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P89 and 59 series S&W magazine interchange

RosieRosie Member Posts: 14,525 ✭✭✭
edited March 2016 in Ask the Experts
Are the Ruger P89 and the S&W 59 series magazines interchangeable?
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    rufe-snowrufe-snow Member Posts: 18,650 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Magazine latch notches are in different positions, on the magazine bodies.

    It might be possible that they will interchange. If additional notches are cut in the body of the magazines?
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    beantownshootahbeantownshootah Member Posts: 12,776 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Rosie
    Are the Ruger P89 and the S&W 59 series magazines interchangeable?

    Not out of the box, they're not.

    It may be possible to modify one to work in the other. Don't know.

    But unless you happen to live in a place where non-legacy standard capacity magazines are banned, I don't see a good reason to do this.

    Both types of magazines are readily available and relatively inexpensive. Smith 59 mags cost $20 new, and Ruger p89 ones about $30.


    Edit: Well, if they work, they work. Not going to argue with your real world experience, but as Rufe says, the mag release notches are in different places.

    Maybe you can get one to fit in the other via "interference" fit, then manually pull them out when done, but I don't see how these are going to lock into place in the "wrong" gun or drop free just by hitting the mag release button. Does that actually happen? Do these mags lock back the slide when empty?

    I would be seriously concerned about the wrong mag falling freely out of the bottom of the gun by accident (which is bad) or getting stuck and not being easily able to be removed (also bad).


    Ruger P89 mag
    1101778_1.jpg
    Smith 59 mag:
    L13191521.jpg
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    RosieRosie Member Posts: 14,525 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thanks guys but I had a friend that I remembered had A P89. He has 3 mags and I have 4 59 mags and they interchange perfectly. Took them out this afternoon and tried them every way possible and they worked fine. Never a jam of any kind. Again, thanks.
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    rufe-snowrufe-snow Member Posts: 18,650 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Rosie
    Thanks guys but I had a friend that I remembered had A P89. He has 3 mags and I have 4 59 mags and they interchange perfectly. Took them out this afternoon and tried them every way possible and they worked fine. Never a jam of any kind. Again, thanks.


    Got me confused here? The Ruger mags have their locking notch, on the front surface of the mag. How do the Ruger and S & W mags lock into position? Unless there 2 locking notches on each magazine?
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    MobuckMobuck Member Posts: 13,779 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Some sort of aftermarket "one size fits all". I have Ruger P-series and S&W 915(same mag as 59/x59 series) and factory mags do not interchange.
    As said, I think SOME mags could be modified to latch into both but some will jam in the mag well on my pistols.
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    RosieRosie Member Posts: 14,525 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Our experiment was totally flawed. They did work fine however the notches are in different places and the mags just fit tight enough to stay in the guns. So you guys are right. They work but fall out when needed the most in all probability. The lenth and size and top cut outs are the same. Notch is on the front of one and corner of the other.
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