Has anyone else had the problem with the Shield S15 Magazines chewing up their G43x/G48 magazine release? It is the aluminum magazine release that Shield Arms makes but I guess the steel on the aluminum is no longer working because the magazine falls out when shooting and it can literally be pulled out. Does any company make a more durable magazine release for the metal mags?

SA magazine releases are now made of steel. Might be worth spending $26.00 to try one.

I just received the 3 magazine and mag release combo from Shield Arms. It’s steel and the mags lock in nice and tight. How do you like the mags overall? Any reliability issues other than the release issue you mentioned?

Funny you should mention...

I have G43X that I've been running w/ S15 Gen 1 mags. I installed a metal mag catch/release per Shield Arms' recommendation. Yesterday I was shooting it at the range. My G43X was failing to lock the slide on empty mags. I thought I was inadvertantly engaging the slide lock lever, but then noticed my mags appeared to be hanging a little loosely.

I removed the slide, peered down into the mag well and saw that my mag catch was chewed up to the point that it was keeping the mags from seating all the way up in the well. It was high enough to feed OK, but no longer high enough to lock the slide back.

When I got home, I did some research. My mag catch is made of aluminum alloy. When I looked at Shield Arms' website, I noticed they changed their recommendation from metal mag catch to steel mag catch. I noticed other aftermarket Glock parts makers were doing the same. IMO, Shield Arms owes me a mag catch, b/c I followed their instructions when I got their mags.

If you're going to run S15 mags in your G43X/48, you have to be committed to them, b/c:

The thin steel bodies of the S15 mags require a steel mag catch. Aluminum and polymer mag catches will gradually be chewed up to the point of failure.

If you use mags w/ polymer bodies, such as OEM Glock mags, the catch section of the mag will eventually get chewed up by steel mag catches.

There are two generations of S15 mags now. Shield Arms' steel mag catch is compatible w/ both generations, but other manufacturers' are not. Make sure to check, b/c they may be compatible w/ one gen but not both.

I love my shield mags until one problem led to another. First i had early gen1’s with the old style spring which was causing the slide to not lock back. So i ordered gen2’s and replacement springs for my gen1’s that are 10 coil (glock 19 spring btw). Anyway thank god i ordered the gen2’s with a new mag catch just to have a spare (turned out it was steel). So i began shooting the gen2’s with my old aluminum one and thats when they started failing! So im just piecing my 43x together as the parts come in lol

I put a steel mag release in the G43X and G48 right off the bat, when I first got the Shield magazines. Obviously steel on plastic wouldn't work, nor would steel on aluminum. No brainer.

I didin't bother with the stock magazine springs; ordered extra power and put those in before I ever used the magazines. Ordered extra springs.

Shield should never have sold the magazines with the shorter spring, in the first place.

hmmmmm. I have a Hyve mag catch cant remember if its steel or what.

How does one distinguish between Gen1 and Gen2 Shield Arms mags?

quote:

Originally posted by kaschi:
How does one distinguish between Gen1 and Gen2 Shield Arms mags?

The followers are grey in the Gen 2, there is a longer rib on the front of the mag, and the base plate has cutouts on the side.

I have the shield arms original aluminum mag catch and have yet to have any issues. They came out with the steel one later. I plan on picking a couple up at some point.

So i used the gen2’s the other day and they are terrible. I put in the1 new steel mag release because the old aluminum wore out but the issue was the mag spring and or rounds in the mag were pushing the mag release from inside the mag and causing the mag to pop out of my G43x constantly. At first i thought i was hitting the new release so i shot it off hand and avoided the mag release and the mags still would pop out when shot and the next round would move up.

Wouldn’t rounds exerting force on the mag release be pushing against it making for a harder mag release? Could it be a bad or misinstalled mag catch spring???

I know these things have a fairly good rep. But your issues as well as others I have read always reinforce my resolve to keep stuff as stock as possible. I would much rather have a 10 shot Glock magazine that I am 99% sure is going to work every time then an aftermarket mag that is messing with the established firearms system. (Metal mag vs polymer exterior etc.)

Now I will happily runs MecGar SIG/CZ/Beretta etc. etc. or even a magpul Glock mag as they are not trying to radically change the system.

I totally realize new ideas need support and this is a GREAT idea but I just don’t know if I, personally, could trust a Shield mag 100% in a serious social gun.

Good luck and I am sure you will get it worked out.

Take care, shoot safe
Chris

quote:

Originally posted by USCO160:
So i used the gen2’s the other day and they are terrible. I put in the1 new steel mag release because the old aluminum wore out but the issue was the mag spring and or rounds in the mag were pushing the mag release from inside the mag and causing the mag to pop out of my G43x constantly. At first i thought i was hitting the new release so i shot it off hand and avoided the mag release and the mags still would pop out when shot and the next round would move up.

I'll bet it's a mag release issue rather than a magazine issue. I'm only about 400 rounds into G2's, but not one problem whatsoever.

They made a smaller opening in the mag for the mag release to click in, my gen 1’s had a larger opening. The gen 2’s are smaller and ambi