Universal magazines

gaseousclay · September 11, 2020, 08:48 AM

Here’s my silly handgun question of the day, are there any companies that make universal magazines that will work across different brands, or do you have to spend the extra $ and buy the manufacturer magazine?

I’m asking because there are companies like Magpul that make ar magazines that will work with any company, not to mention being inexpensive. I think Magpul makes some Glock magazines but that could be because Glocks are polymer and the most popular handgun around. Handgun magazines are over twice the cost of an ar mag, but I’m assuming it’s because most are made out of metal instead of polymer.

Any ideas?

TunnelRat · September 11, 2020, 08:53 AM

Magpul AR magazines work in multiple ARs because those companies are using the same data package essentially. The resulting geometry needed for the magazines is the same from one AR to the next, assuming the same caliber. Pistols are another story. The geometry of one magazine is different than another. By that I mean the angle of the magazine body itself. Some are also wider or narrower than another. In that case it’s practically impossible to make a universal magazine. Now some companies actually do use the same geometry of existing magazines to save themselves on their own R&D, but that’s not the norm currently.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**44 AMP** · September 11, 2020, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Here’s my silly handgun question of the day, are there any companies that make universal magazines that will work across different brands, or do you have to spend the extra $ and buy the manufacturer magazine?

No.

Basically because each different brand (design) is different. Different measurements, sizes, location of magazine catches, etc. Sometimes, different models of the same gun from the same maker won't take the same magazines.

One example of that is my Browning BDA 45. It is an early model SIG P220. Uses a heel clip magazine catch. Those mags will not work in later model P220s with the pushbutton magazine release, without permanent modification of the magazne body.

GI Tommygun mags won't work in the semi auto Tommy guns, unless modified, and when they are, they won't work in the original tommy gun.

The only mags I've ever seen that will work in more than one design gun are the plastic ones (I forget who made them) that were made to work in either an AR-15 or a Ruger Mini 14, because the maker built both kinds of locking system into the mag bodies to begin with.

You won't find that in any common pistols I know of.

KyJim · September 11, 2020, 11:01 PM

Well, 1911 pistol mags will normally work on all “true” 1911 pistols with the same grip lengths. But that is because there is no patent on the generic 1911 design

Jim Watson · September 12, 2020, 12:08 AM

Way down in the trivia weeds, a Daewoo DP51 will take a Smith and Wesson Model 59 mag.

And you can file a catch notch in a Weatherby XXII magazine for use in a Walther GSP.
There are a few others like that, where one gun's magazine can be altered to fit another.

But in general, the answer is no.

Bill DeShivs · September 12, 2020, 01:09 AM

Browning HP and it's clones generally take the same magazines.
Glocks and their clones take the same magazines, and other pistols and rifles take Glock mags.

MikeG · September 12, 2020, 02:20 AM

Quote:

The only mags I've ever seen that will work in more than one design gun are the plastic ones (I forget who made them) that were made to work in either an AR-15 or a Ruger Mini 14, because the maker built both kinds of locking system into the mag bodies to begin with.

FWIW those were made by Ramline and were pretty poor. The feed lips were flexible enough that a slight bump or looking at them wrong would cause them to barf rounds all over the place.

gaseousclay · September 12, 2020, 08:50 AM

Thanks for the info guys. Guess i'll just have to deal with it and pay the extra $ for S&W mags.

**44 AMP** · September 12, 2020, 02:20 PM

Quote:

FWIW those were made by Ramline and were pretty poor. The feed lips were flexible enough that a slight bump or looking at them wrong would cause them to barf rounds all over the place.

the 3 that I have (don't know if they are Ramline) have never done that. What I have are clear, 30rnd sticks, and worked ok in both my AR and Mini 14, other than a tendency to not lock the bolt open reliably on the last shot in the Mini 14.

Quote:

Guess i'll just have to deal with it and pay the extra $ for S&W mags.

Paying "extra"? If you mean paying what the gunmaker asks vs. a lower priced aftermarket magazine, is that "extra"??

Consider this, if you buy spare mags from the company that made your gun and they don't work right, who do you deal with? The company has a vested interest in keeping you as a happy customer.

If you buy mags from someone else, and they don't work, you deal with a company that makes magazines, and you might not get the same response you get from the original gun maker.

