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Welcome to our Glock 19 magazine test. We’ll be testing some of the most popular Glock 19 magazine options available on the market. Our testing includes a variety of scenarios that you may run into in the real world. Below, you’ll find the magazines listed in alphabetical order by manufacturer. We hope you find this test helpful when making a purchase decision for your next magazine.

For our Glock 19 magazine test, we used Blazer Brass 9mm 115 FMJ ammo. It’s popular ammo that generally feeds well in a large variety of handgun magazines. Our test gun is a Gen 5 Glock 19. In our testing, we’re mostly concerned with making sure the magazines work as advertised and confirming their reliability. If you’re curious about our testing procedures, you can find them explained at this link. You can take a look at the models included in our test in the table below:

	MSRP	Manufactured In	Material	Capacity	Spring	Follower	Weight (Unloaded)
Amend2	$17.99	USA	Polymer	15	Stainless	Anti-Tilt	1.7 oz
Elite Tactical Systems (ETS)	$16.99	USA	Polymer	15	Stainless	Anti-Tilt	1.5 oz
Glock (Gen 4)	$24.99	USA	Polymer	15	Stainless	Anti-Tilt	2.5 oz
Jagemann	$11.99	USA	Polymer	15	Stainless	Anti-Tilt	1.7 oz
KCI	$14.99	Korea	Polymer	15	Stainless	Anti-Tilt	2.4 oz
Magpul	$12.95	USA	Polymer	15	Stainless	Anti-Tilt	1.7 oz
Promag	$19.99	USA	Polymer	15	Chrome Silicon	Anti-Tilt	2.6 oz
SGM Tactical	$18.95	Korea	Polymer	15	Stainless	Anti-Tilt	2.4 oz

Amend2

Amend2 offers a 15 round magazine for Glock 19 users. It measures 9 x 19″ and is made of advanced polymer materials, though it’s relatively lightweight compared to many other models on the market. It features a unique baseplate design you can only find with Amend2 products that ensure long-term functionality.

You’ll notice that the baseplate is thicker and wider than average. This assists with both ramming the magazine home into your firearm and withdrawing the magazine if you don’t want it to fall freely.

The magazines are further bolstered by heavy-duty, non-memory, and non-corrosive springs. These springs should last for a long time to come and facilitate smooth loading of new cartridges into the firing chamber every time. As with the last magazine, this Glock 19 mag is illegal in several states. Double-check that your state is one of the places where you can get it shipped before placing an order.

	Spring Tension	Fit/Feed Lip Spacing	Friction Test	Drop Test	Water Test	Sand Test	Soil Test	Crush Test (1K Lbs)	Crush Fail Test
Amend2	7.6 Lbs	Good, .34″	Pass, Slide Locks Open On Last Round	1 Round Ejected	Pass, Slide Locks Open On Last Round	Fail, Failure To Feed	Fail, Failure To Feed	Pass, Slide Locks Open On Last Round	Failed at 2,000 Lbs

 

Testing Overview

The Amend2 magazines are a budget-friendly solution for feeding your Glock 19. The build quality isn’t as solid when compared to Glock factory magazines. That being said, the magazine we tested fed ammo well, and the slide consistently locked open on the last round. The Amend2 magazine passed our friction test but lost one round in our drop test. It handled being submerged in water in our environmental test but failed our sand and soil test with failure to feed malfunctions.

In our crush testing, the Amend2 magazine showed minimal signs of damage. The magazine functioned correctly, ammo cycled, and the Glock 17 slide locked open on the last round. The magazine stayed strong at 2,000 Lbs, with the baseplate eventually splitting, but staying attached to the case. A 1-inch crack appeared on the rear base of the magazine, likely from the pressure of the steel plates.

Good For: Indoor and outdoor range use, environmental conditions involving water, basic gun training scenarios.

Not Good For: Environmental conditions involving sand, dirt, debris, and mud. Training scenarios where dropping magazines are a requirement.

Elite Tactical Systems (ETS)

ETS makes unique Glock 19 magazines in that they are totally transparent. This allows you to quickly see how many cartridges are in the magazine at any time without having to rely on narrow witness holes. Despite this design aspect, each magazine is made with high-quality polymers that are crack resistant and formulated to facilitate smooth loading and unloading.

The polymers are also cold and heat-resistant, meaning you’ll be able to rely on them even in extreme weather conditions. ETS is so confident in the quality of these magazines that they provide a lifetime guarantee with each purchase. This covers a standard spread of manufacturer or material defects.

