[Eric2340]

I bought a G43X late last summer after once learning that Shield Arms offered a 15 round 9mm mag that fit both it and the G48. I was in the market for the smallest pistol that I could shoot BEST, that also also gave me the most powerful round I could do the same with, and the highest capacity while still staying in a gun that was the MOST comfortable to carry that gave me NO excuse not carry it 24/7. At the time I was going back and forth between a .38 J fame Airweight and a .380 Glock 42. I had been leaning towards one of the newer small to medium .380s that held as many rounds as possible with still staying roughly around the G43 sized guns. I looked at the Hellcat, the Sig P365 and the G43. I'd had good luck with my G42, but I just wanted more than 6 or 7 rounds on tap?

Then I discovered the Shield Arms 15 rounds G43X/G48 mags. 😳😳😳 They were EVERYTHING I wanted in a gun this size and two of their mags would give me 30 ROUNDS on tap, MORE than enough ammo and still more in 2 mags in a thinner gun than my G26 could give me with a spare Glock 15 round mag on tap. 😁

Now I WAS warned that the S/A 15 round mags HAD had some issues, to make sure I got their "generation 3" version, and that also bought THEIR "install kit" which basically is THEIR METAL mag release (which I did ALL of).

I took the gun home, cleaned and lubed it first as I AWAYS do a new gun, installed their metal mag release (the S/A mags will destroy the plastic factory Glock release or possibly cause the gun not to work if you don't ) and off to the range I went.

The little G43X worked as a Glock should with all 3 of the FACTORY GLOCK MAGS perfectly like normal. The S/A 15 round mags would have FTF's after the first round or two for the upper half of the mags till about half full, and THEN they seemed to be ok. 😳😳😳 BOTH MAGS did this, regardless of the ammo, model, type or brand! (and I tried a LOT). 😥

The gun continued to run flawlessly on the GLOCK FACTORY MAGS. 😡


I immediately called them from the range and told them what was going on? I asked them if the mags need breaking in first, or had the found the worked better with this or that ammo, or this bullet weight or shape vs another? Nope nothing special was needed, they had a LIFETIME WARRANTY (???) all they asked was that I send them back to them, let them take a look at them and we'd go from there. Ok fine, I was more than willing to have them warranty them out, no big deal, I was out 300 rounds of ammo, but not the end of the world.

I forgot how long they'd had them back, but I finally called THEM to see what was up? Only to be told, "Oh your mags were out of spec and the "mouths" on them were too big? (Which was weird because you could feel the rounds get caught in the openings when you tried to strip rounds from the mags with your hands?). They finally sent me two NEW mags they said they measured and were in spec and should be fine.

I ordered three types of different NEW FACTORY ammo (NO reloads). I did not get a chance to get back to the range with the gun again (which was cleaned and lubed after it's first session) until last weekend, so I grabed the ammo I ordered and some spare hollow point foder I had and off we went to the range with the G43X and the replaceement warrantied S/A mags.

Needless to say I got to the THRID round of the fist mag and JAM- FTF. I clear it to finish the mag and here we go again. I try the second S/A mag, same thing. I take out one of the Glock factory 10 round G43X mags and NO PROBLEM. Load the second and third Glock factory mag, perfection as always, NO issues.

I call S/A this AM, tell them what I got and what would them like to do abut it. They first ask for a pic of my gun, not the chamber, not the slide, barrel or anything else, but just a profile pic of the gun (?), ok fine, I send them the pic. I then ask them what do they intend to do? They tell me they want to look at the pic of the gun (attatched)

and that they'll proably just warranty the SECOND pair out now too. I thank them but tell them I honestly now have NO FAITH in their mags for defensive use and that the Glock mags work perfectly. They tell me they really CAN'T and WON'T do any more than that (NOT that I really expected them to or offer me a refund) and that basically I can warranty them again or that's it.

I'm out $45 for their "starter kit" (one mag and their metal mag catch), $42 for one of their 15 round mags, shipping, proablly close to 600 rounds of 9mm, my time, effort and agravation. Again I really did NOT expect them to refund the mags and kit or even offer too but it would have been nice.

I don't know what I am going to do with the G43X now, I'll probably keep it as I DO like it being thinner and more comfortable to carry than the G26, but I am also VERY disaspointed as the whole point I considered the G43X in the first point vs something else was the idea of the use of the S/A 15 round mags in the first place.

