Never been to one of your classes but I’ve changed more of thought processes on your no nonsense video education. Thank you for putting your knowledge out there for all to have.
@@TacticalResponseCrew just joined on the .22 program I hope it helps you to continue to put out content. Once again thanks man. Not to many guys like you left in the world and I’m just trying to soak up as much information as I can while I can.
I love the "Just needs to be broken in" comments I've gotten when those mags have failed in guns around me. You know what mags I see run flawlessly, the ones that came with the gun.
Thank you ..... I have a 43X and a 48 , the 43X has the shield mags with the metal mag release, and have had no problems, but you can bet you sweet ass, what you said hit a spot with me, and tomorrow, my 43X will be back to factory specs on mag release and mags. I blame myself, as i did very little research but just hearsay as to how the 15 round mags are the game changers, well, smack me in the head !!!! cause that is just what you did....
Using the SA S15 mags now since they came out (Gen 1 & 2). I am part of a group of users/armorers who carry the G43X/48 who depend on the guns as a primary EDC or backup in both LE and Civilian backgrounds. To date, we have over 55,000 rounds through multiple guns with the S15 mags and not a single failure of any kind. We did rotate the springs and followers at the both the 6 month and 1 year intervals but some of us have kept the mags loaded longer than a year yet when fired, they worked perfectly. Now this is not to say that there has not been a a batch or individual S15 mags that have been bad, welcome to the world of firearms manufacturing, it happens but there have also been plenty of well known gun & mag designs that have had the same happen from time to time. One thing I have noted about Glocks is that the frame tolerances are NOT precise from one gun to the other, I have seen the same stock and aftermarket magazines have more movement inside the mag well from one pistol to another so that can't be ruled out as an issue with some aftermarket mags with those guns. I have had a few users outside our group show up with G43X/48's with S15 mags complaining about stoppages. I test fired the guns and they worked fine. Then had the user/owner fire the same guns and mags and yes, stoppages occurred. 99% of it was limp wristing the guns with bad gripping (hand, wrist & elbow angle) as well as stance. Oddly they had no issues with the stock mags but I surmise that the difference in the S15's mass loaded (compared to stock mags which the rounds center of gravity is slightly different) and the shooter's typical habits (often bad) came into play on this issue. All said, one rule remains true, ALWAYS check and test your weapons, mags, and ammo for function, keep them clean and maintained well.
I've been telling ppl something of that nature for years. Even if the chance of a malfunction is %5, NEVER EVER trust your life with it. If your in a really bad gunfight and you run out of ammo, if that aftermarket mag is the only thing in arms reach, then sure because it's better than nothing but only because you really don't have a choice. Other than that, hands down hell no. I would rather have 5 for sure than 15 maybe. 💯
I can't remember which video it was but long before he was sick during one of his outro's Yeager once said something to the effect of the fight that's coming for you could be a gunfight or it could be cancer or just old age but the fights coming. That stuck with me ever since. It breaks my heart that the fight that came for James wasn't one he could beat. I think about him often and am grateful for what he taught me.
Stephen Willeford just threw a handful of rounds in an AR mag and took care of business, Jack Wilson fired one round and took care of business. I just like saying their names.
You are so correct when you say “Do not sacrifice reliability for more ammo” & “What we need is more training” to be accurate. Just came across your channel & subscribed. Like your non-nonsense recommendations. I purchased a 43X and jumped on the Shield Arms hype spend hundred of dollars on mags & accessories to fix the issues but at the end of the day I couldn’t rely the safety & protection of my love ones & self on a tool that I didn’t trust to do the job. As ex-military I agree with your advice, stick with OEM, we train and prepare for a day we all pray never comes, BUT if it, does we want a reliable tool to get the job done.
I bought a Ruger KP95 back in 1997 and it came with 2, 10 round magazines, the magazine limitation at that time. I was able to purchase 3, 15 round ProMag magazines for it because the P-series 9mm's all used the same magazines. It did function and chamber all the rounds with the ProMags, but there was incidental last shot hold open issues. 1 of the magazines did hold the slide open on last shot, but 2 didn't. I disassembled all 3 and did a thorough cleaning on the entire magazines and all worked flawlessly after that. Evidently there was some material inside the mags which needed removing, but it fixed the problem. Even if that didn't fix the issue, they all still chambered all the rounds.
Excellent point James. I have told people many times to stick with OEM mags for their defense needs. If you want to use aftermarket mags at the range for fun/practice, go for it. The question I ask people is, "How much is your life worth?" OEM mags are a cheap insurance policy.
Well said I had been saying the same thing since the 15 round metal mags came out for the glock 48x and 43x the manufacturer warns not to use the metal magazines unless you change out the magazine release to their aftermarket release which is al metal at the contact surfaces
Did he say what the point of failure was on the mags? I didn't catch it. Edit: this seems... odd. The factory mag catch on my 43x is plastic. The mag body that interfaces with the catch is plastic. You'd think that it wouldn't last very long.
Damn. JY’s wisdom, while for some a tough pill to swallow, is hard to argue with if one is being honest with him/herself. “10 rounds for sure beats 15 rounds of maybe” is solid heartfelt advice. If you’ve every had a magazine come apart on you, (and if you’ve been training like JY implores you to, then you’ve had that happen) you quickly learn about the fragility of magazines. In the middle of a fire-fight isn’t the time or place where you want to deal with that. Magazines are considered throw-away items/expendable. The military and law enforcement agencies I’ve worked for keep a few of these trash magazines on hand as training tools to help shooters work through malfunctions. We don’t duty/mission carry any magazines that we can’t bet our lives on. RIP James.
