... I routinely buy firearms to match mags that I have on the shelf. Sort of feels like I'm saving money - whether I really am or not kind of varies, but I'm happy with the results!
So, it happened again - got some mags, and had to go find a gun to use them with!
Specifically, I won 6 brand new 11-rd Taurus factory TH40C mags on GunBroker for $11; so what to do with them (since I didn't own a TH40C)? Did some research, and turns out the TH9C & TH40C kind of remind me of my Security-380; similar size, hammer-fired, with a frame-mounted safety (but DA/SA). That sounded good to me, and got me to searching for TH40s and related stuff. Next thing I found was a TH40C parts kit (everything but the frame, PLUS a 15-rd mag) for $34. Great, that gave me 7 factory mags and a full spares kit! All I needed was a pistol, or a stripped frame.
Unfortunately, there were no used TH40Cs on GunBroker, and the new ones were running around $300, so I started looking at TH9Cs - figured a lot of companies' 9s & 40s use the same frame. Bad news: found info at the Taurus forum that the TH40 & TH9 slide/barrel assemblies ARE interchangeable, but TH40 mags are slightly bigger around than the 9mm mags, and will NOT fit the TH9 mag well.
So, about that time, I happened to win 3 new-in-the-wrap Springfield XD-40 mags for $5 each shipped. So what to do with those (since I don't own an XD)? That got me searching for info on XDs & XD mags, and I found out that XD-9 and XD-40 mags are the same size. I also stumbled across some posts on the Taurus forum - apparently the Taurus TH9 (and earlier PT809) mags were almost exact copies of Springfield XD-9 mags (although the plastic XD baseplates might need a little trimming, and the XD follower doesn't lock the Taurus slide back on empty). But Springfield XD-9 mags will definitely fit & function in a Taurus TH9.
Soooo... that suggested to me that my XD-40 mags would fit and function in a Taurus TH9 frame with a TH40 top half installed. Found a like new, in-the-original-box Taurus TH9C on GunBroker for $150 (with tax, shipping & transfer fee just under $200). The Taurus TH40C top half fits the TH9C frame; the XD-40 mags fit (after 10 minutes spent sanding the base plates), and with Taurus mag followers swapped in, function perfectly & lock back the slide.
Ended up being a nice low-budget project gun: it's got a decent trigger & the safety is on the frame where I like it (plus you can carry it 'cocked & locked' if so inclined); both slides came from the Taurus factory with properly licensed, 'real deal' Novak steel sights (Ruger take note ;^); I've got enough inexpensive mags to keep me happy (added some more factory XD mags for $5 each shipped); and it's fed/fired/ejected everything I've tried so far, including my reloads, in both 9mm and 40. Fun little auto pistol!
Next on the project list - maybe look for an affordable Walther P99 / Smith SW99 / Magnum Research MR-40 to go with a few of those mags that I've got!
Edit: Forgot to mention, looks to me like Springfield XD (not XDM) magazines might fit the SR magwell in a Ruger PCC, with just a few minutes work with a Dremel on the mag catch slot. Might be another future project to try out!
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