During the Clinton Ban years, high-capacity factory magazines for Smiths were more or less limited to the aftermarket companies that produced the magazine tubes hand-over-fist when they saw what was coming. All were to one degree dubious except for perhaps MecGar. Ram-line, USA mag, ProMag, Triple K, the list goes on and on. Excluding MecGar which do you find yourself using for harder to come by magazines for your vintage Smiths?

As far as I am aware (from personal experience) Triple K magazines are stamped out of old beer cans in Mexico, not heat treated and finished by sandblasting with river rocks. I have had poor experience with ProMag with rifle magazines. No experience with pistol magazines. Unfortunately, with the exception of 1911 magazines and the ones MecGar makes for OEM and a few others, aftermarket magazines are a crapshoot.

As far as I know, there have been only four brands of magazines available for the S&W metal receiver pistols, S&W, MecGar, ProMag, and Triple K. ProMag and Triple K have a long reputation for poor quality and poor function and should be avoided unless the intent is to induce a malfunction. That leaves S&W and MecGar. MecGar may have been the OEM manufacturer as their magazines fit and function the same as S&W mags. In short, only use S&W or MecGar in a S&W pistol.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

Pro Mags are good for malfunction drills.

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Can open, worms everywhere.

S&W sold millions of high cap mags from 1994 to 2004 to law enforcement in the US. Since the police have moved on from 3rd generation guns, I doubt there is a real shortage. MecGar can more than fill any additional needs.

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Made it, Ma! Top of the world!

I’d like to make a slight correction to the OP.

What many refer to as the “high capacity” magazines of the Clinton era, were, in fact, STANDARD capacity; they were what the pistols were designed to utilize. The term “high capacity” was coined by the media/dumbocrats to demonize the inanimate magazines as being inherently evil-only some maniac with murder on his mind could need a magazine that held more than 10 rounds...

Sam

All valid points but that wasn't the question. I'm certain factory original magazines over 10 rounds are currently available. I wanted to talk about the aftermarket magazines during the Clinton ban. MecGar magazines are as close to factory OEM imaginable, I was wanting to talk about the other manufacturers.

Then buy only Mec-Gar magazines, as they are well proven in ALL regards.

Randy

I have 3 Promags for my Model 39 and they fit and function as OEM, but it is a single stack.

At one time I had a Star Model PS in 45 acp with one factory magazine ,
the model PS was not exactly easy to find magazines for but Triple K made them and I ordered one . While I was ordering it I also ordered a extra magazine for an old WWII Walther PPK 32 acp .
While not as nicely made as the factory magazines , both worked reliably and I didn't feel like I had wasted my money .
I got what I paid for and was happy .
The price of a new Walther PPK magazine in 32 acp was just stupid then and I hadn't discovered Mec-Gar back then (1980's ) .
Mec-Gar is 4 gold star rated but I didn't know them .
Gary

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I have two for my M645 and have not had any problems. Also a single stack, and being a 645 it feeds with anything

Dan

MecGar makes the majority of factory OEM mags. GARY

MecGar is what I use

I'd be happy to find MecGar 12-rd mags for my 6906, but thus far nada.

I've never even heard of MecGar magazines for the 69xx guns. All of the ones I've ever seen were OEM.

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Can open, worms everywhere.

The Mec-Gar 12-rd magazines, with the pinkie rest extension, are still available new. The S&W stainless 12-rd magazines seem to be available only used.

For example, Robertson Trading Post, $29 each or 3/$87 with free shipping. (search for "3 Smith & Wesson 6906 Magazines 12 Shot") on their site.

That's interesting. Good to know even though I have a good supply of used OEM magazines for my 69xx guns.

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Can open, worms everywhere.

I can't speak to Smiths, but during the AWB, I bought a used Sig that came with a 10 rd mag. I read on the Sig forum that Pro-Mags could be used if the follower and spring were replaced.

I bought several and replaced the above mentioned parts. I used those mags this morning and they still work just fine. I learned that it was not necessary to replaced the follower and stopped doing that.

Can you supply a link?

If you're referring to these, they're 10-rds, not 12-rds.

Extended Finger Rest Mec-Gar Magazine fits Smith & Wesson 669 6906 6900 6910BX 765595114104 | eBay

Do a web search of robertson's trading post. They only sell the 10 round mags on ebay. They sell the 12's on gunbroker, gunsamerica & their website, but the order goes through gunsamerica.

You forgot the WORST brand of all, the USA brand magazines. Between the introduction of the AWB legislation and the effective date, USA must have cobbled together hundreds of thousands of magazines for all kinds of guns designed for a magazine holding more than ten rounds. Most of the ones for double stack Smith & Wesson pistols would not even go into the pistols. That said, I was able to grind and squeeze and hammer the magazines until most would fit and function. Since the magazines were not heat-treated, the feed lips are soft and probably will distort with much use.

At the time, I had (and still have) a Kel-Tec Sub-9 that used Smith & Wesson 5900-pattern magazines. I was able to get the 30-round USA magazines to fit and function in the Sub-9, making for a very light, compact "high capacity" 9mm rifle when folded. What I still find so attractive about the Sub 9 (and its successor design, the Sub-2000 series) is that a loaded magazine can be left in the gun when folded, and the gun can be ready to fire in a few seconds merely by unfolding it and chambering a round.

Mec Gar could make a small fortune of they made a quality magazine for single stack 3900 and 4500 pistols. They seem to be in high demand, and every aftermarket mag for them is just garbage.

I can find enough magazines for everything S&W, except my 3913, I do not have any 10mm guns(yet). I only use Mech Gar or S&W factory for S&W guns.