Just out of curiosity, what era did you try those Butler creeks? I still use the same ones I bought in the early-mid 1990s, and every one of them easily has many several thousand rounds through them. I still shoot them very regularly, and I have absolutely never had a failure with any of them, the black or the clear. I just saw last week one of them is starting to get stress cracks in the plastic, but to be fair I have been absolutely abusing those magazines since middle school... I only ask because I'm curious if their quality control dropped off at some point
@@lostpyper6973 If I had to guess, it was 2003 or 4. The box part that gets inserted in the gun had to be sanded down because it was too tight in the magazine well.
Another great video! For myself, my carry mags are always factory glock, range mags are magpul and ets. I run all 3 types in my 9mm carbines as well with excellent results as well. I also disassemble, inspect, and clean everything after each range or training session. It may be a little much, but that's just my way.
I have 10 factory Glock magazines and around 15-20 magpul magazines for my daily carry G19. Never had a failure with any of them and I’ve tried to use magpul ones more often. In the factory mags I’ve used maybe 1000 rounds and the magpul around 3k. Maybe the shield mags garbage.
@@CaptainCreampie69 I have a couple thousand rds through my 17 and 21 rd. Magpul Glock mags. They work great. Yeah, there's some garbage after market stuff out there but Magpul is pretty solid. I have their AR, AK, Glock, AICS .308 and P320 mags and they all function flawlessly.
I totally agree, dependability is paramount. It is good to hear about the Shield mag issue and I will certainly look into it further. Maybe that is why they have come out with their Gen 2 version. However, I feel that there are some high quality and dependable mags to choose from that are not OEM.
I sometimes get flack over this, but I totally agree. I never use anything but factory mags. On the job I wasn't allowed to, off the job, my choice. Every training I've ever attended, told me the same thing.
In general I agree, mec gar so with allot of use and abuse from me have beem good to go in my sigs. That is not surprising considering that they produce or at least used to produce mags for sig. Probably same mag discounted with a different label.
I've been watching your content for about a decade. I value your contribution to the gun/gunfighting world, and I admire your willingness to be a contrarian to pop culture. I hope the numbness in your tongue is nothing to be concerned about; you will be in my prayers regardless. Thank you for putting out this video, James.
You’ve talked about this multiple times and I bought a few Glock 19 PMAGs before i heard you talk about this and as good a magpul is, I’ve decided to only use them at the gun range or as extras for training. They’re cheaper so that’s why I bought them. My carry mag is alway factory. Well informed video
I also used a Pmag 15 and 17 round mags for when I had a glock 19 and 26. Once they got even a tiny bit dirty they started to malfunction. After I realized this I decided to make them dedicated range practice mags only and marked them with bright orange paint.
I have "Glock" type pistol that cost about twice what a Glock does and it ships with PMAGs. The manufacture has shot thousands and thousand of rounds through these mags without failures. The reason that they favor them is ease of cleaning which they feel paramount to magazine performance. I too have fired thousands of rounds through mine without a single issue. By all means carry what you have confidence in.
Correct on everything you say, I love ❤️ when a person buys a Quality gun , you name them , then go out for cheap MAGAZINES, and or ammunition, then they complain it’s the gun . Great videos as always 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Great point. I learned this firsthand during fighting pistol with my stupid 21-round magpuls and Tim didn't let me forget it! They went in the garbage and now I only use factory mags.
Thanks James! Wisdom from the reality of the field and not from a square range bulleye shooting session...yet tested daily in the Tactical Response range and classes. After Bastrop I trashed two mags that failed me in your class. The rest are all numbered, maintained and are still running...they're also all factory mags. All love from TX from your favorite Gate-destroying Asian-guy James.
I bought a Canik tp9sfx, which came with 2 20rd mags and since it's my edc and factory 18td mags are virtually never in stock, I bought a 18rd Pro mag since its more concealable. I've ran a few hundred rds through it and no problems but I would prefer a factory mag.
I bought a g48 everyone told me get the shield mags get the shield mags . I told them I didn’t buy the g48 to have 15 rounds . I already own a g19 , I bought it because it was lighter and thinner . It turns out I learned to shoot it better faster . I will also remember the video on this channel about those mags . Thanks James your credibility is what I watch your videos for .
My G43X has never malfunctioned with my shield mag. However I suspect it might every time I load it because the spring is so difficult to compress to get the last 3 rounds in it. In this instance I trust your experience and go back to my stock mags. I don't want maybe.
Thanks for this video. I had a gen 2 s15 mag that had ftf issues. I ended up just using my stock mags and putting the stock mag release back on my Glock 48. I'm happy with ten rounds.
The first point about magazines really made me feel like a noob. My EDC has a 16+1 capacity, and I have a mag pouch with 2 additional magazines. Now, all three are factory made Sig magazines so there's no aftermarket crap being used. But I was carrying them just for the additional ammo. Like 17 rounds isn't going to be enough, I have 32 additional rounds in case....I am all the sudden in a combat zone fighting North Korean paratroopers that were dropped in central Indiana as part of an invasion....yeah, absurd. The thought that magazine failure is really the reason to have spares never entered my mind. I will still keep scanning the sky for those NK choppers though....
