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GunNut
Posts: 7,642 Senior Member
Review, Shield Arms 15 round mags for Glock 48 and 43X
GunNut
Posts: 7,642 Senior Member
Let’s keep it simple. If you have one of those two guns, or you are even THINKING a of buying one of those Glocks, just go to Shield Arms website and buy magazines, NOW, before you finish reading this post. Then come back here, I’ll wait... 😁
So here we go, based on several recommendations from early adopters I took a leap of faith and bought ONE of their mags and their metal mag release so I could test it in my FrankenGlock 43X. Well, after running the crap out of that mag through drill after drill for a couple of months, AND using it for training of other shooters, I can tell you the darn thing runs flawlessly. The folks that were early adopters report the same result. This is a QUALITY and innovative product!
So here we go, based on several recommendations from early adopters I took a leap of faith and bought ONE of their mags and their metal mag release so I could test it in my FrankenGlock 43X. Well, after running the crap out of that mag through drill after drill for a couple of months, AND using it for training of other shooters, I can tell you the darn thing runs flawlessly. The folks that were early adopters report the same result. This is a QUALITY and innovative product!
Their production is horribly backed up and in their website mag packages are “Out of Stock”. BUT, if you buy singles at $39 each and pay for them they will ship to you via FedEx as soon as stock comes it. I ordered 2 more so I could have 3 with my test mag and the last 2 took a little over 3 weeks to ship. They will be here early next week. When they get their production sorted out I’m buying another 3 pack.
The magazines are made out of excellent quality steel that survives drops etc without any issues. What these guys did was to loose Glock’s plastic skin on the mags which allows them to expand mag capacity by making their mag just a tad wider. Brilliant, and something Glock should have done years ago in my opinion. BTW, I’ve heard that they will be coming out with a 15 round mag for the SIG 365 soon.
This mag basically turn the 48 and 43X into 16 round guns at 25oz fully loaded. An absolute pleasure to carry around and the short barrel of the 43X makes it EASY to pack AIWB! So you end up with a relatively tiny, super slim, high capacity gun with a frame that accommodates ALL your fingers and lays flat against your body. I wear it under my thin company shirts while training and no one knows I’m carrying. An extra factory 10 round mag goes into my rear left pocket standing upright right next to my wallet and stays in place nicely! Nothing sticks out from my body and yet I’m packing 26 (soon to be 31) rounds on me without needing a freaking Bat Belt.
So again this is a BIG thumbs up recommendation on the Shield Arms 15 round mag and the 43X as an EDC!
BTW for those of you that have a Glock 43 and are less than in love with the gun, there are a bunch of BRAND NEW 48 frames being sold on GB for anywhere in the $250-$280 range. Not sure why they are selling so many of them and I really don’t care, it’s a great opportunity for a low cost upgrade test that if you don’t like you can re-sell at no loss right back on GB or locally. Being able to get my whole hand on the grip of the tiny 43, and with an easy slight grip modification made ALL the difference in the world from a meh gun to I LOVE this pistol. And if you ever need to make the 43 a pocket gun again a frame swap is 5 seconds.
So again, get them mags now if you think you’ll need them!
The magazines are made out of excellent quality steel that survives drops etc without any issues. What these guys did was to loose Glock’s plastic skin on the mags which allows them to expand mag capacity by making their mag just a tad wider. Brilliant, and something Glock should have done years ago in my opinion. BTW, I’ve heard that they will be coming out with a 15 round mag for the SIG 365 soon.
This mag basically turn the 48 and 43X into 16 round guns at 25oz fully loaded. An absolute pleasure to carry around and the short barrel of the 43X makes it EASY to pack AIWB! So you end up with a relatively tiny, super slim, high capacity gun with a frame that accommodates ALL your fingers and lays flat against your body. I wear it under my thin company shirts while training and no one knows I’m carrying. An extra factory 10 round mag goes into my rear left pocket standing upright right next to my wallet and stays in place nicely! Nothing sticks out from my body and yet I’m packing 26 (soon to be 31) rounds on me without needing a freaking Bat Belt.
So again this is a BIG thumbs up recommendation on the Shield Arms 15 round mag and the 43X as an EDC!
