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Posted: 5/19/2003 9:07:52 AM EDT
I recently got a new Argentine 9mm hi-power.  I'm pretty convinced that the magazine that I got with it is a POS.  I don't know what brand it is because it has no markings, but it has failures to feed, minor jams, etc quite often.  I want to get a few more mags, but I can't find any.  The local gun shop doesn't have any (they have a mag in .40 which fits my gun, but no 9mm).  So I guess I will have to order them over the internet.  Here's my question:  Will any browning hi-power 9mm magazine fit my handgun?  I'm pretty sure this magazine

is the right kind (I found it at Cheaper Than Dirt), but I don't want to order it and find out it's not.

Oh, and here's my new handgun.  I don't have a digital camera so I used my scanner.



Link Posted: 5/19/2003 9:25:49 AM EDT
[#1]
Any HP magazine is supposed to work in the FMs. Since yours has no markings, it sounds like a USA or some other cheap, avoidable CRAP (did USA, Western, or Triple K EVER make a reliable magazine?).

The magazine in the picture looks like a Mec Gar (roughly the same as a Browning "factory" HP magazine).

The "good" magazines are supposed to be as follows:

Browning/FN "factory" magazines (sometimes manufactured by FN and sometimes manufactured by Mec Gar).
Inglis magazines (true "Canadian Military" magazines and marked with a "JI").
KRD/South African/Argentine Military (all manufactured by the same company) 15-round and 17-round magazines (available from CDNN for about $20 each).

www.fnhipower.com has a lot of good information on HP magazines.

All of that being said, there is a guy on the various auction websites who sells what he calls 13-round "Canadian Military" magazines at attractive prices. Supposedly they are not what he claims, but having dealt with the guy on other transactions (he's well-known on czfoum.com) I'm awfully tempted to try some. He claims to import them from a source in Ottawa, Canuck Land and says they work great in his '70s-vintage HP. He said he'll sell two for $30 including shipping and will give a full refund if not satisfied.
Link Posted: 5/20/2003 5:11:22 PM EDT
[#2]
That Mec-Gar magazine should work fine, if that's in fact what it is. (a Mec-Gar, I think would be so marked) I see the Mec-Gar emblem on your mags picture.

If you are around the Cleveland, Lorain area, I have an assortment you can try out, that I know should work, if you want to see if it's a mag or gun problem.

I ordered some once that were supposed to be Mec-Gar and came as an unmarked Pro-Mag type.
Upon loading 13 rounds, the spring went "flat".

I also modified a Ramline SS 15 rounder by drilling out the rivet (used for their type of spring system) and added a follower, spring and baseplate (from a 10 rounder), my gain was a totally reliable 13 round SS BHP mag, that I used the heck out of.
I have mostly FEG 13 rounders, that seem as good as the standard Brownings.

You may want to scout some gunshows, mainly avoiding brands that Jim_Dandy stated.

Nice scan job, by the way, it looks fine.
Link Posted: 5/20/2003 6:10:07 PM EDT
[#3]
Yeah, it's a Mec-Gar.
Link Posted: 5/21/2003 12:46:47 AM EDT
[#4]
HP Mag faq:

http://www.ont.com/users/kolya/bhpmagfaq.htm

Get a new magazine or six and try them. If they don't work, try polishing the feed ramp, and swapping the recoil spring for an 18# model instead.
Link Posted: 5/22/2003 2:38:09 PM EDT
[#5]
I have an FM and havent had any trouble with it, had it for about 10 years or so now. It shoots well and feeds everything I put in it. The only thing I noticed about the mags is, they dont want to fit in my Browning HP. They seem to be a little oversized and tight in the Browning. I have no trouble with military mags or any that fit the Browning in the FM. Does your FM mags have "witness holes" in them? Mine have the holes and are marked "*ITALY*  CAL 9mm NATO/Luger". These were the mags that came with the gun. I did get a Argentine military contract 17 round mag from CDNN for it and it works fine. I think if you stick to the military mags you wont have any trouble.
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