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Shield Arms blew us all away in late 2019 with the release of their S15 Magazine. The original Shield Arms S15 took the already great Glock 43X and 48 and turned the platform into a compact package that can hold 15 rounds – flush fit. TFBTV Executive Producer James Reeves did some torture testing of the magazines and they held up incredibly well. Through my own use and testing, I found that while the magazines themselves held up well – the nature of my carry situation led to the magazines rusting and me having to coat them in Alumahyde to keep the rust from spreading. Now, Shield Arms has just dropped the Gen 2 S15 ambidextrous magazine full of improvements to take their already game-changing magazine for the Glock 43X and 48 to the next level.
Shield Arms S15 on TFB and TFBTV:
- 15 Rounds in the Glock 43X and 48?! The Shield Arms S15 Magazine
- Shield Arms S15 Flush-Fit 15 Round Magazines For Glock G43X and G48 Pistols
- A Guide for Aluma Hyde II – How to Corrosion-Proof your Gun Parts
Shield Arms Drops the New Gen 2 S15 Ambidextrous Magazine
So what exactly has changed from the Gen 1 magazines and more importantly, are you going to have to change all of your gear up to make use of these new mags? The short answer is no. The Gen 2 S15 magazines have basically the same design, footprint, and function as the Gen 1 models. So if you bought +5 mag extensions for your S15 magazines, you can keep and use them with the Gen 2 mags. The steel magazine catch, Neomag clips, magazine carriers, magwells, base plates, and floor plates will all still be cross-compatible between both models. The only piece that doesn’t cross over is the magazine followers (orange for Gen 1 and grey for Gen 2).
If your reading comprehension hasn’t failed you yet, the first big difference between the Gen 1 and Gen 2 S15 magazines is that the Gen 2 version is ambidextrous. That means all of you wrong-handed shooters who have reversed your magazine catch can now be that much more efficient and carry more ammunition without having your magazines take up any extra space. The new baseplate for the Gen 2 S15 ambidextrous magazine features an improved cut and fit for easy and consistent magazine removal. Aluminum baseplates will also be available separately as an upgrade.
Shield Arms has also made their Gen 2 ambidextrous magazines with more coating options as well as some geometric improvements to the Gen 1. One of the geometric updates that have been made has to do with the front support spine of the magazine (it is now thicker and shorter). This updated design should ideally improve the reloading characteristics when inserting a fresh mag. At present time it is unknown what the new finish availability will be. The new Shield Arms Gen 2 S15 ambidextrous magazines will be available on May 28th. Stay tuned to Shield Arms for information on both price and new coating options.
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