Drum Magazines vs. Extended Magazines: Which Are Right For You?

So you’ve made up your mind that you want as many rounds as possible at your disposal. Great! Then you’re in the right place. 

When it comes to increasing your firearms capacity, there are two options: extended stick/box magazines and drum magazines. Whether you have a rifle, pistol, or shotgun, there are so many magazines available that will help you achieve maximum capacity.

Why would you want so many rounds? I can think of plenty of reasons, but a few that jump to the top of the list are breaking in a new gun, protecting yourself and your family in the event of a home invasion, and plain old-range fun with friends. 

Today, we’re comparing them to see which is better. And we wouldn’t be doing ourselves or you a service if we didn’t recommend a few of our favorites. 

Capacity 

When we look at capacity, it’s going to vary by caliber and specific magazine, of course, but you can typically expect a drum magazine to hold more rounds than even the largest extended magazines. 

Let’s look at one of the most popular calibers out there, the 9mm. 

The largest stick magazines you’ll typically find will hold between 35 and 40 rounds on average. While nobody should be complaining with that many rounds in a single magazine, once you step into the drum magazine realm, you can bump those numbers up to 50+!

The winner: Drum mags

Reliability

While various brands have stronger reputations than others, many have had enough time perfecting their offerings to where you can expect the drum or extended magazine to function reliably. 

I’ve probably heard a few more complaints stemming from extended magazines, but that could be partially due to the fact that not as many people run drum magazines. Every now and then, a random extended or drum magazine gives me some trouble, but that can go for any magazine at any capacity. 

Winner: Draw

Durability

If you drop a fully loaded 50-round drum magazine on the concrete, that extra weight will really test the construction material, whether it be polymer or steel/metal. Thankfully, many manufacturers, such as Magpul, reinforce their drum mag offerings to account for this. Therefore, I would say it’s too close to call a clear winner. 

Winner: Draw

Versatility

For the length you save with a drum mag, you wind up adding an awkward and bulky shape that won’t fit in your magazine pouches, certain gun cases, or even some nightstands. Extended mags, while lengthy, have the leg up in terms of versatility as they can still fit most of those mentioned. Additionally, reloading with an extended magazine will feel much more natural and play into muscle memory more. 

Winner: Extended mags

Value

I have to give this to the extended magazines. They often come in at a much more affordable price per magazine, so you can purchase a few for the price of one drum magazine. Of course, this will vary by specific magazine, but unless your #1 goal is reloading less at the range, you may want to think about opting for a few extended mags.  

Winner: Extended mags

Pick Your Poison

Now that you’ve hopefully decided on what type of magazine you want, here are some recommendations for popular platforms!

AR-15 (5.56/.223)

Drum 

We all know and trust Magpul, so this first recommendation was a no-brainer. The PMAG D60 provides the same durability and reliability you’ve come to expect from PMAGs but delivers 60 rounds! You’ll even find an easy-to-use loading lever, paint pen dot matrix, and a rear-facing witness window. What else can you ask for?

Extended

Surprise! You can get the same 60-round capacity as the drum mag above but in a detachable box magazine format. The S60 Gen 2 features a quad-stack design to achieve maximum capacity and has everything you’d want, such as a high-visibility follower, great texturing, and side-facing witness windows.

AK-47 (7.62×39)

Drum 

Steel construction and a polymer follower provide a perfect blend of durability and reliability, while the unique crank system allows you to quickly and easily load magazine after magazine. Did you happen to see it holds 75 rounds?! 

Extended 

This 40-round extended magazine is another KCI offering that will ensure your AK is ready to roll at a moment’s notice. Constructed from hardened steel and featuring KCI’s Cation Electrodeposition Coating, durability will never be a concern. 

Pistol/PCC

Looking at pistol magazines makes it a little bit trickier to recommend just one or two since there are so many different models, but for the sake of the article, we’ll focus on double-stack Glock 9mm magazines. 

Drum 

With 50 rounds of 9mm at your disposal, you’ll be able to enjoy more shooting and less reloading every time you hit the range. These ProMag drum mags are constructed from a proprietary polymer and feature a steel insert within the magazine tower that help to keep the weight low and the durability high. 

Extended

It doesn’t get more reliable than the factory 33-round Glock magazines. If you want to increase your capacity while staying within the factory magazine category, these are for you! Polymer construction with steel inserts, anti-tilt polymer followers, and rear-facing witness holes can all be found just like with your standard 15 or 17-round magazines. 

Shotgun

Drum 

This 20-round drum mag from ProMag will provide you with enough 12-gauge firepower to take out a horde of zombies. And although the drum is polymer for weight reduction purposes, you’ll find steel feedlips for maximum reliability. 

Which Should You Buy?

Our answer will almost always be both because why not?! But let’s be honest: buying a few extended stick magazines rather than a single drum mag makes much more sense in most scenarios.

Once you decide what your intended purpose(s) for your new potential magazines are, you can then decide which makes more sense. If you have any questions about specific magazines or need help deciding, feel free to reach out to one of our magazine experts!