GLOCK vs PMAG

[@1977Yakko]

I just got a Glock 47 a couple months ago. Great firearm which came with three 17 rd. mags. From Magpul, I've added ten 17 rd mags and five 21 rd. mags and they run flawlessly in my Glock and my Henry Homesteader PCC. They're generally more affordable and cheaper than factory mags. Also from Magpul, I got five 17 rd mags for my Sig P320 which is a huge cost difference as Sig mag are ridiculously overpriced. Plus multiple mags for my AR15, AKM and my Ruger 308 bolt action which has a Magpul stock (the American Hunter). If they ever make 1911 mags, I'd probably add those for my Kimber Custom, especially if they'd be more affordable and just as reliable as the Wilson Combat mags I got for it.

[@Sheild_against_the_wicked556]

Every failure I've seen with the Glock PMAGs only happened when running steel case ammo. Hope that info helps.

[@johnrossman6679]

I just watched a video "MAGPUL Pistol Pmag Long Term Review" by Alpha1 Tactical and he found issues with steel cased ammo vs brass cased ammo with pmags although I don't remember him saying such, but I got it from watching. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hH7aemaNqa2Lg5o

[@squeeze511]

When Winchester Forged was plenty, I ran some in the Pmags and it did not run very well. Steel case was not slick as the brass and fouled up loading

[@squeeze511]

Ran great with brass. Steel case not so much.

[@LinoTirado]

Somethings off with these mags I put steel cased Winchester brown box(that I had for years 2018, then sprayed WD~50 idk why) And it worked flawlessly in a p80. G19

[@aluminumfoilchef]

I had a pmag for Glock just snap off and break the top of the magazine when I put it into a pistol in battery. That’s all I needed to see to decide they weren’t worth it

[@mnuncio8793]

Zev and Shadow System use Magpul magazines. After buying a Shadow System and it had them and the owner having a video on why they use them and then being tested. I accepted the magazine myself. And now I have mostly PL9 magazines the 12, 15, 17, 17 - 21 with extension and the 27 rd.

[@redeye8526]

the feed lips wear down and dont hold the mag open eventually still function 100% just annoying to pull the trigger and hear click on an empty chamber

[@mnuncio8793]

@@redeye8526 I have never had the issue before but I have been told the lips have spread open on older ones. But have been using them in my duty pistols for years. I don’t mind using them or the oem. But I have used the those ETS ones and that magazine shot my ammo so I know what you mean.

[@Skyfall-sv8df]

Good. Video, do you still stand behind what you said in this video?Now that it's a couple years later thanks

[@michaelhamby8469]

Competition is good for the consumer. Running Pmags for a year now.

[@keithridlen7122]

So we're just going to skip over how awesome the magazine pouches are??? I've never seen those, where can I get them?

[@P3Tactical]

those are from vertx

[@robertoortiz85]

I smooth out the outside of the mags with 5000 grip sandpaper then i coat them with dry lube wipe them off they stay smooth smooth

[@sydewayzmo3905]

All my P mags for Glock have expanded and no longer drop. I left them loaded and in the heat for a couple hours. Almost $300 of useless mags now.

[@Masta_E]

They are bad mags. All mine have died and I am not some hardcore dude, I shoot twice a month at an indoor range. No reason my GL9s are dying and being unreliable.

[@carlandrews3037]

my 15 round pmag stuck as in it didn't push the rounds up drooping it out of my gun was not a problem i don't trust it for carry i had to lube it up. i hope it works now. double the cost or not i'll stick with factory glock mags.

[@barbain101]

Thank you I haven't purchased the pmags but good to hear. The glock magazine is whats so reliable :p

[@jrodificator1]

that's the best looking water bottle I've ever seen

[@archangel20031]

So, A Glock pattern 21 round magazine for $17 he says? WHAT IS THE FRIGGEN NAME AND WHERE CAN WE GET THEM???????????

[@Vernonu9]

I bought a 12rnd pmag for g26. It was a Jammy Davis Jr. I was hoping to carry that 12rnd mag....

[@eimartin]

Great review on these mags. My big question to anyone, is would you trust these mags for self defense/carry?

[@P3Tactical]

I would and do. But test with your EDC gun and figure that out for yourself.

[@eimartin]

@@P3Tactical awesome thanks for the insight!!

[@thecontemporarygentleman]

I have the 12 rounders. Used them over 3 years, not one hang up ever. I have a review coming out on it next week.

[@FierceMouse]

PMAGS work great for training. OEM for defense only for me.

