[SHOT 2022] The Mec-Gar Magazines Update

Mec-Gar manufactures a sizeable share of magazines on the market today. In fact, you may own a Mec-Gar magazine without even knowing it because they are an OEM supplier to many of the biggest names in the gun industry. Mec-Gar is Italian, and, despite the difficult COVID situation in that country, had a record year for magazine production.

Mec-Gar has expanded their Competition line of magazines to include more models. The Competition models are designed to fit within the “box” used by some competitions to limit accessory and gun size. The magazines are also designed to meet the 140mm length rule used in USPSA competition. Mec-Gar also changes the geometry on the extended baseplates to help maximize capacity while still meeting the various dimension-based competition rules.

I asked about the classic 20-round extended magazine for the Hi-Power resurgence. The old style magazines were made from a longer tube body and standard floor plate are unlikely to reenter production. The machinery used to make those magazines has worn out. While that specific magazine style may be gone forever, that is not necessarily the end of the dream. There are other methods that could be used to create a newer generation of extra-capacity P35 mags. One method would be an extended floorplate similar to the +2 models they already make. Another option is a three-sided floorplate which also covers some of the magazine body, as seen on the Sig M17/M18.

They also hinted that new magazines will be coming soon for an unnamed micro 9mm pistol. They cannot sell magazines that are produced as an OEM, so it will not be for a Sig Sauer, Kimber, Taurus, Walther, Wilson combat, Girsan, S&W, Springfield Armory, CZ, Mossberg, or Canik. I leave it up to you internet sleuths to guess as to what it could be.