What's going on with 3rd Gen magazines?

[GaryS]

I carried my 6906 for a while, but found that with it loaded and a spare magazine, I was carrying more weight than I wanted.

I carry one of the 39xx compacts with one spare magazine now, for the most part. Plenty of ammunition since I'm not invading another country and don't plan to get into a prolonged shoot out. For the most part, the spare magazine is insurance against some sort of malfunction.

I had a Glock 23 for a couple of years. I didn't like shooting it all that much, and I think that's responsible for my aversion to .40 handguns. Which is probably a good thing since I'd need more safe space and more ammo locker space.

Not to mention more money.

You should see what pre-ban Glock magazines are going for up here. It totally boggles the mind.

While the math of multiple magazines may make sense, the psychology of it doesn't. Who wants to go around with a full-size, half-capacity pistol? Especially knowing that the Godless miscreants out there are under no such moonbat restrictions.

 

[oldman10mm]

the 4013 mags(for 4013,4014,4053,4054) will/should command a higher price as they are also sought for conversion to 10mm.

 

[TTSH]

I carried my 6906 for a while, but found that with it loaded and a spare magazine, I was carrying more weight than I wanted.

I carry one of the 39xx compacts with one spare magazine now, for the most part. Plenty of ammunition since I'm not invading another country and don't plan to get into a prolonged shoot out. For the most part, the spare magazine is insurance against some sort of malfunction.

I had a Glock 23 for a couple of years. I didn't like shooting it all that much, and I think that's responsible for my aversion to .40 handguns. Which is probably a good thing since I'd need more safe space and more ammo locker space.

Not to mention more money.

Your aversion to .40 3rd Gens has worked out very well for me. Thank you!

But as you know, I consider my beloved 3rd Gens far too precious to carry. I carry plastic... cheap, soulless, who-cares-about-it plastic. And with a maximum of 10-rounds and usually something less. My hi-cap pistols are all for the range and for home.

 

[epj]

Well, if it weren't for the folks that think they need 20 mags or more per gun, there wouldn't be a mag shortage. Personally, I'm good 3-4. If you shoot in competition, you get a bye.
Stated above that a .45 ACP mag for a 1911 could be modified to work with a 45XX gun by altering the catch notch. How 'bout a 10mm 1911 mag? Same difference?

 

[TTSH]

the 4013 mags(for 4013,4014,4053,4054) will/should command a higher price as they are also sought for conversion to 10mm.

True, but the days of $100+ 4013/4053 magazines on that large online auction site are gone for good now I think. Current average is about $50 with a low of $43.75 as we speak.

 

[TTSH]

Well, if it weren't for the folks that think they need 20 mags or more per gun, there wouldn't be a mag shortage. Personally, I'm good 3-4. If you shoot in competition, you get a bye.

20 or more per gun???

Heck, I'm still working on getting up to 3 to 4 spares per gun in most cases. I do exceed that on a couple of my 3rd Gens but only if you count practice magazines (older, outdated magazines I picked up cheap) and 4013/4053 magazines (because I never found a 4013 (non-TSW) in good enough shape to buy despite lots of looking).

But as I've said before, I am hurting most in my current production guns where I often have only one spare and, in a few cases, no spare at all. My limited budget means making some hard choices. It's still better right now for me to focus on older discontinued and "pre-ban" magazines than on brand new ones.

 

[ladder13]

............I carry plastic... cheap, soulless, who-cares-about-it plastic. .................

 

[TTSH]

............I carry plastic... cheap, soulless, who-cares-about-it plastic. .................

Oh come on! Don't try to make me feel bad! I've never made any secret of it. Just like Brother Sevens, cheap, soulless, lightweight, disposable plastic works for me while my beloved 3rd Gens remain at home safe and sound. I worked far too hard to find them and buy them.

 

[Sevens]

Haha, yes, I am the tupperware HATER that exclusively carries tupperware.

On topic--
Do we, anywhere in this thread (it's six pages, now 290 posts...!) have a SUCCICT guide for propery identifying magazines and more importantly, variations of magazines?

Having that very specific info in one clean place would be quite an asset.. no? As I look through just my full-size double stack 59xx magazines it seems I've got a little of this, a little of that... pre-ban, post-ban, 2nd Gen, LE restricted, I've got ambi, non-ambi, sleeve-bottom, etc etc.

It would be nice to REALLY know what was what.

 

[ladder13]

Oh come on! Don't try to make me feel bad! I've never made any secret of it. Just like Brother Sevens, cheap, soulless, lightweight, disposable plastic works for me while my beloved 3rd Gens remain at home safe and sound. I worked far too hard to find them and buy them.

Anyone ever tell the undertaker "he shot me with a polymer gun"?