[@erneststewart9158]

No, I have run pmag and pro mag with brass ammo in multiple mags with 2 different Glock 17s and one Glock 19, in each case I had ftf and a couple of stove pipes, when I run Glock magazines, no problems. My edc self defense will only carry a Glock magazine. I put away all of my pmag and pro mag.

[@waltercox3474]

Just watched the video, and if you research how Gaston Glock originally designed the magazines for the Glock he designed them not to drop free what changed the design was the Is competition shooters so before knocking the magazines please research how, and why. Think you.

[@P3Tactical]

Can't really imagine why I would care what Gaston Glock thought but thanks for your input.

[@3chel0n13]

Took a 3-day Haley Strategic class and put about 1200 rounds though my G19 in those 3 days. I had 3 almost new magpul mags and 5 OEM Glock mags (about a year old). By day 3, I had problems with 2 out of the 3 magpul mags. All 5 OEM mags ran just fine, despite being older. That was all I needed - no more magpul mags for carry. Magpul glock mags work alright - I put 800 rounds through them, dropped them 100+ times and got them absolutely filthy over 2 days before they stopped working. But the OEM mags didn't stop working. That peace of mind is worth an extra couple dollars to me.

[@P3Tactical]

Great point man in that getting your mags filled up with dirt and especially sand can definitely shut them down. I've spent enough time on the range to see sand shut down literally every mag on the market. I haven't personally observed a higher rate of failure with magpul but the ETS mags are a travesty. Do to the amount of failures I've observed I haven't done a ton of testing trying to prove which mags can run the longest when full of dirt, because I usually just brush out my mags whenever they dirty, and I'm not certain why anybody else wouldn't.

[@hblegal8309]

I agree with you! I am not looking to save a few bucks on mags for my Glock. A dozen of eggs at the supermarket is another story though! I do use PMAG for my duty AR with no problems. I make sure all the ones not inserted have what they call "Magpul PMAG Impact & Dust Cartridge-Protecting Cover" on them. The fact of the matter is they also relieve the pressure on the non-steel lips of the mag. Although, I do not live in a "warmer state," I think it is a good idea.

[@Papidaddyzaddy]

What are those magazine holders? Where can i get them?

[@Adam_B_Shooting]

I don’t treat the Magpul GL9 mags well at all and they have yet to give me any problems

[@605783]

G23 - Gen 3 with 9mm LW conversion barrel: Pmags 15 and 17 / 1000 rounds of brass, Aluminum, and steel cased Ammo / NO MALFUNCTIONS G26 - Gen 4: Pmags 12, 15, and 17 / 400 rounds as above / NO MALFUNCTIONS ***NOTE: I use my Pmags as "range" Mags and keep them loaded to half of their capacity, so they don't experience extreme spring wear and the feed lips are not stressed. However, I have tested them with steel and aluminum cased ammunition at full capacity with NO MALFUNCTIONS.

[@murrayjthompson1893]

Here is a historical tidbit regarding Glock mags. Originally, Glock produced guns for the military and issued 2 mags with each gun. The mags were polymer and expanded in the mag well by design. The military did not want soldiers to lose the mags. DEA started carrying the Glocks early on with the poly mags. They operate in many overseas countries and may have used the same logic as the military. The FBI rejected Glocks for the agents based partly on the magazines not freely ejecting when empty or full. Glock began to use a metal liner, but the liner still needed to be thick enough to prevent the bulging. Glock increased the thickness of the metal liner and the FBI accepted the Glock for trials. Each gun leaving the gun vault (Bureau or personally owned/Bureau approved) has each mag checked for freely dropping from that gun. The Gun Vault has massive boxes of mags that are used to replace any mag not falling freely from the gun under test. Oddly, the same mag that does not drop freely from one firearm may be acceptable in another gun. I only run factory Glock mags in my DR920P with zero issues. The P-mags may be fine but experience has taught me that Murphy's Law will always prevail at the worst possible moment in time. So, I keep the P-mags just for practice and run Glock factory mags for real situations.

[@NineteenEighty-Four]

Do you have issues with pmags during practice?

[@murrayjthompson1893]

Addendum to the original comment - PMags run smoother in my XR920P than Glock mags. No FTF or FTE either mag type, but the PMags drop easier than Glock mags when empty. My PMags are running Apex metal base plates which add more weight to the empty mag.

[@TWTourist]

I’ve been running PMAG (15, 17, 21 and 27 rds)in my G19, G17 and PCC for years. I’ve used them in practice and competition with zero issue. I use factory mags only as my carry/defensive mags. My only request is that PMAG add a 10 rd window for those of us that shoot IDPA. Another plus for the PMAG plate are the dots. I number all my mags and that just makes it easier.