So many of my friends cannot comprehend this information. People massively undervalue reliability. I think that a percentage of individuals who engage in concealed carry initially do so out of the desire to protect themselves and/or are motivated by some percieved external threat. However, over time the desire to be prepared and vigilant morphs into an obsession with buying stuff and tinkering with gear. (This has taken place in my life too.) Simplicity and reliability are key components that have value in many aspects of life. Remaining vigilant and training are hard work buying more widgets or gadgets is easy and fun.
@@TacticalResponseCrew Thank! Training with Tactical Response, watching your videos and reading the books you suggest has helped me develop a functional personal theology to self-defense and weapons manipulation.
This video is soo true. I bought some aftermarket gun magazines for my semi-automatic handgun, come to find out that while on the range the magazine springs would collapse after the 12 round. I just lost out on $30 on 2 magazines and could have been a problem if I had to carry this weapon while on duty or as a backup weapon. Thanks for sharing.
Same, I believe James, but you should do what you want. As long as you practice with and test what you carry you'll know if you should trust your life to it.
Was looking at getting the glock 43x instead of the glock 19 based solely on the shield magazine option. For me it boils down to the glock 43x's short barrel length being less cumbersome iwb appendix carry vs. the glock 19's magazine capacity.
I have never been in a gun fight. I do believe in carrying extra magazines and not relying on statistics to tell me how much ammo to have. I totally agree that training is crucial. When it comes to quality oem magazine are best. However I have found that some aftermarket magazine are very reliable and others are junk. I personally have had great reliability with mec gar magazines. I would not have any reservations about using them
@@Kamology_ Maybe taking the mag out of the gun, pushing it into mud, then trying to run it is considered, “real world testing”.. Not sure where they get the failures.
I have a Glock 43x with the shield arms mag Release and two s15 mags I have shot 500 rounds through them now no Failures or malfunctions I Carry them for EDC
I can tell you from experience with both of the S15 generations. I bought the Glock 43x over the Hellcat, one of the reasons being the S15 mag claiming to be 100% reliable. Initially they were, then one day the slide wouldn’t lock back. Shield Arms offers “spring for life”, but say I have o BUY the power spring, which did fix thee issue. This was the Gen 1 mag. One of the Guys, really impatient, kept wanting mine and ultimately paid me enough to buy my 3 and bought me 3 more. I ordered more mags, which took 2 months to arrive. I ordered gen 1 mags, but the company was switching to the new gen 2 mags. I actually carried these for a couple weeks before I made it to the range. To my horror, I had 2-3 jams in each mag, I ultimately went through 180 rounds, tried each mag twice, fully loaded. Junk! I found some new gen 1’s bought this and no issues with those. I had 1,000 to 1,200 rounds in the original gen 1’s I used, only issue was when they stopped locking the slide back. I am on the fence with the S15 mags I have. I WON’T BE BUYING THE Z9 MAGS. My current thought process is use oem mag with a ghost med +4 for my backup mag, and oem in the pistol. Or possibly go to the G26. Also just plain using the 10 round oem mags.
I've put thousands of training rounds thru Glocks using Magpul mags with very very little issues. That being said, I will never EDC with anything than factory mags.
I've never had any issues in pmag. With that being said, look at it like this. all mechanical items have a chance to fail at any given time. Even factoryags can although rare, have issues. So out goal would be to carry whatever is least likely to fail. But there can still be failures. Just go with what you know runs well.
Yep mine were shit. Wouldn’t drop out of the mag. Rattled too much inside the magwell. Wouldn’t lock back on empty unless you pressed upward on the mag.
Absolutely great advice! I have never understood why people will put cheap aftermarket magazines into the firearm they are defending their life with. I like Glock pistols and trust them with my life and my family's life, because they are reliable and just work. Shield Arms and other magazine manufacturers may seem more innovative or selling a similar product then Glock that is cheaper, but they are simply not as reliable. Your analogy was on point that I would rather have 10 rounds for sure then 15 rounds maybe. Thanks for keeping it real!
Telling me that the worst student you can have is the one who has been in one gunfight because everything has to relate to his gunfight was one of the most important things I’ve ever learned about mindset when it comes to training, because I can personally relate. Miss you, James.
Found that out years ago while working for DOE. The "bean counters" tried to save a quarter on new rifle magazines (Pro Mag). It was a disaster. Constant double feeds, mags splitting when dropped one time.
Interesting. Guess I'll go back to the 10's.. maybe. So, we've been making double stack magazines for how many decades now? How has this not been figured out over how many decades and models of submachine guns with double stack single feed mags You mentioned they're showing signs of unreliability. Before I go one way or the other, what's the failure? What is it about the shield magazines that are causing problems that aren't seen in factory mags? Internal geometry, feed lips, weak springs, bad followers, poor finish, poor heat treat, mag catches wearing out, mag catch holes egging out, stovepipes, misfeeds, ammo sensitivity, debris in mags.. what is the source of the problem and concern regarding the magazines?
@@Montana_Outdoor_Adventures ok, I bought the first gen shield mag release with the shield mags at least a year ago. That's the only issue, bad mag releases? Nothing else? I have 3. Two are shiny, one is matte. The matte one doesn't drop free but the shiny's do, as well as factory. That so far has been my only 'issue' with them.
James I bought 3 of the Shield mags before I watched your video. I had only heard good things about them. Now I am rethinking my purchase. I wish I had saved my money. Great video, thanks
I’ve only been in 1 gunfight, and I know for a fact that if I were to get in another, that it would not be the same at all. I was ambushed while temporarily unarmed...NEVER AGAIN!
