Mec Gar or Beretta

Stick with 15rd or are the 17 & 18 just as reliable?

If they're all the same price then id go 18rd all day long.

For $10 a piece ill go 15rds

I shoot 17 rd Berettas and 18 and 20 round mec gars. Other than capacity, I see no difference. I like the mec gar finish better. I like the 20s for the range, but feel like the extension was too weak for me to stock up on them, so I stocked up on the 18s and keep 20s for the range.

I don't have any checkmates, but have been keeping an eye out for a good price. There are a lot of mixed reviews though.

I like 15 rounds because you can get springs for 'em and the follower design is bulletproof against tilt.  

Any Check-Mate made in the last ten years is a good mag.  

My two favorite mags for the 92 are OEM sand mags and Check-Mates.

I ran the 18 and 20rd Mec-Gars, plus the 17rd Beretta magazines hard in competition, classes, and practice last year.  Not one single issue with any of them.  I like the 20's for the extra purchase on the end.  Mec-Gar uses that same +2 extension on CZ magazines, and I have run those for years with zero problems.  On a positive note for the 17's, they do leave a little extra room in there so you can seat a full magazine with the slide closed (easier), if that matters to you.

We really need a sticky for this topic.  Here's what I've posted previously on the subject...my preference is the Mec-Gar 18 round magazine.

In comparison to my other pistols, I've acquired a somewhat diverse array of magazines for the Beretta 92, with three different manufacturers and five distinct variations represented in my collection.  I've posted on these magazines before, but now that I've been regularly shooting a Beretta 92 variant over the past two years, I've made some observations and developed some preferences.  I have no affiliation with any manufacturer.  I've now used the following magazines...

1.  Beretta OEM 15 round magazine
2.  Beretta OEM 15 round PVD sand resistant magazine
3.  Beretta OEM 17 round magazine
4.  Check-Mate Industries (CMI) 15 round magazine
5.  Mec-Gar 18 round magazine

Here are a few representatives...





(Pictured L-R:  CMI 15 rnd (2005), CMI 15 rnd (2014), Beretta OEM 15 rnd, Beretta OEM PVD 15 rnd, Beretta OEM 17 rnd, Mec-Gar 18 rnd, 'Original Equipment' 18 rnd)


Beretta OEM 15 Round Magazines (Standard and PVD Sand Resistant)


(Beretta OEM 15 Round Magazine - L, Beretta OEM PVD Sand Resistant 15 Round Magazine - R)

I acquired the standard 15 round magazines when I purchased a Beretta M9, and the 15 round PVD sand resistant magazines came standard with my Wilson Combat Beretta 92G Brigadier Tactical.  Both magazines have proven reliable with both the M9 and the Brigadier Tactical.  The sand resistant magazines have some visually apparent differences, mainly the deletion of the cut-out for the original 92 heel release, the addition of a vertical debris channel, and the distinctive PVD coating.  The sand resistant magazines are marketed as the most reliable of the 92 magazines ("Choose the ultimate in reliability with the same magazine found on the battle-tested M9A1..."), and for those operating under extreme environmental conditions, perhaps they provide a measure of additional reliability.  Under range conditions, I've yet to notice a difference in performance, though the price premium for the PVD is considerable, and I was able to find the standard magazines for under $15 during the holidays.  Anyone would be well served by either of these magazines.

Beretta OEM 17 Round Magazines


(Beretta OEM 17 Round Magazine)
Beretta OEM 17 Round Magazines

Looking to stick with OEM magazines, I found the 17 round magazines on sale for under $20 each and purchased three. The 17 round magazine was originally created for the 90-Two and comes standard with the 92A1. I've found the 17 round magazines are a bit tougher to load than the 15 round magazines, but it is hardly an issue. While the 17 round magazines have proven functionally reliable, their durability leaves something to be desired. The issue is the plastic floor plate - all three of the magazines have developed cracks, some severe. One magazine in particular looks to be hanging on by a thread, and I'm confident that it is only a matter of time before it fails catastrophically. As such, these magazines have been relegated to practice use only.


(Floor plate damage)

The obvious answer is to replace the floor plates - unfortunately, a call to Beretta USA customer service revealed that Beretta doesn't sell the floor plate as a replacement part. With the M9A3 releasing soon and using 17 round magazines (see below), I decided to query Beretta USA again to see if they would offer the floor-plates as a spare part.  This time Beretta USA customer service sent me a link to Brownells.  I'd never thought to search for 'Bottom, Mag. C96 11RD, Plastic' - but this is the same part on the 17 round magazines.  I purchased three and replaced the cracked plates on my magazines.  At $7.99 a piece, this doesn't change my opinion of the 17 round magazine, particularly when the 18 round Mec-Gars are readily available for under $20 at CDNN (and frequently go on sale for even less).  In any case, here's the link...(apparently I must have bought the last three, as they are out of stock now...)BERETTA USA Bottom, Mag. C96 11RD, Plastic Mfr Part: C55057 $7.99

It is possible to source replacement floor plates from overseas (via Brignoli), and I've learned that there are a number of after market options, such as these units from Springer Precision and Shockbottle. However, the price of these floor plates exceeds the purchase price of the original magazines. Beretta indicates that these magazines will accept a standard floor plate, though that will look somewhat unusual. Considering this state of affairs, I do not recommend the 17 round Beretta magazines, as there are better options available for the money.