I also can not, will not and going forward recommend Shield Arms or their products to anyone. Anyone considering a G43X or G48 based on using their products alone be warned. I was, chose not to listen and I am beyond disapointed.

 

[Valmet]

I know lots of folks have and use Shield Arms mags, but I’m a 100% OEM guy…

 

[racer88]

I'm out $45 for their "starter kit" (one mag and their metal mag catch), $42 for one of their 15 round mags, shipping,

$90... Cheap lesson learned. Your ammo cost doesn't count, IMO. You're going to shoot the gun either way at the range, right? Ammo cost is the "cost of doing business," regardless of which mags you use. So, you're not "out" 600 rounds of ammo.

Aggravation? Welcome to life.

I bought five of the brand new at the time Magpul Glock mags when they first came out. ALL of them turned my otherwise infallible Gen 2 Glock 19 into a consistent jam-o-matic. Every mag. No matter which ammo. It was the Magpul mags. OEM mags on the other hand... flawless with the G19. I spent about $75 on them. Lesson learned. It didn't take me 600 rounds to figure out the Magpul Glock mags are pure crap. I switched to factory mags and kept shooting.

 

[Borg Warner]

I bought a G43X late last summer after once learning that Shield Arms offered a 15 round 9mm mag that fit both it and the G48. I was in the market for the smallest pistol that I could shoot BEST, that also also gave me the most powerful round I could do the same with, and the highest capacity while still staying in a gun that was the MOST comfortable to carry that gave me NO excuse not carry it 24/7. At the time I was going back and forth between a .38 J fame Airweight and a .380 Glock 42. I had been leaning towards one of the newer small to medium .380s that held as many rounds as possible with still staying roughly around the G43 sized guns. I looked at the Hellcat, the Sig P365 and the G43. I'd had good luck with my G42, but I just wanted more than 6 or 7 rounds on tap?

Then I discovered the Shield Arms 15 rounds G43X/G48 mags. 😳😳😳 They were EVERYTHING I wanted in a gun this size and two of their mags would give me 30 ROUNDS on tap, MORE than enough ammo and still more in 2 mags in a thinner gun than my G26 could give me with a spare Glock 15 round mag on tap. 😁

Now I WAS warned that the S/A 15 round mags HAD had some issues, to make sure I got their "generation 3" version, and that also bought THEIR "install kit" which basically is THEIR METAL mag release (which I did ALL of).

I took the gun home, cleaned and lubed it first as I AWAYS do a new gun, installed their metal mag release (the S/A mags will destroy the plastic factory Glock release or possibly cause the gun not to work if you don't ) and off to the range I went.

The little G43X worked as a Glock should with all 3 of the FACTORY GLOCK MAGS perfectly like normal. The S/A 15 round mags would have FTF's after the first round or two for the upper half of the mags till about half full, and THEN they seemed to be ok. 😳😳😳 BOTH MAGS did this, regardless of the ammo, model, type or brand! (and I tried a LOT). 😥

The gun continued to run flawlessly on the GLOCK FACTORY MAGS. 😡


I immediately called them from the range and told them what was going on? I asked them if the mags need breaking in first, or had the found the worked better with this or that ammo, or this bullet weight or shape vs another? Nope nothing special was needed, they had a LIFETIME WARRANTY (???) all they asked was that I send them back to them, let them take a look at them and we'd go from there. Ok fine, I was more than willing to have them warranty them out, no big deal, I was out 300 rounds of ammo, but not the end of the world.

I forgot how long they'd had them back, but I finally called THEM to see what was up? Only to be told, "Oh your mags were out of spec and the "mouths" on them were too big? (Which was weird because you could feel the rounds get caught in the openings when you tried to strip rounds from the mags with your hands?). They finally sent me two NEW mags they said they measured and were in spec and should be fine.

I ordered three types of different NEW FACTORY ammo (NO reloads). I did not get a chance to get back to the range with the gun again (which was cleaned and lubed after it's first session) until last weekend, so I grabed the ammo I ordered and some spare hollow point foder I had and off we went to the range with the G43X and the replaceement warrantied S/A mags.

Needless to say I got to the THRID round of the fist mag and JAM- FTF. I clear it to finish the mag and here we go again. I try the second S/A mag, same thing. I take out one of the Glock factory 10 round G43X mags and NO PROBLEM. Load the second and third Glock factory mag, perfection as always, NO issues.

