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Handgun magazines come in about as many shapes and sizes as you could imagine. In many ways, the evolution of magazines parallels the journey of combat requirements, and in this guide, we’ll chat about different pistol magazine designs, functions, and capabilities.

Handgun magazines (also known as “mags”) began as devices designed to speed reloading; however, over the years, the sidearm magazines adapted to accommodate military, law enforcement, and civilian needs. Today you’ll find many designs, including double-stack mags, single-stack mags, drum mags, extended mags, and more.

Overview: World Of Handgun Magazines

Anybody who has used a sidearm for any amount of time knows that magazines play a critical role in the function and operation of a semi-automatic handgun. A bad magazine (or the wrong magazine) can have a catastrophic impact on the mission.

With that said, it’s in our best interest to know everything about handgun magazines, to leverage their full potential. It’s all about minimizing the negatives and maximizing the positives.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• History of handgun magazines
• The most popular kinds of handgun magazines
• Handgun capacities
• Semi-autos vs. Revolvers

Handgun Magazines: Most Popular

Now to wade into the deep water, discussing the different magazine designs and their various applications. In the world of firearms, you’ll find that the choice of magazines often comes down to three things: personal preference, mission requirements, and recreational value (as in, fun).

Here are some of the most popular handgun magazine types:

• Single stack
• Double Stack
• Extended grip
• Drum magazine
• Bonus: Understanding Magazine Materials (Polymer vs Metal)

Now to break it down.

Single-Stack Handgun Magazines

The single-stack magazine was really the first of the modern handgun mag iterations. The single-stack magazine has a “single stack” of rounds. This means that the cartridges are loaded and stack on top of each other.

Single-stack magazines don’t hold as much ammunition as a double-stack magazine. Does this make them inferior? No. It just means they have a different utility.

There are some advantages to the single-stack magazine. For those wanting the most concealed option, handguns with single-stack magazines offer a slimmer profile. Also, for those with smaller hands, a single-stack sidearm can be more comfortable and easier to handle.

There is no real research stating that single-stack magazines are more reliable than double-stack. In general, a good quality double-stack with function just as well as the single stack.

Of course, it varies, but with many single-stack magazines on medium-sized handguns, you’re looking at an average capacity of around 8-10 rounds.

Let’s chat about the double-stack mags.

Double-Stack Handgun Magazines

The double-stack magazine is very popular, and for good reason. For only a little more space, you can get almost double the capacity.  The advantage of the double-stack mag is pretty clear: you can carry more ammunition without the need to reload as frequently.

Sure, there’s a small cost to pay for space, but most people find this very worth it. As is often said, if you get in a situation where you have to use a firearm, most people don’t walk away saying, “I wish I had fewer rounds.”

For many double-stack magazines, you can get 15 rounds in a medium-sized firearm, but some offer capacities up to 19 rounds – it all depends on the firearm.

Extended Grip Handgun Magazines

These mags can be either double stack or single stack. Some are made by the handgun manufacturer, while others may be made by a 3rd party. Either way, the idea is to ensure you have a good grip on the handgun. Many competition shooters use extended grip magazines for improved purchase, and the ability to shoot longer before needing to stop and reload. You’ll also see grip-extended magazines on smaller concealed carry handguns, such as the Sig p365 and the Glock 43.

Mags with extended grips come in different sizes and capacities. Their general purpose is to increase capacity and allow shooters to get a solid grip on their firearms. Many smaller subcompact handguns, also have magazines with a pinkie extension baseplate grip. These baseplates generally do not increase capacity but improve the shooter’s purchase on the gun, which really helps with control.

Now we’ll discuss some mags that are extended, but in a slightly different way.

Drum Magazines

The drum magazine looks like a round drum – hence the name. Essentially, think of a drum magazine like a regular magazine that has been twisted into a donut. Why use a drum magazine instead of just a super extended traditional magazine?

A couple of reasons.

First, a drum magazine can offer just as much capacity (often more) as an extended magazine while eliminating the additional length to the handle of the firearm. While less of a factor with sidearms, the drum magazine can make it easier to fire from a prone (lying on your belly) position.

