How can a lower the capacity on my M&P 9mm?

Question

I recently purchased a Smith & Wesson M&P in 9mm, and I want to carry it as a sidearm when hunting, but I think the max allowable capacity for hunting is 9 total. The magazine currently holds 17. I would like it to be a temporary modification, because they are very expensive mags. Any Ideas?

The state says "A conventional (smokeless powder) handgun must be .35 caliber or larger and loaded with straight-walled cartridges and may be single- or multiple-shot but cannot exceed a maximum capacity of nine rounds in the barrel and magazine combined."
So I can't have any extra room in the mag. It's a capacity issue, it's not just about the number of rounds I have put in the mag.

Doc,
I didn't say that I was going to use the pistol to hunt deer. I wanted to carry it as a side arm, more or less something for a finishing shot, because I am not a fan of blasting a deer with a $3 slug at point blank. Too good of a chance of wasting good meat.

Answer 1

For hunting use, and not to bypass high-cap magazine bans, you should be good dropping a block or something into the bottom to prevent the follower from making it all the way down. If you're stopped by a game warden, he'll see that you're not readily able to load more than 8 in the magazine and one in the chamber, which is good enough for hunting in much the same way that a longer follower or a dowel in your shotgun works to limit capacity where required by hunting laws. So with the floorplate off, drop eight rounds in, stick a dowel or the end of a ruler in there, and cut it off a quarter of an inch shorter than it's sticking out. This should give you the extra room to get the eight round in the magazine, and then let you still load a full magazine on a pistol with a closed slide.

Midway USA has some 10 rounders available, and they're not so much there:
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=862846&t=11082005

Answer 2

You know, sometimes, game laws are just stupid.

Example #1:

A friend told me about preparing for the first ever legal handgun hunt in Iowa. He had a Thompson Center Contender with a 14" barrel and chambered in .308 Winchester. The night before opening day, a Game Warden stopped by the hunting camp. During the BS session, my friend showed the Game Warden his Contender. The Game Warden chewed a moment, and spit in the fire with a grim look. He said, "I sure hope I don't see you with that Contender in the woods tomorrow. I'd hate to have to give you a ticket and take your gun. The LAW says, "Straight-walled pistol cartridge, .357" or larger. That Contender ain't legal." So, even though my friend had a handgun chambered for a RIFLE CARTRIDGE, he had to hunt with a borrowed .357 Magnum.

Example of stupid game laws #2:
The fact that the statement "A straight-walled cartridge .35 caliber or larger," makes a 9 mmP pistol a legal hunting weapon.

Jason,

Lots of folks will tell you that a 9 mmP is marginal for stopping a man. I won't go that far, but I will tell you that using it to hunt anything bigger than a squirrel or rabbit is downright UNETHICAL!!!! The 9 mmP is no more suitable for hunting than the .38 S&W SPL loaded with 158 gr. LRN bullets.

Either use a magnum revolver or stick to a long gun, that flatgun of yours just doesn't have the power to humanely take a deer.

Doc

Answer 3

The simple and cheap solution is to not put more than 9 rounds in the magazine if that is the max that the law allows in your state. It doesn't matter what the capacity of your magazine is as long as you don't exceed the allowable limit of 9 rounds.

Answer 4

I have had good luck snapping a few legos (the children's toy building blocks) together and putting it in the bottom of the magazine. It will require taking the floorplate off the magazine and trial and error to get the correct thickness to limit to 9 round capacity, but it is very easily reversable.

Answer 5

You'd bettter make sure that your state allows for a supplemental firearm to be in the field. Here in Ohio you are in trouble if you go out on a hunt with a sidearm riding shotgun to your deer/turkey shotgun (among other things).

Update: Forget trying to modify a magazine. Take another handgun with you.

1911....7/8+1 rounds
Common revolver.....6 rounds

Answer 6

Just load 9 rounds in your magazine. That should work for you and save you money...

Answer 7

I'm sure you can order a 10 round magazine from Smith and Wesson or Midway or even Brownells.

Answer 8

Just load 9 shells into the mag....