I call S/A this AM, tell them what I got and what would them like to do abut it. They first ask for a pic of my gun, not the chamber, not the slide, barrel or anything else, but just a profile pic of the gun (?), ok fine, I send them the pic. I then ask them what do they intend to do? They tell me they want to look at the pic of the gun (attatched)
View attachment 1361544

and that they'll proably just warranty the SECOND pair out now too. I thank them but tell them I honestly now have NO FAITH in their mags for defensive use and that the Glock mags work perfectly. They tell me they really CAN'T and WON'T do any more than that (NOT that I really expected them to or offer me a refund) and that basically I can warranty them again or that's it.

I'm out $45 for their "starter kit" (one mag and their metal mag catch), $42 for one of their 15 round mags, shipping, proablly close to 600 rounds of 9mm, my time, effort and agravation. Again I really did NOT expect them to refund the mags and kit or even offer too but it would have been nice.

I don't know what I am going to do with the G43X now, I'll probably keep it as I DO like it being thinner and more comfortable to carry than the G26, but I am also VERY disaspointed as the whole point I considered the G43X in the first point vs something else was the idea of the use of the S/A 15 round mags in the first place.

I also can not, will not and going forward recommend Shield Arms or their products to anyone. Anyone considering a G43X or G48 based on using their products alone be warned. I was, chose not to listen and I am beyond disappointed.

Do NOT buy Shield Arms G43X 15 round magazines
Good Advice.

Years ago I was a 1911 guy. and years before that, I was a revolver guy. (No magazine problems there) but what I learned about 1911's was that so many aftermarket magazines are NFG but there is one that is 100 per cent reliable and that the Wilson stainless steel magazine.

And that includes their 8 round magazines which fit almost flush if you replace the plastic base plate with one of the flatter cast steel ones. But then I became a Glock guy.

And the reason I remain a Glock guy6 years later is that not only has every Glock I've ever owned been 100 per cent reliable, but every Glock factory magazine I've used has been 100 per cent reliable and I will NOT trust my very life with anything else.

 

[K1500]

Hopefully you realize shooting the factory plastic magazines with the Shield metal magazine catch can damage the factory magazines. I wouldn’t be shooting the stock mags with the shield catch.

A better solution is the PSA micro dagger magazine. They use the stock plastic catch so you can swap back and forth between factory and PSA magazines without swapping magazine catches.

Some folks love the PSA’s and some don’t, but they seem to be generally regarded as more reliable than the shield mags.

 

[Maccabeus]

 

[Eric2340]

I know lots of folks have and use Shield Arms mags, but I’m a 100% OEM guy…

I am always also and always have been.

The ONLY reason I even considered the S/A mags were both the benifits (IF THEY WORKED) and all the reviews I read were mostly good and almost all issues seemed to be with the early generations of their mags. MANY people advised if you got their third gen mags there were supposedly no issues. Well there were anb their ARE.

Regardless going forward I am ALL Glock OEM ONLY.

 

[Eric2340]

$90... Cheap lesson learned. Your ammo cost doesn't count, IMO. You're going to shoot the gun either way at the range, right? Ammo cost is the "cost of doing business," regardless of which mags you use. So, you're not "out" 600 rounds of ammo.

Aggravation? Welcome to life.

I bought five of the brand new at the time Magpul Glock mags when they first came out. ALL of them turned my otherwise infallible Gen 2 Glock 19 into a consistent jam-o-matic. Every mag. No matter which ammo. It was the Magpul mags. OEM mags on the other hand... flawless with the G19. I spent about $75 on them. Lesson learned. It didn't take me 600 rounds to figure out the Magpul Glock mags are pure crap. I switched to factory mags and kept shooting.

I ran 300 throgh the gun initally trying to see if it were the mags in Sept. This weekend we ran only a mag or two through them, and the rest was the Glock OEM mags to insure the gun it's self had NO issues and was not to blame.

Plus it was brand NEW carry gun period and I have NO problems sinking 500 plus rounds through a defensive gun to make sure it's GTG.

 

[Eric2340]

Hopefully you realize shooting the factory plastic magazines with the Shield metal magazine catch can damage the factory magazines. I wouldn’t be shooting the stock mags with the shield catch.

