Best Aftermarket Glock Magazines: Max Reliability

Quick, name a brand that the firearms accessory industry supports more than Glock. I’ll wait.

You can buy aftermarket parts until your pistol is barely recognizable as a Glock. You can even build an entire "Glock" from non-Glock parts! 

But what about the magazines that keep your Glock up and running? Those are equally as important as your other upgrades and accessories.

So, we're here to talk about the best aftermarket Glock magazines we've found as well as affordable, budget-friendly options.

Keep reading!

How to Choose the Best Glock Magazines

Glock itself manufactures high quality and dependable magazines.

They can, on occasion, dry up in terms of supply and, like many OEM magazines, tend to be a little pricier than aftermarket. However, they are rock-solid magazines. You can't go wrong with the original.

With that said, you can save some money and still get a great magazine by shopping aftermarket.

If you want to stock up as many magazines as possible without increasing your budget, aftermarket mags are the way to go. The same goes for more unique products that Glock doesn't offer.

How We Test Magazines

We’ve shot thousands of rounds and spent hundreds of hours with Glocks between our hands-on reviews, shooting events, and guns from our own personal collections. (Yep, some of us carry Glock as our own personal EDC pistol).

All hands-on reviews at Pew Pew Tactical adhere to a strict testing protocol which includes 500 rounds through every gun. We also test with both FMJ and JHP ammunition to evaluate reliability with different types of ammunition. We perform standard reloads and tactical reloads to assess each magazine's ability to easily seat into the pistol's magwell.

All magazines are evaluated on reliability, durability, and overall value.

Best Glock Magazines

1. Magpul - Best Overall

Best Overall

Magpul PMAG Glock Magazines

$14

at The MagShack

Prices accurate at time of writing

$14 at The MagShack

GunMag Warehouse (see price)

GrabAGun (see price)

Magpul (see price)

Specs

• Caliber: 9mm
• Capacity: 10, 12, 15, 17, 21, 27, 50

These days, everyone knows the Magpul PMAG is an amazing magazine that revolutionized the AR-15 magazine world. The Magpul PMAG GL aims to do the same for Glock owners.  

At this time, Magpul has plenty of options for 9mm Glocks, including a 140mm, 21-round GL9 magazine that's legal for the USPSA limited class and a 170mm, 27-round magazine for IPSC competition.

The magazines are almost entirely made out of reinforced polymer, which makes them tough and stiff.  

The floor plate is interchangeable with most Glock aftermarket plates, like these from Taran Tactical.

Magpul magazines drop free without issue, even when empty.  

They are also pretty dang affordable.

Pro shooters and trainers, as well as yours truly, have given them rave reviews. They are just too affordable and high-quality to say no to.

There is one downside, though. The majority do not have adequate witness holes. If you're lucky, you'll get a few along the side. Others only have a single hole at the bottom, indicating the magazine is full.  

Magpul's extended magazines do feature witness holes, which make more sense because these stick outside the magazine well just a bit longer.

Overall, however, these are excellent magazines that are effective, affordable, and dead-nuts reliable. In fact, we've reviewed nearly all of them. You can check out our collective thoughts in our Best PMAGs article.

What do you think of Magpul's PMAG series? Rate it below!

2. Elite Tactical Systems - Best Translucent

Best Translucent

ETS 31-Round Glock Magazine

$30

at

Prices accurate at time of writing

$30 at

Specs

• Caliber: .390 ACP, 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, 10mm
• Capacity: 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 27, 30, 32, 40

Elite Tactical Systems (ETS) mags are some very eye-catching and recognizable magazines for the Glock and AR platforms.

They stand out from other magazines because ETS produces them from a translucent polymer, which gives them a unique appearance.

In addition to looking cool, the clear nature of these mags provides you with a means to instantly check how much ammo you have left in the gun and even see why type it is.

Don't remember which mags have range ammo and which have defensive ammo? Take a peek.

ETS magazines are also known for their durability and reliability. They can be dropped over and over, kicked, thrown, and tossed -- they just keep working as smoothly as ever. 

The same advanced polymer that provides such an unusual appearance is, according to ETS, also resistant to feed lip creep, harsh chemicals, and both high and low-temperature extremes.

One of the best things about the ETS is they make magazines for so many different cartridges. You don't need to own a 9mm Glock to enjoy these. 

You also get options for the Glock G43 single stack 9mm and the Glock 42 single stack .380 ACP in their standard-capacity configurations.  

Then the extenders come into play. The increased capacity single-stack magazines are my favorite. These mags allow you to carry 7, 9, or 12 rounds of 9mm or .380 ACP, depending on which Glock you own.

When we move on to the double-stack magazines, we see a pretty big increase as well.  

Everyone knows about the Glock 18 33-round magazines, and they’re lots of fun at the range.

Well, ETS produces extended magazines in capacities of 31, 27, and 22 rounds for 9mm and 30, 24, and 19 rounds for .40 S&W.

The 31- and 30-round magazines are designed for fun. The 27- and 22-round 9mm mags and the 24- and 19-round .40 S&W mags are designed to satisfy specific competition regulations.

ETS' 22-round 9mm and 19-round .40 S&W magazines are 140 millimeters long and are legal for USPSA limited division. The 27- and 24-round magazines are for IPSC and are 170 millimeters long.

Speaking of competitions, one final bonus for these magazines is that most Glock base plates will fit on them. This opens you up to base plates from companies like Taran Tactical.