Even better, the magazines come with steel internal springs and ergonomic base plates. The base plates’ ergonomic shapes ensure that you’ll be able to quickly handle and reload your Glock 19, even when you are practicing fast loading on the target range.

	Spring Tension	Fit/Feed Lip Spacing	Friction Test	Drop Test	Water Test	Sand Test	Soil Test	Crush Test (1K Lbs)	Crush Fail Test
Elite Tactical Systems (ETS)	8.5 Lbs	Excellent, .34″	Pass, Slide Locks Open On Last Round	3 Rounds Ejected	Pass, Slide Locks Open On Last Round	Fail, Failure To Feed	Fail, Failure To Feed	Pass, Slide Locks Open On Last Round	Failed @ 1,200 Lbs

 

Testing Overview

If looks are everything, the Elite Tactical Systems (ETS) magazines stand at the top of the hill. The magazines have a cool factor to them that’s undeniable. The build quality feels good in-hand, and they have an excellent fit. We did notice that they get slippery in water, but it also drains quickly. These magazines fed ammo with no issues under normal circumstances, and the slide consistently locked open on the last round.

The polymer material does scuff and showed scratches in our friction testing. We noticed that we fully loaded, there was still some play in the movement of the rounds in the magazine. When dropped, our test magazine lost three rounds to the concrete floor. Sand clogged up the follower of the magazine in our environmental testing. Soil and debris also caused failure to feed malfunctions.

The Elite Tactical Systems (ETS) magazine gave us some serious crunching noises at 1,000 Lbs. However, it cycled ammo just fine, with the Glock 19 slide locking back after the last round. In our crush fail testing, the magazine’s casing collapsed and folded at 1,200 Lbs. The baseplate of the magazine came off, allowing the spring and internals to exit through the base. The tough case material exhibited no cracks or splitting after it compressed on the shop press.

Good For: Indoor and outdoor range use, environmental conditions involving water, basic gun training scenarios.

Not Good For: Environmental conditions involving sand, dirt, debris, and mud. Training scenarios where dropping magazines are a requirement.

Glock Gen 4

Glock itself makes a great magazine for the G19. This Gen 4 magazine has a standard 15 round capacity and is constructed from polymer materials. The polymer materials are durable but affordable so Glock users can easily have several extra magazines without breaking the bank.

Perhaps because Glock knows its weapons inside and out, these magazines are perfectly tailored to fit in modern G19 pistols. They come from the factory with particularly stiff springs, but this is a good thing since it ensures reliability even after lots of use. However, new users will need to be aware that the magazines can be difficult to load at first due to this stiffness.

Each G19 Gen 4 magazine features a steel lining on the interior. The polymer bodies are crack-resistant to boost durability and long-term usability. Each magazine also features steel inserts and numbered witness holes so you can track how many cartridges are in the magazine at a time.

	Spring Tension	Fit/Feed Lip Spacing	Friction Test	Drop Test	Water Test	Sand Test	Soil Test	Crush Test (1K Lbs)	Crush Fail Test
Glock Gen 4	8.4 Lbs	Excellent, .34″	Pass, Slide Locks Open On Last Round	Pass	Pass, Slide Locks Open On Last Round	Pass, Slide Locks Open On Last Round	Pass, Slide Locks Open On Last Round	Pass, Slide Locks Open On Last Round	Failed @ 2,000 Lbs

 

Testing Overview

You can’t have a Glock 19 magazine test without including the company that started it all. The Glock Gen 4 magazine does not disappoint, build quality and fit are excellent. The magazine feeds ammo very well and it passed our friction and drop test with flying colors. The Glock Gen 4 magazine handled water, sand, and soil well. The slide consistently locked open on the last round during all of our testing.

At 1,000 Lbs, the Glock Gen 4 magazine performed well. The magazine’s baseplate threatened to buckle on us, but it stayed in place. Ammo cycled as expected through the magazine and the Glock 19’s slide locked open after the last round. The magazine failed our crush test at 2,000 Lbs. The baseplate of the magazine came off, allowing the internals of the magazine to exit the bottom. The case of the magazine developed a bulge down the length of the back, making it impossible to insert it back into the Glock 19’s magazine well.

Good For: Indoor and outdoor range use, environmental conditions involving water, sand, dirt, debris, and mud. Advanced gun training scenarios, and scenarios where dropping magazines are a requirement.

