The End of Factory 4506 Magazines?

Northwoods Trader

Northwoods Trader

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For some time now I've been purchasing S&W OEM 4506 magazines when they came up at a good sale price. One of the typical best places I'd find them would be on Midway USA's site.

When I went on tonight to purchase some additional mags, I promptly noticed they were "Discontinued", not the usual "Out of Stock" message.

A quick check of my other usual mag sites either posted the same "Discontinued" message, or "Out of Stock".

Did S&W finally stop making them?
 
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Evidently they have stopped. No worries though. Numrichs and some others sell all the components to refurbish an existing mag, including the mag bodies. Wolff still produces mag springs.

And Im told by a reliable source that Apex, the company that makes all the parts to rebuild an m&p pistol, giving it everything that the factory didnt bother to, is going to start making 3rd gen replacement parts. Perhaps if they get enough interest they will produce new followers for the mags.

Ebay and Gunbroker still have many brand new mags available - albeit at scalpers prices - and the factory made a bizzilion of them - so Im not worried at all about running out of mags.

Im sure an enterprising company who wants to sell a lot of product rather than try to push you to purchase their current products by discontinuing parts/support for the ones you already own will step in and make replacement mags at some point. Maybe ever MecGar.

How bout that "lifetime warranty" and product support? ;) :) Regards 18DAI
 
End of an Era...

Sadly, I think your right. Selfishly, I always thought that 3rd Gen. factory mags would be perpetually made. Its just another sign of the times I guess.

I've had no issues with Mec-Gar mags, I just preferred the factory ones myself, especially when it came to the finish.

I hope your right about the return of Gen. 3 parts. That'll definitely make a lot of people very happy :)
 
MecGar would get good business from this move. While there at it, MecGar should make 1006 mags. $99 for a used mag is highway robbery!
 
Send them an Email suggesting it. I did. Several times. ;) Regards 18DAI
 
the 8rd 45(4506) magazines are the most common that I encounter at gun shows here in Ohio,the 6 & 7 rounders are the rarer ones.
They're too common to be worth buying. If I bought all I had seen at this past weekends' Warren show,I probably would have come home with 12-18 of them. I did pick up 8 S&W mags,3 45 7 rounders,2 40S&W 10 rounders,1 59XX 10rd,& 1 69XX 10rd.
 
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The 10rounders(because of the visually obvious 'limitation indentation bar) are the ones I concentrate on. I've been 'USPSing' out a lot of them lately.
 
For those interested, Climags has (or had a few days ago) some used 11 round 40xx series magazines. I think they were listed as for the 410 (yes, I know), but since they are described as used, they are probably pre ban.

Anyway, they are having some sort of clearance sale on various brands of magazines, not just 3rd Gen.
 
I believe Mec-Gar has been the EOM supplier to S&W of "factory" magazines and probably has been prohibited in the past from selling 3rd gen mags under the Mec-Gar name due to a non-competitive clause in their S&W contract.

With S&W now officially declaring them as discontinued, maybe that will unshackle Mec-Gar from not being able to market them... a very lucrative market for them is just waiting to be plucked, and they would not need to "tool up" for it either.
 
the 'king of 3rd gen mags' as TSSH calls me,my current inventory after Warrens' show.
 

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We're supposed to have a good sized snow storm tomorrow. If I get bored, I'll dig out all of my 3rd Gen magazines (at least the ones I can find) and do a group photo. ;)
 
It's snowing, i got bored, I took a picture of all of my (at least I think so) 3rd Gen magazines.



Top row is 59xx magazines. Except the two on the left which are 69xx magazines.

The next row is 69xx magazines.

The third row is compact 45 magazines. More than I thought I had for one 457.

The fourth row, on the left are 3904/06 magazines. Those are available at a reasonable price if anyone is interested. To the right are the 7 round CS9/3913TSW magazines.

Bottom two rows are 3913/14/53/54 eight round magazines. Those feed a 3913, railed 3913TSW, 3914NL, and 3953. I have to resist the urge to buy more when I see them listed at good prices So far, I've failed at that.

I think I have enough, but the way things are going, I'd probably latch on to a couple more compact .45 ACP magazines if they were reasonably priced.
 
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GaryS said:
I think I have enough, but the way things are going, I'd probably latch on to a couple more compact .45 ACP magazines if they were reasonably priced.
Click to expand...
Only 66 magazines??? :confused: :confused: :confused:

I'd call that 3rd Gen magazine deficient! :p ;) :)

++++++++++

p.s., Is collecting 3rd Gen magazines a legitimate hobby in and of itself? :confused: ;) :D
 
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I don't think I have quite that many but maybe I'd surprise myself if I did the same thing. Sadly, I can assure you that I will not be putting all mine on the floor and snapping a picture... haha.

The centerpiece if I did... however... would not be 3rd Gen--
it would be eleven Model 52 magazines. ;)
 
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