The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - what is "the right" capacity for a given pistol and how do manufacturers choose it?

Brit · February 1, 2020, 05:11 AM

Magazine capacity? It depends, back in 1980 I read everything I could on fights, good guys against bad guys. Trying to find a common denominator.
Did not take me long, to find out that mostly did not exist.
So there was an average magazine size, that made a given pistol to be able to be holstered and hidden on a belt, also to be deployed in a timely manner.

For quite a few years, a Glock 19 was just right. A 15 round magazine, plus one in the breech, 16 rounds of 9mm hollow points. Plus a Glock 17 magazine as a backup, mostly because a 15 round magazine, inserted in a rush, pinched my hand. All the experts stated that magazines being faulty, was the most common reason to change mags, not running out of rounds.
When I shot the gun games with my Glock 19, I never had any magazine malfunctions! Just changed magazines on lock back. Hence the extended mag' release/lock. To increase the speed of a magazine change.

Then out comes the newest Glock model, the 43X! Ten round magazine, the smallest slimmest and lightest Glock to date! The one I bought, Blue box, with factory-installed Ameriglo night sights. Ten and one seemed capacity enough?
Till the aftermarket, all-steel magazines entered the market place, so back to 15 plus one!

Does everyone remember the old joke? You only can have too many rounds in your magazine, if you are drowning, or on fire!

I coined a phrase MORE IS BETTER ALWAYS as a board member of IALEFI.
Still believe that.

February 1, 2020, 05:11 AM	#23
Brit Senior Member Join Date: January 29, 2005 Location: Orlando FL Posts: 1,934	Magazine capacity? It depends, back in 1980 I read everything I could on fights, good guys against bad guys. Trying to find a common denominator. Did not take me long, to find out that mostly did not exist. So there was an average magazine size, that made a given pistol to be able to be holstered and hidden on a belt, also to be deployed in a timely manner. For quite a few years, a Glock 19 was just right. A 15 round magazine, plus one in the breech, 16 rounds of 9mm hollow points. Plus a Glock 17 magazine as a backup, mostly because a 15 round magazine, inserted in a rush, pinched my hand. All the experts stated that magazines being faulty, was the most common reason to change mags, not running out of rounds. When I shot the gun games with my Glock 19, I never had any magazine malfunctions! Just changed magazines on lock back. Hence the extended mag' release/lock. To increase the speed of a magazine change. Then out comes the newest Glock model, the 43X! Ten round magazine, the smallest slimmest and lightest Glock to date! The one I bought, Blue box, with factory-installed Ameriglo night sights. Ten and one seemed capacity enough? Till the aftermarket, all-steel magazines entered the market place, so back to 15 plus one! Does everyone remember the old joke? You only can have too many rounds in your magazine, if you are drowning, or on fire! I coined a phrase MORE IS BETTER ALWAYS as a board member of IALEFI. Still believe that.