ETS magazines dedicated strictly to range use

I once vouched for the reliability of ETS magazines and used them alot in a few different glocks. I have used over a dozen of them and even carried them as spares for my carry guns. I liked that they were translucent and once held them in high regard fot reliability, zero failures, but unfortunately lately I've encountered a few magazines that have given me problems and my mind is changed.

I'm glad I figured this out at the range and not at a critical moment because the failure would have put me in alot of trouble and I soon after found that it wasn't just one magazine prone to critical failure. The magazine springs bind up and take your gun out of the fight and no amount of tapping and smacking will release the spring.

I know most people carry OEM as well they should, but for anybody considering these clear ETS mags for carry, keep the above in mind. It's a bummer too because I have pulled my ETS mags from their accompanying G19 and G43. I liked having the 9rd or 12rd magazine as a spare for my G43 but no more of that. I got some Vickers +2's for my G43 mags to bump up the mag cap to 8 and that will have to do.

As of now the only magazines I completely 100% trust are OEM and Magpul. The ETS mags are kind of a disappointment and are no longer fit to serve as spares. Only range use, although the last time I used them at the range they frustrated the bejeezus out of me.

It happened with a 24 rd 9mm mag that was fairly new but sat loaded for a long time and it was my guess that it was just a fluke thing and needed to be broken in to work properly although my other ETS mags worked well from the start. That 24rd mag had been loaded with wolf. Not long after the 12 round magazine for my 43 bound up as did a 17rd mag (also wolf).

I could only guess as to how many rounds went through the 17rd mag before failure because I have a few of them and they are identical but it's at least a couple hundred rounds, maybe more. The 12rd mag for the 43, probably 150-200rds.

I will still use them. I bought about a dozen 31's years ago when I was planning on getting a PCC. I have 10+ ETS 31's and 10+ OEM 33's, I have more invested in mags for my anticipatory carbine than it would have cost to buy the PCC that I never bought. I felt the pressure when 2018 legislation was passed banning future sales of handgun magazines exceeding 15rds. I need to get on the PC carbine. I have never used those high cap stick mags for anything and absent a PCC, likely never will.