Magazine capacity question for 5900 series autos

[trossit]

Forum, I need your help understanding normal operation of the my recently acquired 5906. The gun came with a 10 round mag and I recently purchased a new 15 round mag from MEC GAR. I put 10 rounds in the 10 round mag and 15 rounds in the 15 round mag. I noticed with both mags at their full capacity there was definitely resistance getting the mag to fully engage into the mag well unless I used some additional force. If I removed one round from each mag the magazine then inserted as normal as if there were no rounds in the mag. Is this normal to encounter resistance when these magazines are fully loaded to their specified capacity?

Thanks.

 

[VASCAR2]

Completely normal for mags to behave this way, especially with the new MecGar magazine. Many ten round mags made during the AWB or for ban states are difficult to load ten rounds so people can not force more than ten rounds into the mag and be in violation of the ten round mag limit law.

When you seat a mag you normally are having to compress the cartridge stack and mag spring to get the mag catch to engage. On S&W 5906 the 15 round mag spring should take set and be easier to seat.

In combat situations the speed reload is generally used if the slide locks back on an empty mag. Seating a full capacity mag should be easy if the slide is locked back. On a Tactical reload where you change to a full mag you generally have time to ensure the mag has seated and locked in. Adrenalin would probably ensure my mag was seated if I had been in a firefight.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

Yes, with newer mags, at the range I often leave the last round out to save time loading and to do more shooting. The 5906 is a very nice shooting pistol.

 

[trossit]

Thanks VASCAR2. I was hoping this was the case but wasn't sure since this is my first large frame SW semi-auto. The 590 I bought used from Cabales appears to be brand new.

 

[VictorLouis]

Older gen OEM mags with a steel floorplate were only meant for 14rds. When they went to the black plastic floorplate, they became 15rds.

 

[mochahooligan]

Mecgar used to make 20 rounders too. Don’t know if they still do.

 

[mochahooligan]

S&W 5900 Series/915/910/659 20 Extended

Yep here ya go

 

[rosewood]

Older gen OEM mags with a steel floorplate were only meant for 14rds. When they went to the black plastic floorplate, they became 15rds.

There are plastic floor plate 5906 mags that are 14 round. I have seen several of them, currently own 1. It is what came with my 5903.

 

[rosewood]

Mecgar used to make 20 rounders too. Don’t know if they still do.

Mec-gar also makes or did make a flush fit 17 round mag. I have one of those. They do still list it on the webpage.

I trust Mec-Gar as well as any factory mag.

Rosewood