Why mags make a difference when buying an NIB Pistol.

[Will Beararms]

Two manufacturers make comparable pistols.

One has a selling price of $499.00 for a hammer fired DA only and comes with one mag. The pistol has no street cred from wide spread use by agencies or forces. The other has a selling price of $539.00 and comes with three mags. This handgun has universal credibility.

Factoring in you need at least three mags for any handgun, consider the following.

$499.00 + 8.25% sales tax = Approximately $540.00

+ Two extra mags = approximately $86.00 for a total of $626.00.

$539.00 with 3 mags + 8.25% sales tax = Approximately $584.00

Perhaps $45.00 is not a big deal to you. It's just interesting how marketing comes into play in the semi-auto handgun arena.

[TunnelRat]

Factoring in you need at least three mags for any handgun, consider the following.

Do you? I missed that lesson in school I guess. Frankly if it's just a range toy why do you? Now for a defensive pistol I would likely agree. I have a good 10 magazines for a certain defensive pistol. I still only bring 3 to the range (those 3 are only for the range/classes with another two depending on the class). I have no desire to dump all my ammo as fast as possible and reloading more often gives me a chance to reflect on how I am currently doing shooting as well as extending the session.

Some manufacturers obviously believe achieving a certain price point is crucial to their sales. In the case of a less known pistol I can especially see how that is true. At a low enough price people will pick up the pistol just to try it.

[Will Beararms]

Let be back up TR. IMHO and IMHO only, YMMV, a defensive pistol needs at least 5 mags minimum. That's just me though.

As far as a range gun, only two mags would drive me nuts with the reloads. For the great unwashed, a handgun with one mag might be sufficient.

I agree with the novelty appeal of a lower price point for a lesser known. I some cases, the also ran might be an excellent product.

[TunnelRat]

As far as a range gun, only two mags would drive me nuts with the reloads.

I do that pretty often actually. Again, I'm in no hurry. My range fee is paid for the year. I go to the range to go somewhere "quiet" and take my time. But I can understand where others come from.

I will say that one mag from a company where getting mags is difficult would be a non seller for me.

[Oruglock]

Five magazines? What are you planning ion defending against, a zombie horde?

Actually I have the same for my Glock 17, one of which is a 33 capacity. Five for my M&P9 which came with three. It was murder trying to find extra magazines, and eventually in desperation I bought two Promag magazines @$45 apiece. A lot for magazines, a lot for Promag, but they work fine fortunately. I returned some LCP Promag magazines which just refused to lock. We tried several from the rack, and none worked right.

The cost and availability of extra magazines is certainly a factor. My RIA 1911 only came with one, but extras are easy to find and relatively cheap. My SR45 came with two, but the third cost me about $40.

[zombietactics]

Originally Posted by Will Beararms

... IMHO and IMHO only, YMMV, a defensive pistol needs at least 5 mags minimum. That's just me though. ... For the great unwashed, a handgun with one mag might be sufficient. ...

You aren't alone.

Originally Posted by Oruglock

Five magazines? What are you planning on defending against, a zombie horde?

You got a problem with that?

[Double Naught Spy]

Why mags make a difference when buying an NIB Pistol.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two manufacturers make comparable pistols.

One has a selling price of $499.00 for a hammer fired DA only and comes with one mag. The pistol has no street cred from wide spread use by agencies or forces. The other has a selling price of $539.00 and comes with three mags. This handgun has universal credibility.

Factoring in you need at least three mags for any handgun, consider the following.

$499.00 + 8.25% sales tax = Approximately $540.00

+ Two extra mags = approximately $86.00 for a total of $626.00.

$539.00 with 3 mags + 8.25% sales tax = Approximately $584.00

Perhaps $45.00 is not a big deal to you. It's just interesting how marketing comes into play in the semi-auto handgun arena.

I am completely lost in your convoluted example. First, I don't see where there is any $45 difference in any of the numbers you list. Second, you are comparing two different guns that obviously have very different credibility. So, while the second gun may be cheaper with the same number of mags as the first gun, many would not be buying it for that reason, but because it is apparently better accepted as the better gun. Third, you assume that the base guns are of equal value, appeal, etc. and that the difference is in the mags. There is no reason to believe this to be true.

[Will Beararms]

My fuzzy math says there's $42.00 difference between the two pistols if both have three mags. The pistol with more street cred is actually less expensive. So it just goes to show you it's important to do the math. With all things being equal you may not be saving money when you think you are saving money.

[Damon555]

I load as I go at the range also. The only pistol I have more than 2 magazines for is my 1911 and I still only load one at a time.

How many mag dumps do you think you'll actually perform in a self-defense situation? My guess is only 1.......

But that's one of the great things about living in this country....We have the option of owning as many magazines as we see fit. Have at it.

[shaunpain]

Not taking your math into consideration (I hate numbers and they make my eyes glaze over) what you say is true and always a consideration for me when buying a new piece. While I don't necessarily subscribe to the idea that every gun needs to have many magazines, I have purchased extra magazines for many of my useful guns and most of them are never used but there just in case. I never understood the selling of any gun with one magazine (listen up here, Kel-Tec) and I won't buy your gun just because to me it is a slap in the face to make me hunt down extra magazines for a brand new gun. Lesson learned on my end, now it's up to some of the manufacturers to get with the program. I typically view the amount of magazines I need to how many I could actually carry if I needed to rely on it for protection in any catastrophic event. That number is right around 4 for me. One in the gun and three to stash in pockets. I will never see the need to purchase more than that for any of my pistols, but I am a civilian and they are not for duty use. Just insurance

I've been kicking around the idea of FINALLY submitting to a striker fired gun and the magazine issue is at the forefront of my internal arguments. It just makes more sense to get the Glock because magazines are plentiful and cheap. Until M&Ps and XDs have more magazines on the market at a similar price, they are just not as desirable to me at this point in my life.