Not Good For: Gun owners on a tight budget.

Jagemann

Jagemann’s Glock 19 magazines can hold 15 rounds of 9 mm ammunition. They feature polymer housings and much better followers compared to other magazines on the market. The polymers used here are automotive-grade, which essentially means they should withstand significant wear and tear before showing any signs of degradation. The followers push against durable steel springs to ensure that each new cartridge is loaded into your Glock 19 pistol quickly and reliably.

But these magazines are also great choices since they feature an improved disassembly process. You can take these magazines apart without any tools necessary when the time comes to clean them and ensure they are in working condition.

Each internal component is lined with a special lubricant to ensure smooth reloading and to extend the mag’s performance for longer. Other features include a dedicated thumb notch to let you load rounds into the magazine more quickly, plus better feed lip geometry for when the magazine is locked into your Glock.

	Spring Tension	Fit/Feed Lip Spacing	Friction Test	Drop Test	Water Test	Sand Test	Soil Test	Crush Test (1K Lbs)	Crush Fail Test
Jagemann	7.23 Lbs	Good, .34″	Pass, Slide Locks Open On Last Round	2 Rounds Ejected	Pass, Slide Locks Open On Last Round	Fail, Failure To Feed	Fail, Failure To Feed	Pass, Slide Locks Open On Last Round	Failed @ 2,400 Lbs

 

Testing Overview

The Jagemann magazine in our Glock 19 magazine test passed our friction test, however, it did show a lot of scratching. The magazine fed ammo well and the slide consistently locked open on the last round. The included baseplate has a tendency to pinch your fingers when inserting the magazine. During our drop test, the magazine ejected two rounds. It passed the environmental water test but had failure to feed malfunctions in sand and soil.

The Jagemann magazine handled 1,000 Lbs without breaking a sweat. It cycled ammo well, with the slide locking back after the last round was fired. It impressed us in our crush fail testing, holding strong until reaching 2,400 Lbs. At 2,400 Lbs of weight, the base plate of the magazine cracked enough for it to fold in half. The case of the magazine compressed, causing a one-inch crack on the top, and bottom on the back of the magazine.

Good For: Indoor and outdoor range use, basic gun training scenarios. Budget-friendly.

Not Good For: Environmental conditions involving sand, dirt, debris, and mud. Training scenarios where dropping magazines are a requirement.

 

KCI

KCI’s Glock 19 magazine can fit 15 cartridges and is designed to drop freely each time. To this end, the magazines feature hardened steel inserts to boost their overall durability. The inserts are encased in another high-tech polymer that includes metal linings. All in all, these magazines are some of the sturdiest you can find on the market.

An additional polymer coating protects the magazine and prevents deformation, even under extreme heat or exposure to water. Each magazine does weigh about a pound, however, so keep this in mind if you plan to carry many of them at a time.

The magazines come with limited lifetime warranties for manufacturer or material defects. This is advantageous compared to other warranties, which often have time limits. The magazines include numbered witness holes and a single viewing window on their opposite sides so you can quickly tell whether the mag is full or needs reloading.

	Spring Tension	Fit/Feed Lip Spacing	Friction Test	Drop Test	Water Test	Sand Test	Soil Test	Crush Test (1K Lbs)	Crush Fail Test
KCI	6.25 Lbs	Excellent, .34″	Pass, Slide Locks Open On Last Round	Pass	Pass, Slide Locks Open On Last Round	Pass, Slide Remained Closed On Last Round	Pass, Slide Locks Open On Last Round	Fail	Failed @ 1,000 Lbs

 

Testing Overview

The KCI magazine is easy to confuse for the OEM Glock version. They look and feel very similar in hand. The magazine feeds ammo without issue and passed our friction test with the slide consistently locking open on the last round. It passed our drop test, losing no rounds in the process. It faired well in our environmental testing, passing our water, sand, and soil tests. However, the slide did remain closed on the last round during our sand test.

The KCI magazine did not fair well in our crush test. At 1,000 Lbs, the baseplate of the magazine folded and came off. This allowed the spring and internals to exit the bottom of the magazine. A convex bulge appeared down the length of the spine of the magazine, rendering it unusable. On closer inspection, the (ported) inner metal form, visible from the back of the magazine, appears to have separated during the testing. It’s possible that it was out of factory spec in our test magazine.

Good For: Indoor and outdoor range use, environmental conditions involving water, sand, dirt, debris, and mud. Advanced gun training scenarios, and scenarios where dropping magazines are a requirement.