[@kcstott]

Take you mag apart. put ten rounds in the magfrom the bottom. use a ruler, stick, pencil something to guage the depth of the rounds. mark this on the outside of the mag. then drill a 1/8" hole in the mage slighty above this location. There is your ten round window. or you could just count your rounds. you should be counting your rounds anyway, going in to the mag and coming out. it keeps you focused.

[@Wolf_1775]

The only issue I've had with Glock PMAGs is with rough steel cased ammo. Stuff like Winchester Forged will bind up in the mag. Incidentally, I've also seen that issue in OEM mags, it's just more frequent with non-metal lined mags. I would just avoid using rough steel cased ammo, since that seems to be an issue with them in general.

[@P3Tactical]

I pretty much refuse to use anything winchester these days so I can't speak to that. But I've certainly ran a bunch of wolf and tula with no issues.

[@22640cal]

I second this! Steel case and some dirt will make the Pmags very finicky, I can maybe load 5 rounds and it binds. Brass was good go to :)

[@edsweeney6843]

Great video. Any thoughts on ETS mags vs PMags? FYI, Cain Arms makes a mag sleeve for the 21 round PMag to fill the space in either a G19 or G17/G45. Comes in multiple colors too.

[@chuckw4254]

Just subscribed. Thanks for the review. Just purchased a G45 last Friday. Came with 10 rounders. I was about to order a few Glock 17 rounders, but found a sweet deal on the Pmags. Your video helps ease my mind.

[@NDN_FTR]

Great review with plenty of information, clarity, and balance. I like that you don't do a lot of hype.

[@seeharvester]

You forgot one major con for the PMag. It doesn't say "GLOCK" on it.

[@blakevanness]

Have 40+ pmags for my Glocks and I've never once had issues with brass cased ammo. Several thousand rounds fired through them collectively.

[@SnD340]

What about aluminum or steel case. Hollow points??

[@Kyle_gallegher]

I've stuffed 5.45 in gen m2 or w2 whatever and some emags with no problems and it fed my 5.45 AR no problem, I dont doubt a magpul mag man

[@rtaggs8178]

I'm kind of caught in between. Have a Glock Gen 5 45 and 17 . Had PMAGS in the past and never had problems. Have one gunsmith in the family (Son in Law) and one up and coming in the future (My son ) especially my son preaches to stay with OEM Glock magazines, probably being a car guy I tell him to stick with OEM on cars and trucks.

[@IPOND3R]

I had hesitation on buying the PMAG for my stock Glock 19. But you have eased my mind and I will most definitely be buying the magpul mags now.Also excited to meet you all next month at a Spec Train class!! Keep up the great content

[@NDN_FTR]

I've run them without issue in the 17 and 21 rd versions. However, I still run factory mags for my EDC because I just feel more confident.

[@chillpill7115]

Not a good idea. Still buy OEM for EDC for self defense. Mags can cost you your life

[@seancssu]

Magpul all day for stockpile and on the range, gonna still carry oem mags 😂

[@Jay-lf1sn]

Great video. Where did you pick up those mag pouch holders?

[@RileyRR]

Excellent video, good information!

[@thecontemporarygentleman]

Solid review, I like all the information. Next week I have a review coming out on the 12 rounder.

[@blazability3469]

all the ppl that say they ONLY run OEM, are the same ppl who use all sorts of cheap aftermarket base that cause all sorts of problems lol

[@c.f.leffen2929]

Thank-You, Sir. Truly superb instructional video. All the Best to You and Yours!

[@chipsterb4946]

I prefer being able to see how many rounds remain in the magazine. Glock, HK, Browning Hi Power and 1911 magazines all give you that information. Magpul magazines for Glock do not. However, price and availability TODAY make a difference. Make a choice. I run Tripp Research magazines (at least spring and follower) in 1911s because they are the only ones that have been totally dependable for me. YMMV. Magpul and Glock mags have both been 100% reliable for me in the Glock platform. However, I confess that I had not noticed that stickiness with a full magazine and would not necessarily like that. Empties fall out.

[@P3Tactical]

I certainly agree that having a more granular round count indication is a nice to have, but in the same that very few AR mags have any indication at all it isn't an absolute requirement. I have to assume that the polymer body was too weak if extra holes were added in.

[@joshuat5140]

I seen a glock extended mag that said there it's factory glock but made by promag? True?

[@P3Tactical]

Promag is a knock off glock mag brand not associated with Glock. Glock does make double stack 9mm mags in varying capacities which can used in various models, including the 19 round "19 X" mag, and the 30 round mag.

[@georgiom4711]

I run 21 round pmags out of my g19 all the time...nevere had a problem and love them!

