Does anyone know where I could find some 15 round preban mags for the P229 9mm that fit flush with the grip? I know mec-gar makes them but finding preban ones is more difficult than I though. P228 mags would work too but those are equally difficult to find.
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Sig P229 9mm 15 round flush-fit preban mags
- Thread starter EcHo
- Start date
I see them on Gun Broker all the time, but they aren't cheap. Something like $85 per mag. (Yikes!!)
Well I guess I'll have to do some modifications to make them myself, assuming its legal
http://www.northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/threads/105125-Magazine-modification
http://www.northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/threads/105125-Magazine-modification
Oh, sorry EcHo, I misread your post. I see 13rd pre-ban mags on GB, not 15rd.
http://tacticalgungear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=50 sells the preban 13 rounders for $36.95, and then you can go to http://www.copesdistributing.net/product_info.php?products_id=221 and buy a 15 round rebuild kit without the tube. You specify when you order the 15 round rebuild kit that you want it only as a rebuild kit with no tube and the guy will do it for you for $1 extra. Since the 13 and 15 rounders have the same tube, you just take the internals from the rebuild kit and put them in the 13 round tube and now you have a preban 15 round mag.
I'd imagine you can use the same spring. Since I wanted to cheap out and save some money, I took the follower from a Sig (not MecGar, they won't work) 10 round mag and put it in one of the 13 round mags. You can fit 14 rounds if you do this, but the follower from the 13 round mag will not fit into the 10 rounder, so you essentially trade a 10 rounder in exchange for +1 rounds in the 13 rounder. I've had no issues with function by doing this.
Note: The mecgar followers have a cutout in the bottom of them that is too small for the spring that's in the 13 rounder. If you use the mecgar follower you can fit 15 rounds in the 13 round mag but the side won't lock back after the last shot and the follower will be very loose. Getting a longer spring won't do you any good since it doesn't fit right in the bottom of the follower. It looks like the MecGar springs get narrower as they get closer to the point of contact with the follower, so their springs only fit their followers.
Sounds like we're researching the same problem. If you come across mec-gar springs let me know.
Well I don't view it as a problem anymore
![[wink]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/002.gif "Wink [wink]")
I had plenty of Sig 10 rounders laying around so I just put their followers in my preban Sig 13 rounders to convert them to hold 14. I'm not going to put time and money into finding MecGar springs just to hold 1 more round.
Sorry to bump an old thread but I was just wondering whether anyone has ordered from them and knows how reliable they are in terms of them actually being preban?
I remember reading on here somewhere that it was difficult (for ANYone) to tell preban from not, but it took me 33 years to motivate to get my class A and I am looking to stay very much on the right side of the law. The fact that they are so much cheaper than you see them being auctioned for makes me a little concerned, but I would definitely appreciate a little extra firepower.
There are a ton of NOS preban P228/P229 9mm mags around. For those in the know, $37 is way too much money. You should be paying $30 or less apiece for them.
As far as the "how to tell" stuff, there is no conclusive line on Sig mags other than LE markings. (EG, obviously, the mags with LE markings are illegal) There are 900 threads on here if you want to see the arguments, though.
![[laugh]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/012.gif "Laugh [laugh]")
Generally speaking the older ones are phosphated (dull gray or black) and the newer ones are shiny... but this isn't consistent nor a reliable indicator. Zipper backs ARE older than zig zag backs, but both can be preban. (I have some of each).
-Mike
There are a ton of NOS preban P228/P229 9mm mags around. For those in the know, $37 is way too much money. You should be paying $30 or less apiece for them.
As far as the "how to tell" stuff, there is no conclusive line on Sig mags other than LE markings. (EG, obviously, the mags with LE markings are illegal) There are 900 threads on here if you want to see the arguments, though.
Generally speaking the older ones are phosphated (dull gray or black) and the newer ones are shiny... but this isn't consistent nor a reliable indicator. Zipper backs ARE older than zig zag backs, but both can be preban. (I have some of each).
-Mike
Hey thanks man! I got some other information on the company too so I am probably gonna give them a call and have a little chat with the guy to put my mind at ease. This will be very helpful.
This is my first pistol...just getting a membership to a range together this weekend so I can stop driving to NH to shoot...so I am most assuredly not "in the know" yet.
![[rofl]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/013.gif "ROFL [rofl]")
But that's fine, I can live with paying an extra couple of bucks for them for the time being. It's the cost of being a n00b. 
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3 years later ........ glad I found this thread - was trying to determine how sig 229 mags are (pre ban / post ban) differentiated. There are no markings (that I can discern) on the new (post ban) Italian made Mec-Gar magazines, so I was curious if the pre ban had any distinguishing characteristics. I realize the burden is on the authorities to prove their NOT in "compliance", but, like others, thought / was hoping the pre ban had some markings to validate as such.