Second, the drum magazine is just plain fun. In areas where the drum magazine is legal, many gun owners enjoy bringing out the drum magazine for an exciting day at the range. Just be careful! Before you know it, you’ll have burned through a thousand rounds (maybe that’s a good thing?).

Keep in mind that drum magazines can be more expensive, and you do have to consider the safety and legality of using them in your area.

Understanding Capacities 

From both a tactical and practical perspective, there are several important things to know about handgun magazine capacities.

First, semi-auto handguns have the ability to hold a round inside of the chamber of the gun. This ability adds a +1 to the stated capacity of any semi-auto handgun. Higher-capacities magazines (such as extended grip, and drum magazines) have the obvious advantage of more firepower, but they come at the cost of weight and profile. In some cases, pistols with higher-capacity double-stack magazines will be thicker than single-stack variants, making them more difficult to conceal.

Second, higher-capacity magazines can present legal questions in some states and jurisdictions. In some areas, you may be required to carry a magazine of lower capacity. If you have questions, you can always reach out to your local chapter of gun ownership advocates, or to one of many non-profit organizations.

Third and finally, some people argue that training needs to happen with the magazines that you plan to carry or keep in your home defense handgun. With this tactic in mind, it makes sense to stick with the magazines that you’ll be using to familiarize yourself with them. This is of course a muscle-memory element, but something to consider nonetheless.

A Quick History 

Some of the earliest handgun magazines began in the 1890s, with Austrian-designed firearms such as the Borchardt Handguns – one of the first handguns to have a removable magazine as we know them today.

Of course, like cars and crayons, humans always find ways to make things better, and handgun magazine engineers began a fury of improvements and new designs that left us with a plethora of options available today.

Handgun Magazine Materials

Polymer pistol magazines are common for their lightness, durability, and corrosion resistance. The feed lips of a polymer magazine are unlikely to bend or dent – they can break, but if they crack, you’ll know it and have the opportunity to use a different magazine (rather than spending a bunch of time wondering about misfeeds on a dented metal mag).

Metal magazines, either steel or aluminum, also have a place. Certainly, well-made metal mags can offer the same amount of durability as a polymer mag, and they certainly have a “quality feel” in the hand. For firearm metal heads, the steel or aluminum magazine might be their ticket.

Handgun Magazines VS Revolver Cylinders

Revolvers are handguns too, but if you know anything about firearms then you know that the cylinder of a revolver is a lot different than a typical semi-auto magazine. In this section, we’ll provide some clarification to common questions.

Questions about handgun mags and revolvers:

• What’s the difference between semi-auto magazines and revolver cylinders? A revolver cylinder spins and remains within the pistol, with the shooter reloading rounds individually or using a speed loader. A semi-auto magazine is removed from the handgun, allowing shooters to carry much more ammunition, and making reloading significantly faster.
• Do revolvers have magazines? No, revolvers don’t have magazines. Revolvers have cylinders that hold the pistol’s rounds, spinning to align the rounds with the barrel and hammer.
• How many rounds does a revolver hold vs. a semi-auto handgun? Typically, a revolver holds about 6 rounds; however, there are some models that hold up to 10 rounds. A semi-auto magazine holds anywhere from 7 to 17 rounds, with some double-stack mags capable of holding even more.

Hopefully, that cleared things up for you regarding the differences between revolvers and semi-auto handguns.

Final Take: An Overview Of Handgun Magazines

The handgun magazine has undergone countless developments over the last one hundred years and no doubt will continue to progress in the years to come.

Handgun magazines come in many different forms, from the standard single-stack magazine you’d find on the classic 1911, to the double-stack magazines found on most modern firearms, such as the Glock or Sig Sauer models.

While revolver cylinders have a long history and aren’t going away anytime soon, they are quite different from a standard handgun mag. Whether you choose a single-stack, a double-stack, or the powerful drum magazine, the key is to get out to the range, test different mags, and figure out what works for you.

Looking for handgun magazine testing? Check out our Glock 17, or our Glock 19 testing data.

Guest writer Gideon Zielinski is a nationally registered paramedic.