for defense against predators in any of their nefarious confi gurations. Be they two legged or four legged, the 10mm shines against all but the greatest of beasts. T is magazine setup was tested with several boxes of 150- grain Corbon Original JHPs and 175-grain Winchester Silvertips with 100 percent reli- ability. As with the other pistols tested, the chamber was loaded and then the magazine topped off and re-seated, just as it would be carried or loaded in an emergency situation. Still, the drama of a jam was elusive, even after 100 rounds fi red.
I thought that perhaps longevity must be the fatal fl aw for these systems. But no, it turns out that Arredondo uses quality parts from Wolff Gunsprings. What would it take to pull the lever on the gallows of my disap- pointment? It struck me that the experiment was over and these magazine extensions just plain worked and proved themselves ready to serve as emergency magazines.
The Glock factory 33-round 9mm magazine is a great complement to a Model 34, but even a quality IWB holster like this Ozarks Leather Co. model can’t conceal an extended magazine. Their primary purpose is backup or emergency use.
did not experience a single stoppage with several hundred 155-grain and 180-grain truncated cone (TC) practice rounds. I de- cided to give it a real test and add my duty load into the mix: Federal 155-grain HST. T ree magazines later, I was convinced that this modifi cation was not just for competi- tion. Since then, I have put several hundred reduced-recoil lead TC reloads and dozens more HST rounds through this pistol/maga- zine combo with zero issues. During some serious callouts over the last few years, I was confi dent enough to use the Arredondo ex- tended 19-round modifi ed magazine in my drop leg holster. It was no small comfort having a reliable 20-round pistol at the ready when serving my rotation on the immediate action team. Always the pessimist, I was certain that there was no way this magazine would work with my 3.5-inch barrel M&P40c. T ere’s a “window of operation” that exists be- tween magazine spring tension, recoil spring strength, the length of the slide, and a whole myriad of other factors that choreographs the delicate ballet known as internal ballis- tics. Simply put, shorter autos generally suf- fer in reliability more so than full-size guns
9 The Police Marksman Jan-Feb 2014
when any elements of the equation become less than perfect. T e thought of carrying 30 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition off duty on my person was too enticing. It was time to burn some more powder. Remarkably, the Arredondo-enhanced M&P magazine functioned perfectly in the compact pistol with Federal practice rounds, Federal HST and Corbon 150-grain ammunition. Dur- ing hot weather months, my off -duty bat- tery became the M&P40c backed up by a 19-round Arredondo enhanced Smith & Wesson magazine. Regardless of the current success, I was certain that at some point, my much-antici- pated disappointment would arrive as it usu- ally does when things seems too good to be true. With what could only be described as an incredulous confi dence, the next test sub- ject would be a Generation 3 Glock model 20, chambered for the 10mm cartridge. T is combination would be especially in- teresting for any potential outdoor setting, if it would actually work reliably. T e Ar- redondo base pad for this model added fi ve rounds to the Glock’s full-size 10mm stan- dard 15-round capacity. Imagine 21 rounds of 10mm in any of its power confi gurations
Saving the best for last, one manufacturer
of fi ne defensive pistols off ers a 33-round factory magazine for their 9mm pistols. I’m speaking of Glock, Inc. and this mag and the Austrian maker’s 29-round .40-caliber magazines have a solid reputation for reli- ability. Personally, I like the idea of having one or two of these in the glove box or my duty bag. Hopefully, the other manufactur- ers will someday off er similar Über-mags for their pistols.
So What to Do?
I’ve become a believer in having the most rounds and largest magazines available as is practical, legal and consistent with depart- ment policy. Shooting debriefs from around the country inform us that we see more bad guys acting as bullet sponges. High round count encounters involving police occur more frequently. Videos released of law enforcement shootings show violent felons using basic tactics against us, which contrib- utes to the lengthening of armed encounters and further endangers our fellow police of- fi cers. As the nefarious evolve, so must we. Consider the possibility of higher capacity magazines for both your on-duty and off - duty missions. Here’s praying you never need them. PM
Post your comments on this story by visiting
www.policemarksman.com
www.policemarksman.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48