[CUBAN REDNECK]

There's nothing wrong with extra magazines especially standard capacity mags. One always has to look at the future regarding mags. I recently bought a pistol at a decent price from a LGS only because the seller threw in three extra mags.

[TunnelRat]

It just makes more sense to get the Glock because magazines are plentiful and cheap. Until M&Ps and XDs have more magazines on the market at a similar price, they are just not as desirable to me at this point in my life.

You'd let a few dollars difference in the price of a magazine turn you off two of the more popular pistols on the market? Wow.

[AK103K]

Since mags are the weakest point in the autos, why wouldnt you have a bunch of spares?

The more that come with the gun, the better. Even then, I buy more every time I find them on sale, even if its only one or two at a time.

One advantage with Glocks and a few others, the full size mags work in the the smaller versions, so you can carry a full size reload with any of them.


As far as what I take to the range, I usually load about 15-20 before I go. I prefer to shoot at the range, not load mags.

Im not sure how loading them before you go translates into mag dumps and loading them there doesnt. While I may shoot in bursts, I dont normally dump the mag doing so.

Now with the full autos, I do like doing it on occasion, especially when someone tells you its a waste of ammo and you cant keep the whole mag on the target with one pull of the trigger. Wanna bet?!

Hey, sometimes you just need the release.

[Sabrewolfe]

Originally Posted by shaunpain

It just makes more sense to get the Glock because magazines are plentiful and cheap. Until M&Ps and XDs have more magazines on the market at a similar price, they are just not as desirable to me at this point in my life.

Not to hijack the thread, but my experience has been quite different on this front. I have two XDs and a Glock 19 (also have a Shield, but I don't really count that as a M&P). I can get XD mags for $25 each pretty easily, while I have yet to find Glock OEM mags for anything under $30 even online. I also find XD mags everywhere I find Glock ones, so availability isn't a problem, either. So I really don't think Glock is a win just because of mag.

[AK103K]

while I have yet to find Glock OEM mags for anything under $30 even online.

You must not have looked very hard, factory Glock mags can be had for around $25 in quite a few places, and the Korean mags are around $15, and work just as well.

Here are just a couple.....

https://www.wideners.com/itemview.cfm?dir=625|709

http://www.cdnnsports.com/magazines.html?brand=361

[Sabrewolfe]

Actually I hit over a dozen different sites and several did indeed list prices around $25, but once shipping was factored into the total they all finalized at ~$30/mag. I didn't bother looking at the Korean ones because I've seen too many fail to trust them.

Even if you can get them for $25 though, that's still a tie with the XD mags, so it's STILL not a win.

[AK103K]

I suppose this is no different than anything else, buy stuff when its cheap and available, and do so all along, and youre way ahead when you get where we are now.

The factory Glock mags I have, I bought back when they were around $15 ea.(which wasnt really all that long ago), and I got a bunch. At the time, they were still $10 a mag cheaper than what I was paying for my SIG mags.


What Korean mags did you see fail?

I got a bunch of them back when they were $5 ea., and other than replacing springs on some I use all the time, never had an issue with any of them. They work just like the factory mags.

[Uncle Malice]

Yep. Those Korean mags work perfectly if you just replace the spring from the start with a Wolff spring. (Maybe an OEM follower too).

[AK103K]

Im still running all the original followers in mine. The original springs actually last a good long time as well, multiple tens of thousands of rounds anyway. Even then, I was just starting to get sporadic malfunctions with them, which did stop when I replaced them with the Wolff springs.

The Wolff springs really arent all that cheap though, and if I were going to go that route right off, Id probably just put the extra money towards the factory Glock mags.

[TunnelRat]

As far as what I take to the range, I usually load about 15-20 before I go. I prefer to shoot at the range, not load mags.

Wow, more power to you. 20 loaded magazines would be 300 rds for me. I've got money, but I can't do 300 rds a week (I do maybe 150, more likely 100). Not only that, but at today's prices 20 magazines can be easily $600, and a lot more depending on the firearm. At that pricepoint I'd rather a few less mags and a whole new gun.

Hey if it works for you go for it. In my defense I don't feel like I spend my whole time loading mags. Again I use some of that time to reflect on my shooting and frankly just to chill and watch what others are shooting and how they're doing.

[AK103K]

On average, thats my usual 9mm count each week.

I dont really have any "spare" money, but reloading lets you shoot a more for the same.

Sure do miss those $125 2000 round cases of China Sports 9mm though.

[TunnelRat]

dont really have any "spare" money, but reloading lets you shoot a more for the same.

Sigh, I really need to suck it up and pay for a setup at some point. Part of it is making the space in the basement.

[armoredman]

I load magazines at the range with what I decide to take with me. Since I may be experimenting with loads/bullets, just loading the same magazine over and over again with 5 rounds at a time works quite well for me. As you say, "that's just me".

[Gats Italian]

I'm all over the map on this topic. I have over 100 beretta 92 and 1911 mags because they were relatively inexpensive for many years.

However, when considering a new pistol, the initial amount of mags included are a non-factor. I'd rather have a pistol I like with only one mag than one I don't that comes with three. Mags are like ammo, a long term expense relatively divorced from the initial msrp over time.

[hartcreek]

This thread is rediculous.....Why would anyone waste any amount of money on a Double Action Only Hammer fired semi auto in the first place?