S&W 3rd gen magazine followers

dsk · November 11, 2011, 02:57 AM

I'm needing some more factory 11-round mags for a S&W 4006. The two I have currently have yellow followers, but I've noticed among the used mags for sale out there some have yellow while others have blue followers, and I believe the new ones also are blue. Is there a difference?

Dan-O · November 11, 2011, 12:57 PM

The new ones that I have seen are white, not blue. But I only have 10mm 3rd gen Smitty's. Not sure if they are a different color on the .40's.

IIRC, Smith and Wesson changed the followers as there was some feeding issues associated with the yellow ones.

Onward Allusion · November 11, 2011, 01:29 PM

Don't hold me to this, but I THINK -

Yellow - 11 round Pre-Ban
White - 10 round Klinton Era
Blue - 11 round Law Enforcement

Sevens · November 12, 2011, 01:24 AM

I also don't have any 3rd Gen .40 cals, only my 10mm 1006.

I can tell you that the yellow followers were first and the white followers came later. The white followers have a slightly difference shape, especially at the front end of the follower.

Most folks with 10xx pistols and both versions of the magazine will tell you that it doesn't make a bit of difference either way. The pistol runs like a top no matter which magazines I use.

dsk · November 13, 2011, 01:54 AM

Well, currently one of my mags works perfectly but the other one often won't lock the slide back. Of course that could just be due to a tired spring.

Sevens · November 13, 2011, 07:21 AM

Wolff has the springs you need and they are quite inexpensive.

ColColt · November 13, 2011, 11:48 AM

You can order whatever you need directly from S&W. The 4506 started out with yellow then orange then black followers. It doesn't make any difference. Brownell's has them but currently, back ordered. I'd try S&W.

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=2...1-ROUND-HI-CAP

S&W's number is 1-800-331-0852

Dabull · November 13, 2011, 01:26 PM

OP:

Quote:

I'm needing some more factory 11-round mags for a S&W 4006.

I have 3-5 in VG to E condition that I don't need. I think they are mostly yellow follower, perhaps one blue. $10 ea. PM if interested.

Onward Allusion · November 13, 2011, 05:16 PM

Quote:

dsk
S&W 3rd gen magazine followers

Go here...

http://www.cdnninvestments.com/smithwesson.html

$9.99 to $19.99 - OEM LE Used, OEM LE Demo, OEM Used, & OEM New

Purchased from these guys over a dozen times. Great merchants & inexpensive shipping.

84Carrera · November 17, 2011, 07:05 PM

Yes the blue ones are newer. I have 3 yellows for my 4006 & 3 blue for my 4013TSW. Here is a thread on the subject...

http://smith-wessonforum.com/smith-w...-question.html

dsk · November 18, 2011, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dabull

I have 3-5 in VG to E condition that I don't need. I think they are mostly yellow follower, perhaps one blue. $10 ea. PM if interested.

Thanks, but I already purchased some from a fellow forum member, with blue followers and LE-marked bodies. I'll get a new spring to fix the one that isn't working correctly.

dgludwig · November 18, 2011, 06:54 PM

I have all the colors mentioned on my magazine followers and have never noticed a difference in feeding reliability-they all work perfectly in my Smith "third generation" pistols. I'm of the opinion that spring differences (in terms of age/use) poses the biggest issues in terms of proper function (as opposed to mag follower configurations).

fastbolt · November 18, 2011, 07:29 PM

S&W does color-code many of its followers, but it's not like there's an exclusive color for every caliber. The 3rd gen .40's are presently blue, but the M&P 40 and SW99/990L .40 followers are 2 other different colors ... and there's been some variation within each of those other model line followers, as well.

The revisions within each caliber may be reflected by a color change, but then maybe not, too. (The present M&P 45 followers that are listed as revised parts are the same color as the original followers, and I'm unable to see what difference, if any, exists with the naked eye.)

Also, as I've been told by folks at the company (as an armorer), sometimes they'll list a revision, or maybe even change the color of a part (like a follower), simply because they change vendors for that part. There may not be an actual engineering or design change, but just a vendor change. Maybe even a materials change by a vendor. The list has varied as it's been described to me over the years.

One time when I was discussing such things with one of the guys who used to be in production, as well as having served as an armorer instructor, the subject of 3rd gen .40 followers came up. I asked about the difference between the yellow and blue followers (as I've done from time to time, just to see what I can hear). He wasn't able to give me a definitive reason for the color change of that model's followers, to the best of his knowledge (about 30 years) and didn't know what, if any, difference was involved other than the color change.

Then again, I remember when I came across some of the orange 9mm followers used in the 59XX series mags that had a distinctly different shape and shade of orange color than later 15rd 9mm 59XX followers ...

... and I never was able to find out the reason for that uniquely shaped convex top contour of the follower, or even how long it had been in use (although it doesn't seem to have been around for more than a couple or so years, since we started seeing the "current" orange 15rd 3rd gen 9 mm follower shortly thereafter. It sure worked well in my guns, though.

On the other hand, I was also told some years ago that when the company changed the 11-rd 4006 mag follower from yellow to blue, some major LE agencies felt it was prudent to change their existing mag followers over to the new ones. (The 4013TSW .40 follower is the same blue one, but if you ever come across an older single stack 4013 - built on the 45 frame dimension - take a look at its .40 follower color, or the color of the CS40, for that matter. Things can vary.)

It gets even more confusing when you start to try and track recoil spring colors, or the lack thereof.

dsk · November 20, 2011, 08:54 PM

BTW I took my "new" mags with the blue followers apart for cleaning today, and noticed they otherwise appear identical to the yellow ones.