A better solution is the PSA micro dagger magazine. They use the stock plastic catch so you can swap back and forth between factory and PSA magazines without swapping magazine catches.

Some folks love the PSA’s and some don’t, but they seem to be generally regarded as more reliable than the shield mags.

Don't worry, the S/A mag catch is coming out as soon as I have a min, and I will NOT carry the gun with it in anymore until it's OUT.

 

[3fan]

My four Gen 2 Shield Arms mags have run like champs in my 43X from day one. I loaded them all to capacity & let them sit for a full week before using them. I unloaded them the night before shooting them the next day & I've had no problems. I installed their metal mag release also the night prior.

 

[Eric2340]

My four Gen 2 Shield Arms mags have run like champs in my 43X from day one. I loaded them all to capacity & let them sit for a full week before using them. I unloaded them the night before shooting them the next day & I've had no problems. I installed their metal mag release also the night prior.

I let the second set they warrantied sit fully loaded for over a MONTH, unloading and reloading them periodically to help break them in BEFORE shooting them to "loosen" them up a little.

No dice. Still crap, no more, WILL NOT trust my life of my famliy's with them.

Gun is Glock PERFECT w/ factory mags.

 

[Hydra-SHOKz]

I've had good luck with the 30+ S15's I own, but usually just carry a stock 48 with OEM mags. 11 in the gun and a 10 round spare gets me home every night.

 

[biscut53]

SO says you. I have four Gen 2's and they have all been as reliable as the stock 10rd's were. Not for you or your gun; life marches onward.

 

[DeltaFiveBravo]

It's not the fault of the magazines.

Your G43X frame has a magazine well that suffers from tolerance stack that causes the Shield Arms magazines to "wiggle" from front to back too much, which interferes with the case rim entering the breech cut in the slide. The result is intermittent stoppages.

My G48 has the same problem. If I put the slide from my G43 on the G48 frame it works perfectly because my G43 slide doesn't have the breech cut.

What's the breech cut? Look at the corner of the breechface opposite the extractor. You'll see a small channel milled into the corner. The breech cut is supposed to make case ejection angle more consistent.

Buy a PSA Dagger 15 round magazine and give it a try. You might find it works in your gun.

 

[BBMW]

Want a gun that's the same size as the G43X, but comes with reliable factory 15 round mags? Get a Springfield Hellcat Pro.

 

[Joe Friday 714]

Do NOT buy Shield Arms G43X 15 round magazines
Good Advice.

And the reason I remain a Glock guy6 years later is that not only has every Glock I've ever owned been 100 per cent reliable, but every Glock factory magazine I've used has been 100 per cent reliable and I will NOT trust my very life with anything else.

^^This^^

 

[Eric2340]

Want a gun that's the same size as the G43X, but comes with reliable factory 15 round mags? Get a Springfield Hellcat Pro.

Held the Hellcat Pro (and regular HC) before buying the 43x, don't like them in the hand. Would have bought the Sig anyway had I not gone 43X.

 

[Eric2340]

It's not the fault of the magazines.

Your G43X frame has a magazine well that suffers from tolerance stack that causes the Shield Arms magazines to "wiggle" from front to back too much, which interferes with the case rim entering the breech cut in the slide. The result is intermittent stoppages.

My G48 has the same problem. If I put the slide from my G43 on the G48 frame it works perfectly because my G43 slide doesn't have the breech cut.

What's the breech cut? Look at the corner of the breechface opposite the extractor. You'll see a small channel milled into the corner. The breech cut is supposed to make case ejection angle more consistent.

Buy a PSA Dagger 15 round magazine and give it a try. You might find it works in your gun.

Might have to try that , thanks.

 

[NicholsT55]

This thread reminds me that I have 4 Shield Arms Gen 2 mags (one with a +5 extension) and two steel mags catches (one "premium") that I need to sell. They literally fall out of my G48 if my thumb even brushes against the mag catch. The PSA Micro Dagger mags that I bought are good-to-go; Shield Arms? Not so much.

 

[DeltaFiveBravo]

Might have to try that , thanks.

Make that the PSA "Micro Dagger" 15 rd magazine.

 

[BBMW]

Glock is leaving so much money on the table by not having their own 15 round 43x/48 mag. They probably didn't make one because they don't want to cannibalize sales of the G19.