Not Good For: Gun owners who are concerned about buying American-made products.

Magpul

Magpul’s G19 magazine has enough space for 15 standard rounds and is also made with polymer materials. Like the last magazine, these are crack-resistant and designed to withstand significant wear and tear.

However, Magpul designed the magazines so they have full indicator windows on both sides of the body. This allows you to get a quick view of the magazine and determine whether it is full before loading it into your weapon.

The magazines come with ridged floor plates for easier loading, plus anti-tilt followers, which can help to prevent jams in your Glock pistol. Furthermore, this particular magazine is available in subcompact versions if you have a smaller than average Glock 19 handgun. The floor plate is easily removable for fast maintenance and each magazine uses stainless steel springs; these are both more durable than average and benefit from increased corrosion resistance.

	Spring Tension	Fit/Feed Lip Spacing	Friction Test	Drop Test	Water Test	Sand Test	Soil Test	Crush Test (1K Lbs)	Crush Fail Test
Magpul	8.3 Lbs	Excellent, .33″	Pass, Slide Locks Open On Last Round	Pass	Fail, Failure To Feed	Fail, Failure To Feed	Pass, Slide Locks Open On Last Round	Pass, Slide Locks Open On Last Round	Failed @ 2,300 Lbs

 

Testing Overview

Magpul is a magazine maker that needs no introduction. Chances are if you’re a gun owner, you already have a few Pmags in your inventory. The Magpul G19 magazine is rugged, it feels good in hand and runs ammo well. In normal use, the slide consistently locks open on the last round. It passed our Glock 19 magazine test friction and drop test with no issues. In our water test, the magazine had failure to feed malfunctions. The magazine only has two small holes in the sides, so it takes a moment for water to drain from it. The magazine also ran into issues during our sand testing, sand found its way under the follower causing it to jam up. The Magpul G19 passed our soil test, locking open on the last round.

The Magpul G19 magazine passed out 1,000 Lbs test with no issues. Afterward, it cycled ammo and functioned normally, allowing the gun’s slide to lock back after firing the last round. The mighty Magpul magazine hung tough, reaching 2,300 Lbs in the shop press. At that point, the baseplate cracked in half, allowing the spring and internals to exit the base. The case of the magazine developed two cracks, the full length of the magazine. The cracks followed the path of the visible manufacturing seams on the front and back of the magazine.

Good For: Indoor and outdoor range use, environmental conditions involving dirt, debris, and mud. Advanced gun training scenarios, and scenarios where dropping magazines are a requirement.

Not Good For: Environmental conditions involving sand and water.

Promag

Promag’s Glock 19 magazines can fit 15 cartridges and are also suitable for Glock 26 firearms depending on your needs. Each magazine is constructed from a proprietary Zytel-based polymer, which ensures fantastic performance and crack resistance over the long-term. The magazines feature welded steel inserts to boost reliability and ensure that each cartridge is fed into your gun smoothly and efficiently.

To this end, the magazines also benefit from injection-molded magazine followers. These are perfectly designed to facilitate fast loading and to minimize the chances of jams. The springs used inside the magazines are made from heat-treated chrome silicon wire, which is lightweight and durable to the extreme. It’s also corrosion-resistant.

Each Glock 19 magazine is made in the USA. However, there are several shipping limitations with this magazine type. States like California, Colorado, Connecticut, and Hawaii face severe shipping restrictions, so these may be less accessible than most.

	Spring Tension	Fit/Feed Lip Spacing	Friction Test	Drop Test	Water Test	Sand Test	Soil Test	Crush Test (1K Lbs)	Crush Fail Test
Promag	7.36 Lbs	Good, .34″	Pass, Slide Locks Open On Last Round	Pass	Pass, Slide Locks Open On Last Round	Fail, Failure To Feed	Pass, Slide Locks Open On Last Round	Fail	*Failed  @ 1,300 Lbs (See Notes)

 

Testing Overview

The Promag has a lot of similarities to the Glock factory magazine. It’s hard to tell them apart, unless you’re holding them side-by-side. The Promag passed our friction test, with the slide consistently locking open on the last round. It passed our drop test, holding all of its rounds after hitting the concrete floor. The Promag G17 magazine passed our water test. However, sand was able to get inside in our environmental test, causing the magazine to lock up. It passed our soil test, with the slide locking open on the last round.

