Glock mags, why so inexpensive?

. . . and that's why smaller gun manufacturers should design a gun or two around those mags (like I'd mentioned in another post).

Another factor is that Glock hasn't changed their magazine. (Except for the extra slot in Gen 4 mags)

Since the first Glock mag came out, how many different types of mag has FN or S&W made? How many of those are now obsolete? Each new design has some cost to get the new machinery right.

Economics 101, supply : demand.

While demand is high, there's no shortage of Glock mags. Aftermarket ones, Korean, P-Mag etc are even cheaper to buy.

JohnBiltz said:

Magazines are expendable items, its foolish to spend a lot of money on them if you don't have to.

Click to expand...

DUH! It is foolish to spend a lot of money on anything if you don't have to.

Glock has changed their magazines several times. What they have not done is sacrificed the idea that a Glock magazine works in a Glock of the same caliber. You buy a Glock 17 magazine it will work in the 34, 19 and 26. If it was HK each would need a different magazine and it would cost $65.

All Glock mags were not created equal. Anyone who has lived in a mag restricted state, pre ban only, knows this. Early ones were not completely metal lined and were not drop free. They tended to expend when full, and had to pulled from the guns. But, regardless, they did work. I've had expensive pistols that were a crapshoot as to whether they would feed properly. Never a thought with a Glock.

And how much fun are the Glock 18 33 round mags? Work great in my Kel-tec Sub 2000 too.

Just wish someone would make a mag, Browning or aftermarket, for the first gen Browning BLR. Hens are trading their teeth for them.

Speedo66 said:

And how much fun are the Glock 18 33 round mags?

Click to expand...

Or a 50 round SGM drum

Were can I get a couple 20$ .45 G. Mags? That be nice 33 rnd. mags for a few dollars more would be cool to?

stchman said:

Natchez has factory Glock 19 mags for $19.99. IMO, it is worth an extra $5 for the factory mag.

Click to expand...

It's an extra $8 compared to the $11.99 that the Glock PMAGs were just selling for at Primary Arms. That $20 is a 67% price increase. The Magpul Glock mags certainly offer something to the market.

Glock has changed their magazines several times.

Click to expand...

Glock Gen 1 mags will fit Gen 4 pistols (as long as the G4 wasn't changed to southpaw).

They have changed them at least 4 times I know of. Every one of them will still work in anything from a gen 1 to gen 4. Mostly internal changes but most have visual changes that can be seen if you know what to look for. They changed to make them drop free, they changed them after the ban and gen 4 magazines. I expect there are more I don't know about.

I work glock matches and get magss that way. They sell them for 10 bucks at matches now. SHOOT A GLOCK MATCH.

Glock parts in general tend to be cheap. There are lots of Glock parts in the$2-5 range. Glocks were designed to be cheap and easy to manufacture.

In contrast, one grip screw for my H&K P7 costs $9 and a magazine is $70!

The Magpul Glock mags certainly offer something to the market.

Click to expand...

So do the Korean mags, which so far, I've found to be the cheapest (Wideners sells the 17 mags for $8 a pop, the 19 mags at $9), and they work just fine. At this point, from my experience with them, Id trust them for serious use.

AK103K said:

At this point, from my experience with them, Id trust them for serious use.

Click to expand...

I wouldn't, not in a Glock at least. I have a 31 rd .40 mag and that worked flawlessly in a Kel Tec Sub2k, but it was a POS in a Glock pistol. I don't know why it would work so well in a Kel Tec and be a piece of junk in a Glock, but strange things happen in this universe.

*que Twilight Zone theme*

I have 20 or so of the Korean 17 mags that I use in practice, and they have been shot once or twice a week for a number of years now, and have been fine. They havent been babied either.

At one point, I did change out the springs on 10 of them with Wolff springs, trying to figure out some intermittent BTF, but it turned out to be a lot of worn out brass, not the mags or extractor. The mags I didnt swap the springs out, are still running fine as well.

My 19 mags work the same as the 17 mags.

I did get some of the Korean 33 round mags and did have some issues. I replaced the springs and followers on them with Glock parts, and they were better, but still not 100%. I also have a number of the factory Glock 33 rounders, and they arent 100% either. Dont know whats up with that, but I wouldnt trust any of them, Korean or Glock, for anything serious.

JohnBiltz said:

Magazines are expendable items, its foolish to spend a lot of money on them if you don't have to.

Click to expand...

While magazines may be expendable, I prefer to pay for ones that are reliable. Which are not always the most expensive ones.

I have been brutalizing 3 Magpul 17 round Glock magazines for a few weeks now and they have been 100% reliable. I just ordered 3 more from Brownells at 14.59 a pop. Much easier to disassemble and after repeated speed reloads and tactical reloads the plastic around the magazine catch indents doesn't get deformed like the factory Glock magazines.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

AIM Surplus sells the Magpul Glock mags for $15.15 plus free shipping. During a holiday weekend this past year (I think Labor Day or Veterans' Day), I snatched a few on sale for about $13 from AIM. I like AIM because their Magpul products ship free, regardless of how many or how few you buy.

I just saw an HK .45 mag at Field and Stream for 89.99

I've been a Glock fan for years because of the huge aftermarket and the competition that exist because of it.

But the other manufacturers screw themselves on this issue. Sig makes how many different hi-cap 9's, are the mags universal between a SP2022, 226, P320 and 250? Ruger just came out with the American, do the mags in the American fit an SR 9 or P95? Do HK USP mags fit in VP9's? P30's? Even Beretta, do the 92 mags fit the PX4? What about Smith, can I pop an SD-9 mag in my M & P? The reality is Glocks competition has created there own mess in this area.

Exactly, it's almost as though all the other manufacturers decided they would make more by creating products that intentionally did not cross fit among their various products and Glock followed a whole different business model in which they would try to build in as much commonality as possible and keep costs down. Seems to be working well for them.

burk said:

I just saw an HK .45 mag at Field and Stream for 89.99

I've been a Glock fan for years because of the huge aftermarket and the competition that exist because of it.

But the other manufacturers screw themselves on this issue. Sig makes how many different hi-cap 9's, are the mags universal between a SP2022, 226, P320 and 250? Ruger just came out with the American, do the mags in the American fit an SR 9 or P95? Do HK USP mags fit in VP9's? P30's? Even Beretta, do the 92 mags fit the PX4? What about Smith, can I pop an SD-9 mag in my M & P? The reality is Glocks competition has created there own mess in this area.

Click to expand...

I don't know most of those answers, which is part of them screwing themselves, as you say.

As a VP9 owner, though, I will tell you that yes, the P30 and VP9 magazine are interchangeable. P30 9mm mags are the same as VP9 9mm mags. Pretty sure on .40 they are also the same. USP do not, don't think P2000 either...yeah...there is something to be said for four 9mm or .40 model Glocks and being able to use one (largest size) magazine in all of them (not the G43*)

But then all that magazine interchangeability is because almost all of the Glocks are pretty much the same. Same grip, ergos, trigger, function, etc. Those other manufacturers offer a wider array of choices. DA/SA, LEM, DAO, different grips and grip angles, hammer and striker, etc. Glock does not.

Pick your poison.

Can y'all imaging how many 9mm carbines would sell if Hi Point's took Glock 9mm mags??? They could tack on another $100 to the price and it'll still sell like it was going outta style.