@@TacticalResponseCrew well, I disarmed him, and then I DID have a gun. Of course he then ran so I couldn’t actually shoot anyways. I did clear the malfunction I caused, (which is why he let go of it in the first place) and posted up, wounded and waiting for police to clear the scene before the ambulance would come in. It was a barley bleeding knee shot, that somehow didn’t fit anything important! I was back at work in about 19.
Watched this video a couple of times and I am convinced James. Thanks for the passion and straight talk. Keeping my 43x stock, and signing up with the NRA. Still love my .45. Wishing you all the best health and sending good thoughts.
James still teaching us from the mysterious beyond. God rest your soul sir you are missed and loved. And you are 1 million percent correct, use the magazine that was designed by the manufacturer built by the manufacturer of the weapon because your life depends on the functionality of that weapon spend the extra couple of dollars don't be cheap. RIP sir.
I use Magpul mags for practice with my Glock 19 at times, and it gives me the chance to practice malfunctions. The Magpul mags do not malfunction often though, and it may be the ammo, or combination of both.
Opened up a new savings account for some medical and pistol training with you guys. Hope the doctors are able to help you to a speedy recovery and thanks for the awsome content over the years, man!
I will run after market mags I won't lie but I test my stuff and I usually do it that day so I can return the mags I bought if fualty. Of course that doesn't help you with problems that may arise in the future but there are good aftermarket magazine companies
Amend 2 mags are some of the worst. I got a few of them... for range use only...and had more malfunctions in one day with my 19 than I had in the 4 previous years with factory mags.
I'm gonna miss the heck out of this guy RIP James 🙏🏻 and I'm praying that your fam gets through these trying times .❤️💯❤️
Ditto
Everyone in the gun community will brother. And many that are not
Really wish we could have his insight today
Never been to one of your classes but I’ve changed more of thought processes on your no nonsense video education. Thank you for putting your knowledge out there for all to have.
You can help by joining the channel...link below.
Fighting Pistol - 2013 and it was amazing. It is a great mindset course.
@@TacticalResponseCrew just joined on the .22 program I hope it helps you to continue to put out content. Once again thanks man. Not to many guys like you left in the world and I’m just trying to soak up as much information as I can while I can.
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love the "Just needs to be broken in" comments I've gotten when those mags have failed in guns around me. You know what mags I see run flawlessly, the ones that came with the gun.
Facts. Ill pay the premium for factory mags. The few aftermarket mags I have are for the range, plus they help with clearing malfunctions.
Thank you ..... I have a 43X and a 48 , the 43X has the shield mags with the metal mag release, and have had no problems, but you can bet you sweet ass, what you said hit a spot with me, and tomorrow, my 43X will be back to factory specs on mag release and mags. I blame myself, as i did very little research but just hearsay as to how the 15 round mags are the game changers, well, smack me in the head !!!! cause that is just what you did....
Hey James, I’ve finally come to realize that you were right about this all along. Thanks, and I hope the Lord helps your doctors heal your tongue.
Everyone will eventually know I am right.
@@TacticalResponseCrew I hope so but GD there are some thick headed fuckers
@@TacticalResponseCrew Hopefully decent folks all figure it out before it really matters.
Using the SA S15 mags now since they came out (Gen 1 & 2). I am part of a group of users/armorers who carry the G43X/48 who depend on the guns as a primary EDC or backup in both LE and Civilian backgrounds. To date, we have over 55,000 rounds through multiple guns with the S15 mags and not a single failure of any kind. We did rotate the springs and followers at the both the 6 month and 1 year intervals but some of us have kept the mags loaded longer than a year yet when fired, they worked perfectly. Now this is not to say that there has not been a a batch or individual S15 mags that have been bad, welcome to the world of firearms manufacturing, it happens but there have also been plenty of well known gun & mag designs that have had the same happen from time to time. One thing I have noted about Glocks is that the frame tolerances are NOT precise from one gun to the other, I have seen the same stock and aftermarket magazines have more movement inside the mag well from one pistol to another so that can't be ruled out as an issue with some aftermarket mags with those guns. I have had a few users outside our group show up with G43X/48's with S15 mags complaining about stoppages. I test fired the guns and they worked fine. Then had the user/owner fire the same guns and mags and yes, stoppages occurred. 99% of it was limp wristing the guns with bad gripping (hand, wrist & elbow angle) as well as stance. Oddly they had no issues with the stock mags but I surmise that the difference in the S15's mass loaded (compared to stock mags which the rounds center of gravity is slightly different) and the shooter's typical habits (often bad) came into play on this issue. All said, one rule remains true, ALWAYS check and test your weapons, mags, and ammo for function, keep them clean and maintained well.
Where's the data?
"10 rounds 'for sure' beats 15 rounds of "maybe" every single time!" I love it!
OEM for life.
The best line I've ever heard pertaining to firearms. 🤟
Nothing is for sure, that's why we do malfunction drills lol.
I've been telling ppl something of that nature for years. Even if the chance of a malfunction is %5, NEVER EVER trust your life with it. If your in a really bad gunfight and you run out of ammo, if that aftermarket mag is the only thing in arms reach, then sure because it's better than nothing but only because you really don't have a choice. Other than that, hands down hell no. I would rather have 5 for sure than 15 maybe. 💯
I went back to oem on my Glock 43x & have had zero issues. Thanks.