The Promag G19 magazine didn’t perform well in our crush testing. At 1,000 Lbs, it appeared to be fine. However, when we tried to put the magazine in the Glock 19, we couldn’t get it to fully seat. Under closer inspection, we noticed a pointed bulge on the rear base of the magazine (above the baseplate). We were able to load ammo in the magazine, functionally it seemed fine, but were unable to install or shoot it. We put it back on the press and the case and baseplate compressed and failed at 1,300 Lbs.

Good For: Indoor and outdoor range use, environmental conditions involving water, dirt, debris, and mud. Advanced gun training scenarios, and scenarios where dropping magazines are a requirement.

Not Good For: Environmental conditions involving sand.

SGM Tactical

SGM’s tactical Glock 19 magazines can fit 15 standard cartridges and utilize heat-treated steel inserts for further durability and smoother chambering of new cartridges into the firearm. Furthermore, these magazines utilize coated stainless steel internal springs. This provides the springs with better corrosion resistance and long-term usability. Each magazine is created using computer-assisted manufacturing methods.

Despite this, each magazine is relatively affordable and they come with five-year extended warranties. The warranties cover any manufacturing or material defects, protecting your purchase in case you get a dud magazine or two with your order. Buyers should note that these magazines come with numbered witness holes so you can see how many cartridges are in the magazine at a time. But there are no wide windows on either side to tell you if the magazine is full at a quick glance.

	Spring Tension	Fit/Feed Lip Spacing	Friction Test	Drop Test	Water Test	Sand Test	Soil Test	Crush Test (1K Lbs)	Crush Fail Test
SGM Tactical	6.7 Lbs	Good, .34″	Pass, Slide Locks Open On Last Round	Pass	Pass, Slide Locks Open On Last Round	Fail, Failure To Feed	Pass, Slide Locks Open On Last Round	Pass, Slide Locks Open On Last Round	Failed @ 1,200 Lbs

 

Testing Overview

The SGM Tactical magazine is another well-made Glock clone. It runs ammo well and passed our friction and drop tests. The magazine’s feed lip cutout for the follower seemed to let debris get in when the magazine is loaded. It failed our environmental sand test with failure to feed malfunctions because of the amount of sand that got in. However, it passed our soil test, with the follower pushing out the larger pieces of debris without locking up.

The SGM Tactical magazine did well at 1,000 Lbs, walking away mostly unscathed. It did develop a small bulge behind the feed lips, but we were able to load and cycle ammo through it. The Glock 19’s slide stayed open after the last round. It failed completely at 1,200 Lbs on the shop press. The baseplate cracked in half, allowing the spring and internals to exit the base. The magazine case compressed, folding outwards, rendering the magazine unusable.

Good For: Indoor and outdoor range use, environmental conditions involving water, dirt, debris, and mud. Advanced gun training scenarios, and scenarios where dropping magazines are a requirement.

Not Good For: Environmental conditions involving sand.

Glock 19 Magazine Test: Crush Testing

Generally, crush testing is reserved for industries focused on shipping and packaging. There’s a lot it can tell us about how well an item is made, and what its weak points are. In our Glock 19 Magazine test, we found the baseplates of most magazines to be a failure point. They extend out past the case of the magazine, leaving them vulnerable. Many of the magazines we tested could have resisted more crush weight if their baseplates had been stronger. That being said, with the exception of running over a magazine with a vehicle, there are not many real-world scenarios in which a magazine would fail from being crushed. Take a look at our Glock 19 Magazine test results in the video above.

Final Thoughts

As always, be sure to test your own gear to ensure its compatibility before taking it out into the real world. Certain gun/ammo/magazine combinations may work better than others. There are thousands of variables that could cause something to malfunction, or not work as advertised. It’s better to work through those issues at the gun range, rather than to try and solve them in a life or death situation. We also highly recommend taking classes from certified instructors who are well respected in the gun community. Many times they can solve common issues in a matter of minutes, because of their knowledge and experience.

Once you find a magazine solution that works well for you, train with it until you are confident. That being said, if a magazine you are currently using is included in our Glock 19 magazine test, and it performed poorly, select another one. You’re under no obligation to use a product if it’s not right for you. We can’t test everything, for every possible scenario, but we can provide you with reliable, consistent data to help you make a purchase decision. As we continue to test products and gather data, we’ll share our knowledge with you.

Have a suggestion for our Glock 19 magazine test? Is there a magazine you’d like to see included in the testing? Send us a message using the contact form on the website.