Do any of you actually use a 30 round handgun mag?

[TXAZ]

I just bought a Beretta M9A1 and was looking for 15-17 round magazines online. (Legal in Texas and most of the US).

I ran across a fair number of aftermarket 30 round magazines. Question to you, is do any foo you actually own or use a 30 rounder for your handgun?

[BarryLee]

I use a 33 round magazine for my GLOCK 26 when I go to the range. I suppose I could see using it around the house, but never have. In general I think they’re great for range use, but can’t imagine carrying one.

[Beretta686]

I have a 33-rd magazine for my Glock that I have mostly as a novelty item. I fully loaded it once and got bored shooting it 1/2 way through the magazine and haven't touched it since (why shoot 33 rounds out of a pistol, when I have an SMG that's much more fun?).

Aside from the novelty of having them, the only practical use I can actually see for them is if you're using something like a Glock 18, Beretta 93R or if you're in the zombie apocalypse and need lots of rounds.

[skizzums]

that seems like it would really throw off my shooting to go from a 1 pound mag to nothing, could be fun though

[marine6680]

They are good for pistol caliber carbines that accept common pistol mags.

There are options that use either most commonly Glock or Beretta mags. So for that use, they make more sense.

[Willie Lowman]

I have some 20 round mags (Beretta) and some 22 round mags (Glock .40) that I bought for competition purposes. Never used a 30 round mag in a handgun.

[barnbwt]

Many folks carry their five-sevens with the 10 round floorplate extension (30 total). Probably a couple folks who carry PMRs, too.

TCB

[Don P]

I ran across a fair number of aftermarket 30 round magazines. Question to you, is do any foo you actually own or use a 30 rounder for your handgun?

I use them and don't waste you money on after market. Go to the Beretta web site and the were selling them for $40 and if you buy 2 they are $35 each. These are Beretta factory magazines and worth the money. I tried the cheap 33 round magazines for my Glock 26 and had to replace the "new springs in the new mags" with Wolff springs. The ones that came with the mags looked like the were crippled up when I took them out, pure JUNK

[Prof Young]

Yes, I have a 30 round mag for my Beretta 92fs. It serves well for exactly the purpose I bought it for . . . loads of fun!
Live well, be safe.
Prof Young

[BillM]

I have a few 170mm long mags for USPSA open division, they hold
28 or so. Have a couple of G18 mags--I've tried them out but I don't
use them often.

[44 AMP]

I use the 32rnd mag when I shoot my Tec 9. It's a handgun, technically....

[chris in va]

I have one for my CZ but it's ridiculous and I've only used it a couple times. Really after 15 rounds I'm ready to take a break and reload. I get the shakes otherwise.

Now a 30 rounder in my CX4 Storm would be a different matter. 17 rounds runs out quick in that thing.

[alaskabushman]

for fun? totally. For carry? Um...no.

[zxcvbob]

I have a 30 (or maybe it's 33) round mag for my BHP. I use it sometimes at the range. But I like 20's a lot better; they don't stick out the bottom nearly as far. I bought a bunch of those from CDNN (I think they were Taiwan police surplus), but I seldom load them all the way up.

[tahunua001]

nope. I've used 15 round single stack mags for 1911s... they're pretty much just for fun. no real world application at all as far as I can see.

[gb_in_ga]

Nope. The highest capacity mag I've got is a 20 round MecGar mag for my PT-92. I bought it just to see how it works and for range fun. It works just fine, I might pick up a few more just to have on hand. If they made a 30 for it I might be tempted...

[lee n. field]

Do any of you actually use a 30 round handgun mag?

I've got a 30 rounder for a Glock. Don't seriously use it. It's a good way to blow through $10-$15 worth of ammo, just like that, for no particular good reason.

Now, if I had something like a Kel Tec Sub2000 that used Glock magazines, then I might keep some around for use.

[gb_in_ga]

Nope. The highest capacity mag I've got is a 20 round MecGar mag for my PT-92. I bought it just to see how it works and for range fun. It works just fine, I might pick up a few more just to have on hand. If they made a 30 for it I might be tempted...

[Billy the Kidder]

My Kel-tec PMR30 .22 Mag has standard 30 round mags.

[bamaranger]

We bought one with the intention to use it in 3-gun, but the match directors won't allow it.

On road trips, we load the mag up and throw it in the war bag. Impractical, yes, but somehow comforting.

[Hawg]

I had a 32 rounder for my Cobray M-11. It was fun to play with but it got old buying the ammo so I traded the M-11 for something more reasonable.

[44 AMP]

I had one of those years ago. What bothered me most, was the way the design magnified the recoil of the 9mm round.

Yes, I knew from the outset that a semi copy of a SMG pistol isn't really a practical gun. I did have some fun with it, but besides essentially unusable sights, the recoil was worse than any other 9mm I ever had. AND it was in a gun bigger and heavier than all my other 9mms.

The big bolt slapping back and forth over a pistol grip a 90 degrees just made it really awkward to shoot.

I replaced (eventually) the Cobray with a Tec 9. Still gives the Walter Mitty dream of a subgun, but is much more practical to use. Still not as good as a regular handgun for any serious use, but easier to plink (and get hits) with than the Cobray.

I did, one time, get a 25rnd drum mag for a 1911A1. Neat idea, kind of like the Luger snail drum. However, this one was absolute crap. Would not work in any of 3 different guns I tried it in. Simply would not feed. If you see one of these, even if tis free, avoid it.

[gyvel]

As Beretta686 said, they are pretty much a novelty. I have used mine once in the only Glock I own and it was fun, but, like others, I haven't used it since.

Quite frankly, I find any mag that protrudes beyond the bottom of the grip annoying.

[dayman]

I got a couple of the 33 round glock mags mostly because they were there, and I could.
They're far to big to be carried for any practical purpose, and when I'm shooting at the range I generally under-load my mags pretty significantly to necessitate working on mag changes.
I have only actually "used" one of them to it's full potential once. It was vaguely fun but made me feel a little silly.

A use that I have found is that they work pretty well as ammo carriers. I often use one to keep track of my pricy JHP's when I'm at the range.
That way I can still have it as a conversation piece, without being "that guy".

[Justice06RR]

Yes, I have one of the 33rd Glock 9mm mags.

I keep them fully loaded in my vehicle 'just in case'. They make fun range mags too.

I also have 40rd and 60rd AR and AK mags. You know, because reloading is overrated...