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M&P 17 round ETS Magazine Review.

Posted: Sun Oct 27, 2019 8:22 am
by gds
I purchased 2 of the M&P 17 round 9mm mags from Gunmagwarehouse, as soon as they became available last week. $37.07 shipped to my door.

Once received I began to play around with them, empty. Would insert in all of my M&P double stack guns( CORE, Fullsize 1.0, 2.0 Compacts (3-4inch and 2-3.6 inch, as well as my version of a 19X, which is a 2.0 full size frame and a 4 inch 2.0 slide and barrel.)

Would eject when the mag release was pushed with great force. I mean they would launch out the mag well.

Loaded them with 17 rounds each. Once I got to 15 they were definitely harder to get the last 2 in, but not unexpected especially with a new mag.

Then trying to insert into the gun became a bit of a problem. The 1.0 was very difficult, and would not drop free while fully loaded. The CORE was a little easier to insert, but again, would not drop free while fully loaded. I mean I had to push on the mag release and pull hard to get the mags out. All the 2.0 guns the mags would insert pretty easily, very little resistance, however when the mag release was pressed they would not drop completely free, they would drop about an 1 1/2 but then stop unless I flicked the gun. However they were very easy to grab and pull out with no resistance felt.

Took a bunch of rounds to the backyard range and put about 100 rounds thru each one using the 2.0 compact X. Rounds were a mixed bag of reloads, 115 plated, 124 cast powder coated, and some 142gr FMJ. These are all plinking rounds. They worked 100%, no feeding issues at all, slide always locked back on an empty mag, and empty mags launched freely when the mag release was pressed.

After the shooting session, I began to check them out a little more. As suspected there is a definite bulge when fully loaded.

At the center of the magazine, unloaded it measured .844, loaded .880. A factory mag measures .855 when loaded.

Which of course explains why they were difficult to insert in the 1.0 and why they would not drop free when loaded. After several insertions and removal they were a little easier to insert in the CORE, but still quite difficult in the 1.0.

For now these are good range mags, but not quite sure that they are trustworthy enough for carry.

Re: M&P 17 round ETS Magazine Review.

Posted: Sun Oct 27, 2019 3:17 pm
by TRshootem
I have 4 M&P's, 2 9's and 2 40's, all use the S&W factory mags with zero issues. These have thousands of rounds through them in USPSA, Steel Challenge and practice sessions. The after market ones gave a fellow shooter nothing but fits, so I have steered clear of them. Glock guys I know have also experienced what you describe, some of them work, some don't.

Re: M&P 17 round ETS Magazine Review.

Posted: Sun Oct 27, 2019 4:30 pm
by gds
TRshootem wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2019 3:17 pm I have 4 M&P's, 2 9's and 2 40's, all use the S&W factory mags with zero issues. These have thousands of rounds through them in USPSA, Steel Challenge and practice sessions. The after market ones gave a fellow shooter nothing but fits, so I have steered clear of them. Glock guys I know have also experienced what you describe, some of them work, some don't.
I have about 17 M&Ps, 9mm, .40 and .45

All my M&P mags are factory S&W except these 2. I do have some mag extensions, Falkor defense and taran tactical.

I have read such widely diifering reviews on the ETS mags from the best thing ever, to complete junk, I figured I would have to try them myself. I am not unhappy. They do work in my 2.0 with zero issues.

After a suggestion from ETS, I loaded a full mag in a 2.0 and chambered a round. And then pushed the mag release, the mags do fall out completely.

Still would not go for anything but range mags for know.