140 and 170mm Glock mags

[GJM]

As part of messing around with a Glock 19 in USPSA Open, I got some longer mags that meet the 170mm requirement for Open.

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First, I should say that longer magazines can be sensitive to overall cartridge length, and PMC and Lawman is too long for some mags. Syntech 150 and 124 is shorter in overall length and seems to work in the longer magazines. 28 rounds seem to work in the 170 length.

Starting from the left, is an ETS 170mm. These were dirt cheap and I was pretty skeptical. Looking through the translucent mag body, at the cartridges and spring with a fully loaded payload, is not for the faint of heart. As in, that is supposed to work! Surprisingly, so far they have been reliable.

Next is the Magpul 170, but I don’t have enough rounds through them to express an opinion. I like how the cartridges feel loading the ETS more than the PMag.

The Taran 140 extension is my go to solution for a Glock in CO and is as close to bullet proof as any extension is in my experience.

Next is a Taylor Freelance 170 extension that goes on an OEM magazine. Definitely sensitive to cartridge overall length as at about 24 Lawman cartridges, I got a wicked jam that necessitated removing the baseplate and a lot of cursing to resolve. Work fine with Syntech.

Finally, the high dollar solution is the MBX 140 and 170mm magazine options. They have worked fine so far. The mags rattle a bit unloaded, but feel right when loaded. The advantage of the 140 is you can get 23 or 24 rounds in, at the cost of no locking back when open.

[pastaslinger]

I actually had issues with the TTI 140mm extensions but not their PCC extensions oddly enough. Arredondos have been 100% for me.

I should add that I typically shoot shit ammo aka whatever cheapest brass 115 or 124 gr is available, think S&B or blazer.

[Thy.Will.Be.Done]

Loading my PMAG Glock 17 magazines is something of a strange experience, they almost feel like stone cold junk loading them and the spring is stiffer than I've ever seen. That said, I do generally believe Magpul makes good kit and I believe they represent the best value if one is looking to stock all shapes and sizes on a budget.

Can you or anybody else give a length loaded for the Magpul 21 rd / 140mm magazine? I've been looking at them for a shoulder holster reload and suspect they may be too long, I like the added capacity for balancing out the weight of the Glock on the other side of things. Looking at buying a bunch of 28 rounder because.... well zombies, etc.... wondering if I should grab a couple 21's while I'm at it but I won't carry them otherwise so don't want to get stuck with them for that reason.

[GJM]

I actually had issues with the TTI 140mm extensions but not their PCC extensions oddly enough. Arredondos have been 100% for me.

I should add that I typically shoot shit ammo aka whatever cheapest brass 115 or 124 gr is available, think S&B or blazer.

Interesting. My wife and I have a few dozen between us, and our friends shooting Glocks also use them. What problems did you have?

[DDTSGM]

When the ETC mags first came out I bought a couple regular length for action pistol and used them loaded with 13 rounds. At one match the match director, a frequent Bianchi Cup top ten finisher, said something disparaging about them and, being a contrary sort, I bought a bunch when they went on sale. I had zero problems with them.

When we began shooting PCC the ETS 32 rounders became our go to mags. Again, no problem.

A couple years ago I switched from a G19x to a(n) S&W 2.0 and bought a bunch of ETS mags for that pistol. Again, no problems.

When I briefly dipped my toe into USPSA I used ETS 140mm mags in my 320 X5 and my G22.

I agree with GJM, it is kind of disconcerting to look through the translucent body and see the spring all twisted up; equally disturbing, to me anyways, is seeing the spring get kind of rusty looking.

But, they work.

I've used a couple of magpuls, both standard and 140mm. They worked OK for the most part but, as mentioned, seemed harder to load and their lack of intermediate round witness marks bothered me enough that I drilled my own into the mag bodies.

I would note that I don't shoot steel case ammo, so can't comment on reliability of either ETS or Magpul with steel case rounds. I use Hornady One-Shot on tumbled cases when reloading and don't do anything to remove the one shot before gauging and boxing. That practice hasn't caused me any issues, either.

