Taran Tactical Mag Extensions

Taran Tactical Glock 19 mag extension at a VCQB course.
June 25, 2015  
|  7 Comments
Categories: Assorted Ramblings

Magazine extensions always suck, right? Never say never, never say always. — Keep reading for our thoughts about the Taran Tactical magazine extension. 

Competitive or Tactical Use?

There has always been some intermingling of the competition-shooting world and the tactical world. Many of the items we’ve come to accept and use for military and law enforcement have their roots in competition: electronic sights (for both rifles and handguns), smoother triggers, offset iron sights, offset red dots, long forends, adjustable gas regulators on ARs, enlarged and enhanced controls, and more.

Candice Horner's competition rig, with Taran Tactical mag extensions.

Candice Horner’s competition rig.

Due to differing requirements regarding reliability and durability, usually what happens is that a more robust version of a competition accessory makes its way into the tactical shooting world. JP offset sights become Surefire Duecks. An adjustable Jard trigger becomes a Geissele SSA. Miculek brake becomes a BattleComp. C-More becomes an Aimpoint—there are countless examples.

Mag Extension History

Extended capacity magazines started out on the military side of the house. They were usually relegated to automatic weapons, for reasons which remain obvious. Dillinger famously used a 25-round capacity .38 Super 1911 (the, uh, ‘criminal’ side of the house?).

John Dillinger's 1911.

John Dillinger’s 1911.

However, the sheer bulk of the magazines made them less practical for men on the front line when not used for special purposes and many suffered from feeding issues. But in gun games though…

Mag Extensions in Competitive Shooting

If you’re shooting IDPA or Steel Challenge, any magazine capacity over ten is moot. It’s a different story in USPSA/IPSC, 2-gun competition, and other multi-gun matches. In a game where speed is placed as the first among equals, any reduction in time is beneficial. No matter how fast you are, reloading takes time. Due to this need for speed, magazine extensions made a return.

While you still won’t often see Glock 18 magazines on the line, you will see magazine extensions. Not only does a Glock magazine extension give you a few more rounds (usually anywhere from 1 to 5, depending on the handgun, caliber, and brand), but it can also give your fingers more purchase and adds a bit of weight to ensure empty mags drop free.

Taran Tactical mag extensions - image of extended magazine.

Problems with Magazine Extensions

Unless the spring is replaced, feeding reliability can be compromised, most notably with larger extensions. Some are susceptible to fouling (you sometimes see shooters removing and cleaning base pads from dropped mags between stages).

Many models can even pop off when stressed, especially if dropped loaded or partially filled. This can be an embarrassment on the range (ask me how I know), but it’s far worse if it happens in the real world. This isn’t just a theoretical worry either.

Mag Extension Failure — True Story

Here’s something the multiloquent minion Hernandez experienced:


There I was, minding my own business, on night shift patrol in a rough area. I had a probationary officer with me, fresh off of field training. He was a gun nut, the kind of guy who carried not just a backup gun but also a third gun in his bag and an extra 500 rounds of ammo, just in case. His duty gun was a Glock 22, with +2 mag extensions on all three mags.

Not much was going on, and we stopped a motorcycle rider with a burned-out brake light. The rider was nervous as hell, way too nervous for a simple traffic violation. He had a big sweatshirt on, with overflowing pockets. I asked him to empty them. Nothing illegal was in them. I asked him to raise the front of his sweatshirt. He froze. I grabbed the shirt and lifted.

A revolver was stuck in his waistband. He turned and sprinted away. My partner and I started after him, and his pistol clattered to the pavement. I stopped to get it as the probationary kept running. By the time I recovered the pistol, the suspect and my partner were way ahead of me in a wide-open parking lot. I called out the foot pursuit as the suspect tried a quick turn on loose gravel.

He made the turn. My partner ate shit, face-first into the concrete. He popped back up and ran a short distance, but he’d been hurt. I flew past as he collapsed to a sidewalk.

Backup arrived and we got the suspect. I went back to get my partner. He had managed to get to his feet and was staggering around the spot where he fell. I didn’t know what he was doing, but as I got closer I figured it out.

.40 caliber rounds were scattered all around. My partner was slowly, painfully collecting each one. Two mag extensions and springs lay among them. A hollowed-out mag was on my partner’s duty belt, another hollowed-out mag in his weapon. If the suspect had pulled another weapon, my partner would have had one round. And one good mag to reload, but only after he fought the baseplate-less magazine out of his mag well.

Mag Extensions Have a Bad Rep

Because of issues like the above, many shooters place mag extensions firmly in the “Gamer-Gear” category (some opt for wider base plates, which offer some of the same advantages sans capacity). I’ve dabbled in the past with competitive shooting (the Duo gave me the equivalent of an experimental marijuana waiver) and I tended to agree with those who didn’t trust magazine extensions.

