Welcome to the site StormOSteel.

As to your first question... I'd imagine so, as California and other states cannot order new hi capacity magazines, so there's probably a premium on price.

Second question... They don't change the size of the magazine. They just put a plastic "block" of sorts on the bottom of the follower so that you cannot load more than 10 rounds. Please do not cut that off if you live in a state that does not allow hi cap mags, it amounts to bad joo joo for whoever does it.

Zhur

^^What he said^^

Welcome to the forum.

-Jeff-

Originally Posted by zhurdan

Welcome to the site StormOSteel.
Second question... They don't change the size of the magazine. They just put a plastic "block" of sorts on the bottom of the follower so that you cannot load more than 10 rounds. Please do not cut that off if you live in a state that does not allow hi cap mags, it amounts to bad joo joo for whoever does it.

Zhur

What I've seen more commonly, is to manufacture the magazine from two "tubes" stacked end to end. Where the tubes meet, there are indentations on either side of the magazine. Those indents prevent the magazine from accepting more than x number of rounds. If you try to eliminate those indents from the magazine, you'll end up with two halves of a magazine instead. Either way, it sucks.

I've seen that method on Beretta and Taurus magazines, but not many others. Generally it's cheaper for them to manufacture the same magazine bodies and let the end user take the risk if they grind off the plug.

Zhur

Originally Posted by zhurdan

Welcome to the site StormOSteel.

As to your first question... I'd imagine so, as California and other states cannot order new hi capacity magazines, so there's probably a premium on price.

Second question... They don't change the size of the magazine. They just put a plastic "block" of sorts on the bottom of the follower so that you cannot load more than 10 rounds. Please do not cut that off if you live in a state that does not allow hi cap mags, it amounts to bad joo joo for whoever does it.

Zhur

+1...Welcome from southeast Texas.

Originally Posted by zhurdan

I've seen that method on Beretta and Taurus magazines, but not many others. Generally it's cheaper for them to manufacture the same magazine bodies and let the end user take the risk if they grind off the plug.

Zhur

I live in FL... No mag capacity restrictions. LOTS of 10-rounders around, and almost NO 17 round mags left for sale...

Is it: A) Legal to convert a 10 round mag to a 17 round mag in a state that allows it, and B) easy to do (remove a plug and swap a spring???), and still have a reliable mag???

Anybody done it?

JW

JW,
I've done the simplest one ever... 1911 7 round mags to 8 round mags. I bought a new spring and follower and bingo, it works fine. I've also done a PS90 magazine that went from 30 to 50 rounds with nothing more than a dremmel tool. (and yes, it is legal to do so in states that allow hi cap mags, at least it is in Wyoming, check your local laws)

Zhur

Well I'm from NY and we can only have 10rd mags..... anything more is prohibited....same goes for California and a couple other states too....

So I've heard of a lot of people having trouble getting 10rd mags....I guess at times the stock just runs low for a little while. But usually they come back around.

Possibly what you have been seeing are factory OEM 10 round mags that are generally more costly than aftermarket hi-capacity magazines. That would account for the price difference. As to the indents in the side of the mags, I got shafted by the Beretta USA e-store on 10 round MDS magazines which had indentations about 3/4 of the way up from the bottom and were sold to hold 10 rounds, they wouldn't hold over 8 rounds and were very cheaply made with part number MS86001. Fortunately we have a Police/Class 3 dealer nearby and they have multiple boxes of hi-cap and OEM used mags from department trade-ins. I average paying $15.00 ea for 17 round magazines for the 92FS and the same for 11 round mags for my 96FS. Anyway, the OEM mags are a little costlier, but make sure they are the genuine article. The magazine is one of the, if not the most critical part to proper operation of a semi-auto handgun, don't skimp.