I note that Beretta has recently released a PVD coated sand resistant version of the 17 round magazine which will come standard with the M9A3. Based on my experience with the 17 rounders, I'm a bit concerned that this is the magazine Beretta has chosen for the M9A3. I've yet to acquire or test this new magazine, but when I examined a M9A3 prototype, it appeared to use the same baseplates.  I'm hopeful that this new magazine will be supported by spare parts, but I've seen no such indication (yet).

Check-Mate Industries (CMI) 15 round Magazines


(Check-Mate Industries 15 Round Magazine (2005) - L, Check-Mate Industries 15 Round Magazine (2014) - R)

The troubles of the issued Check-Mate Industries (CMI) magazines have been discussed at length elsewhere.  I originally acquired four (new in wrapper) of the military issue CMI magazines in a trade when I purchased my M9.  All were 2005 manufacture with the dry film coating.  Obviously considering my less than stellar experience with the plastic floor plate on the Beretta 17 round magazines, the metal floor plate on the CMI magazines is a welcome feature.  Unfortunately, these magazines often produce failures to lock back in both the M9 and the Brigadier Tactical.  CMI has a lifetime warranty on the magazines and quickly replaced the first two that had developed problems, as well as providing new springs and followers for the other two magazines.  The new magazines have not been much of an improvement, and also have occasional failures to lock back on an empty magazine.  As such, I've also relegated the CMI magazines to range use only.  While I was pleased with CMI's customer service, there are better options.

Mec-Gar 18 Round Magazines


(Mec-Gar 18 Round Magazine - L, 18 Round 'Original Equipment' Magazine - R)

The Mec-Gar magazines are highly recommended (endorsed by industry experts such as Ernest Langdon and Bill Wilson), and in my own experience this is the best Beretta 92 magazine available. It has the most capacity of any of the standard sized magazines, yet the 18 rounder is easy to load and seat (even when loaded to capacity). I've dropped these magazines on concrete countless times, and I've seen no indication of damage. These magazines have proven functionally reliable and durable. A little bit of searching on the internet will reveal these magazines are available from a number of sources for under $20.


(Mec-Gar 18 Round Magazine - L, 18 Round 'Original Equipment' Magazine - R)

I've discovered two versions of this magazine, both available from CDNN. Aside from the manufacturer markings, the magazines appear identical. One is listed as a Mec-Gar Magazine, and Mec-Gar is engraved on both the front of the magazine and on the side. The other is listed simply as 'Original Equipment', but is not engraved Mec-Gar (though both magazines are marked 'Made in Italy' and 'M9' in identical fonts). Those markings appear to account for the $9 price difference on CDNN, as in all other ways these magazines appear identical.

The 18 round Mec-Gar is my preferred magazine for carry and practice.

Put some ISMI or Wolff springs in those Check-Mates and they'll run like a top.

Sure, I could put new $10 springs in the Checkmates or new $8 baseplates on the Beretta 17 rounders, but why bother when the Mec-Gars are available for under $20 and work right the first time?

I wonder if Sig 226 baseplates would be compatible?  And perhaps more durable?  Hmmm...

"I have been using MEC-GAR magazines in my Beretta 92s for about 5 years now and they have become my favorite magazine. The MEC-GAR mags are now my "go to" magazine for my Berettas as trust them as much as I trust a factory magazine. They reload in the gun faster and with the extra capacity it is an easy choice to pick these mags every time." - Ernest Langdon

I would go with the Mec-Gar 18rd mags... you can't beat them for $20

Mec-Gar 18 round magazines are on sale for $16.89 at CDNN right now...there really is no reason to buy anything else.

Just placed an order..Thanks!

I have all of the above and all have been 100% trouble free.

It's good to know about the weak base plates of the factory 17 rounders  that came with my 92A1. I only have those 3.

Truthfully, I usually load the mags with 15 rounds regardless of capacity anymore for consistency.

Just to add some context to the breakages I had with the 17 round floor plates...I regularly incorporate magazine change drills (1-R-1, 1-R-2, etc) into my practice sessions, and so my empties get dropped on the concrete floor at my local indoor range a lot.  The 15 rounders (original, CMI and PVD coated) held up just fine, as did the Mec-Gar magazines.  The 17 rounders were the only ones that did not.  Compounding the problem is that spare baseplates were hard to find and expensive...were they as cheap and easily sourced as the 15 round baseplates, it wouldn't be as much of an issue.  

I'm not sure whether I just encountered a bad batch or if this weakness is endemic to the design.  I was surprised to see the 17 round PVD coated M9A3 magazines using what appears to be the same baseplate, and I'd like to think that those have been subjected to a decent amount of testing and abuse.  Perhaps the composition of the plastic has been altered to make it more durable?  In any case, since the M9A3 magazines cost over $33 each via BerettaUSA, and Mec-Gar 18 round magazines are available for half the price, I don't see any reason to spend my money on anything else.