Even "Mush-Mouthed", completely articulate and speaking the truth ... Thank You Sir !
This man was so damn strong. As he looks death in the face, he was so strong. Continued to work until the end. Had No fear. It's unbelievable.
I can't remember which video it was but long before he was sick during one of his outro's Yeager once said something to the effect of the fight that's coming for you could be a gunfight or it could be cancer or just old age but the fights coming. That stuck with me ever since. It breaks my heart that the fight that came for James wasn't one he could beat. I think about him often and am grateful for what he taught me.
@iwishilivedinafreecountry5749 nobody beats it, we just have to be ready.
Stephen Willeford just threw a handful of rounds in an AR mag and took care of business, Jack Wilson fired one round and took care of business. I just like saying their names.
Thanks
You are quite welcome.
You are so correct when you say “Do not sacrifice reliability for more ammo” & “What we need is more training” to be accurate. Just came across your channel & subscribed. Like your non-nonsense recommendations. I purchased a 43X and jumped on the Shield Arms hype spend hundred of dollars on mags & accessories to fix the issues but at the end of the day I couldn’t rely the safety & protection of my love ones & self on a tool that I didn’t trust to do the job. As ex-military I agree with your advice, stick with OEM, we train and prepare for a day we all pray never comes, BUT if it, does we want a reliable tool to get the job done.
Thanks made up my mind on not getting the shield mags and staying with OEM
I bought a Ruger KP95 back in 1997 and it came with 2, 10 round magazines, the magazine limitation at that time. I was able to purchase 3, 15 round ProMag magazines for it because the P-series 9mm's all used the same magazines. It did function and chamber all the rounds with the ProMags, but there was incidental last shot hold open issues. 1 of the magazines did hold the slide open on last shot, but 2 didn't. I disassembled all 3 and did a thorough cleaning on the entire magazines and all worked flawlessly after that. Evidently there was some material inside the mags which needed removing, but it fixed the problem. Even if that didn't fix the issue, they all still chambered all the rounds.
I wouldn't even accept a ProMag if someone gave it to me. Lesson learned. Trash can filler
@@themotuwolf They work for me.
Now you’ve just emboldened all of the “Two World Wars” guys. Thanks James.
Hahahahaha
If taken out of context, yes.
Miss you big guy. Thanks for the videos and you are a hundred percent right.
Stated with the eloquence, intelligence, and care expected from a professional who cares about his craft. Well said.
Big FACTS. Continue to rest easy James
Excellent point James. I have told people many times to stick with OEM mags for their defense needs. If you want to use aftermarket mags at the range for fun/practice, go for it. The question I ask people is, "How much is your life worth?" OEM mags are a cheap insurance policy.
Well said I had been saying the same thing since the 15 round metal mags came out for the glock 48x and 43x the manufacturer warns not to use the metal magazines unless you change out the magazine release to their aftermarket release which is al metal at the contact surfaces
Did he say what the point of failure was on the mags? I didn't catch it.
Edit: this seems... odd. The factory mag catch on my 43x is plastic. The mag body that interfaces with the catch is plastic. You'd think that it wouldn't last very long.
Damn. JY’s wisdom, while for some a tough pill to swallow, is hard to argue with if one is being honest with him/herself. “10 rounds for sure beats 15 rounds of maybe” is solid heartfelt advice. If you’ve every had a magazine come apart on you, (and if you’ve been training like JY implores you to, then you’ve had that happen) you quickly learn about the fragility of magazines. In the middle of a fire-fight isn’t the time or place where you want to deal with that. Magazines are considered throw-away items/expendable. The military and law enforcement agencies I’ve worked for keep a few of these trash magazines on hand as training tools to help shooters work through malfunctions. We don’t duty/mission carry any magazines that we can’t bet our lives on. RIP James.
Lol I always thought in the movies that they never run out of ammo. Seems like they shoot forever
I learned about junk mags years ago when I bought Butler Creek mags for my 10/22. Never again! OEM only from now on.
Just out of curiosity, what era did you try those Butler creeks? I still use the same ones I bought in the early-mid 1990s, and every one of them easily has many several thousand rounds through them. I still shoot them very regularly, and I have absolutely never had a failure with any of them, the black or the clear. I just saw last week one of them is starting to get stress cracks in the plastic, but to be fair I have been absolutely abusing those magazines since middle school... I only ask because I'm curious if their quality control dropped off at some point
@@lostpyper6973 If I had to guess, it was 2003 or 4. The box part that gets inserted in the gun had to be sanded down because it was too tight in the magazine well.
@@POOKIE5592 but did it function
Another great video! For myself, my carry mags are always factory glock, range mags are magpul and ets. I run all 3 types in my 9mm carbines as well with excellent results as well. I also disassemble, inspect, and clean everything after each range or training session. It may be a little much, but that's just my way.
Bought some aftermarket mags strictly for range use. Discovered they're great for training on clearing malfunctions!
I have 10 factory Glock magazines and around 15-20 magpul magazines for my daily carry G19. Never had a failure with any of them and I’ve tried to use magpul ones more often. In the factory mags I’ve used maybe 1000 rounds and the magpul around 3k. Maybe the shield mags garbage.
@@CaptainCreampie69 I have a couple thousand rds through my 17 and 21 rd. Magpul Glock mags. They work great. Yeah, there's some garbage after market stuff out there but Magpul is pretty solid. I have their AR, AK, Glock, AICS .308 and P320 mags and they all function flawlessly.
