Thoughts on Mags: OEM Glock 24's vs +5 Basepads

[Jay585]

Wondering what your thoughts are on using OEM high capacity mags (Glock's 24 round mag) vs a Glock 17 mag with a +5 baseplate from Dawson or Arredondo as a CCW backup mag.

On it's face the OEM 24 is cheaper, while the baseplates seem to be a shorter overall profile. I'd assume the length of the 24 could be negated by something like the excellent DSG Koala mag pouch so I'm thinking they might conceal just the same. Or are extra capacity mags nonsense and I should just run OEM 17's as a backup?

[Larry T]

I carry a back-up mag not for capacity, but for mag failure or having it drop out in a physical contact scenario. Reloads in a civilian defender shooting situation are all but unheard of. I carry a 17-mag in a Dark Star Koala or occasionally an OWB JMCK carrier. I carry a G19 most of the time, followed by a G17 then a G26.

[vcdgrips]

Slight extrapolation.

I have two OEM 22 for my G35s. I ran a box of 180 GD and a couple boxes of Lawman and called them GTG. I download them by one. I tend to use them as my road trip mags.

For serious purposes, I have a great aversion to mags that have extension baseplates on them, be them OEM or not. I did not have good success with Glock OEM +2s way back in the day. I sold the two I had and I never looked back.

I have personally observed many more failure to feed issues and mag "grenade" issues when the mag was dropped with a much higher frequency w mags wearing extended baseplates etc. v OEM ones over hundreds of hours of sleep away training classes and thousands of hours of local training/competition since 1991.


Of the choices you outline, I would go w OEM 24s or Magpuls 21s that I marked and vetted extensively way before the aftermarket extension route.

[CleverNickname]

I have plenty of +5 Taylor Freelances I use in USPSA CO with G17-length mag bodies, but I carry an OEM 24-round. I'd use OEM 24-rounders for USPSA but they're slightly too long to make the 140mm length limit, whereas the aftermarket extensions are just the correct length, but have two rounds less. The aftermarket extensions make the magazines a little heavier and they're also slightly wider than the factory mag body, but not excessively so. It's really a wash. The 24-round OEM mag isn't any longer than a G19 slide, so I don't find it particularly difficult to carry IWB.

[Up1911Fan]

I keep a pair of factory 24's in my car. I don't carry a spare mag on my person very often, shoulda been kilt in da streetz years ago. I always have a reload with my J Frame though.

[JSGlock34]

I wish Glock had just come out with a IPSC/USPSA legal magazine. After all, the G34 was designed to fit "in the box"; why not make a magazine for the game?

[GJM]

If you compare the OEM 24 round 9mm magazine with a 22 round Glock 17 magazine with a Taran + 5 extension, you will quickly notice how much longer the OEM magazine is. The Taran/Glock 22 rounder can somewhat be carried concealed, while the OEM looks like a sub gun magazine.

For years I have used the Taran/Glock 22 round combination in USPSA Carry Optics, and haven’t had a bit of trouble except wearing springs out with extended use. I reserve the OEM 24 round mags for my APC9 Pro.

[GJM]

[WobblyPossum]

I actually carry an OEM 24 round magazine concealed every day using a DSG Koala both on duty with a G19 and off duty with a G26. The Koala generally ships with the magazine depth adjustment screw in the fourth hole from the bottom (at least all three of mine did). I removed the screw completely and the 24 round mag extends a couple of millimeters past where an OEM 17 round mag would extend when using the depth adjustment screw in its default fourth hole from the bottom.

I haven’t personally used any magazine extensions other than the OEM Glock +2 extension on two G26 magazines. I haven’t had any issues with them exploding when dropped but I also almost never perform reloads where a partially loaded magazine hits the deck. They haven’t exploded when dropping an empty magazine. I generally reload at slide lock or do a magazine exchange reload when training. I have heard multiple stories from multiple people about seeing magazines with extended base plates explode when the partially loaded magazine is dropped during a reload.

[GJM]

“Glock extended baseplate” describes a wide range of designs, and I wouldn’t lump them all together. I trust a Glock OEM 17 with a Taran baseplate way more than I would the same 17 round magazine with a Glock OEM +2.