GarandTd · September 13, 2020, 07:57 AM

No universal magazines that I know of. Aftermarket manufactures are out there, but with limited options. All of my handgun mags cost $20-$35 if I shop around or catch a sale. I don't think that's too much. Best chances of optimal function are going to come from factory magazines.

rob-c · September 16, 2020, 06:24 AM

Check metal form mags to see if they make them for your gun . I’ve bought 5 for my rock island 1911 in 10mm and function flawlessly at $21 each .

dahermit · September 16, 2020, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KyJim

Well, 1911 pistol mags will normally work on all “true” 1911 pistols with the same grip lengths. But that is because there is no patent on the generic 1911 design

Patients are not likely a factor inasmuch as they expire at some point (twenty years?), then anyone can copy that item (magazine, etc.). As an example, I think that there is at least one company coping the Ruger 10-22 receiver.

KyJim · September 17, 2020, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Patients are not likely a factor inasmuch as they expire at some point (twenty years?), then anyone can copy that item (magazine, etc.). As an example, I think that there is at least one company coping the Ruger 10-22 receiver.

You're probably right. The real reason the mags are (or should be) interchangeable is because the 1911 design is so popular. Everyone wants a piece of that pie.

raimius · September 18, 2020, 03:42 AM

You may find several manufacturers make a compatible magazine, if you have a popular pistol. Quite a few make mags for the traditional Glock series (17/19/26). Shield Arms makes a flush fit G43x/48 mag that adds 50% capacity over the Glock OEM mags. Mec Gar makes a whole host of mags.

T. O'Heir · September 18, 2020, 01:48 PM

It's not the 'brand' that matters. It's the firearm. There's no such thing as a "universal" mag though. There are aftermarket mags of varying quality. Some are good and work just fine in the firearm they were designed for.
Mind you, not all aftermarket brands are good. ProMag and Ramline brand mags, for example, tend to have reliability issues. They tend to be low cost but that guarantees nothing.

tipoc · September 20, 2020, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Here’s my silly handgun question of the day, are there any companies that make universal magazines that will work across different brands, or do you have to spend the extra $ and buy the manufacturer magazine?

The question is a little hard because I'm not sure what you mean by "universal magazines".

By process of elimination (I'm eliminating that you want a mag that will work in all handguns and multiple calibers), I assume you mean a mag that will work in all CZ 75B's or all 1911 GMs regardless of maker, or all Sig P229's in 40 S&W. Also that are not factory mags.

The quick answer to that is sometimes yes and very often no.

First alot of gun makers no longer make their own mags. They contract them out to companies like Mec-Gar and a few others. So the aftermarket mags made by those companies are as good as the "factory mags" but with different names on them, because they are "factory" mags. But that's a piece of information about specific companies that you have to know.

tipoc

gaseousclay · October 9, 2020, 10:47 AM

Thx for the feedback everyone.

Which online stores do you guys use for handgun mags? I’d like a site that sells both handgun and ar mags

GarandTd · October 9, 2020, 10:57 AM

I like Midway.

PolarFBear · October 9, 2020, 05:51 PM

What pistols, and other, firearms, use the same magazines? I think Glock magazines are used in several other guns; just don't really know which ones. Likewise, Ruger magazines were/are used in some carbines and other long guns. Any factual input? Would be dand y to have a "battery" of weapons that all use the same mags.

DaleA · October 9, 2020, 06:07 PM

I am a big Midway fan also. However I'm enough of a cheapskate that I wait for the stuff I want to go on sale and wait for the "free shipping" promotions. Free shipping happens on a regular bases.

gaseousclay · October 11, 2020, 05:40 AM

I ordered 2 mags from Midway yesterday and had tracking info in a couple of hours. That’s what I call fast

Big Shrek · October 17, 2020, 12:19 AM

Here's where it pays to be an old phart...

S&W 59/5900 series mags were also useable in at least a dozen different firearms.
As mentioned above, the Daewoo 51...
Marlin Camp 9 Carbine
Star 243
and I should be able to remember the rest, but it's Brain Fart Friday nite

But they're listed somewhere...

And S&W 4500 series mags fit the Star M45 as well,
CS45's were a perfect fit, just have to add a mag catch hole.
The larger ones just added capacity.

Glock mags are also used by a few others...like Keltec's carbines...
lots of options...just gotta do a little reasearch!