If you want to see this in action with a full-auto Glock (and you obviously do), check out our Glock G18 review!

3. Shield Arms - Best Glock 43X/48 Mag

Best Glock 43X/48 Mag

Shield Arms S15 Gen 3 Glock 43X/48 Magazine

$30

at Mag Shack

Prices accurate at time of writing

$30 at Mag Shack

Specs

• Caliber: 9mm
• Capacity: 15 rounds
• Compatible with: Glock 43X and 48

Shield Arms is another brand we really like around here. In fact, a few of us carry them as part of our EDC.

In particular, we really dig the Glock 43X/G48 version that adds a little extra oomph to your compact Glocks. By that, we mean a little added capacity...15 rounds of 9mm, to be precise.

The Shield Arms mags are reliable and durable, with a black finish that pairs well with your Glock. We tested them thoroughly in our Glock 43X review and found that they performed great!

While they aren't as eye-catching as ETS nor as ubiquitous as Magpul, they offer a solid solution for those looking for a quality aftermarket magazine for a Glock 43X or Glock 48.

4. KCI USA - Most Fun

Most Fun

KCI Glock 9mm 50-Round Drum Magazine

$64

at Gunmag Warehouse

Prices accurate at time of writing

$64 at Gunmag Warehouse

GrabAGun (see price)

Palmetto State Armory (see price)

Specs

• Caliber: 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP
• Capacity: 13, 15, 17, 26, 31, 33, 50

KCI USA is a Korean manufacturer that produces affordable all-polymer magazines.

Are they reliable? Most of the time they will cycle and feed just fine. Will they stay together after they’ve been dropped dozens of times? Maybe not.

Choose from your standard 15- and 17-round mags for 9mm, as well as a 33-rounder. KCI USA makes a 40-round .40 S&W magazine for Glocks, too. 

One of their cooler and more interesting options is the 50 round drum.

It’s completely impractical and a little expensive, but having 50 rounds of 9mm on tap is a blast. Sometimes ridiculousness is its own reward.

What to Avoid When Buying Glock Magazines

Not every magazine has to be used for life-and-death scenarios. Sometimes you just want extra magazines for the range.

When I go to the range, I want to dedicate my time to shooting, not loading mags, especially if the range charges by the hour.  

I don’t need magazines designed to go to war to do that, so I’m willing to skimp a little to get more affordable options.

If you want some range mags that are both reliable and affordable there are options. Some of these magazines are intended to be used for genuine training, while others are just goofy fun.

Not all magazines are great, though, and not all have a price that reflects their quality. These magazines are even unreliable on a static range.

So unless you want to get really good at malfunction drills, you should avoid ProMag.

ProMag produces magazines for almost every gun out there, even more obscure ones. Unfortunately, ProMag has gained an unflattering reputation.

The real shame is with a little quality control they could produce some awesome mags for weird guns. 

My experience with ProMag has been with their 1911, AK, Glock magazines. They were all frustratingly unreliable.

Many retailers will no longer carry them because of customer complaints, so be wary.

Why Trust Us

The Pew Pew Tactical team has experience with all kinds of firearms; modern ones, antiques, rare collector items, and Glocks. Lots and lots of Glocks. In addition to shooting a ton of factory-original Glocks, we've tested aftermarket barrels, slides, triggers, and even entire Glock clones.

We could talk about Glocks until we turn blue in the face. Fortunately, you're reading this so we don't have to.

Leading this article is Pew Pew Tactical Author Travis Pike. Travis is a Marine infantry veteran and concealed carry instructor out of Florida. Travis is a certified NRA Basic Pistol Instructor and earned his Expert Rifle Badge from the USMC while in service. Travis has written thousands of articles for multiple publications in the gun industry and has tested and evaluated hundreds of guns during that time -- including magazines that go with them.

Editing this article is Pew Pew Tactical Freelance Editor Scott Murdock. Scott is also a Marine Corps veteran and earned his Expert Rifle and Pistol badges while in service. In addition to editing articles for Pew Pew Tactical, he also writes for several gun industry publications, including Task & Purpose, Free Range American, and Outdoor Life. He, too, has reviewed enough guns and magazines to know what to recommend to readers when it comes to choosing good gear like Glock magazines.

Rounding out the editorial team for this article is Editor-in-Chief Jacki Billings. Armed with a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications and a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, ACES: Society for Editing, and the Professional Outdoor Media Association, Jacki runs our experienced team of expert writers and editors. She has worked as a media professional for over 20 years and has specialized in gun media for almost 10 years. As Editor-in-Chief, she uses her expertise to set testing protocols and editorial standards across the site. During her career, she has tested and shot several Glock models and even carries the Glock 19 from time to time.

Final Thoughts

Glock has left a mark on the world that many firearm manufacturers have tried and failed to reach.  

Part of that success is due to massive aftermarket support, and the magazine aftermarket has only recently begun to grow.

I love that someone besides Glock is making high-quality magazines for the platform, especially since more and more guns are using Glock mags.

Go ahead and pick one of these up. It won't be your last.

Am I missing any aftermarket magazine makers you’d suggest? Let us know what you like in the comments. Once you've gotten your mags, it's time to personalize your Glock. These are the best Glock mods we can't do without.

Latest Updates

September 2024: Added the Shield Arms S15 Glock 43X/48 magazine to recommendations after testing it with the Glock 43X.