P99c mags vs SW99c mags

[olstyn]

I have 2 of each - the 2 P99c mags that came with my gun, and 2 SW99c mags I ordered from cdnn. I recently noticed that with mine, at least, there is at least one difference that I haven't seen documented here before:

The SW99 mags have different springs in them than the P99c mags. They have 2 less coils, resulting in a less powerful spring. (They appear to be made from the same type of coiled wire.) The reason I noticed this was that I had long noticed that they didn't eject as positively as the P99c mags, which practically fly out of the gun when the mag release is depressed, and they're slightly easier to load. This prompted me to disassemble them side by side, and lo and behold, the springs are different. I'm not sure if it's anything to be concerned about, as both types function properly, but I figured it might be of interest to some people. It certainly seemed goofy to me, anyway.

If there's significant interest, I can post some comparison shots, though it's just a pair of springs, so it's probably not too exciting to look at.

[searcher451]

I've never noticed that the springs varied in this mags, but I can attest to the fact that the SW99 mags work fine int he P99s, and vice versa. I've got a bunch of them that I use in the P99C, for range work as well as for regular carry, and they are 100% all the time.

[guymontag]

I for one would be interested in seeing a comparison.

[ChipM]

The full-size mags have different followers AND springs, so you can't just swap springs between them without swapping followers. It can be a pain if you're cleaning a bunch of mags at once, but it isn't very tough to sort out.

[jonm61]

I just broke mine down out of curiousity and found the opposite. My 1 SW99c magazine spring is longer than the 2 P99c magazines. It's not by much; they both have the same number of coils.
I'm not sure when the SW99c magazine was made, but my P99c was built in 2009.

Top one is the P99c, bottom is SW99c. Notice that the SW99c spring has a tip that's angled up, where the P99c does not.



I know my couch doesn't make the best background, but of the pics I took, this was the best side by side. SW99c on the left, P99c on the right.


I know that my full size P99 magazines have the same upward angle on the tip of the spring as the SW99c does, or at least my older ones do. I haven't looked at the new ones that S&W sent me back with my gun.

Considering that, at least in .40, there have been 3 different followers, I wouldn't be surprised to find different springs have been used at various points.

Mec-Gar makes them all, so it's possible, especially during a transition between parts, like going from one spring to the other, that parts could be intermixed on the assembly line. It could also be possible that a full size spring got installed in a compact magazine. The difference in length isn't that big.

[olstyn]

My carpet isn't the best background, either (apparently I need to vacuum, apologies about the hair), but here goes.

P99c on the left, SW99c on the right. As you can see, my P99c spring has 2 more coils than my SW99c spring, and both of mine have more coils than either of jonm61's springs, and neither has the funky bend at the top.