L1011 Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 I have a Para P15 in 40 S&W for which I have only 10 round magazines. I would like to know what my options are for getting Hi Cap magazines. (Other than buying a P16-40 pistol.) Since I have little experience with Para Ordnance I'm looking for help. Some questions, I have, are. 1. Will P16-40 mags fit the P15-40 frame? 2. What aftermarket solutions are available? 3. Are there any factory HiCap P15-40 to be had? Thanks (Suggestions Welcome) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcoliver Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 My mec-gar mags are all marked P15-40 and they work fine in any Para pistol. I could be wrong but the designation P16-40 means 16 rounds of 40cal, that's 15 in the mag and one in the pipe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L1011 Posted March 5, 2004 Author Share Posted March 5, 2004 Thanks for your input. P15 is to the P16 for Para as the Commander is to the Government model for Colt (I suspect). The frame/grip/magazines or the same for both models for Colt. I find it hard to believe that Para would be any different. To build two different "lock up" mechanisms seems a waste of good engineering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcschwenke Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 I believe all the para mags for wide body are interchangeable, but in one direction. You can put any of the longer mags in the short guns but not the other way around! Try it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 The P15.40 and P13.45 both have (the same) shorter grips than the P16.40 and P14.45. The longer mags will fit and work in the shorter guns, but obviously not vice versa. The best bet for magazines is to either use P16.40 mags, or try to use P13.45 mags, which may or may not work depending on the feed lips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L1011 Posted March 5, 2004 Author Share Posted March 5, 2004 Does anyone have experience using Para 45 ACP mags in a 40 S&W gun? I'd love to hear details/warnings/advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin c Posted March 8, 2004 Share Posted March 8, 2004 I have four mags that came with the P-16 Para frame kit that subsequently turned into my match gun, sold to me by the pvt. seller along with the two mags that came w/ the frame kit. Turns out that the tubes on these four mags are 0.100" shorter than the regular mags, and I assume that they are actually P-15's. Interestingly, they WILL fit into all my P-16 sized derivatives (frame kit, shortened to take an S&A magwell, standard P-16, and P-16 LDA), but NOT with the standard polymer Para base pad or most after market pads. The four came with stamped metal, Para marked base plates like what you would find on a standard 1911 milspec mag. With those on the tubes, no problem. I also found some machined aluminum +2 base pads (so old I don't know from where) that will fit. It seems that if the thickness of the base pad over the groove machined into it (which receives the flange on the base of the tube) is too high, the shorter tube won't seat in a P-16. So, no Grams, Dawson or Arredondo's on these mags. But with these funky old pads and Arredondo follower kits, I get 17 in reliably, and 19 unreliably. I use 'em as backups to my Grams tuned match mags. I think your best bet is P-16 mags. They are probably both more available and more versatile (they work in both variants), unless mcoliver knows a source of hicap Mec-Gar mags. But if you're set on the P-15 mags, pm me and mebbe we can deal (unless you live in California, like I do ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L1011 Posted March 8, 2004 Author Share Posted March 8, 2004 Any feedback on BUL M-5 Mags for use in a P16? Good/Bad/OK? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Z Posted March 17, 2004 Share Posted March 17, 2004 I have two BUL M-5 mags that I have been running in my P16-40 for about a month now. So far they run just as good as the Para mags, and with Para springs and followers hold one more round. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bountyhunter Posted March 17, 2004 Share Posted March 17, 2004 My mec-gar mags are all marked P15-40 and they work fine in any Para pistol.I could be wrong but the designation P16-40 means 16 rounds of 40cal, that's 15 in the mag and one in the pipe. The full capacity mag for a 1640 is supposed to hold 16 rounds of .40, so total capacity would be 16 + 1 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcoliver Posted March 17, 2004 Share Posted March 17, 2004 The full capacity mag for a 1640 is supposed to hold 16 rounds of .40, so total capacity would be 16 + 1 . Dang! Thanks BH. I should've taken the cue knowing Para tubes are a tad longer than the mec-gars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L1011 Posted April 30, 2004 Author Share Posted April 30, 2004 Thanks for all your help. Unfortunately, the NIB P15 I won on AA.com (at a great price BTW) was reportedly destroyed in shipping from a shop in the south. Anyway, I found a P16-40 in PA with a HiCap certificate (also at a great price). The P16 will probably work better in the long run. Now I get to spend all kinds of cash on accessoies and modifications. Thanks again DVC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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