6906 Magazine Questions

[tocohillsguy]

I have my father's old 59 model and two S&W mags (one stainless and one black), plus 3 black Mec-Gars labeled "MG-SW59-17". The Mec-Gar hold 17 rounds and the S&Ws are unmarked but hold 14. I also recently purchased a 6906 with two mags with finger rests. One of the 6906 mags is marked Smith & Wesson "Restricted: Export, Law Enforcement and Government Use Only" and has a serial number. The other 6906 mag is unmarked. Here are my questions:

1. I've seen the 59 series mag extensions some use for their 6906s. Will these work on the 17 round Mec-Gars or the 14 round S&Ws or are they designed for different mags?

2. I've found that the LE labeled 6906 mag really doesn't work well. The 12th round barely fits and the bullets tend to nose dive instead of feed. Is this typical?

3. The non-labeled 6906 mag works better. The 12th round fits freely and it feeds properly. Unfortunately, the metal piece that holds the finger rest on the bottom of the spring began to rust which spread to the bottom of the spring and mag. I've cleaned it up, but I'm not sure if I should hang on to it or return it to the seller. Does it make sense to purchase new springs for this 6906 mag or are they so plentiful that it's better just to buy a new mag?

4. Should one stick with S&W labeled 6906 mags or are aftermarket mags fine? Any particular manufacturers to look for or avoid?

 

[tocohillsguy]

I have my father's old 59 model and two S&W mags (one stainless and one black), plus 3 black Mec-Gars labeled "MG-SW59-17". The Mec-Gar hold 17 rounds and the S&Ws are unmarked but hold 14. I also recently purchased a 6906 with two mags with finger rests. One of the 6906 mags is marked Smith & Wesson "Restricted: Export, Law Enforcement and Government Use Only" and has a serial number. The other 6906 mag is unmarked. Here are my questions:

1. I've seen the 59 series mag extensions some use for their 6906s. Will these work on the 17 round Mec-Gars or the 14 round S&Ws or are they designed for different mags?

2. I've found that the LE labeled 6906 mag really doesn't work well. The 12th round barely fits and the bullets tend to nose dive instead of feed. Is this typical?

3. The non-labeled 6906 mag works better. The 12th round fits freely and it feeds properly. Unfortunately, the metal piece that holds the finger rest on the bottom of the spring began to rust which spread to the bottom of the spring and mag. I've cleaned it up, but I'm not sure if I should hang on to it or return it to the seller. Does it make sense to purchase new springs for this 6906 mag or are they so plentiful that it's better just to buy a new mag?

4. Should one stick with S&W labeled 6906 mags or are aftermarket mags fine? Any particular manufacturers to look for or avoid?

 

[SW CQB 45]

1. I have no experience with those mags, so I cannot answer your question.

2. Weak spring? Damaged follower? have you inspected? sometimes dbl stack mags require the bullets to be set with a slight tap on a hard non marring surface to allow full capacity. I would take apart, clean, inspect and if the mag spring feels softer than the other mag that works, replace.

3. This is typical of blue steel exposed to the elements. Mags are the most neglected part of a gun system as many do not strip the mags for cleaning. if its the bottom of the mag spring and only surface rust, then no problems. what I would do is rub a little oil on a q tip and coat the cancer areas. no oil should be in the mags as it will attracted lent and dirt, but a thin coat on the bottom will protect it.

4. Yes, stick with SW mags.

 

[REVCHARLIE]

If you'd be interested in some factory mags, let me know.

Send me an email to [email protected]

God Bless!!!
Rev.Charlie

 

[1006TSW]

S&W or Mecgars are the only mags I'll use in my Smiths.
I don't have any of the extensions to try, but I would think they should be a decent fit on the Mecgars.

 

[tocohillsguy]

Maybe my question about the mag extensions would be better answered if someone could tell me if the 14 and 15 round S&W mags are of different heights. I'm afraid I'll purchase the extensions, put them on a 14 round mag, and then the mag won't fit into the 6906 because it's a tad too short. I then put them on the 17 round mags and there is a gap between the bottom of the grip and the bottom of the mag.

 

[goldenlight]

Repl

Repl

 

[Dirty Harryo]

You can put them on the 14 round one as they are the same height as the 15 round. I can't help you on the 17 round.

 

[goldenlight]

The 14 and 14 round magazines are the same length; the difference is the follower.

However the +2 extensions I have will ONLY fit on the older 14 round magazines with the metal baseplate. They won't work with the 15 round magazines with the plastic baseplate.

I just tried.

And I like to think of them as '+2 SPACERS', since they don't ADD to the capacity of a magazine; they were designed to cover up the space extending beyond the frame, when using a 14 round magazine in a 6906, or 669.

When you buy a +2 'extension' for a Glock, it ADDS 2 round to a standard 9mm Glock magazine. Different animal, I know. It replaces the baseplate, and allows 2 extra rounds in a Glock 9mm magazine. So you can have 19 round magazines for the Glock 17, but they extend beyond the frame, of course.

The 17 round Mec-Gar magazines also will not accept the +2 'extensions'. They use a plastic baseplate, and also the flange on the bottom of the magazine will not accept the +2 spacer.

BTW: Mec-Gar manufactured the 'factory' magazines for the 5906, and 6906. (And for all of the Sigs, and for the Beretta 92, and many others).

But if you buy a Meg-Gar 15 or 17 round magazine for the 5906, they don't look the same as the 'factory' S&W magazine. Marketing, I guess. Also, they are carbon steel.

As another add on: you can convert a 14 round magazine to a 15 round magazine, simply by replacing the follower. I did that many, many years ago to my older 14 round magazines. So I have a 15 round magazine that fits my 6906, using the +2 'extension'.

HTH.

 

[gatorhugger]

I have one of those law enforcement mags, marked factory smith wesson.
The darn thingI is a pain to insert for some reason. I have never had to slam home a mag to get it to catch.
For some reason with this law enforcement 12 rounder I have to tap it pretty sharp to get it to catch. The last fraction of an inch it is harder to insert than the non law enforcement mag.
Anybody know why that might be? any harm in rapping that mag in?

 

[bad_man_ one]

I have found the 15 round magazines to work fine in the 6906 and 3566 (356TSW Shorty)
and the 11 round 4006 mags to work fine with the Shorty 40 (.40 S&W) with the spacers.
See HERE, HERE and HERE and HERE
From my Smith and Wesson invoice:
Location - - Product code - - - - Description - - - - - - - - - - - - (Price)
E02H - - - - - 242120000 - - Grip Plus2 Butt Plate Rev. - - - - - - ($8.00)

Magazine Butt Plate +/2 Adapters from S&W, $8.00 ea.
Brownell's Magazine Butt Plate +/2 Adapters, $10.15 ea.
Regards,
BM1