I think the ETS and the Magpul (to a lesser extent) are solid range mags and good competition mags if you are so inclined, but I adhere to the doctrine of OEM for EDC or duty.

JMO.

[GJM]

Can you or anybody else give a length loaded for the Magpul 21 rd / 140mm magazine? I've been looking at them for a shoulder holster reload and suspect they may be too long, I like the added capacity for balancing out the weight of the Glock on the other side of things. Looking at buying a bunch of 28 rounder because.... well zombies, etc.... wondering if I should grab a couple 21's while I'm at it but I won't carry them otherwise so don't want to get stuck with them for that reason.

140mm or 5.512 inches.

[littlejerry]

ETS 21 rounders were always sensitive to dirt and sand for me. One drop in a sandy area of a stage and that mag wouldn't feed right till it was cleaned out.

Pmag21s were less sensitive, but still nowhere near OEM mags. I've also worn out the feed lips on a few which allow the top round to rotate up too high.

[pastaslinger]

Interesting. My wife and I have a few dozen between us, and our friends shooting Glocks also use them. What problems did you have?

The follower would bind- I think it was a problem of the supplied springs they sent me. I didn't test too much more because I returned them due to issues with 2/5 I had. I then got more arredondos and those never hiccup for me. My experience seems to be atypical with the TTIs but I think the arredondos basepad lock system is also superior.

[WDR]

The 21 round P-mags are the only non-OEM extended magazine I've ever tried in my Glocks. I had a few failures to feed with flat nosed ball ammo (my own loads, and Winchester and Federal factory). It happened mostly in my old Gen 4 G19 (that is now down the road, in favor of Gen5 guns). It happened often enough, that I decided I wouldn't carry one as a defensive reload with JHP ammo in it. For futzing around on the range, it wasn't a problem. Supposedly the P-mags are not fully Gen5 compatible, but I don't know why that is. I did have one jam, the same failure to feed, with the 21rd P-mag in my first Gen5 19.

OEM mags, 15/17/24 round have all been very reliable for me. As have a few that I have put the OEM +2's on. Again, no issues. I trust the OEM 24rd mags enough to carry them as a "repel borders" backup in my truck/car consoles. I haven't measured one, but I assume it might be pushing the limit on a 170mm length.

I keep thinking I should try out an aluminum +5 or something like that, but I have a hard time trusting non-OEM mags/parts/extensions enough for carry use. If I ever did carry one, it'd be as a reload, not the mag in the gun. I really should get back into USPSA, now that my work situation has changed. I'd give me an excuse to prove these out under some stress.

[Thy.Will.Be.Done]

140mm or 5.512 inches.

So that is measured with the cartridge sticking out of the feed lips? I have no 'box' experience so still don't understand whether they measure loaded or unloaded.

[bofe954]

So that is measured with the cartridge sticking out of the feed lips? I have no 'box' experience so still don't understand whether they measure loaded or unloaded.

The 140 and 170 is for limited and open, so there is no box. Mags are measured out of the gun, unloaded.

Link to pic of tool-

https://dawsonprecision.com/official-uspsa-mag-length-gauge/

[Jim Watson]

ETS were ok in my Glock but not in a friend's who really needed them. A PPC shooter has them now and said friend will be trying Magpul.

I do not know why Glock brought out a 24 shot magazine instead of a 21 that would suit Limited.

[GJM]

ETS were ok in my Glock but not in a friend's who really needed them. A PPC shooter has them now and said friend will be trying Magpul.

I do not know why Glock brought out a 24 shot magazine instead of a 21 that would suit Limited.

To restate the obvious, I believe that OEM 17 round magazines will be the most reliable across the greatest range of conditions and bullet profiles and lengths. The further you get away from OEM 17, the more the details matter. And by details, I mean your firearm, the magazine, the cleanliness of the magazine, how you load them, and your bullet profile and length.

[Bergeron]

I’m just getting into USPSA Open with a pair of Roland Specials. I shoot at a local Level 1 sort of club, and I’ve been using OEM 24 rounders. Considering that I am new and inexperienced, no one has yet asked to measure my mags, but I’ve seen claims of 165mm online.