But Then, the Taran Tactical Mag Extension…

Then, a couple of weeks ago, the Breach Bang Clear crew attended a Will Petty VCQB class hosted at 88 Tactical. Learning that there would be a couple of guys using Glock 43’s, Taran Butler graciously sent us some of his new Taran Tactical Glock 43 magazine extensions. He also included some of his increased capacity base pads for PMAG extension and full-size Glock magazine extension.

Taran Tactical Glock 43 mag extension - indexing.

In the foreground, Petty is holding a stick to ensure I’m temple indexing properly

Taran Tactical Innovations (TTI) is the brainchild of the phenomenal shooter bearing its namesake, Taran Butler. While initially, I found ‘tactical’ to be a bit of a misnomer, I gave it a pass because it contains an alliteration.

This is How Taran Tactical Mag Extensions are Different

Taran corrected problems commonly encountered in other base plates. First, Taran Tactical magazine extensions are machined from a block of aluminum and hard anodized for strength. It pretty much doesn’t matter where you drop them, it’s not going to break. Our token competition shooter, Candice Horner, has used them for years without issues and the same goes for a number of world-ranked shooters. But just to convince ourselves, we dropped the shit out of them on the knee-grinding gravel over and over without issue.

Image of Taran Tactical Magazine Extension from bottom.

Every Taran Tactical magazine extension includes a pin in the back of the base plate to prevent it from sliding off of the magazine body. While they are friction fit, there is also a small screw so you can lock it totally in place if desired (I do). The hardest part about installing the TTI base plates is removing the old factory plate. The increased capacity Glock bases (ours were the +6 9mm model) also meant swapping the mag spring.

Taran Tactical Magazine Extension parts: baseplate, pin, screw..

Taran Tactical Glock 43 Mag Extension — Performance

How did they work? They were nauseatingly impeccable.

Of course, there are some nuances. The capacity is supposed to be 23+1 with a G17 mag when using the +6 base pad but it was very difficult to cram that last round into the magazine. I still managed it, but in the future, I may channel my inner child and use a LULA. Also, like a fully-filled USGI AR mag, loading on a closed slide was more difficult due to the tight spring pressure.

Image of Taran Tactical mag extension baseplate bottom - logo.

Taran Tactical Glock 43 plus mag extension options

For concealed carry, at least those who now have the coveted firearm, the TTI base pads help alleviate some Glock 43 magazine capacity concerns. TTI has both +1 and +2 pads for the G43. But what about the larger +6?

Taran Tactical Glock 43 mag extension.

I still don’t know what’s worse: Hernandez’s half-shaved stomach or his OEM Glock sights.

The +6 doesn’t play well with Glock 19 magazines due to spring issues. It ships with an appropriate length spring for a G17. We’re told it will add a cant (TTI advises to use the smaller +3 extension). For a full-size G17 on a rig though? Provided the extra length won’t hurt you, rock it.

Mag extensions are like prostitutes—if you want a good one, you’re going to pay for it.

TTI base pads are available in a variety of colors—from tactical to girly.

Taran Tactical mag extension - multiple basepad colors available.

Taran Tactical magazine extension – multiple basepad colors available.

Glock 43 Accessories – Read everything we’ve written about ’em.

 

 

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Dave Merrill

Dave Merrill

About the Author

About the Author: A combat veteran of the United States Marine Corps, Dave "Mad Duo Merrill" is a former urban warfare and foreign weapons instructor for Coalition fighting men. An occasional competitive shooter, he has a strange Kalashnikov fetish the rest of the minions try to ignore. Merrill, who has superb taste in hats, has been published in a number of places, the most awesome of which is, of course, here at Breach-Bang-Clear. He loves tacos, is kind of a dick and married way, way above his pay grade. You can contact him at Merrill(at)BreachBangClear.com and follow him on Instagram here (@dave_fm).

7 Comments

  1. Gregg

    What’s the holster and pouches shown for the 43?

    Reply
  2. Clint

    When i was a rookie and still smelled like milk behind the ear, i had a plus two on my duty gun. Fed and shot alright, but shit durability. I closed my Patel car door one time, struck the base plate dong so, and i was rewarded with a AWOL spring and rounds pouring out my ass like i just did an anal scene and didn’t shit first. Went back to factory glock base pads, found one factory ext. pad for my troubles but still use standard capacity. Luckily my fat ass could afford room for a third mag on my belt.

    Reply
  3. Matt

    What holster is that with the mag in it as well?

    Reply
    • Mad Duo Merrill

      It’s an Orange Diamond Concealment. It has a velcro back for use in bags and backpacks

      Reply
      • Matt

        great! Thanks!

        Reply
      • Matt

        ahh, looks like they are closed down. :/

        Reply
        • Mad Duo Merrill

          Well shit, I did not know that. Looks like I have a limited edition–should I bronze it? ha

          Reply

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