Geezerbiker · October 17, 2020, 08:43 AM

According to Ed Harris (former QC manager at Ruger) many modern 9mm's use a magazine design copied from the Browning Highpower but have the catch hole in other places. He postulated that someone could make an extended mag of say around 18 rounds with a few different catch holes and it would work in many guns.

He said that a long time ago so I don't know how many guns still use a Highpower cloned mag...

Tony

**44 AMP** · October 17, 2020, 12:04 PM

Any double stack magazine that "tapers" down to a single round feed could be said to have been "copied" from the Browning Hi Power.

Though the people that do that usually say "inspired by" rather than "copied from..."

langenc · October 22, 2020, 03:06 PM

Im sure mags aint cheap to make, good ones...

On the other hand Im also sure that mags are a rather high profit item for
the maker/marketers.

I recall a semi auto I had about 25 yrs ago. I wanted a couple more mags and ordered em. Somewhere on the net I found out that there were about 1700 back orders for those mags.

I wrote to the co CEO and mentioned a few facts and I had my 2 mags in about 3 weeks???

As I remember it was $34 for a 'plastic', mostly, mag that any of the good plastic mag cos could have made and probably did make them for the gun
co. So $34 x probably 3000(or so) mags...there has to be some profit in that kind of demand.

September 11, 2020, 08:48 AM	#1
gaseousclay Senior Member Join Date: August 4, 2010 Posts: 1,210	Universal magazines Here’s my silly handgun question of the day, are there any companies that make universal magazines that will work across different brands, or do you have to spend the extra $ and buy the manufacturer magazine? I’m asking because there are companies like Magpul that make ar magazines that will work with any company, not to mention being inexpensive. I think Magpul makes some Glock magazines but that could be because Glocks are polymer and the most popular handgun around. Handgun magazines are over twice the cost of an ar mag, but I’m assuming it’s because most are made out of metal instead of polymer. Any ideas?

September 12, 2020, 01:09 AM	#6
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,981	Browning HP and it's clones generally take the same magazines. Glocks and their clones take the same magazines, and other pistols and rifles take Glock mags. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

September 13, 2020, 07:57 AM	#10
GarandTd Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2016 Location: Rural PA Posts: 1,639	No universal magazines that I know of. Aftermarket manufactures are out there, but with limited options. All of my handgun mags cost $20-$35 if I shop around or catch a sale. I don't think that's too much. Best chances of optimal function are going to come from factory magazines. __________________ 22lr, 20 gauge, 8mm Mauser, 35 Remington, 30-06, 5.56x45/223, 9mm, 380acp

September 18, 2020, 01:48 PM	#15
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	It's not the 'brand' that matters. It's the firearm. There's no such thing as a "universal" mag though. There are aftermarket mags of varying quality. Some are good and work just fine in the firearm they were designed for. Mind you, not all aftermarket brands are good. ProMag and Ramline brand mags, for example, tend to have reliability issues. They tend to be low cost but that guarantees nothing. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

October 9, 2020, 10:57 AM	#18
GarandTd Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2016 Location: Rural PA Posts: 1,639	I like Midway. __________________ 22lr, 20 gauge, 8mm Mauser, 35 Remington, 30-06, 5.56x45/223, 9mm, 380acp

September 11, 2020, 08:53 AM	#2
TunnelRat Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2011 Posts: 12,215	Magpul AR magazines work in multiple ARs because those companies are using the same data package essentially. The resulting geometry needed for the magazines is the same from one AR to the next, assuming the same caliber. Pistols are another story. The geometry of one magazine is different than another. By that I mean the angle of the magazine body itself. Some are also wider or narrower than another. In that case it’s practically impossible to make a universal magazine. Now some companies actually do use the same geometry of existing magazines to save themselves on their own R&D, but that’s not the norm currently. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

September 11, 2020, 11:01 PM	#4
KyJim Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2005 Location: The Bluegrass Posts: 9,142	Well, 1911 pistol mags will normally work on all “true” 1911 pistols with the same grip lengths. But that is because there is no patent on the generic 1911 design

September 12, 2020, 12:08 AM	#5
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,539	Way down in the trivia weeds, a Daewoo DP51 will take a Smith and Wesson Model 59 mag. And you can file a catch notch in a Weatherby XXII magazine for use in a Walther GSP. There are a few others like that, where one gun's magazine can be altered to fit another. But in general, the answer is no.

