KCI Glock Mags Revisited

[JoshIronshaft]

I'm shooting a lot more pistol. Easily going to send 3k to 4k rounds down range this year with my scheduled shoots. I wanted more magazines for practice. I can see the toll the range has on my Glock factory magazines, and I know I will need replacements. I'll be buying more Glock factory magazines, but for practice and abuse, and roughly half the price delivered, I got some KCI magazines from Wideners.

I did my research, and I found a ton of bad reviews, people having problems, etc. Even with that, I ventured on. I'm a tinkerer. I have a well equipped garage and I keep my antique military vehicles and tractors running and do my own gunsmithing. I'm up for a challenge.

Out of the box impression.



From 3' away, they look like factory mags to me. I bought four 17-round magazines and two 15 round magazines.

The 15 round magazines have a glossier, slicker finish. They have KCI marked on the base plate, and the 17 round magazines do not. Those are blank.



I pulled a few very small pieces of flashing off the tops of the magazines around the feed lips with tweezers, but as far as I'm concerned, the 15 round magazines need no work (pending range trip).

The 15 round magazines drop free from the gun, are easily loaded to capacity, and I cycled a loaded magazine through my Glock 19 by hand without issue.

The 17 round magazines are not as nicely made. First problem; two of the four won't drop free. That just won't do. Second problem; three of the four won't load more than about 7 rounds before the rounds tilt back, spring pressure is relieved by a jammed follower, and they kind of fall out. That REALLY won't do.

To fix the drop free issue, I spent some time feeling and observing how the tight and loose KCI 17 round magazines engaged the mag well. It took awhile, but eventually I found it was the top of the magazine, from front to back that was causing the problem. Some 150 grit applied to the back of the magazine to remove enough material until the magazine would drop free was all it took.

You can see the top two have different amounts of material removed when compared to the bottom magazine that was dropping free as-is.



To solve the loading issue, I disassembled the magazines, and used a flat metal file to remove excess plastic flashing on the inside of the magazine found around some small holes where the metal internal pieces was tied to the plastic over mold. This took a few seconds and is an obvious fix when you look inside the magazine. I couldn't find my dry lube, so I hit the inside with some Hornady One Shot case lube for reloading. After this, all the 17 round magazines loaded to capacity by hand and cycled the full magazine through my Glock 17 by hand. I hope this is a long term fix.

Would I trust my life to these magazines? No.

Do I think they're an economic option for range mags for someone who isn't afraid to tinker with them? Yes.

That's my initial conclusion. I'll take them to the range this weekend and see what happens!

[wanneroo]

I guess if someone is on a tight budget, needs magazines and has to make due then you can go with KCI. Kinda the same with a lot of the Promags out there, people have to file away and hack at them to get them to work, but if that is your only option or what you can afford you do what you have to do.

But in my experience the Glock magazines are dead on reliable and indestructible with regular use(obviously if you purposely try to destroy one that's a different story) and will probably last a few decades thereby making their cost of acquisition amortized over time insignificant.

[Bang]

If you are pushing the mag release and allowing the magazines to fall to concrete, may I suggest you don't do that?

I bought one KCI 33 9mm magazine, quickly determined it did not work, and cut it back to hold 13 or so. Works perfectly. Onliest KCi experience I've had.

[Hodgie]

I have several KCI G19 mags and a few of the 33 round mags. I have had 0 issues with any of them. The 33 round mags are hard to load past 25 so I load them to 30'and leave it at that.

I just replaced the sprigs in them with Wolf +10% power and Glock followers that I picked up for $2.00 each and they still work great. I am hoping when Magpul finally releases their G17 mags they will acually be $16.00 and work as well as they claim.

[JoshIronshaft]

If you are pushing the mag release and allowing the magazines to fall to concrete, may I suggest you don't do that?

Actually...you should always do that! An empty mag is worthless, let her drop.

[Gunsnwater]

I bought som kci mags cheap and my experience mirrors the OP. after getting them working they are reliable.

[NathanB]

I'll hold off for the msg plus for cheapies. I've got 10 or 12 glock ones already

[Steve_NEPhila]

Trash the KCI mags and wait for the magpul glock 9mm mags that are coming out about now. Magpul will be selling them for 15 USD amd they will sell tons of them...

[JoshIronshaft]

Range report!

The good: I tested all 5 mags once. Half loaded to full capacity, the rest with about half capacity. Zero malfunctions, which is great.

The bad:



Chipped the base plates on two of the 17 round magazines. All the mags were dropped on concrete when empty. Two didn't take it too well. They still work, and I will keep trying to break them. Then these two get the spare factory Glock floor plates I have from when I put +2 extensions on my factory mags.

[JoshIronshaft]

Shot IDPA today at PMSC using just the two 17 round magazines with cracked base plates. On the 2nd stage, of 5, I dropped one of the mags and stepped on it, pushing it into the mud. Despite that, zero magazine issues today!