BTW for those of you that have a Glock 43 and are less than in love with the gun, there are a bunch of BRAND NEW 48 frames being sold on GB for anywhere in the $250-$280 range. Not sure why they are selling so many of them and I really don’t care, it’s a great opportunity for a low cost upgrade test that if you don’t like you can re-sell at no loss right back on GB or locally. Being able to get my whole hand on the grip of the tiny 43, and with an easy slight grip modification made ALL the difference in the world from a meh gun to I LOVE this pistol. And if you ever need to make the 43 a pocket gun again a frame swap is 5 seconds.
So again, get them mags now if you think you’ll need them!
Replies
The Shield mags and releases have been running well for my troops that have 'em. That system paired up with the new MOS models with the light rail - whether you red dot it or not - pretty much turns this into a handgun that provides answers to A LOT of questions. Since it's the same basic operating system as the big Glocks and Shield gives it essentially the same capacity, it's neat that you won't necessarily have to swap between CCW and mainline duty gun to provide or receive training that's applicable to either.
"Nothing is safe from stupid." - Zee
https://www.theopedia.com/cage-stage-calvinism
"Slow is smooth, smooth is fast, and speed is the economy of motion" - Scott Jedlinski
Now I'm on the hunt for a 48 MOS to use as a HD gun and then I'll get rid of everything else I own in the high cap department because I'll be D,U,N... Dun...
Also, at the current point in time, the miniature lights like the TLR-7, while impressive, do not have the same output as the larger TLR-1HL. They do put out enough light and then some to do the job, but they aren't capable of generating high noon on Mercury like the two-battery lights can.
The slightly larger red dots have somewhat more features to them - the Holosuns giving you the solar backup and auto-dim feature that their little "K" models can't quite pack in.. Give it a few years.
Not that it matters for right-handed little old ME, but the bigger Gen 5's do have the ambi slide stop. Teaching the small and inexperienced lefty to lock the slide back with the right-hand-only control is do-able, but it has made for some long days. Again, give them time.
Holsters: Probably not much out there for full retention duty rigs. . .YET.
So while the 43X and 48 MOS are a grand slam in the CCW world, I'm a little cautious saying they're my first choice for the fight I'd be paid to run towards.
"Nothing is safe from stupid." - Zee
Thanks!
I am glad I live far enough away that his enabling is not all encompassing, Sako is doomed
"Slow is smooth, smooth is fast, and speed is the economy of motion" - Scott Jedlinski
"Slow is smooth, smooth is fast, and speed is the economy of motion" - Scott Jedlinski
I do 4 upgrades to every Glock that lands in my hands, even before I "loved" them. Here's my current baby:
The 3 upgrades you can see in the picture:
1- Mag catch gets replaced with a solid metal Shield Arms unit (they come in multiple finished, this one is in the white). Every issue I have personally witnessed with the Shield Arms mags has happened in guns that ran them extensively with the standard plastic mag catch. The metal mags will wear out the plastic and you'll end up with a sloppy fit that might prevent slide lock or induce some FTF. It's a cheap upgrade that really works for you, and they still work with factory mags no problem so there is no down side. The factory part is cheesy at best!
2- Tru Glo Tritium/Fiber Optic combination sights (they now have 3 models of TFOs). It is IMPOSSIBLE to miss these sights night or day.
3- I exchange the factory plastic slide rear plate with a solid metal one. The plastic one is ugly and while it really is more of an esthetics thing I feel better about having a solid metal one and it allows me to "dress up" my guns a little".. It also makes it easy for me to identify MY Glock at the range when I have a bunch pf folks I'm shooting with. These things are a bit... popular? I get mine from eBay.
The #4 upgrade you can't see is a Ghost 3.5lb Connector. It's a 5 minute upgrade that iy can do yourself (YouTube) and by installing one and adding a small amount of good grease to the friction surfaces it smooths out and drops the trigger pull SUBSTANTIALLY! I've been able to play with two 43Xs side by side (one upgraded and one not) and it is really a big improvement!
"Slow is smooth, smooth is fast, and speed is the economy of motion" - Scott Jedlinski