I’m a notorious mag whore. Boxes of AR magazines.

Bins full of handgun magazines. Hell I’ve got dozens of Uzi and even Enfield magazines. Which I only have one firearm for.

However, my last two purchases are an SP5 and 2k11. I’m at 80$ a mag for each. These are in production firearms. How am I to amass 3-4 dozen mags at this price?

The manufacturing cost can’t be THAT much more than a Megcar P226 mag, what gives?

There’s an old economic principle about supply and demand. The usual claim is that if demand goes down, prices are low as well. But that’s only true if supply is high. For a product like a firearm magazine that fits only a small number of guns, then supply won’t be high and therefore the supply/demand principle doesn’t work.

There’s also a tendency to sometimes forget that not all similar products such as magazines will be priced similarly. I just ordered a very limited-production aftermarket magazine for a Tikka 22 Long Rifle T1x rifle that’s costing me a couple of cents less than $90—and that’s not even twice the cost of ordinary plastic factory mags. The magazines for my Tikka “tactical” rifles sell for as much as $160, and they’re not the most expensive mags in that lineup.

And last, there’s the “If they can afford to buy a gun like that, they can afford to buy expensive magazines—and they probably will.”

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:

And last, there’s the “If they can afford to buy a gun like that, they can afford to buy expensive magazines—and they probably will.”

I should mention that factory or similar is the target of my post, aftermarket considerations are sometimes worth nothing. My post was 1/2 in jest for sure. Your initial points are well received, but I feel your last quoted point is the majority of the issue.

There was a time I had 4 dozen P225 mags. Which sell for 70-90$ each. I paid less than $30 for each. That options doesn’t seem available for these still in production magazines.

I know, first world problems.

I buy 2-3 whenever I think about it.

Those less than common rifle mags are crazy. As you mentioned. The worst culprit is my Remington 760. Currently have 4 factory mags. But oh my goodness at the cost.

I figured you probably did know the answer to your own question, but you did ask.

Do you have an HK P7?

SP5 mags, factory HK, can be found for $70. I know that doesn’t really help, though. It does seem like some aftermarket ones are pretty good, but I don’t have any personal experience.

I have 6 or 7. I’m ok with that.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:
I figured you probably did know the answer to your own question, but you did ask.

Indeed!

Your posts often make me feel overly inadequate to respond, Sigfreund. I’m glad you got the gist of my posts!

quote:

Originally posted by flesheatingvirus:
SP5 mags, factory HK, can be found for $70. I know that doesn’t really help, though. It does seem like some aftermarket ones are pretty good, but I don’t have any personal experience.

I have 6 or 7. I’m ok with that.

I have 8 HK factory mags at this point. That’s 2-3 months worth of accumulation. I’ll eventually be able to fill a couple olongapo outfitters rigs!

But, until then, can you let me know where you’re finding MP5 mags for 70$ ?

I’m currently paying 76$ each from blue ridge supply!

He’s also a great dude that I like giving business to!

Yep. And then just a few days ago, someone on this forum said something about not understanding why people want guns like that to take Scorpion mags as if a $16 Magpul option you can find just about anywhere is somehow not better than what you’re asking about.

quote:

Originally posted by P220 Smudge:
Yep. And then just a few days ago, someone on this forum said something about not understanding why people want guns like that to take Scorpion mags as if a $16 Magpul option you can find just about anywhere is somehow not better than what you’re asking about.

I agree. Mag cost and availability has definitely played a role in previous firearm purchases.

The firearms I mentioned were in fact bought knowing future magazines would make me wince. I just have to suck it up and buy 1-3 at a time instead of 10.

I’ll still get to my comfort zone on owned magazines for sure.

P220,

As an aside, I’m gonna send you an email on a suppressor brand I’ve never heard of before. Got a dealer offer today I can’t pass up.

I am getting to the point now that if Magpul doesn't make a copy of a magazine, I won't buy the gun. Of course you can buy some magazines second hand kind of cheap/cheapish but many manufacturers are charging crazy prices, Sig included.

Magazines for my Savage 110 are around $60. At least they're made of metal and actually work. The all-plastic one that came with it is a POS, only good for keeping dust out of the well. Its spring is weak compared to the metal ones; the cartridges visibly tilt nose-up, causing feed jams, as well as popping out.

Try pricing HK300 22 magnum mags lately ?! Father in law has one that he picked up for a song 45 years ago and asked me to find him another mag or 2. There was a few OEM on eBay and when I told him the 150-200$ price tags he said the 1 he had was enough

Try finding a P225 magazine. I have one.

I too am a mag addict. You can generally find the real deal HK ones for $70 if you shop around.
The clone ones KCI and PTR etc. are half that and are generally are OK even if you have to toss one occassionally for poor performance.
The ETS ones are 1/3 that and are ok for range mags.
There are promag ones, which I know nothing about, but in some guns/calibers they have been deemed OK and not junk, but NO IDEA on the MP5 ones.

Eurooptic has SP5 mags for $69.99 at the moment. Just bought 6 more. There is a free shipping option

quote:

How am I to amass 3-4 dozen mags at this price?

Home equity line of credit?

Here is a big-picture perspective…factory HK MP5 mags were in the $60 new/$45 used range about 15 years ago. Given inflation, time, the declining value of the USD, etc, etc…$70 for German factory mags isn’t terrible. The only time I have noticed ‘deals’ on these magazines the past 20 years is when buying a trunk full with a transferable machine gun.

The real question is why does a Hi-Point cost as much as a magazine.

Mecgar makes a compatible 2k11 magazine that holds 18 rds and isn't $80. I just bought some from GregCote last month