November 11, 2011, 02:57 AM	#1
dsk Senior Member Join Date: June 19, 2001 Posts: 1,603	S&W 3rd gen magazine followers I'm needing some more factory 11-round mags for a S&W 4006. The two I have currently have yellow followers, but I've noticed among the used mags for sale out there some have yellow while others have blue followers, and I believe the new ones also are blue. Is there a difference?

November 11, 2011, 01:29 PM	#3
Onward Allusion Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2009 Location: Back in a Non-Free State Posts: 3,133	Don't hold me to this, but I THINK - Yellow - 11 round Pre-Ban White - 10 round Klinton Era Blue - 11 round Law Enforcement __________________ Simple as ABC . . . Always Be Carrying

November 12, 2011, 01:24 AM	#4
Sevens Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 11,756	I also don't have any 3rd Gen .40 cals, only my 10mm 1006. I can tell you that the yellow followers were first and the white followers came later. The white followers have a slightly difference shape, especially at the front end of the follower. Most folks with 10xx pistols and both versions of the magazine will tell you that it doesn't make a bit of difference either way. The pistol runs like a top no matter which magazines I use. __________________ *Attention Brass rats and other reloaders:* I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss.

November 13, 2011, 07:21 AM	#6
Sevens Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 11,756	Wolff has the springs you need and they are quite inexpensive. __________________ *Attention Brass rats and other reloaders:* I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss.

November 18, 2011, 06:54 PM	#12
dgludwig Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2005 Location: North central Ohio Posts: 7,486	I have all the colors mentioned on my magazine followers and have never noticed a difference in feeding reliability-they all work perfectly in my Smith "third generation" pistols. I'm of the opinion that spring differences (in terms of age/use) poses the biggest issues in terms of proper function (as opposed to mag follower configurations). __________________ ONLY AN ARMED PEOPLE CAN BE TRULY FREE ; ONLY AN UNARMED PEOPLE CAN EVER BE ENSLAVED ...Aristotle NRA Benefactor Life Member

November 11, 2011, 12:57 PM	#2
Dan-O Senior Member Join Date: August 3, 2011 Location: Northern Colorado Posts: 969	The new ones that I have seen are white, not blue. But I only have 10mm 3rd gen Smitty's. Not sure if they are a different color on the .40's. IIRC, Smith and Wesson changed the followers as there was some feeding issues associated with the yellow ones.

November 13, 2011, 01:54 AM	#5
dsk Senior Member Join Date: June 19, 2001 Posts: 1,603	Well, currently one of my mags works perfectly but the other one often won't lock the slide back. Of course that could just be due to a tired spring.

November 13, 2011, 11:48 AM	#7
ColColt Senior Member Join Date: August 24, 2010 Posts: 354	You can order whatever you need directly from S&W. The 4506 started out with yellow then orange then black followers. It doesn't make any difference. Brownell's has them but currently, back ordered. I'd try S&W. http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=2...1-ROUND-HI-CAP S&W's number is 1-800-331-0852

November 17, 2011, 07:05 PM	#10
84Carrera Junior Member Join Date: November 17, 2011 Location: ct Posts: 7	Yes the blue ones are newer. I have 3 yellows for my 4006 & 3 blue for my 4013TSW. Here is a thread on the subject... http://smith-wessonforum.com/smith-w...-question.html

November 18, 2011, 07:29 PM	#13
fastbolt Senior Member Join Date: June 9, 2002 Location: northern CA for a little while longer Posts: 1,931	S&W does color-code many of its followers, but it's not like there's an exclusive color for every caliber. The 3rd gen .40's are presently blue, but the M&P 40 and SW99/990L .40 followers are 2 other different colors ... and there's been some variation within each of those other model line followers, as well. The revisions within each caliber may be reflected by a color change, but then maybe not, too. (The present M&P 45 followers that are listed as revised parts are the same color as the original followers, and I'm unable to see what difference, if any, exists with the naked eye.) Also, as I've been told by folks at the company (as an armorer), sometimes they'll list a revision, or maybe even change the color of a part (like a follower), simply because they change vendors for that part. There may not be an actual engineering or design change, but just a vendor change. Maybe even a materials change by a vendor. The list has varied as it's been described to me over the years. One time when I was discussing such things with one of the guys who used to be in production, as well as having served as an armorer instructor, the subject of 3rd gen .40 followers came up. I asked about the difference between the yellow and blue followers (as I've done from time to time, just to see what I can hear). He wasn't able to give me a definitive reason for the color change of that model's followers, to the best of his knowledge (about 30 years) and didn't know what, if any, difference was involved other than the color change. Then again, I remember when I came across some of the orange 9mm followers used in the 59XX series mags that had a distinctly different shape and shade of orange color than later 15rd 9mm 59XX followers ... ... and I never was able to find out the reason for that uniquely shaped convex top contour of the follower, or even how long it had been in use (although it doesn't seem to have been around for more than a couple or so years, since we started seeing the "current" orange 15rd 3rd gen 9 mm follower shortly thereafter. It sure worked well in my guns, though. On the other hand, I was also told some years ago that when the company changed the 11-rd 4006 mag follower from yellow to blue, some major LE agencies felt it was prudent to change their existing mag followers over to the new ones. (The 4013TSW .40 follower is the same blue one, but if you ever come across an older single stack 4013 - built on the 45 frame dimension - take a look at its .40 follower color, or the color of the CS40, for that matter. Things can vary.) It gets even more confusing when you start to try and track recoil spring colors, or the lack thereof. __________________ Retired LE - firearms instructor & armorer

November 20, 2011, 08:54 PM	#14
dsk Senior Member Join Date: June 19, 2001 Posts: 1,603	BTW I took my "new" mags with the blue followers apart for cleaning today, and noticed they otherwise appear identical to the yellow ones.