Posted: 5/20/2011 5:54:25 PM EDT
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I've read Tornado_Racing's post numerous times, which is great info, but I still have questions.
I have 3 arredondo extended base pad (M&P9). I can only get 2 more at the most in. One of them *used* to get me 4, but not anymore. I keep having issues with things getting hung up on that little plastic "L" piece in the base pad. My wife has the same issue with her arredondo's on her Glock 34, heck one of them only gives +1 I'm really getting frustrated only getting a +2 capacity. If I can't do better than that I'll just run stock mags and have easier/faster mag changes. Questions: -Anyone remove that little plastic "L" piece and have them function OK? -Would the arredondo extra power spring do anything? (currently using stock Gen 2 and 3 springs. I don't think it would help b/c it's snagging on that piece. -Do the TFL base pads have that piece in them? I"m so frustrated I'm thinking of switching to those if they truly give me 5/6 more without hassle. -Do the TFL's lock the slide on last shot with the spring they sell? -Any other thoughts or suggestions? |
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Ditch the POS arredondo's.
They are horrific, and the company should be embarassed that they have their name on them. Get the Taylor Freelance extensions. 1- If they come with the extra power springs, you will be fine. Rumor has it that the newest generation M&P mag spring will also allow for slide lock since apparently its a little stronger 2- take your time with installation, and it helps if you have a punch that you can hold the spring up with. You'll notice that the Freelance extension is solid at the bottom- you do not use the spring plate and have no hole in the bottom of the mag to push it up with, so disassembly and reassembly can be tricky. Doable, but tricky. I use mine for SHTF, not for range use, because disassembly is a PITA- I plan on trying to drill a hole in one in the future to remedy this so that I can use the plates, and be able to easily push them up. 3- no L shaped inserts with the TFL extensions. They have a legit locking plate on the back that makes them rock solid when installed, instead of those horrible flimsy pieces of plastic. |
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The way I was able to get the Arredondo extensions to function in my Compact MP was to glue the extension body to the mag body. It became a one use deal... If/when I needed to disassemble the mags, they're trashed.
I did use some sand paper and clean up the insert and the mag base... So mine function 100% and are solid enough to carry. But since I got a TFL extension, the Arredondo mags have become my range mags. The TFL is slightly bulkier, but the design is much more solid and instills much more confidence. |
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To clear up my reply, I carried Arredondo extensions on my back-up mag for well over a year and never had an issue... The design of the competior is superior, but bulkier, all in all, not much harder to conceal.
I trusted my Arredondo every day for a pretty good time and never had a failure... But the design does have a flaw... It could potentially shift. |
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**UPDATE** I noted above that I've been using the Arrendondo magazine extensions for my M&P 9 in 3-gun without any issues. Since 3-gun matches also involve rifles and shotguns, your pistol doesn't get as much of a workout as it does during pistol-only matches. I've been using my M&P in IPSC Production Division for a couple years, and since Production restricts you to 10 rounds per magazine I've only been using standard factory magazines without the extensions. However, I shot my M&P yesterday at an IPSC match for the first time in Limited Division which allows the extended base pads. I used two magazines with the Arrendondo base pads, and one of them moved about 1/16" forward during a stage causing the spring to bind rendering the magazine useless until I could mess with it after the stage. I had only fired two rounds out of the magazine when it failed, so I had to leave 20 rounds in the dirt when I ejected the magazine and used another off my belt to finish the stage. The scary thing was that I was using this magazine with Arrendondo extension in my home defense gun. Losing 20 rounds of ammo to a malfunctioning magazine is inconvenient and wastes time in an IPSC stage, but it can be fatal if it's the only magazine in your HD gun. Needless to say, the Arrendondo extensions are going in the trash, and I'll be ordering the Taylor Freelance extensions. |