 

[nocents]

For me the magic number of magazines to make range visits productive and enjoyable is 8. Around here that number was easily doable without too much damage to the wallet also. As far as "....."cheap, soulless, lightweight, disposable plastic,....." is concerned....it would hurt me just as much if any of my "Deutschland" guns found their way to an evidence locker as much as my 3913NL. And it certainly will not be "cheap" to get to the 8 mags per gun with them as it was for my 3rd. gens.

 

[TTSH]

Haha, yes, I am the tupperware HATER that exclusively carries tupperware.

On topic--
Do we, anywhere in this thread (it's six pages, now 290 posts...!) have a SUCCICT guide for propery identifying magazines and more importantly, variations of magazines?

Having that very specific info in one clean place would be quite an asset.. no? As I look through just my full-size double stack 59xx magazines it seems I've got a little of this, a little of that... pre-ban, post-ban, 2nd Gen, LE restricted, I've got ambi, non-ambi, sleeve-bottom, etc etc.

It would be nice to REALLY know what was what.

I've always wondered why the Bible (i.e., the "SCSW") never got into the topic of S&W magazines. Perhaps it is too complicated or mysterious or proprietary a subject to tackle... perhaps no one outside of us 3rd Gen'rs and moonbat state pre-ban magazine hunters really care. I think some people here could probably put together one helluva chapter on the subject... but it sure would help if there was better information coming direct from S&W (possibly from Roy?) about who made what when and why?

 

[TTSH]

Anyone ever tell the undertaker "he shot me with a polymer gun"?

No, but I think it would make a great line for a movie.

For me the magic number of magazines to make range visits productive and enjoyable is 8. Around here that number was easily doable without too much damage to the wallet also.

Well, I see that (i.e., range convenience) as a slightly different topic. Consider that I have six 3rd Gens at last count that use 5900-series magazines (not counting my 6906's). If I had 3 spares for each (4 in total for each), I'd have 24 magazines and no problem bringing as many magazines to the range as I could carry. Even with just a single spare for each, I could meet your range criteria... but I'd still consider myself short for individual gun value purposes. In other words, the "magic number" issue gets complicated when you own multiple similar guns.

As far as "....."cheap, soulless, lightweight, disposable plastic,....." is concerned....it would hurt me just as much if any of my "Deutschland" guns found their way to an evidence locker as much as my 3913NL. And it certainly will not be "cheap" to get to the 8 mags per gun with them as it was for my 3rd. gens.

Oh, I understand that not all plastic is cheap! I own three plastic H&K's and some "Massachusetts Glocks" so I know that all too well.

But what I carry *is* plenty cheap. My bodyguard .380 was only $259 brand new. My LC9s Pro, my (slightly used) SR9c and my last Shield 9mm were all $299 each (some plus tax).

And it's not about the evidence locker for me. It's purely a wear & tear issue... and possibly a serious damage or theft issue. My beloved pristine 3rd Gens are irreplaceable in a practical sense (or at least awfully hard for me to replace here in moonbat MA). But all my cheap plastic wonder guns could be replaced today from petty cash if I had to do so.

And that's why I carry cheap plastic.

 

[GaryS]

I think that the topic of magazines might be too "inside S&W" for 99% of the reading audience, even 3rd Gen owners.

Pre ban, ban, post ban, whatever is of interest to only a small percent of gun owners. In MA, we're vitally interested in standard capacity magazine production dates because there is some risk of a close encounter with law enforcement over the issue.

Keep in mind that no otherwise legally licensed gun owner has been charged with possessing "post ban" magazines. All of the people charged with possessing a "high capacity feeding device" were also charged with possession of guns and ammunition without a license.

AR15 owners are more likely to run into this issue that 3rd Gen owners. Glock owners may as well.

Here is my take on 3rd Gen magazines. If they are factory standard capacity 59xx and 69xx magazines without the "LE and military only" markings, they are pre ban. The ones that are marked are legal in most other states, but not MA. The ones that have the S&W logo, but no warning statement are post ban and should be avoided.

Then again, the only magazines I've seen with the logo are 39xx and and compact 45xx guns, as well as their Value Line versions.

All of my 6906 magazines are pre ban and OEM. My 5906 magazines are all pre ban, but there are a few Mec-Gar mixed in with the OEM. The only real differences between the OEM and Mec-Gar s the lack of marking in the slot in the baseplate and the different number of witness holes in the magazine body.

For whatever reason, there are very slight variations in OEM magazines over the years. I certainly don't obsess over them. My guess is that S&W outsources magazines, because I 've never seen any evidence that they were made at the factory the various times I've been there.