If someone was trying to compete at a high level with 9mm mags, then it might be worth optimizing a 170mm solution with higher capacity than the OEM 24s, but I’m happy. I’ve only shot standard pressure 115s and 124s through the mags, and in my very limited experience, I have no complaints and plan to continue along this path.

[El Cid]

I’ve had good luck with TTI extensions and the ETS mags. But since the Glock OEM 24rd mags became available they are my go to now.

[GJM]

I’m just getting into USPSA Open with a pair of Roland Specials. I shoot at a local Level 1 sort of club, and I’ve been using OEM 24 rounders. Considering that I am new and inexperienced, no one has yet asked to measure my mags, but I’ve seen claims of 165mm online.

If someone was trying to compete at a high level with 9mm mags, then it might be worth optimizing a 170mm solution with higher capacity than the OEM 24s, but I’m happy. I’ve only shot standard pressure 115s and 124s through the mags, and in my very limited experience, I have no complaints and plan to continue along this path.

Here is the OEM 24 alongside a MBX 170. As you can see, the OEM 24 is closer to 170mm than 140.

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Given the length of the 24, and that it only holds 24 rounds compared to 28 or 29 in the MBX 170, I would expect the OEM 24 to be more reliable. The only caveat, is I have seen some reports of the OEM 24 having reliability issues in some PCC applications.

[ssc45]

I was an active USPSA shooter for over 25 years. The basepads I used and still use for the glock 140 was Grams and Arredondo. They both worked. I like the Arredondo base pads more and currently only use them. They have been extremely reliable. I have only used them in conjunction with glock magazines. Over the years I have changed out the springs periodically and in a couple of cases, had to replace the mag body. Considering that I know both Ralph and Beven, this review is not colored by that association.

I have seen glock mag bodies actually cause malfunctions that people associate with base pads and or followers. Something to keep in mind.

Cheers, Steve

[Bergeron]

Here is the OEM 24 alongside a MBX 170. As you can see, the OEM 24 is closer to 170mm than 140.

Given the length of the 24, and that it only holds 24 rounds compared to 28 or 29 in the MBX 170, I would expect the OEM 24 to be more reliable. The only caveat, is I have seen some reports of the OEM 24 having reliability issues in some PCC applications.

Thank you for the benefit of your experience and analysis! :cool: My PCC is Colt-mag style, so I have nothing useful to contribute regarding PCC, but I did "think" that there would be some sort of trade-off between capacity and max reliability when looking at 170mm 9mm Glock-mag solutions. I think I'll stick with my OEM 24s, but I appreciate knowing that the MBX 170mm exists!

[spyderco monkey]

My very lightly used Taran basepad for my G17 has repeatedly failed to lock back the slide when empty.

I had heard that Dawson used a superior spring to Taran, so I snagged a Dawson spring:
https://benstoegerproshop.com/glock-base-pad-magazine-spring-by-dawson-precision/

Sure enough, the Dawson uses a 13-coil spring, vs the 12-coil for the Taran. The Dawson spring is also a good bit longer; the Taran 12 coil in its currently lightly used state is the same length as a 11-coil Glock spring for their 19rd mag.

https://i.ibb.co/5nnMFHq/Dawson-vs-Taran-mag-extension-spring.jpg

I just installed it last night, but I'm hitting the range tomorrow and will report back.

[fatdog]

+1 for the Dawson kits, those are my CO solution. I have a couple of Arrendondo's that work too. I really appreciate the Dawson design at cleaning time. Never had one disassemble itself when dropped, but have heard people complain about that.

[CleverNickname]

I've used 140mm MBXes for a couple years in my Carry Optics G17. No issues other than the price of the magazines. It's nice to have a couple extra rounds so I'm not forced to do a reload on some 21/22-round stages where I otherwise would need to if I was still using factory mags with extensions.

[GJM]

I've used 140mm MBXes for a couple years in my Carry Optics G17. No issues other than the price of the magazines. It's nice to have a couple extra rounds so I'm not forced to do a reload on some 21/22-round stages where I otherwise would need to if I was still using factory mags with extensions.

MBX mags have been 100 percent for me. Easy to disassemble and not so sensitive to COAL. Cost is the only downside.