So as soon as James said "8 rounds" I swore I heard a resounding "WE TOLD YOU SO!" from the .45 guys...
Lmao I'm dying of laughter
"TWO WORLD WAAAAARRRRRS"
💯%
still laughing on that one. .......
@@alphawolfgang173 "STOPPING POWWWAAA"
Thank you james for all you do to educate us. Prayers for your speedy recovery
Yes sir, use good oem mags, otherwise the number of bullets you might have in a junk mag do not count at all, if it fails 🤷♂️
Agreed
Thank you for making this video. This started a great conversation with my wife and I. Knowledge is power.
Glad it was helpful!
Wrong....power is power
I totally agree, dependability is paramount. It is good to hear about the Shield mag issue and I will certainly look into it further. Maybe that is why they have come out with their Gen 2 version. However, I feel that there are some high quality and dependable mags to choose from that are not OEM.
James Yeager knows his shit! If you have any doubt, just ask the most respectful trainers in the firearms industry. Train, train, train!
I sometimes get flack over this, but I totally agree. I never use anything but factory mags. On the job I wasn't allowed to, off the job, my choice. Every training I've ever attended, told me the same thing.
Drums and high capacity are fun for range day, not so for I could die day. Good video.
In general I agree, mec gar so with allot of use and abuse from me have beem good to go in my sigs. That is not surprising considering that they produce or at least used to produce mags for sig. Probably same mag discounted with a different label.
Hmm I have an untested shield mag in my 43, probably need to go address that, thanks for the heads up!
Great advice James, for sure. My Pmags are for dropping at the range or in the dirt.
I've been watching your content for about a decade. I value your contribution to the gun/gunfighting world, and I admire your willingness to be a contrarian to pop culture. I hope the numbness in your tongue is nothing to be concerned about; you will be in my prayers regardless. Thank you for putting out this video, James.
You’ve talked about this multiple times and I bought a few Glock 19 PMAGs before i heard you talk about this and as good a magpul is, I’ve decided to only use them at the gun range or as extras for training. They’re cheaper so that’s why I bought them. My carry mag is alway factory. Well informed video
Would you only use the AR-15 issued mags?
@@OldDirtyDaniel two different platforms dude
I also used a Pmag 15 and 17 round mags for when I had a glock 19 and 26. Once they got even a tiny bit dirty they started to malfunction. After I realized this I decided to make them dedicated range practice mags only and marked them with bright orange paint.
@@OldDirtyDaniel James has said in the past that using aftermarket AR mags is okay. This video is about handguns.
I have "Glock" type pistol that cost about twice what a Glock does and it ships with PMAGs. The manufacture has shot thousands and thousand of rounds through these mags without failures. The reason that they favor them is ease of cleaning which they feel paramount to magazine performance. I too have fired thousands of rounds through mine without a single issue. By all means carry what you have confidence in.
Correct on everything you say, I love ❤️ when a person buys a Quality gun , you name them , then go out for cheap MAGAZINES, and or ammunition, then they complain it’s the gun . Great videos as always 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
ProMags are GREAT! For FTE and FTF drills! OEM mags are a necessity when carrying. HK and Sig mags are expensive, but they work!
Ugh so true had to hear it from a few people to realize that
Great point. I learned this firsthand during fighting pistol with my stupid 21-round magpuls and Tim didn't let me forget it! They went in the garbage and now I only use factory mags.
We ALL have to learn lessons the hard way.
Great video James, I agree with only carrying oem mags but what about adding +2/+3 base plates to your oem mags?
That is aftermarket.
Thanks James! Wisdom from the reality of the field and not from a square range bulleye shooting session...yet tested daily in the Tactical Response range and classes. After Bastrop I trashed two mags that failed me in your class. The rest are all numbered, maintained and are still running...they're also all factory mags. All love from TX from your favorite Gate-destroying Asian-guy James.
Ha! What's up dude!
I bought a Canik tp9sfx, which came with 2 20rd mags and since it's my edc and factory 18td mags are virtually never in stock, I bought a 18rd Pro mag since its more concealable. I've ran a few hundred rds through it and no problems but I would prefer a factory mag.
Agree. My ETS mags have been 100% reliable but I only use them at the range, not for carry.
I bought a g48 everyone told me get the shield mags get the shield mags . I told them I didn’t buy the g48 to have 15 rounds . I already own a g19 , I bought it because it was lighter and thinner . It turns out I learned to shoot it better faster . I will also remember the video on this channel about those mags . Thanks James your credibility is what I watch your videos for .
Consider joining the channel th-cam.com/channels/h6iq_mOy33ZPp2EMhqQOeA.htmljoin
My G43X has never malfunctioned with my shield mag. However I suspect it might every time I load it because the spring is so difficult to compress to get the last 3 rounds in it. In this instance I trust your experience and go back to my stock mags. I don't want maybe.
Thanks for this video. I had a gen 2 s15 mag that had ftf issues. I ended up just using my stock mags and putting the stock mag release back on my Glock 48. I'm happy with ten rounds.
10 that work are better than 1,000 that don't.
Thank you James and T.R. team.
The way he breaks it down for everyone from 16-80 everyone can understand. Also good education to show for gun safety an so on
My only exception are the Magpul Glock mags. I’ve used them in numerous competitions and four different classes. I love those 21 round mags.
