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You’ve seen them in movies, TV shows, video games, gun shops, and on your friend’s everyday carry: magazine extensions. Their basic function is simple: your magazine can hold more rounds.
But is that really all there is to mag extensions? Adding more rounds to your mag? Well, not quite. There’s a lot to know about magazine extensions. That’s why we’ve created this guide for beginners. We’ll cover how magazines work, what a magazine extension is, whether extended magazines are legal, and more.
Let’s get started.
How Does a Magazine Work?
For the true beginners who know nothing about firearms, the magazine is a detachable part of the gun that stores your rounds. Note that a round is not a bullet. A “round” (also called a “cartridge”) is a brass case filled with gunpowder and primer and tipped with a bullet.
The magazine feeds rounds into the chamber of your gun, where each round is ignited, and the bullet is fired from. The bullets are raised by a small metal piece called a “follower” that sits on a spring. The spring is connected to a lock plate on the magazine's base plate.
To reload your gun, detach the magazine and push rounds through the opening at the top. This compresses the spring inside. Every magazine has a specified maximum capacity; once that capacity is reached, the spring will have reached maximum compression, and no more rounds can fit inside. You can then re-insert the magazine.
What is an Extended Magazine?
You know how we just mentioned magazines have maximum capacities? Well, you can modify that capacity with a magazine extension. The base plate of the stock magazine can be removed and replaced with an aftermarket capacity magazine extension. Depending on what gun model you’re modding the magazine of, you can add anywhere from a few rounds to dozens more.
Are Extended Magazines Legal?
Like with all American gun laws, the short answer is it depends on the state.
The majority of states have no restrictions on magazine extensions. Currently, 14 states and the District of Columbia define what an extended magazine is, as magazines that can hold 10 or more rounds*. They are labeled as “high-capacity magazines.”
These are where bans on high-capacity magazines on all firearms are enforced as of 2024:
- Washington
- Oregon
- California
- Colorado
- Illinois
- Vermont
- New York
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- New Jersey
- Connecticut
- Maryland
- Delaware
- Washington, D.C.
One state, Hawaii, agrees with this definition of an extended magazine. However, they have only banned high-capacity magazines for handguns, not for other kinds of firearms.
*Keep in mind that laws can and do change. Many local municipalities and cities have laws regulating the round capacity of magazines as well even though the State does not. Always double-check the most recent laws in your area.
Do I Need an Extended Magazine?
Like with determining whether extended magazines are legal, it depends. Are you a brand-new gun owner who is still learning the basics of handling a gun? You can probably wait.
However, we believe most gun owners should have an extended magazine. They’re not only handy but invaluable in several key use cases.
Self-Defense
What is an extended magazine for? Giving you more rounds, so you don’t need to reload as often. When is reloading one of the most dangerous things you can do? In a firefight.
If you’re being attacked, every moment you spend reloading is a moment your attacker has the advantage. They can move closer, shift to a more advantageous position.
Competitive Shooting
One of the most popular types of competition is multi-gun course runs. In these, shooters are timed while they run through a course, hitting targets around obstacles and walls. While the exact rules are a little more complicated, the basic premise is easy: the more targets a shooter hits and the faster they do the course, the more points they score.
Reloading, however, cuts into that time. An extended magazine is what shooters will use to avoid reloading more often, saving time and boosting their final score. A bonus is that an extended mag provides a bit more weight and a longer grip for handguns, making it easier for shooters to keep their guns steady and reduce recoil.
Range Practice
While not so much a need, extended magazines are nice to have when you go to the range to practice on paper targets. Shooting is the fun part; reloading isn’t. Having an extended mag means you can stay in the zone longer, hitting your targets without pausing.
Get Glock Extensions and More at MILSPIN
Now that you know what an extended magazine is, it’s time to get one yourself (if, of course, extended magazines are legal where you live). MILSPIN has been designing high-quality Glock base plates since 2017, including extensions that add up to 5 additional rounds to your Glock. We also make Glock back plates that feature political, hilarious, and straight-up badass engravings. Explore American-made gun accessories and parts here at MILSPIN!
