It may seem odd at first to focus on firearms magazines, but any arm with a magazine is totally dependent upon that magazine for proper function. It doesn’t matter what kind of magazine design, if everything isn’t just right, function fails.

    The shooting sports industry is so incredibly awesome in that to a degree, we pretty much all know each other, or at least know someone who knows about anyone else. It is like a tightly woven tapestry of people and products.

    When it comes to removable magazines for firearms, it is usually a good idea to get at least several. They can get lost or become damaged, and rarely can a seriously damaged magazine be put back into proper service. The overall operation of the firearm hinges on the magazine, so this is serious stuff.

    MEC-GAR probably is not a household name among most shooters, and yet chances are good that most shooters have at least touched pistol or rifle magazines produced by this Italian company.

“MEC-GAR is proud to be an Original Equipment Manufacturer of magazines to most of the prominent firearm manufacturers for the last 40 years,” the company reports.

Those firearms manufacturers who have used and/or continue to use MEC-GAR magazines include AMT, Armscor, Astra, Beretta, Bernadelli, FN Browning, BUL, Charles Daly, Colt, CZ, Girsan, IMI, Kel-Tec, Kimber, Llama, North American Arms, Remington, Ruger, Sarsilmaz, Sigarms, Smith & Wesson, Springfield Armory, STI, Standard Arms, Star, Steyr, Tanfoglio, Taurus, Tisas and Walther.

MEC-GAR is a privately held family-run business that was founded by Edoardo Racheli in 1965. Today MEC-GAR has become to be known worldwide as the largest producer of fine quality rifle and pistol magazines.

“Our state-of-the-art stamping facility and tool shop, unlike many other manufacturers, are 100 percent dedicated to the manufacturing of firearm magazines,” the company reports. “MEC-GAR's distinct advantage is as a ‘one-stop-shopping-center’ for technical design assistance, prototypes, tool design and development and assembly.”

Additionally MEC-GAR has been awarded numerous law enforcement, military and government contracts throughout its history. It has been qualified as the official supplier of Beretta M9/92F 15-round magazines for the U.S. Army and of the SIG P220-A1 7-round magazine for the Federal Agencies.

Of interest to readers is that MRC-GAR magazines are also available on the open commercial market, which means we normal folks can buy them for our firearms. This is no place to cheap out or settle for some less-than-credible pretender. MEC-GAR is the real deal.

I was reminded of all of the above at the recent NRA annual meetings in Phoenix, Arizona as I cruised the show floor and happened across Geoff Barclay, who is one of the old line of manufacturers’ reps in Southern California. He was in the MEC-GAR booth with David Kockel, so we talked magazines. Of course, MEC-GAR is a line that Barclay represents here in California.

    Magazines are just a part of the firearms they fit, but that part is really important. Think about it.

Steve Comus is a nationally recognized hunting editor with Safari Club International and a former WON Guns and Hunting Editor. His column appears every other week in WON and he can be reached at scomus@cox.net.