BHP in .40 S&W, do hi-cap mags exist?

T

TeriblTurk

New member
I am considering purchasing a BHP in .40 S&W. In researching options, I am not able to find hi-cap magazines anywhere. 10 rounds seems to be it. Is the 10 round mag my ONLY option or do I just not know where to look?

Thanks in advance for any help,
Cydnee
 
Nope, Ten Rounds is It - - -

- - and all there ever was, far as I can find out. There's a recurrent rumor that they experimented with eleven-rounders, but they never got into circulation before Sarah Brady messed things up.

I may stand to be corrected on this, but it is what I was told by TFL Member Stephen Camp, who is MY gurhu for all things High Power.

Best,
Johnny
 
Hello. (Thank you for the kind words, Johnny.) No .40 HP Browning (MecGar) "high-cap" magazine ever was sold commercially. Johnny's quite correct that Browning wanted an 11 rnd magazine and guess what? I think that they did have it, but the Brady Law/Assault Weapon ban hit about the same time. I cannot prove this, but believe it to be so. The reason: I bought an early .40 HP. When detailing the magazine for cleaning, I noted a couple of white plastic "plugs" inserted in the visibly short normal legs on the followers. Now, admitting nothing I seem to recall that some fellow somewhere removed said "plugs" or extensions and the magazine would hold eleven.

Later on, magazines from Browning had a follower that had kind of a "skirt" affair that the spring fit up into. I don't think that the effort was to keep anyone from illegally modifying the previous type magazine such that it would hold 11, but because it tended to let the front end of the follower dip less when feeding, avoiding reliability problems.

Best.

PS: I never saw but two of the "plugged" magazine followers mentioned. I hasten to add that it's rightly or wrongly a felony to alter any post ban magazine such that it will hold over ten rounds.
I truly disagree with that law, but why take a chance for one round in this particular case?
 
Thank you Sirs...

That was the information I was looking for although it is not what I wanted to hear.

Now I just have to decide if I am going to happily accept 10 or start looking for another firearm. I am not planning on this purchase to be a tool, just want it for a toy.

Thanks very much for the good information.
 
I have 5 of the 11 round mags, electroless nickel plated. Another of our posters, Rod in Mo, has a couple as well. They are actually from the .41 AE Browning HP conversion that Action Arms imported from Israel, work fine with .40 S&W. I actually like the 10 round mags with the built in ejection spring.
 
Very Interesting, Jeff--

Hadn't heard of those, but it makes sense. Are they some that Action Arms had produced by another outfit, or are they Browning, or Mec-Gar, or something else? Are they marked at all? Do you know where they may be had? I don't feel particularly handicapped with ONLY ten rounds in my BHP, but I'd like to have one or two, just for fun.

Best,
Johnny
 
I have some Mec Gar .41AE mags that I use in my .40 BHP. Never tried loading 11 rounds though. I`ll have to give it a try. I got them from CDNN.
 
Have you tried a 9mm mag? They go as high as 18rds, and may fit the 40*&*.

I know that some mags, not necessarily for the BHP, are labelled both 9mm and 40*&*.
 
Johnny G, mine came with a conversion kit, which I bought just to get the mags, then sold off the barrel and spring. I think that they are Mec-Gar mags, the only markings are a 41 AE on the base plate. You can try the .40 in a 9mm mag, but you may need to open the feed lips up a bit. It is legal since the mag is already a full cap and it will still fit in the original pistol.
 
I did a net search, and it seems that there are a lot of guys out there carrying various 40cals with full-size 9mm mags in them.

As Jeff pointed out, the front of the feed lips may ( note: I said 'may') have to be slightly bent to facilitate a safe feed angle, but the mag will still be legal as it will stil be totally usable in a 9mm.
 
Oh, Turk -

Last I checked, CDNN Investments had some Agrentine Military 9mm 18rd mags for the BHP. They were relatively cheap, as BHP mags go. If I recall correctly, I think they were about $18.

For the price, they're worth a shot. You can probably fit 14-15rds of 40cal in there.
 
Re: CDNN service- - -

yankytrash - - -
Strange you should mention CDNN--Wednesday I got to thinking about BHP magazines and had heard of the S. African 17 (or 18??) rounders from CDNN--Went to their website and found them, and a couple of other mags of interest. Right after lunch, I phoned their 800- number and palced an order, to be sent to the office.

Thursday about 10 a.m., officer at front desk told me I had a UPS package there. Sure enough, here were my four magazines, well under 24 hours after placing the order.

Now, Abilene is only about 220 road miles from me, but I though this was VERY rapid service when:
1. I did not request expedited handling
2. The order was of modest size--Well under $100.

AND, he sent along a new catalog with a buncha other goodies, some of which I'll probably order.

Best,
Johnny
 
An 11 round Browning HP .40 is still a pretty formidable weapon, and a very sweet shooter. I always download by 1 and with 10+9+9 I don't ever feel under "undercartridged".
 
Out of the mists of memories . . .

I recall that back in '91 or so when Browning originally announced its intention to bring out a HP in .40, an 11-round mag was planned.

But when they actually were released in '93 (before the magazine limit took effect), the mags only held 10 rounds. My recollection is that someone on this board told me that Browning had problems with the 11-round mags, so they went with 10-rounders that worked.

Shoot. Now I want to go do a search and see if I can find where I heard this.

So, Dinosaur: do those Mec-Gar .41 AE mags hold 11-rnds of .40 or not?
 
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