Same I have never had any issues with pmag
The first point about magazines really made me feel like a noob. My EDC has a 16+1 capacity, and I have a mag pouch with 2 additional magazines. Now, all three are factory made Sig magazines so there's no aftermarket crap being used. But I was carrying them just for the additional ammo. Like 17 rounds isn't going to be enough, I have 32 additional rounds in case....I am all the sudden in a combat zone fighting North Korean paratroopers that were dropped in central Indiana as part of an invasion....yeah, absurd. The thought that magazine failure is really the reason to have spares never entered my mind. I will still keep scanning the sky for those NK choppers though....
We do classes.
So many of my friends cannot comprehend this information. People massively undervalue reliability. I think that a percentage of individuals who engage in concealed carry initially do so out of the desire to protect themselves and/or are motivated by some percieved external threat. However, over time the desire to be prepared and vigilant morphs into an obsession with buying stuff and tinkering with gear. (This has taken place in my life too.) Simplicity and reliability are key components that have value in many aspects of life. Remaining vigilant and training are hard work buying more widgets or gadgets is easy and fun.
People like you give the internet a good name.
@@TacticalResponseCrew Thank! Training with Tactical Response, watching your videos and reading the books you suggest has helped me develop a functional personal theology to self-defense and weapons manipulation.
Hope the doctors get you fixed.
BTW, great advice.
Excellent video. The only thing I added to my OEM mag is an EMP and Tyrant extension to my 7 rounders. Hope that wasn't a mistake.
Hope your health issue gets resolved. Thanks for the good information.
This video is soo true. I bought some aftermarket gun magazines for my semi-automatic handgun, come to find out that while on the range the magazine springs would collapse after the 12 round. I just lost out on $30 on 2 magazines and could have been a problem if I had to carry this weapon while on duty or as a backup weapon. Thanks for sharing.
Way to burst my bubble James! I have been looking at a 43x because of the shield mags. Guess I’ll stick to the trusty 19
Same, I believe James, but you should do what you want. As long as you practice with and test what you carry you'll know if you should trust your life to it.
Was looking at getting the glock 43x instead of the glock 19 based solely on the shield magazine option.
For me it boils down to the glock 43x's short barrel length being less cumbersome iwb appendix carry vs. the glock 19's magazine capacity.
I have never been in a gun fight. I do believe in carrying extra magazines and not relying on statistics to tell me how much ammo to have. I totally agree that training is crucial.
When it comes to quality oem magazine are best.
However I have found that some aftermarket magazine are very reliable and others are junk. I personally have had great reliability with mec gar magazines. I would not have any reservations about using them
Get some training.
Interesting. I know Shield Arms just introduced Gen 2 S15’s. Curious what types of failures guys were seeing with them?
There’s no failures with them lol. And if you happen to be the one in a million that does have one just contact them and they’ll get you a fixed one
@@Kamology_ Maybe taking the mag out of the gun, pushing it into mud, then trying to run it is considered, “real world testing”.. Not sure where they get the failures.
I have a Glock 43x with the shield arms mag Release and two s15 mags I have shot 500 rounds through them now no Failures or malfunctions I Carry them for EDC
I can tell you from experience with both of the S15 generations.
I bought the Glock 43x over the Hellcat, one of the reasons being the S15 mag claiming to be 100% reliable. Initially they were, then one day the slide wouldn’t lock back. Shield Arms offers “spring for life”, but say I have o BUY the power spring, which did fix thee issue. This was the Gen 1 mag. One of the Guys, really impatient, kept wanting mine and ultimately paid me enough to buy my 3 and bought me 3 more.
I ordered more mags, which took 2 months to arrive. I ordered gen 1 mags, but the company was switching to the new gen 2 mags. I actually carried these for a couple weeks before I made it to the range. To my horror, I had 2-3 jams in each mag, I ultimately went through 180 rounds, tried each mag twice, fully loaded. Junk!
I found some new gen 1’s bought this and no issues with those. I had 1,000 to 1,200 rounds in the original gen 1’s I used, only issue was when they stopped locking the slide back.
I am on the fence with the S15 mags I have. I WON’T BE BUYING THE Z9 MAGS.
My current thought process is use oem mag with a ghost med +4 for my backup mag, and oem in the pistol. Or possibly go to the G26. Also just plain using the 10 round oem mags.
I've put thousands of training rounds thru Glocks using Magpul mags with very very little issues. That being said, I will never EDC with anything than factory mags.
Does this include pmag? If so, aren’t they the most reliable aftermarket mags? I’m truly asking. I have a lot of pmags for my Glockz and my AR.
I've never had any issues in pmag. With that being said, look at it like this.
all mechanical items have a chance to fail at any given time. Even factoryags can although rare, have issues. So out goal would be to carry whatever is least likely to fail. But there can still be failures. Just go with what you know runs well.
God bless James Yager.. rip 🙏... I'm still learning from his vids
I REALLY MISS MY BROTHER VETERAN AND AN EXCELLENT ARMS KNOWLEDGE PERSON. RIP James RIP
Yep mine were shit. Wouldn’t drop out of the mag. Rattled too much inside the magwell. Wouldn’t lock back on empty unless you pressed upward on the mag.
Absolutely great advice! I have never understood why people will put cheap aftermarket magazines into the firearm they are defending their life with. I like Glock pistols and trust them with my life and my family's life, because they are reliable and just work. Shield Arms and other magazine manufacturers may seem more innovative or selling a similar product then Glock that is cheaper, but they are simply not as reliable. Your analogy was on point that I would rather have 10 rounds for sure then 15 rounds maybe. Thanks for keeping it real!
