Are you having a hard time finding 9mm magazines for your Rock Island Armory A2 HC Pistol? We have them.

This post was updated July 23, 2022

July 25, 2022 Update: Our third generation tuned Mec-Gar 9mm mags for the RIA A2 HC pistols are now available. We offer 10, 15 and 17 round versions – Click here if you are interested.

I’m a fan of Armscor’s Rock Island Armory (RIA) staggered magazine pistols – the A2 HC series. They took the ParaOrdnance design of the 1911 that uses a staggered magazine to hold more ammo and made it their own. In a staggered design, the rounds offset left and right but come up to a common single feeding point at the top of the magazine. This enables round counts that are almost double the original single stack design but requires a fatter grip to hold these thicker magazines.

It can be a challenge to find quality magazines for these pistols as Rock Island and Mec-Gar struggle with COVID and supply chain issues. We entered the market in 2021 with magazines for the 10mm & .40 S&W pistols and now we are introducing magazines for the 9mm pistols.

In case you are wondering, I own both a RIA 56645 Pro Ultra Match HC and a 51679 Tac Ultra FS HC 9mm so that is what I am using for design and testing. By the way, “FS” means it is a full size 1911/2011 vs. something more compact like a Commander. The “HC” means it is the higher capacity. Some times you’ll see RIA refer to “A2” and that is a marketing opportunity for them because there was testing and consideration by the Army of what would could come after the M1911A1 in 2004 and they were bantering around the designation M1911A2 but they did not go far down that path.

Our current magazine offering is based on a Mec-Gar P18 mag that we then ensure the feed lips are gapped to line up on the feed ramp correctly, add a ceramic dry lube, use Dawson base plates (the sizes vary) and holds 17 rounds. The result is a very reliable magazine and we test each one. For folks with the v2 mags, this new v3 mag fixes the stabilization challenges we had trying to run a 9mm round in a 10mm mag tube. By using the P18 9mm mag tube, the rounds are properly stabilized by the follower so no more dipping and extra loading steps that our second generation required.

By the way, I am really happy to return to using Mec-Gar magazines as the base that I build on. The bodies, heat treating, and springs are all excellent.

SteelWorx Dummy Rounds For Testing Now

Also of important note: When it comes to testing, we have stopped using A-Zoom snap caps. Unfortunately, their machined “bullet” does not match the profile of a real world 115gr FMJ round. This caused us to “pass” mags that we would not have had the correct shape of bullet been used. We now test with dummy rounds that do match the 115gr bullet.

As of July 21st, we are no longer use Zoom 9mm snap caps in our QA testing. Note the difference in the snap cap (left in blue) and a real CCI Speer 115gr 9mm round (on the right). That difference in shape can be problematic when verifying mags are good to go.

On the left is a CCI Speer 115 gr FMJ live round. In the middle is a SteelWorx dummy round made from machined stainless steel and on the right is a Zoom snap cap that is different. We are now using SteelWorx for magazine feed, extraction and ejection quality testing.

Taylor Freelance Mag Extensions Work!

Many have asked if the Taylor Freelance magazine extensions will fit these mags and the answer is “yes”. Act-Mag is the OEM supplier of the .40 & 10mm mags to RIA and that is what our 9mm mags are based on. Note, these are the longer mags they mention so adding a Taylor extension to one of our mags will probably be too long for competition use.

July 25, 2022 Update: Our third generation tune Mec-Gar 9mm mags for the RIA A2 HC pistols are now available. We have a 17 round model plus now have limited mags for people in regulated locales – both 10 and 15 round versions that are riveted shut – Click here if you are interested.

Click here to go to our store that has the 9mm mags.

Conclusion

We now have mags for a number of the RIA 9mm high cap (HC) pistols. If you are concerned about whether they will function in your pistol, we will stand behind them if you run into any problems — customer service is something we take very seriously.

Please email me if you have any questions or suggestions.

Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at info@roninsgrips.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.