blind bat Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 I want to buy a some mags for my 9mm Shadow and I'm debating on what mags to buy. I'm not impressed with the OEM 18rd CZ mags because the springs are weak (I haven't had a problem yet but I fear over time they will become a liability) and they are about twice as expensive as the Mec-Gars. I've always had good luck with the Mec-Gar 16rd blued mags for my CZ-85 but Mec Gar now offer a 17rd and 19rd mags with their "Anti Friction Coating". Does the Mec-Gar anti-friction coating perform better than the blued mags in some way? If always found the blued mags to be pretty slick especially compared to old parkerized OEM mags. Does anyone know if the 17 or 19rd Mec-Gars have witness holes on both sides of the mag? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Vigilante Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 If you think the springs are weak then buy the +10% springs sold by CZCustom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary H. Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 My 19 round MecGars have witness marks at 5, 10, & 17 rounds and the holes are only on one side. Haven't had a chance to use them yet so don't know about reliability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ck1 Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 IMHO the Mec-Gar AFC's are superior in a few ways: stronger springs that last, better and tougher coating, and I even prefer their followers as they seem slicker to me and bright blue equals safer handling over black. I've got a couple that have seen a fair amount of use over some months and the springs still feel stronger and livelier than the "fresh" springs in the new 19rd mags that came with my new Shadow. That said, I'm looking to trade a few as I've ended up preferring the base-pad and profile of the factory 19 rounders for how they work with my grip style and have just resigned myself to ponying up for +10% springs now and then to avoid trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chirpy Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 I have a MG for my Phantom and it doesn't fall free like fctory CZ mags. Works 100% but would prefer it drop free. FWIW Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ck1 Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 I have a MG for my Phantom and it doesn't fall free like fctory CZ mags. Works 100% but would prefer it drop free. FWIW Richard That's known to be a Phantom thing, not really a Mec-Gar thing, ...lots a chatter about that issue with Phantoms over on the czforum, something to do with the polymer frame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tobin Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 (edited) I have a lot of Mec Gars and I am quite happy with them. No problems with them. I wouldn't pay more for the CZ factory mags Edited April 16, 2011 by tobin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huskerlrrp Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 I haven't had any issues with the CZ model or the MecGar 19 rounders. I prefer the ease of take down with the MecGar and they are less expensive. With that said, I just picked up another 3 MecGar at CDNN Investments for $30 a piece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blind bat Posted April 16, 2011 Author Share Posted April 16, 2011 (edited) Can anyone comment on the differences between the MG 17rd AFC mags with the blue follower and the MG 16rd/black follower mags. I'm shooting IDPA so the extra round doesn't mean much to me. Is the blue follower and the AFC coating worth the extra $5? Edited April 16, 2011 by blind bat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbon9 Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 (edited) The AFC coating on the MecGar makes a big difference. I find mags I have to drop in the dirt with the AFC don't retain anywhere as much debris and dust as the factory mags, shake em and go. I also prefer the shape of the basepad and ease of take down. The Phantom issue is purely a Phantom issue, CZ replaced a friend's Phantom because of it. If you work a new mag in and out of your Shadow about 25 times it will effectively wear certain places of the finish and the mag will drop free readily after that. The MG blue follower is superior and the spring is a much better design. The spring is a tapered coil that compresses into itself allowing for more rounds in less space without any rattle when loaded. For example, the MG 19rd with AFC uses a 17rd body with the Plus+2 to get 19 rounds in the same length as the factory 19rd mag. The factory 19rd body with the MG Plus+2 and the +10% springs only gives me 20rds with plenty of rattle because of the way the spring compresses and the extra thickness of the wire in the 10% springs. Now if I could only find factory length 19 round bodies with the AFC....... The drawback is you can't buy any MG mag parts separately except for the Plus+2 base pad. The bonus is the MG has a lifetime warranty and they will replace the whole mag but you do have to send it in. I hope this all makes sense, feel free to ask any questions or let me know where I can get 19rd bodies with AFC for a CZ Oh, I have been using the MG AFC for over two years at the minimum of one match a week, all 8 of them are still running great. edited:maybe only a year and a half, no concept of time Edited April 16, 2011 by carbon9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelShooten Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 I want to buy a some mags for my 9mm Shadow ... Does anyone know if the 17 or 19rd Mec-Gars have witness holes on both sides of the mag? The MecGars have witness holes on one side of the magazine only. Strangely they are on different sides: The only thing I -didn't- like about the 17 / 19 round mags is the way the top front of the magazine was formed. Unlike the 16 round magazines, the 17 round tubes had a little tab that jutted up in front of the on-deck bullet in the magazine. The tab looked to me like a hook that could snag the frame during a clumsy reload. Comparison of the 16 round tubes and the 17 round tubes indicates the tab is not a critical feature so I cut the tabs off and ground them smooth so the front of the 17s now look like the 16s. Oh, both styles work great in my SP-01. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artsville Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 Any idea where to get the Mec-gar mags in a 10rounder? Or do i need to block them off myself? Any help would be appreciated.... thnx art Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artsville Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 Any idea where to get the Mec-gar mags in a 10rounder? Or do i need to block them off myself? Any help would be appreciated.... thnx art Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19852 Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 I don't have any of the newer Mec Gar mags for the CZ. I have used the Mec Gar AF mags for my Beretta M9 for a few years and find them very reliable in dusty conditions. They do have witness holes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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