Brandon Breeze
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I know I'm super late to the party on this one, it's been sitting around while I focused on other stuff, but I finally got around to it!
TLDR: For those that would rather read about it than watch the video.
Finally took my new Shield Arms Z8 magazine for the Glock 43 to the range, and... it did not impress. Here's the breakdown:
Failure to chamber the first round — spring tension seemed too high when loaded with 8 rounds.
Slide locked back prematurely after the 7th shot (thanks to interference from the follower engagement point)
Final shot didn’t lock the slide back
I had already left it loaded for 2+ months to help break in the spring — didn’t help.
This mirrors some of the same problems I had with Z9 mags, but I was able to fix those with a bit of Dremel work on the follower shelf. Still, not ideal.
I compared it to three other 8-round options:
-MagGuts +2: slightly taller, but more grip and 100% reliable so far.
-TTI +1 Base Pad & MagGuts +1: same capacity, better purchase, no issues.
-Pearce +1 & MagGuts +1: best grip, smooth feed, minimal printing.
Unless you’re fine with modding the mag, I can’t recommend the Z8 over these alternatives. I wanted to like it, but Shield needs to fine-tune this thing.
Let me know if anyone’s had a positive experience!
TLDR: For those that would rather read about it than watch the video.
Finally took my new Shield Arms Z8 magazine for the Glock 43 to the range, and... it did not impress. Here's the breakdown:
Failure to chamber the first round — spring tension seemed too high when loaded with 8 rounds. Slide locked back prematurely after the 7th shot (thanks to interference from the follower engagement point) Final shot didn’t lock the slide back I had already left it loaded for 2+ months to help break in the spring — didn’t help. This mirrors some of the same problems I had with Z9 mags, but I was able to fix those with a bit of Dremel work on the follower shelf. Still, not ideal.
I compared it to three other 8-round options: -MagGuts +2: slightly taller, but more grip and 100% reliable so far.
-TTI +1 Base Pad & MagGuts +1: same capacity, better purchase, no issues.
-Pearce +1 & MagGuts +1: best grip, smooth feed, minimal printing.
Unless you’re fine with modding the mag, I can’t recommend the Z8 over these alternatives. I wanted to like it, but Shield needs to fine-tune this thing.
Let me know if anyone’s had a positive experience!