I just got one of the AimSurplus aluminum mag releases for my 43X. I'm gonna suggest you hold off on getting one. Sure, they are about $6 less - but mine does not function as well as I had hoped. Releasing a Shield Arms mag with the slide locked back requires a lot more force than usual.

Aim is a good company, but I think this mag release is just a tiny bit out of spec.

I have one of the Shield Arms mag releases on order. Hopefully it will function better.

I ordered three and I don't even own a G43X/G48 yet. I'm leaning toward the 43X right now.

Reviews have been promising. I was fortunate enough to be able to order a mag release when I ordered the magazines.

I got a G48 today and ran 200 rounds through the 3 factory 10 rounders I have. Worked great, I mean it is a Glock. Ordered a S15 mag from Brownell's. Once I get that I'll order the mag catch and at least 1 maybe 2 more S15 magazines.


James

Springs are available this morning, I ordered mine.

The factory 10 round mag easily holds all 10 rounds and locks in the gun effortlessly.

How does the S15 mag handle all 15 rounds or do you feel the need to download by one round?

quote:

Originally posted by ruger357:
The factory 10 round mag easily holds all 10 rounds and locks in the gun effortlessly.

How does the S15 mag handle all 15 rounds or do you feel the need to download by one round?

These mags were designed from the start to feed and function loaded with 15rds, and mine have functioned fine loaded with 15rds through around 600 rds. Also loaded with 15rds the mags are not overly hard to seat in the gun. That being said, I will probably only be loading 14rds in my mags, because I feel in this specific case, it *might* increase the mag spring life some, even though this is very much debatable if it would help with anything. I think it really depends on the spring quality and who makes them, and to a much lesser extent on *if* the springs might be over compressed some, if that is even possible, because the follower height would determine that. IMHO,with Shield Arm's offering free replacement mag springs for life, there really is not much to be concerned about.

WARRANTY
Like all Shield Arms products, our S15 magazine comes with our 100% lifetime warranty. Additionally, we also offer a Spring for Life Guarantee - wear out your spring, get a new one for free, for life.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Biggy,

Once they start shipping with +10% springs I will probably give them a try.

quote:

Originally posted by ruger357:
Once they start shipping with +10% springs I will probably give them a try.

Yeah I can't see buying a $39.99 magazine plus a $3 replacement spring off the bat. That's HK magazine money.

quote:

Originally posted by RHINOWSO:

quote:

Originally posted by ruger357:
Once they start shipping with +10% springs I will probably give them a try.

Yeah I can't see buying a $39.99 magazine plus a $3 replacement spring off the bat. That's HK magazine money.

Plus a metal mag catch.

Finally had a chance to put some rounds down range with my G48 + S15 mags & mag catch. Of 120 rounds, I had one instance of a feed way jam with 115gr. FMJ on the last round in the magazine. Ran through about 20 old STHPs I had laying around and they ran fine.

Obviously, I'll need more range time with the combo, but so far I'm pretty luke warm on the whole idea. I guess I'm spoiled with factory Glock magazines with the way they load and the extra headroom they seem to have even when fully loaded. It's hard to explain, but the S15 mags just seem weird by comparison.

I definitely think they could benefit from the +10% mag springs that in all reality should be standard because the stock mag spring really seems pretty weak. I appreciate that Shield Arms offers a good warranty and free springs for life, but I'm not as confident with them as I am with factory Glock mags. Next up, a set of +10% springs and a mag loader.

A strange thing I noted was that I could fully load brass cased practice ammo up to full 15rnd capacity by hand with minimal effort. However, when I loaded them up with Gold Dot defense ammo (didn't shoot those yet) it required my Glock mag loading tool. It felt like the mag was bursting at the seams. No doubt, it's putting hellacious pressure on the floor plate.

Another note, I noticed the alloy mag catch really tears the hell out of the factory stock mags' locking notch. I was none too happy about that.

I haven't given up just yet. But if I get a 43X or another G48 (when they start making them with factory coyote brown frames) I won't be converting it over to the S15 Mags. I'll just stick with the factory Glock mags.

Here are a few more reviews on these mags.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsqZMz6mvCc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=d1BO6q99ObU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pDKXJNaTsY

I ran 150 rounds thru an S15 in my G48 yesterday. Feed and ejection was 100%. I did have a couple instances where the slide did not lock back on an empty mag. My Glock is a silver slide model, which I believe are more susceptible for this with the S15s? This mag was shipped during their pre-order phase so it must have the original spring.

I have no idea which springs I have but mine are running great so far.

I put extra power springs in each magazine and one with the +5 baseplate, which came with an even longer spring. I loaded them by hand without a maglula, no problem. They're not that stiff. If I were doing a lot of shooting, the loader would save the thumbs, but these were no more difficult to load than any other magazine, especially for new mags.

My G43x won't be here for another week or so, but I went ahead and ordered the 3-mag and release kit today, and I just received the email saying it has shipped.

So I will be trying it out sometime, still no where to go shoot, but I am ready.

Took my 43X to the range yesterday. The Shield Arms magazine performed flawlessly, as did the Shield Arms mag release. The mag was hard to load by hand, with the +10% power spring, but an Uplula made it easier. Very happy with this magazine!

I picked up three with the SA mag catch and they've been great.

Now my question is when are they going to conjure up a 20 rd mag for the G19?

quote:

Originally posted by 2Adefender:
Took my 43X to the range yesterday. The Shield Arms magazine performed flawlessly, as did the Shield Arms mag release. The mag was hard to load by hand, with the +10% power spring, but an Uplula made it easier. Very happy with this magazine!

That's encouraging to hear. Mine were kind of tough to load by hand with the springs they came with. So far hand cycling the slide and dry firing the ammo is all I've done, but the slide locks back after the last round.

I actually don't mind the stock magazines either. The 43X appears to me to be as tall as the M&P Shield when it has the extended magazine in it and that only got me to 8 rounds, and I liked the Shield. I carried one for a long time.

I'll definitely put the Shield magazines through their paces before fully trusting to carry. It seems to be a well made design thus far.

It seems like too much trouble to bother with. You need extra-power springs, which, it sounds like will need to be replaced frequently. Free replacement springs for life sounds good, but what guarantee do you have that this company will be in operation even a year from now?

The magazine catch- you need a metal one, but the metal one means more wear on the polymer magazines.

Based upon all of this, it seems to me that Glock got the magazine capacity right.

Or get one of the G43 kits that uses the SIG 365 mags... if they will ever ship the kit!