Who said the Shield Mags are cheap?
James, thanks for always sharing your knowledge. Praying doctors can heal your medical condition and hope it's not serious and treatable!!
I ordered some 2nd gen shield mags to try, but only for the range at this point. Your right OEM ones always keep on working!
These videos are a good service to the public.
Telling me that the worst student you can have is the one who has been in one gunfight because everything has to relate to his gunfight was one of the most important things I’ve ever learned about mindset when it comes to training, because I can personally relate. Miss you, James.
Yet another educational, informative video. You're the man James. 👍 Thank you for everything that you do.
JOIN THE CHANNEL! Link below video!
Thank you for teaching the facts. Opened my eyes a couples times where I was mistaken. Hope your health improves. God bless.
Found that out years ago while working for DOE. The "bean counters" tried to save a quarter on new rifle magazines (Pro Mag). It was a disaster. Constant double feeds, mags splitting when dropped one time.
Interesting. Guess I'll go back to the 10's.. maybe. So, we've been making double stack magazines for how many decades now? How has this not been figured out over how many decades and models of submachine guns with double stack single feed mags You mentioned they're showing signs of unreliability. Before I go one way or the other, what's the failure? What is it about the shield magazines that are causing problems that aren't seen in factory mags? Internal geometry, feed lips, weak springs, bad followers, poor finish, poor heat treat, mag catches wearing out, mag catch holes egging out, stovepipes, misfeeds, ammo sensitivity, debris in mags.. what is the source of the problem and concern regarding the magazines?
The steel mags accelerate the wear on the plastic mag release. Go to an aftermarket steel mag release. End of issue.
@@Montana_Outdoor_Adventures ok, I bought the first gen shield mag release with the shield mags at least a year ago. That's the only issue, bad mag releases? Nothing else?
I have 3. Two are shiny, one is matte. The matte one doesn't drop free but the shiny's do, as well as factory. That so far has been my only 'issue' with them.
@@randomidiot8142 Only issue I have had. I train with them at my backyard range all the time, and no issues. HOWEVER, I only carry OEM mags.
I put extensions on my glock 43 and I had several failures. One with my defensive ammo. Glad I didn't learn the hard way.
I used the Vickers +2 and so far so good, but haven't used them extensively. What kind did you use?
James, get well soon!
Buying an aftermarket magazine is like marrying a woman who cheated on her last three husbands, and claiming "This time it's different."
Wow!!
YESSSSSSsssssssss!
🤣
Hmmnnn......I have four ACT mags that function perfectly....
Wilson Combat mags are after market - how about those?
James I bought 3 of the Shield mags before I watched your video.
I had only heard good things about them.
Now I am rethinking my purchase.
I wish I had saved my money.
Great video, thanks
What he said!
I’ve only been in 1 gunfight, and I know for a fact that if I were to get in another, that it would not be the same at all. I was ambushed while temporarily unarmed...NEVER AGAIN!
@@KeyboardWarrior101st 🤣
If you don't have a gun its called a "Shooting".
@@TacticalResponseCrew 😂
@@TacticalResponseCrew well, I disarmed him, and then I DID have a gun. Of course he then ran so I couldn’t actually shoot anyways. I did clear the malfunction I caused, (which is why he let go of it in the first place) and posted up, wounded and waiting for police to clear the scene before the ambulance would come in. It was a barley bleeding knee shot, that somehow didn’t fit anything important! I was back at work in about 19.
OK...If there is only one gun its called a shooting.
Wilson Combat mags great. The only after market ones I will buy
Love James be with us forever never ends
RIP James... I miss you already.
Sold my SA15 mags short after last video on the topic, in addition to some other concerns.
Sold to who though?
Did you use the profits to sign up for Fighting Pistol?
Aftermarket is great for practicing FTF and stovepipes.
Watched this video a couple of times and I am convinced James. Thanks for the passion and straight talk. Keeping my 43x stock, and signing up with the NRA. Still love my .45. Wishing you all the best health and sending good thoughts.
James still teaching us from the mysterious beyond. God rest your soul sir you are missed and loved. And you are 1 million percent correct, use the magazine that was designed by the manufacturer built by the manufacturer of the weapon because your life depends on the functionality of that weapon spend the extra couple of dollars don't be cheap. RIP sir.
Thanks for the advice James!
What’s your opinion on pmags for glocks? Are those trash as well?
I appreciate your content.
Keep up the good work.
I agree. I only use factory Glock mags.
I use Magpul mags for practice with my Glock 19 at times, and it gives me the chance to practice malfunctions. The Magpul mags do not malfunction often though, and it may be the ammo, or combination of both.
Opened up a new savings account for some medical and pistol training with you guys. Hope the doctors are able to help you to a speedy recovery and thanks for the awsome content over the years, man!
We have layaway.
I will run after market mags I won't lie but I test my stuff and I usually do it that day so I can return the mags I bought if fualty. Of course that doesn't help you with problems that may arise in the future but there are good aftermarket magazine companies
Amend 2 mags are some of the worst. I got a few of them... for range use only...and had more malfunctions in one day with my 19 than I had in the 4 previous years with factory mags.
Great information as always. Thanks James!
Lesson learned the hard way. Once again, James Yeager is RIGHT.
The exception on aftermarket magazines is Wilson mags for 1911s.
Training at Tactical Response was one of the best decisions I ever made. Fighting Pistol was literally a life changing event for me.