may go that route.
But thanks again!

Midway currently has factory magazines for $24.49.

Now if they'd just float us a free shipping code now and then, that'd probably be my huckleberry !!

edit: I just took a closer look, and Midway's shipping is bizarrely reasonable, at $4.99, putting two factory stainless mags at $53.97,delivered. I'm thinking that's as painless as it's gonna get.
The extra $9 over Sportsmanguide's mecgars is probably worth it, just for the re-sale/trade benefit of having factory mags ( I always factor in re-sale/trade potential, it's proven wise and beneficial more times than i can recall ). Thanks again.

You're Welcome!

Well, you should probably get a recoil spring and a new spring for the current magazine also. That plus two magazines and the shipping would still only be $4.99.

Some, but not all, of S&W magazines were manufactured by Mec-Gar, so basically you will be getting an original factory part. You don't say, but if your gun is factory nickel the original magazines have a blue body and nickel base plate, they were not nickeled.

The Mec-Gar magazines, whether blue or nickel, are identical material except the final finish.

I can't definitely say what is different between the 15 and 17 round magazines for the 59 series, but I can tell you the difference with the CZ-75 magazines. The 15 round has a flat steel base plate, where the 17 round has a polymer base plate that is recessed internally. There is no reason for the function to be different.

Just a comment. I have numerous Mec-Gar magazines for Walther P-38, PP-32 and PPK-380, CZ-75, Kanik 55 CZ-75 clone, and a Tanfoglio TZ-88, another CZ-75 clone, in .41 Action Express. In the many years and thousands of rounds fired from these magazines I cannot recall a single failure to feed, ever! I wish they had a current S&W Model 39 magazine!

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Gunsmithing since 1961

Good point (a new mag spring actually occured to me while looking at the site, and i already have one or two new factory recoil springs. I ordered a few of them years ago, for another pistol I no longer have. In fact, they came from Midway, as i recall!)

The S&W 17 rd 9mm double stack Mec Gar mags have different springs and followers than the 15 round mags, and the base plate won't work with the +2/3 #24242 adapters for use in a 69xx pistol.

Do the 17 round mec gar mags work fine? What about the 20 round mags? I've got a 5904.

No issues with my 17 rounders. I also have Mec Gar 17 rounders for my Ruger KP-95DC. Ugly as sin, but sturdier than a brick.

Thanks again for the heads up, I went ahead and ordered two of these a few nights ago (coincidentally, the same night of the Las Vegas incident). Not sure if there's a relationship, but the next day, Midway raised the price a couple bucks (but they're still on sale and still in stock).