Walther P1 mags in a Model 39 ?

[Engine49guy]

Has anyone else noticed the Walther P1 (P38) magazine seems to fit the Model 39 perfecty
with the exception of not having the slot cut for a mag catch?

I had them both out on the table tonight and noticed that they looked almost identicle but interstingly the P1 mag fits the M39 but the M39 mag is slightly wider and wont fit into the P1 mag well.

All the other landmarks and cutouts seem to be in the same places as if S&W used the P1 mag as a model but with a buttton release and slightly different magazine follower.
It actually looks like the P1 mag could simply have a slot cut for the mag release so it works in the Model 39 .

Reminds me of years ago when AR180 mags were hard to find you could modify AR15 mags with a Dremel by cutting a new magazine catch slot to work in the AR180.

This would be great news as surplus P1 mags are like $10 a piece online.

The GF just showed up but I will try to post some pics later.

 

[max]

I seem to remember reading that when the 39 was designed they copied the Walther magazine.

 

[gtsw]

Just in case anyone else finds this thread and wonders, I tried this a couple of weeks ago. The P1 magazine needs two modifications: one, you have to cut the mag catch slot; two, you have to add a shim to the follower so it engages the slide lock when empty. I used a dremel (#420 cutoff wheels are around the right size), some scrap plastic, and a tube of epoxy.

As you might expect, they worked best with all sorts of cheap 115gr FMJ. They absolutely did not function with either of the JHP rounds I had with me (Remington L9MM1, Atlanta Arms reloads). The main failure mode was a rather dramatic sort of stacked nosedive that could only be resolved by removing the mag and repeatedly smacking the back of it on a table or prying the rounds back up with a screwdriver. I suspect that new springs might solve the problem, but the whole point for me was to avoid ordering more things. Though it was a very "quirky" range session, there weren't other consistent problems. It was hard to tell what was caused by ammo my M39-2 doesn't like, these jury-rigged magazines, or some combination of the two.

Maybe I had some crappy P1 mags, but I certainly wouldn't consider these a replacement for real thing (maybe not even for the Promag clones). That said, they are fine for FMJ range work. At $12 + a few minutes each it's hard to be too unhappy.

In summary, it's an extremely cheap way to make functional but unreliable M39 magazines.