When Glock shipped its 15-round magazines for the 43X and 48 earlier this year, a lot of owners who had already moved to Shield Arms S15 mags ran into a little bit of a parts conflict. Steel S15 magazines are strongly recommended to be used with a steel magazine release so they don’t chew up the factory polymer catch, but according to XTech Tactical, existing steel releases will not accept Glock’s new wider 15-round magazine, and forcing one in can lock it in the gun. XTech’s answer is their new X-CATCH FX, a machined-steel, extended release dimensioned to work with both magazines in the same pistol.
More from XTech Tactical @ TFB:
X-CATCH FX Steel Magazine Release Takes Glock 15-Round and S15 Mags
A machined-steel, extended release ends the forced choice between Glock's new 15-round magazine and steel aftermarket magazines
"GILBERT, AZ
Nov. 3, 2026
XTech Tactical today launched X-CATCH FX, an all-steel, extended magazine release for the Glock 43X and 48. It is the only steel release engineered to run both Glock OEM 15-round and Shield Arms S15 magazines in the same pistol.
The problem
- Steel magazines like the Shield Arms S15 wear down polymer and aluminum releases.
- Existing steel releases won't accept Glock's wider 15-round magazine. Forced in, it locks in the pistol.
- Glock's stamped-steel 15-round magazine is about .020" wider than its polymer 10-round, and its formed dimple varies from mag to mag. Paired with a warped, injection-molded factory release, drop-free is inconsistent.
The X-CATCH FX solution:
- Machined steel, so no molding warp; made in USA
- Dimensioned for the full width range of Glock OEM 15-round and Shield Arms S15 magazines
- Proprietary beveled, tumbled engagement face reduces wear on polymer magazines
- Extended button releases from anywhere on its face; the factory release works only from its front edge
- Reversible for left- or right-handed shooters; installs with the factory spring
- Fits all Glock 43X and 48 variations
- Also accepts Glock OEM 10-round and PSA 15-round magazines (not recommended for primary use)
“43X and 48 owners have lived through patent fights, baseplate failures and feeding complaints across brands. They've earned the right to run whatever magazine proves itself in their gun, without continually modifying their pistol,” said Jeremy Deadman, Founder and Managing Member of XTech Tactical. “What looks like a simple part took hundreds of hours of engineering and iteration. With this much variance on such a small surface, it's like threading a needle. Our own magazines for this platform are coming next, and when they do, we want people dropping them, beating on them and comparing them to everything else. X-CATCH FX means you can run them all and let the results decide.”
Availability:
Machining the part avoids the molding warp XTech attributes to factory releases, and cutting it to cover the full width range of two different magazine designs means owners no longer have to commit to one magazine family. The beveled, tumbled engagement face, similarly, is XTech’s attempt to limit the wear steel releases typically put on polymer magazines, though the product page still cautions that long-term use with Glock 10-round or PSA 15-round polymer magazines “may deform magazine due to polymer interface.” The X-CATCH FX installs with the factory spring, flips for left-handed shooters, and carries an MSRP of $39.95 with a lifetime warranty. From speaking to the Deadman himself, he also confirms that XTech’s own 43X/48 magazines are coming next, which should make for an interesting comparison once they get here and I have some in my hands.
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