Beretta 92 Checkmate mags - 92fs?

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Waveski

Waveski

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Beretta questions this morning :

1) I have a Beretta 92fs 9mm. Are the plain steel 92 magazines by Checkmate useable and compatible with the 92fs ?

2) Are the checkmate mags of good quality and function?

These would be range mags , not S.D. Winter is near ; (and early here in Wisconsin...) , it is nice to have a good quantity of magazines for loading in the warm comfort of home prior to a trip to the frozen range.

Thank you , 'Ski
 
If they are Beretta 92 mags, they are useable and compatible. However, the CheckMate mags don't have as good a reputation as those from Mec-Gar, but they should be fine for your intended use.
 
I have their Shield mags and those are just as good as the originals if not better.
 
Are the plain steel 92 magazines by Checkmate useable and compatible with the 92fs ?
Click to expand...
Cokeman said:
I have their Shield mags and those are just as good as the originals if not better.
Click to expand...
Robbins290 wrote,
im with cokeman, the shield mags are better then OEM
Click to expand...
For clarity, since the OP asked about Beretta 92 CheckMate mags, you guys are not talking about CheckMate mags in your posts, but rather Mec-Gar, correct?
 
Sorry for the crappy pic. All i have on my phone. Will take better ones when i get home
 

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Allow me to summarize my inquiry :
Has anyone here run Checkmate Beretta 92 magazines in a 92FS , and if so , how did they function?
 
Waveski said:
Allow me to summarize my inquiry :
Has anyone here run Checkmate Beretta 92 magazines in a 92FS , and if so , how did they function?
Click to expand...
Yes. Nearly all of the GI M9 mags are Checkmate contract mags. They have functioned perfectly in both my M92s, one is an F, the other an FS. I will say they were in good, clean, lightly lubricated condition- and not packed with sand.:confused:
IMG_20181020_140116.jpg
I actually like them better than the newer Mecgar 17-rounders because the Checkmates use metal followers and baseplates. The older all-metal 15 round MecGars are my favorites, though.
 
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Checkmate and some other manufacturers were contracted to make mags for the M9 for the military. The general consensus was that the Beretta mags (OEM) were preferred because they were considered the most reliable- those are what I used until the M9's were replaced. I know there were some mags that were blued and didn't have the manufacturer's name on them, that were purchased by Uncle Sam in the thousands and were put into the supply system. I don't remember who made these, but we were instructed to gather them up and exchange them because they were definitely unreliable.
 
Waveski said:
Allow me to summarize my inquiry :
Has anyone here run Checkmate Beretta 92 magazines in a 92FS , and if so , how did they function?
Click to expand...
Yes. They are parkerized and GI issue and usually not as reliable as blued/nickel/stainless/teflon/whatever factory mags or Mec-Gar mags, the only two other brands I'd use. I prefer mec-gar but the GI Checkmates SHOULD be okay for you. They get sandy/dirty/gritty/grungy, probably not as good as other choices.
 
I wouldn't use a Checkmate made M9 magazine when Beretta or Mec-Gar mags are readily available. I had no good experiences with them in M9's while in the USMC, they were not and are not reliable good quality magazines.
 
I have a pile of 92 mags converted to use in a Taurus. Most are military mags, a few of each variety and I do know that there are some checkmates in the pile. I have seen very little difference from one to another. Magazine followers seem to matter more than body, and at this point I have no clue what color follower goes with what body. The black followers are pretty much trash in my experience, I run red followers. Same experience when I had a “real” 92. I don’t know what the difference is.
 
Well folks , the reviews are mixed. I've been eyeballing a Gunbroker listing for a lot of 5 used Checkmate mags - worn and very low in price. A very helpful forum contributor sent a link to a post from another forum ; it was not at all positive : issues with locking the slide back when mag is empty. . I will nix the Checkmates. The small LGS has boxes of used magazines in the back room. (I have a backroom security clearance...) Rummaging around in that stash sounds like a fun thing to do tomorrow.

Input has been very helpful - Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving!
 
1. Don't buy the parkerized mags, especially if there's any chance you might ever need to use them in a sandy/dusty environment. If you do buy parkerized mags, have them stripped and refinished--nickel or NP3 plating is a good choice. Realistically, it may be cheaper and will certainly be simpler to just buy new magazines compared to getting the parkerized mags if you want reliability.

2. Install Beretta or Wolff springs if any of them won't lock back the slide. If that doesn't work, install Beretta followers too. Again, this will cut into your savings and convenience.

Having lived through the AWB when new factory mags became very expensive and sometimes aftermarket mags were the only reasonably priced options, I have had to use a lot of aftermarket mags for various pistols. When the AWB expired, I immediately stopped buying aftermarket mags of any kind (other than MecGar for certain brands) and have gradually thrown away, given away or sold almost all of my aftermarket mags.

How cheap are these mags? You can get new factory mags from Beretta for just under $20 apiece. As mentioned above, they're running a pretty good sale right now.

https://www.berettausa.com/en-us/beretta-92fs-magazine-9mm-stainless-steel-look-15rd/c85993/
 
Yeah. I didn't understand the purpose of the OP. If you're thinking of PURCHASING GI Checkmate mags, don't. If you already had some, they will probably work OK. But if you're spending money, spend a little more and get quality, reliable mags from Beretta or Mec-Gar.
 
"How cheap are these mags?" Current bid $25 , Buy Now is $39.

"If you're thinking of PURCHASING GI Checkmate mags, don't." Agreed. As mentioned , I'll root around in the back of the LGS tomorrow ; I'll let you know what I find.

Thanks again.
 
20181123_100404.jpg The LGS back room mag box trip was fruitful. I found about a dozen usable mags ; sorted out the Checkmates and the low caps , settled on 3 Italian made 15 round Berettas. All have aluminum followers. On a whim I swapped out a base plate 'cause I liked the PB logo. $30 for the three. As a bonus the shop keeper threw in 29 rounds of PMC that I cleared out of a 30 rd mag which was in the misc. mag box.

I was on the verge of bidding on the 5 Checkmates on Gunbroker before I came here for advice. My thanks to THR and it's contributors. 'Ski
 
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