[@raulhernandez2970]

I use the pmag 21s for my Glocks and they run great not one issue so far thankfully

[@marryson123]

I dunno what kinda plastic Magpul use on their magazines. They are sturdy and strong as f**k.

[@dennislloyd494]

So if partially loaded it will drop free from a factory Glock ( tactical reload), or did I miss something ? I have an XDm 40 that will not release fully loaded but will with only 15 rnds loaded. Good review!

[@P3Tactical]

what essentially happens is that magazine swells progressively as it is loaded. Below say half capacity there is no noticeable swelling, but if it is only one or two rounds short of full it might still stick.

[@scrider5493]

Was questioning if pmags were an issue in Glock, thanks for the info.

[@plug1djpwhirl]

Love your review on this, def subscribing to your page💪🏼

[@Pursuingthecraft]

Late comment but love the magpul glock mag. Only issue is they dont run well with steel case ammo.(ive only used Winchester forged)(glock 45) anybody have the same issue?

[@P3Tactical]

I'm really not sure Winchester forged runs well with anything...

[@Quixcilver7.62]

I’ve had Forged get hung up in GL9 Pmags. Lacquered coated steel rounds run just fine through Pmags.

[@appamanplan8933]

Hey man great video, thanks for sharing. Have you ever tried using any of your glock pmags in a G26? Just got a few 17 rd mags to try at the range and I was experiencing failure to feed malfunctions. Do the pmags have a break in time? Thanks!

[@P3Tactical]

No sir I don't shoot a Glock 26. There should not be any break in time. Are you saying that you are consistently experiencing failures to feed with magpul mags, but are not seeing those at all with OEM?

[@shotgunsmachetes8817]

thinks 4 the review bro

[@nathanpierceyoung]

Can you comment on my concerns with using pmags for a carry gun? Having the polymer feed lips do they wear over time and do they stretch out over time if they are left fully loaded?

[@IR-xy3ij]

From what I've found by keeping pmags (both AR-15 and glock) loaded for 2 years, the glock pmags didn't expand nearly as much compared to the AR-15 mags. Maybe this has something to do with glock mags having smaller cross section.

[@nathanpierceyoung]

I R thanks! I appreciate the feedback!

[@Nattleby]

@@IR-xy3ij the polymer is thicker on the Glock mags. With AR pmags I just use the dust cover which push the rounds down a little and take pressure off the feed lips.

[@martyrodgers1808]

Hey billy, what part of NC are ya from ? I’m in the Sandhills.

[@P3Tactical]

We are based out of the Charlotte area.

[@dennisrankin9508]

I run the Pmags thru my Banshee in 9mm and have the 33 Rd mag in Glock and the 31 Rd PMAG, both work well and either carry a Glock 19 Larry Vickers, or a Glock 17 or a ZEV OZ9C, and they work great in any of these handguns!

[@zacdavis7]

Can you put the Zev base pad on the pmags?

[@P3Tactical]

Zev used to make a basepad specifically for the pmag, but unfortunately that has been discontinued. So if you can still find any floating around then yes, but no basepad designed for an OEM mag will work with a pmag.

[@zacdavis7]

@@P3Tactical which is weird they would do that since they give your pmags with the OZ9

[@d0peshow]

Join the service if you want to be "tactical" gi joe.

[@domodbaker1044]

Just build P80 G17. Purchased 3 magpuls and have 2 Glock mags on the way. Haven’t fired it yet but have seen so many mixed reviews. That’s why I ordered oem ones, I wouldn’t want to blame the build on a mag malfunction and visa versa. So many positive reviews like yours and just as many complete failure reviews also. So wild how the opinion of reliability can vary so much

[@P3Tactical]

So far I haven't seen any actual recorded evidence showing a gun that malfunctions on Pmags and runs flawlessly with OEM. Lots of people out there that blame problems on the mags, but that really isn't evidence. Again I have no dog in the fight, I've just gotten really skeptical of random people from the internet and their ability to accurately diagnose problems.

[@Kyle_gallegher]

@@P3Tactical ive put 5.45 in those e mags or gen 2 whatever and it fed in my ar chamber in 5.45. I dont doubt a magpul mag man lol

[@archangel20031]

I ordered 8 of them and every one jams with a few rounds deep in the magazine at the follower allowing the ones above them to just come loose, rattle around and fall out if you tip the magazine over. The only way I have gotten any of them to run is to put a generous coating of Graphite in the magazine, and I only got 1 to run 100 %, but it was a mess handling because of the Graphite. A lot of the affordable ammo I have is steel cased and i even had some aluminum so a magazine absolutely needs to be able to run everything.

