Editor’s Note: In this review, Ryan Domke evaluates the ProMag 50-round drum magazine for the 9mm Springfield Armory Kuna. This Made in the USA polymer magazine provides a lot of shooting between changes. Domke gives us a close look at how well it performs. The magazine was provided to the author by ProMag for this review.
If there is one word I would use to describe shooting the Kuna, it’s fun. And while the standard magazines give you plenty of capacity for most range sessions, sometimes you just want to have a little more fun.
That is where the ProMag 50-round drum magazine comes in. Designed specifically for the Kuna chambered for the 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge, this ProMag drum takes magazine capacity to the next level.
I’ve brought the ProMag drum to my last few range sessions, and while it certainly isn’t going to replace my factory magazines, it makes for a pretty interesting addition to the gun. Yes, it’s heavier, bulkier, and pricey, but the additional rounds justify it all. Or do they?
First Impressions
I was actually surprised upon receiving the drum that it wasn’t a bit larger than it wound up being. Don’t get me wrong, it’s big, but not THAT big.
A 50-round drum is never going to disappear into a range bag the way a standard magazine does, and that is still especially true when you compare it to the factory magazines that come with the Kuna.
The made-in-the-USA drum is constructed from a proprietary DuPont Zytel-based polymer, with an injection-molded follower and a heat-treated stainless steel magazine spring, which, on paper, does sound like a successful combination. And thanks to that mostly polymer construction, it’s not as heavy as you might think.
There is also something undeniably unique about seeing the drum attached to the Kuna. The combination gives the Kuna a completely different look and will turn heads quite a bit at the range.
ProMag 50-Round Drum Features
The biggest feature is obviously the capacity, but we’ve already made that clear, so we’ll focus on the other key features.
Arguably more important than the capacity is the reliability. This isn’t a universal drum that simply happens to work with the platform. It is specifically built for the Kuna. That dedicated fit is important because a drum magazine has to interface correctly with the firearm to reliably feed ammunition…or what is the point?
To help you load the 50 rounds, you’ll find a massive rotary-crank on the front of the drum. Instead of fighting that spring tension, you can use the crank to relieve pressure on the follower and create a little more room inside the drum. That makes getting the final rounds loaded much easier than simply trying to muscle them into place.
While you can still load the drum magazine in the same way, you’re going to have a hard time loading up rounds after the first few, or at least I did. If you don’t want to do it that way, ProMag also includes a more traditional loader in the package as well, but I found it much harder to use than the rotary-crank.
At the Range
This is where the ProMag drum proved its price (which is $125.99, by the way).
In the short amount of time I’ve had this drum magazine, I’ve put exactly 250 rounds through it (five full drums) with no issues. I acknowledge that amount is far from a longevity or torture test, but for a magazine that is only going to see range use for me, that’s a good enough start to say it’s “reliable”.
From a practical standpoint, I also appreciated that the drum did not make the Kuna feel completely unwieldy. Obviously, adding a larger and heavier magazine changes the balance of the firearm, but it didn’t feel all that different and definitely did not make it hard to handle.
Drum vs. Factory Magazine
While the ProMag drum is the focus here, it’s worth comparing it more closely to the standard Kuna magazine because the two serve very different purposes.
The factory 30-round magazine is the more versatile option. It’s slimmer, lighter, and obviously built to exact factory specifications, leading to top-notch reliability. The translucent polymer construction also gives you an easy way to see your remaining ammunition.
The ProMag drum gives you 20 additional rounds, but you also get a considerably larger magazine hanging underneath the gun.
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For general range use, either can work. For home defense or if the Kuna is being used as a truck gun of sorts, you’re far better off sticking with a factory 30-round magazine.
That’s probably the best way to look at the two. The ProMag isn’t replacing the factory magazine. It’s adding another option for the range.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- 50-round capacity (obvious but still the main selling point)
- Durable polymer construction
- Has been reliable throughout my personal testing
- Reduces time spent reloading
- FUN…lots of fun
Cons
- Considerably larger and heavier than the factory 30-round magazine
- 3-4x more expensive than the standard factory magazine
Final Thoughts
So, is the ProMag 50-round drum magazine worth buying for your Kuna? For me, the answer is yes, as long as you understand what you’re buying.
This isn’t a replacement for your factory magazines. It is big, it is bulky, and it takes longer to load. But that isn’t really the point. The ProMag 50-round drum is a range accessory, and in that role, it does exactly what I wanted it to do.
If you own a Kuna and want something that makes range days a little more entertaining, the ProMag 50-round drum is worth a look.
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