Less and less likely to encounter, but the very first unlined magazines aren't the best in Gen 3, 4, and likely now 5 since the half moon cut in the front strap is almost a must to strip them out.
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Less and less likely to encounter, but the very first unlined magazines aren't the best in Gen 3, 4, and likely now 5 since the half moon cut in the front strap is almost a must to strip them out.
IIRC, I don't think that the "drop free" feature was in the original Glock concept?
This be true.
Glock refers to the 1st Gen mags as non-fully metal-lined (NFML). According to lore, I've never actually seen this type, the earliest were metal-lined on 3 sides only on the upper portion of the magazine. The 'later' 1st Gen mags had a U shaped metal insert running the full length of the magazine as pictured below:
Attachment 58680
As mentioned, this design was intended to keep a partially loaded magazine from dropping from the pistol. It has been a long time ago, but to my recollection the empty mags always dropped free.
In the Glock Armorer course we were told the fully metal-lined magazines were a response to the desires of the U.S. police market.
One of the quickest ways to tell is to look through the holes on the back of the mag. If you don't see some steel around the holes it is not fully metal lined.