Menendez Magazine Details
The Menendez Mag v1.0 became a benchmark for 3D printed Glock magazines when the initial design was released in 2020.
Since then, a new and improved Menendez Mag v2.0 came out, significantly improving over the previous version. It fits better into a Glock magwell, decreasing reload times and improving reload control. It also provides easier bullet feeding into the gun and lasts significantly longer.
Today, the Menendez 2.0 Magazine is the primary choice for 3D printed Glock magazines among many gun enthusiasts worldwide.
What Is a Menendez Magazine?
A Menendez Mag is a 3D printable Glock gun magazine(clip) that users can manufacture themselves. It doesn’t serve as a replacement for the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) magazines, but it’s proven to be very reliable.
The entire body of the magazine is 3D printed, except for the spring, which you can buy separately.
The Menendez magazine spring plays an important role in the function of the mag, as a better quality spring improves the performance and feeding of bullets.
The Menendez Glock mag competes well with other mag manufacturers such as Magpul, and it’s even better than ProMag’s Glock magazines.
Menendez Glock Mag in the Wild
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Menendez Magazine History
The Menendez Mag is named after Bob Menendez, a US senator who is a strict opponent of firearms and supports the ban of assault weapons.
He is one of the senators who introduced the “Background Check Expansion Act”, a bill requiring a background check for selling and transferring all firearms.
As a consequence of this, Glock firearm owners started to look for magazine alternatives, and with 3D printing becoming increasingly popular, the Menendez Mag v1.0 emerged. It was designed by Ivan The Troll, which he also improved later in the Menendez 2.0 Magazine.
The magazine was tested by Glock owner individuals who performed hundreds of dry shots with the mag and hundreds more with live ammunition. The mag held up fine without issues, performing very similarly to the OEM Glock mag.
Menendez Magazine Tech Specs
Depending on your preference, you can 3D print the Menendez mag in several capacities:
- A “Mini Menendez” with a 10-round capacity;
- A “Baby Menendez” with a 15-round capacity;
- A “Regular Menendez” with a 17-round capacity;
- An “FGC-9” with a 25-round capacity;
- An “Extendez” with a 30-round capacity.
The difference between all these mags is the length, allowing more bullets to be stored at once. The dimensions of a regular 17-round capacity Menendez are 0.9×1.31×4.75 when measured together with the base of the mag.
The height is the only thing that increases or decreases depending on the mag type. The Menendez Magazine is made from eSun PLA+, which is several times stronger than regular PLA, and provides a strong bonding between the layers of the prints.
As a result of using eSUN PLA+, the body of the Menendez Mag is much stronger and resistant to warping. Wear to the feeding lip is also reduced, as this is often the part that breaks first.
Required Parts for the Menendez Magazine 3D Build
If you own a 3D printer (Ender 3)
If you have a 3D printer, you can practically manufacture each part of the Menendez 2.0 Magazine. In this case, you will need:
- A spool of eSun PLA+, which you can purchase from Amazon or other online websites;
- Dimension plans for the Menendez Mag you wish to make, depending on the type;
- Glock magazine spring jig 3D print plans (optional);
- If you can’t find plans for making a Glock mag spring jig stl, then you can purchase a spring easily online.
If you don’t own a 3D printer
Many people don’t own a 3D printer, and if you’re one of them, you can give the plans for printing the parts of the mag to someone who will manufacture them for you. In that case, you should have the following parts before starting the assembly process:
- The body of the mag, depending on which size you choose;
- A follower;
- A baseplate of your preference will give the mag an aesthetic appeal. If you don’t care about the look, a standard baseplate will work just fine;
- A locking tab;
- A spring (bought or DIY-made).
Depending on the Menendez mag extension, if you choose to manufacture a 17-round mag, you will need a Glock 17 mag spring. If you choose to make an “Extendez” version, you will need a longer Glock 18 mag spring.
You can purchase already manufactured springs or make one using the predetermined Glock magazine spring size and a jig.
The jig can also be manufactured using a 3D printer, so all you would have to purchase is a strong, high-tensile steel wire composed of plain carbon steel.
Because the number of options, custom changes, and doodads that can be added to some think like this magazine is extensive, I’ve added an ‘add-ons’ folder to this package.
Add-Ons can be everything from the included loading tool to custom baseplates.
If you come up with/test/document different sized mag bodies, custom baseplates (such as ones that make the angle of the bottom of the magazine seem more “flat”), or anything to that effect, please package it up and send it to me (@Ivan) on DeterrenceDispensed Rocketchat. If you can’t get Rocketchat to work, you can always email me (ivanthetroll@protonmail.com), but I may be slow to respond.
Note from the author
Frequently Asked Questions
From the results based on the dry cycle testing, the mags can easily handle well over 1,000 rounds. This is because the Menendez 2.0 Mag has been drastically improved over the 1.0 version, and its body is far more rigid.
Even though it is susceptible to swelling, the body will perform quite well and not break. The swelling results from the magazine being left loaded for an extended period, putting more strain on the body.
Based on tests and other data, these mags go well with these gun models:
Original Glock firearms with a capacity of 17, 19, and 26 rounds;
P80 Handguns;
Keltec Sub2000;
FGC-9 MKI and MKII;
WTF-9;
Printed Glock frames and Glock mag-based AR15-9s.
Menendez Mags are very reliable, as far as round feeding reliability is concerned. People that use them claim that they follow the open slide action of the firearm well, ejecting and loading a new round in the chamber with ease.
Some have reported the slide locking too early, but with light sanding on the leg of the follower, that problem is easily resolved.
Leaving a magazine loaded may also tend to swell the body, so it may have a harder time sliding into the magwell; that won’t be a problem if the magazine is stored and unloaded.
Conclusion
Now that you know all about Menendez Magazine v2.0 and what materials you need, you can easily make one on your own. If you are unsure about the steps, you can find them online.
You can also leave a comment below so that we can help you resolve any problems you might face.
DISCLAIMER: This article and/or product is not manufactured, authorized, endorsed, or warranted by GLOCK. “GLOCK” is a federally registered trademark of GLOCK, Inc. and is one of many trademarks owned by GLOCK, Inc. and GLOCK Ges.m.b.H. Neither 3D Gun Builder nor this site is affiliated in any manner with, or otherwise endorsed by, GLOCK, Inc.
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