39 series mag for 908?

[YNOTASNUBBIE]

Recently, I picked up a 9 round single stack 9mm mag for my S&W 908.
This mag is supposed to be for the model 39 and i wasn't sure that it would work for the 908.
It does stick out a little bit but worked flawlessly when I manually cycled the slide.
The reason for this querry is that I was told these mags don't work with 3rd gen guns....but it clearly does.
Can someone enlighten me with clear info on this matter?

 

[Steve912]

Can someone enlighten me with clear info on this matter?

I'm not one of the heavy-hitters of 3rd Gen knowledge, but
afaik the 1st, 2d and 3rd Gen 39XX series will all use any of
the 39 series mags.

 

[Miami_JBT]

The 3913, 3914, and 908 can all use 39, 439, 639, and 3906 magazines without a problem.

 

[Sevens]

It's about the length of the magazine and the length of the grip.

If you are talking steel base plate, 8-round 39/39-2 era magazine then it will lock in place and operate in:

39, 39-2, 469, 669, 439, 539, 639, 3913/3914, 3953, 908, CS-9, PC Shorty9

This magazine will not work in the 3904, 3906 and 909 because it just isn't quite long enough, and it's very close. It just won't reach the magazine catch.

The evolution of this magazine is the 3906/3904/952 magazine. It has the plastic baseplate. This one is 9-round capacity and it will fit allllll the guns listed above.

I may have forgotten an obscure model. Add to the list if you can!

 

[Sevens]

afaik the 1st, 2d and 3rd Gen 39XX series will all use any of
the 39 series mags.

Not quite. The 3906 is the scarce steel frame, full size single stack 9mm and the 3904 is it's black, alloy framed brother. The 909 is the Value Line version of the 3904, and none of these three can use the old school steel baseplate 8-round 39/39-2 and 439/539/639 magazine.

 

[squidsix]

I made up some adapters to use 3906 mags in my 3913.
Pachmayr Mag sleeves for Kahr MK9 on 3913
They are excellent.

 

[YNOTASNUBBIE]

So far, the 9 round 39 series mag locks into place one inserted into my 908. It does stick out a bit at the bottom, but it cycles perfectly when done manually. I haven't shot the 908 with the 39 mag but I will soon.

 

[Green Frog]

The fact that it is a 9 round magazine says it is not a Model 39 mag. An actual Model 39 mag would be an 8 rounder and thus shorter. Your longer bodied mag will lock and function in pistols with the shorter grip frames, they just stick out of the bottom.
OTOH, shorter mags won't go up into the grip frame far enough to lock in place and function.

Froggie

 

[Sevens]

^exactly right, and just to pack a little more info all in to one discussion, the VERY earliest 3906/3904 magazines with plastic baseplate were actually 8-round magazines too. It was a very short stretch before S&W updated the magazine follower (and maybe the spring also?) to up them by one round to 9-round capacity.

If you keep your eyes peeled, you can still find original blister-pack accessory magazines for the 3904/3906 with 8-round capacity. And they had them in the exact same packaging for 9-rounders also. Later when the accessory magazines were packaged in the small clear plastic box with blue label, you can find some marked 3906/952.

The Performance Center 952 first arrived in the year 2000, many years after the end of the Model 3906.