I've always wondered why the Bible (i.e., the "SCSW") never got into the topic of S&W magazines. Perhaps it is too complicated or mysterious or proprietary a subject to tackle... perhaps no one outside of us 3rd Gen'rs and moonbat state pre-ban magazine hunters really care. I think some people here could probably put together one helluva chapter on the subject... but it sure would help if there was better information coming direct from S&W (possibly from Roy?) about who made what when and why?

 

[GaryS]

For me, TTSH, and just about anyone else in MA, this is a moot point. If anyone of us were involved in a self defense shooting, ALL of our guns and & ammunition would be taken away, along with our license. At least until the investigation was complete. Depending on what the police department decided to do, they'd either be sent to a "bonded warehouse" where the storage fees would quickly add up to more than the worth of the guns. At which point, the "bonded warehouse" would take possession of them and sell them off to cover the costs.

Even if I could afford the storage fee, they tack on a transfer fee to give me my own property. So, I carry one of my 3rd Gens most of the time and don't worry about it.

I've considered buying a cheap "travel" gun for when I go down south, but haven't done it yet. Somehow, I have a feeling that if I were involved in a shooting down here, even one that is 100% justified, my police chief would at the least want to see if she wants to allow me to continue to have a license. I've only met her once, but she seems reasonable. Still, living in a MAYbe issue state, it's always possible she'll look at the case by MA standards and decide I'm "unsuitable".

That, and not the lack of 3rd Gens is one of the big reasons I'm eager to leave MA.

But, I digress.

For me the magic number of magazines to make range visits productive and enjoyable is 8. Around here that number was easily doable without too much damage to the wallet also. As far as "....."cheap, soulless, lightweight, disposable plastic,....." is concerned....it would hurt me just as much if any of my "Deutschland" guns found their way to an evidence locker as much as my 3913NL. And it certainly will not be "cheap" to get to the 8 mags per gun with them as it was for my 3rd. gens.

 

[BAM-BAM]

For me, TTSH, and just about anyone else in MA, this is a moot point. If anyone of us were involved in a self defense shooting, ALL of our guns and & ammunition would be taken away, along with our license. At least until the investigation was complete. Depending on what the police department decided to do, they'd either be sent to a "bonded warehouse" where the storage fees would quickly add up to more than the worth of the guns. At which point, the "bonded warehouse" would take possession of them and sell them off to cover the costs.

Even if I could afford the storage fee, they tack on a transfer fee to give me my own property.


That, and not the lack of 3rd Gens is one of the big reasons I'm eager to leave MA.

.

Not a constitutional lawyer.... but seem like someone could make some decent arguments about unreasonable 4th Amendment seizures.

Well as TTSH always says ......it's a moonbat state.

 

[TTSH]

Not a constitutional lawyer.... but seem like someone could make some decent arguments about unreasonable 4th Amendment seizures.

Well as TTSH always says ......it's a moonbat state.

Yeah, it's how they roll here Bam. It's "guilty until proven innocent" for any licensed gun owner. You don't lose one gun. You lose them all. They start by instantly voiding your license and then you are in illegal possession anyway... so bye-bye entire collection. Once the bonded warehouse thieves get hold of them, you will never see them again except online six months later for sale or auction to out-of-staters.

 

[TTSH]

I think that the topic of magazines might be too "inside S&W" for 99% of the reading audience, even 3rd Gen owners.

Pre ban, ban, post ban, whatever is of interest to only a small percent of gun owners. In MA, we're vitally interested in standard capacity magazine production dates because there is some risk of a close encounter with law enforcement over the issue.

Keep in mind that no otherwise legally licensed gun owner has been charged with possessing "post ban" magazines. All of the people charged with possessing a "high capacity feeding device" were also charged with possession of guns and ammunition without a license.

AR15 owners are more likely to run into this issue that 3rd Gen owners. Glock owners may as well.

As I've said before, the practical threat level may be low but the penalties and hassle factor would be devastating to the licensed gun owner/collector if so charged. Again, there goes your license for life... if not on conviction, then on "suitability"!

I have another concern. More and more as time goes on, cops on the streets of MA have no clue whatsoever about what constitutes a legal "pre-ban" magazine vs. a banned magazine. So it's get charged with a crime now and let the loony moonbat prosecutors & judges figure it out later. Damage done regardless and good luck coming out still of that process still holding your LTC.

Anyway, back to you first point: Would a chapter on magazines really be inappropriate in the next edition of the Bible? I guess the revolver folks wouldn't care a hoot... but you know damn well that I would be studying it like a champ!

 

[nocents]

........... You don't lose one gun. You lose them all. They start by instantly voiding your license and then you are in illegal possession anyway... so bye-bye entire collection.........

In that scenario your only recourse is............"tragic boating accident"

 

[TTSH]

In that scenario your only recourse is............"tragic boating accident"

If only it were that simple.