Magpul PMag 21 and 27 GL9 extended Glock mags

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What kind of spring does the 21 and the 27-round use, with how many coils?

[Matt in TN]

This may have been covered before, but I've been using my 21 rd mags for awhile now. With factory ammo they were flawless. I just discovered that with my 147gr FMJ hand load at 1.168" OAL they will bind. This load works fine in factory 17rd magazines. It seems the Magpuls are VERY slightly shorter front to back on the inside dimensions.

I plan to take a little sandpaper to them and call it good - I just thought someone else might want to know.

[ggammell]

Anyone have a picture of the 21 rounder next to the factory 17+2 extension?


Mooseknuckles comparison was a good start.

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These are great pics, thanks

I like the 21 round since it can take 20, a nice even number. A huge advantage over the 17-rounders with the +2 extension that ends up costing about $30 per magazine, OEM.

[TAZ]

Just a further update on the 21 rd MP. I have about 8 of these in circulation as of this week. Have put about 1K rounds through them. Everything from Al case CCI to Fed HST. I have yet to run into a single failure that was mag related. Had a failure to feed from super soft OLD Monarch ammo and a few failures to lock back on the last round, again from the same soft batch of Monarch. On all occasions it was DEFINITIVE ammo issue. The FF was after a round so soft that I took the gun down to insure I didnt have a squib. Thankfully I am out of that date code ammo. 2 units are now part of my EDC.

Still no comparison to the ETS as I havent bought one yet.

[WickedWillis]

Just a further update on the 21 rd MP. I have about 8 of these in circulation as of this week. Have put about 1K rounds through them. Everything from Al case CCI to Fed HST. I have yet to run into a single failure that was mag related. Had a failure to feed from super soft OLD Monarch ammo and a few failures to lock back on the last round, again from the same soft batch of Monarch. On all occasions it was DEFINITIVE ammo issue. The FF was after a round so soft that I took the gun down to insure I didnt have a squib. Thankfully I am out of that date code ammo. 2 units are now part of my EDC.

Still no comparison to the ETS as I havent bought one yet.

I ran mine again this weekend, and had zero issues as well. At this point, I would not hesitate to carry the 17, or 21rd as a primary or backup mag for my G19. I also bought a new 12-rd G26 magpul magazine yesterday (Voodoo's fault) that I plan on putting through it's paces before I decide to carry it. Fits the gun so well.

[3ACR_Scout]

Anyone know if there is/what is the significance of the different floor angles on the mags? Going from a slight tilt (19/23/32) to severe tilt (17/22/31) to squared off (Magpul 21) to severe tilt again (31 round). Obviously the smaller ones square up against their respective firearms but is there any particular reason for the differences especially between the full size and compact magazines? Any Glock armorers have an opinion?

It seems to me, based on watching how the spring compresses inside a 31-round ETS magazine, that having the base plate perpendicular to the mag body (like the PMAG 21) will allow the spring to compress more evenly, compared to a magazine where the base plate is at an angle. Note that difference with the Glock 33-round magazine in the above photo, which has a +2 baseplate, compared to what it would look like if you put a standard base plate on it (making it a 31-round mag like the ETS version). The 33-round base is pretty much perpendicular to the body, like the PMAG 21. It seems like that would reduce the chances of the spring binding or getting misshapen over time. Anyway, that's not a scientific assessment, but the ETS mags are certainly interesting in the way that you can watch the spring compress and see how the angle of the floor affects it.

Personally I think these magazines (21rd PMAG and 22rd ETS) are about perfect for a reload on the body or to have a couple in a backpack - much more usable than the 33rd.

I just picked up a PMAG 21 for this reason. I have a few 33-rounders, and some ETS 31-rounders, but they're just kind of ridiculous in terms of real-world applications (if you don't have a G18 or a sub gun). The PMAG 21 only extends about 2 inches past the grip on a G19, which seems more reasonable for carrying as a spare in a bag, glove compartment, etc. I'm going to run it through its paces, along with a PMAG 15, and see how they function. I do like the additional holes in the PMAG 21 body.

I had put off buying any of these PMAG GL9s until now because I didn't feel the need to save a few bucks when I could get factory mags for around $19. I had also seen some early reviews indicating issues with these PMAGs. However, with Magpul offering some other sizes that aren't available from Glock, I'm willing to give them a try. It seems like no matter what the product, you can always find someone who says it was a complete failure for them, while others report it functioning flawlessly. You just have to try it for yourself eventually.

[3ACR_Scout]

Finally had the chance to take the PMAG 21 to the range today. I put about 120 rounds through it (and another 50 or so through a PMAG 15). It functioned flawlessly, including after chambering a round, topping off the mag, and inserting it on a closed slide a couple times. It's tough to load to capacity - I was wishing I had brought my Glock mag loader thing - but it worked fine. On one occasion, I think the rounds stacked out of order, because I couldn't get the last round in, but I downloaded a few, and it worked the second time.

I'll probably pick up a few more of these and maybe a 27 to continue testing them. I'm pretty confident that these would be fine for defensive purposes - I'm sure Magpul has done extensive testing with them - but I'd like to shake them out a little more.