[@alglez7743]

Magpul are good quality, good video

[@lln8020]

Glocks go in Glocks simple

[@reker.a5790]

Glock oem for duty

[@P3Tactical]

Cool story.

[@InfluenceThaPoetDOPE]

Gotta practice your breathing bro goddamn

[@Zatain911]

i have confidence in pmags

[@vykyngbla4772]

Most issues that have occurred with PMAGs for me was user error. Issues I've run in to: Over lubricating the firearm + crap ammo lead to stovepipe on last round and a closed slide with no rounds in the chamber. It was always a final round issue. And yes I'm holding my firearm correctly. P80 builds need lots of tuning. Besides that PMAGs are great for cheap range and training. I always recommend them to new shooters, but it's all personal preference IMO.

[@Blakehenry11]

Well my experience is different and you guessed correctly misdfeeds with pmag magazines. I find it interesting that yours have been trouble free. I've run these in a Shadow systems DR920, glock 17 and 34 and zev 0Z9. The gun that liked them least was the DR920. Repeated misfeeds, switched to glock mags and zero problems since. The glocks were better but on occasion would misfeed with the pmag as well. The Pmags for the OZ9 immediately went into the storage container after my issues with the other two I didn't even bother. I purchased more glock mags for it as well. One thing I'd like to add is because the glock mags aren't tapered buying the Zev base pad extensions are a must if your running the magwell. I also disagree with you on the possible benefit on the pmag not dropping free while loaded. Anytime I hit the mag release I want that mag outta there all the time everytime loaded or unloaded.

[@jacksonp7908]

That’s interesting I have had zero issues running pmags in my DR920

[@obsidianblackhorse5589]

MagPul mags are junk, will cause jams and in some situations will cost you your life. Bought only one and it jammed on four of the 12 rounds I had in it with a new Glock 17.

[@P3Tactical]

You are certainly entitled to that opinion, but with all due respect sir comments like this are why its so hard to find any reliable product information on the internet. I'm sorry to hear that your admitted total of 12 rounds of experience in this matter didn't go well, but that certainly doesn't entitle you to make broad disparaging judgements of a product. It's entirely possible that you got a defective magazine or there was some other issue on the day in question, but that doesn't really indicate that as you put it "magpul mags are junk".

[@anonypersona3189]

@@P3Tactical Magpul GL9 mags (glock pmags) for the Glock 19 are indeed junk. In fact, I can prove it to you if you have a glock, a glock oem mag, a GL9 mag, and a dummy round. "Control" Test: 1) Disassemble the slide off of your Glock appropriately, we only need the Glock lower for this. 2) Take a dummy round, and load it into an empty oem glock mag (last round scenario). 3) Load the oem glock mag + dummy round into the glock lower until the mag catch clicks 4) Press on the bottom of the mag and observe the play. Carefully note the slide stop lever (it should not move) as you do this. GL9 Test (repeat Control test with GL9 mag): 1) Load a dummy round into an empty GL9 mag 2) Load the mag + dummy round into your Glock Lower (no slide). 3) Press on the bottom of the mag and observe the play (there is more). Carefully note the slide stop lever (it actually moves and can actually engage the slide stop). You can even prove this to yourself without dissembling the Glock too. It's a bit more difficult physically... With an unloaded glock, load a last round (dummy round) mag into it and rack the slide back while using your dominant hand's pinky to press up on the mag from the bottom. With the Glock OEM mags, the slide catch will not activate... and you will be able to load the round as expected... With the GL9 mags it will activate the slide stop and prevent the last round from chambering. This is why there are so many testimonials of people getting "last round" locked back on the Pmags. The culprit is how the follower on the GL9 mags were designed. There is enough slop in the Pmags that the mag catch can be activated even with a round in the mag. Horrible design. As an engineer myself I laughed a bit when I noticed this. It's physical evidence how this mags suck. Not to mention the design issues of not using a metal inner liner you already stated: No metal feed lips, ability to expand so mags don't fall free, etc....

[@eselc2072]

I got the amend2 34 glock magazines because I kept seeing bad reviews on magpul. The only one I haven't seen bad reviews is those kci mags.

[@chipsterb4946]

@@anonypersona3189 it’s funny you took the time to type all that. Do boolits come out of the barrel when you pull the death lever? Do boolits feed reliably until the magazine is empty, and then the slide locks back? If the answer is “yes”, the magazine works as intended.

[@anonypersona3189]

@@chipsterb4946 tldr: I explained a design flaw in the mags that could be easily fixed. Sure, they "work" but a simple fix could prove reliability.