September 12, 2020, 08:50 AM	#8
gaseousclay Senior Member Join Date: August 4, 2010 Posts: 1,210	Thanks for the info guys. Guess i'll just have to deal with it and pay the extra $ for S&W mags.

September 16, 2020, 06:24 AM	#11
rob-c Senior Member Join Date: February 27, 2013 Posts: 151	Check metal form mags to see if they make them for your gun . I’ve bought 5 for my rock island 1911 in 10mm and function flawlessly at $21 each .

September 18, 2020, 03:42 AM	#14
raimius Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2008 Posts: 2,199	You may find several manufacturers make a compatible magazine, if you have a popular pistol. Quite a few make mags for the traditional Glock series (17/19/26). Shield Arms makes a flush fit G43x/48 mag that adds 50% capacity over the Glock OEM mags. Mec Gar makes a whole host of mags.

October 9, 2020, 10:47 AM	#17
gaseousclay Senior Member Join Date: August 4, 2010 Posts: 1,210	Thx for the feedback everyone. Which online stores do you guys use for handgun mags? I’d like a site that sells both handgun and ar mags

October 9, 2020, 05:51 PM	#19
PolarFBear Senior Member Join Date: April 22, 2015 Location: NE Tennessee, a "Free State" Posts: 477	What pistols, and other, firearms, use the same magazines? I think Glock magazines are used in several other guns; just don't really know which ones. Likewise, Ruger magazines were/are used in some carbines and other long guns. Any factual input? Would be dand y to have a "battery" of weapons that all use the same mags.

October 9, 2020, 06:07 PM	#20
DaleA Senior Member Join Date: September 12, 2002 Location: Twin Cities, MN Posts: 5,312	I am a big Midway fan also. However I'm enough of a cheapskate that I wait for the stuff I want to go on sale and wait for the "free shipping" promotions. Free shipping happens on a regular bases.

October 11, 2020, 05:40 AM	#21
gaseousclay Senior Member Join Date: August 4, 2010 Posts: 1,210	I ordered 2 mags from Midway yesterday and had tracking info in a couple of hours. That’s what I call fast

October 17, 2020, 12:19 AM	#22
Big Shrek Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2009 Location: NorthWest Florida Posts: 1,358	Here's where it pays to be an old phart... S&W 59/5900 series mags were also useable in at least a dozen different firearms. As mentioned above, the Daewoo 51... Marlin Camp 9 Carbine Star 243 and I should be able to remember the rest, but it's Brain Fart Friday nite But they're listed somewhere... And S&W 4500 series mags fit the Star M45 as well, CS45's were a perfect fit, just have to add a mag catch hole. The larger ones just added capacity. Glock mags are also used by a few others...like Keltec's carbines... lots of options...just gotta do a little reasearch! __________________ Marlin Specialist Calico Specialist A gun should be a tool in the hands of a deadly weapon, not a deadly weapon in the hands of a tool.

October 17, 2020, 08:43 AM	#23
Geezerbiker Senior Member Join Date: March 20, 2011 Location: Willamina, OR Posts: 1,908	According to Ed Harris (former QC manager at Ruger) many modern 9mm's use a magazine design copied from the Browning Highpower but have the catch hole in other places. He postulated that someone could make an extended mag of say around 18 rounds with a few different catch holes and it would work in many guns. He said that a long time ago so I don't know how many guns still use a Highpower cloned mag... Tony

October 17, 2020, 12:04 PM	#24
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,820	Any double stack magazine that "tapers" down to a single round feed could be said to have been "copied" from the Browning Hi Power. Though the people that do that usually say "inspired by" rather than "copied from..." __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

October 22, 2020, 03:06 PM	#25
langenc Senior Member Join Date: August 19, 2007 Location: Montmorency Co, MI Posts: 1,551	Im sure mags aint cheap to make, good ones... On the other hand Im also sure that mags are a rather high profit item for the maker/marketers. I recall a semi auto I had about 25 yrs ago. I wanted a couple more mags and ordered em. Somewhere on the net I found out that there were about 1700 back orders for those mags. I wrote to the co CEO and mentioned a few facts and I had my 2 mags in about 3 weeks??? As I remember it was $34 for a 'plastic', mostly, mag that any of the good plastic mag cos could have made and probably did make them for the gun co. So $34 x probably 3000(or so) mags...there has to be some profit in that kind of demand.