jgrider
Member
Has anybody tried these modifications?
I used to use flat MK/PM steel base plates on our K9's for more concealability. Then I realized that if I ground down the ridge that runs around the bottom of the plastic base plate, it then only stuck out as much as a flat base plate, which IMHO is a nicer look. What you end up grinding off is a little more than the the step/shelf at the front of the plastic base plate.
This is the before and after base plate bottoms
At first I was concerned about weaking the plates, but we've been using them since 1999 in our K9s.
On our PM9's I also installed factory K9 base plates. We felt that the wider base gave us a complete grip with our ring finger
and a place to grip with the tips of our little finger along the side.
I also ground down the bottom of the bases because the step/shelf wedged in between our ring and little finger, and again to duplicate the protrusion of the flat base plate. I also had to grind down the tops of the base plates to make them a little shorter for the PM9's so that the mags travel further up the mag well to engage the mag lock.
I know that a lot of people know about using K9 base plates on PM9s, but I don't know if they realize that with the thicker K9 plastic locking tab, everything bottoms out inside a fully loaded mag when you insert it into the gun. This could retard your slide travel and also put undue stress against the base plate, the mag release button and shelf. No you can't use the steel locking tabs. The buttons are too short to hold securely.
For those interested, these are the measurements that work for me.
I grind down the flat side of the plastic locking tab to .070" thickness.
After I grind down the bottom of the base plates flat, I grind the tops down until I get .190" - .195" total height.
Wife's PM9
My PM9
Wife's K9
My K9
I used to use flat MK/PM steel base plates on our K9's for more concealability. Then I realized that if I ground down the ridge that runs around the bottom of the plastic base plate, it then only stuck out as much as a flat base plate, which IMHO is a nicer look. What you end up grinding off is a little more than the the step/shelf at the front of the plastic base plate.
This is the before and after base plate bottoms
At first I was concerned about weaking the plates, but we've been using them since 1999 in our K9s.
On our PM9's I also installed factory K9 base plates. We felt that the wider base gave us a complete grip with our ring finger
and a place to grip with the tips of our little finger along the side.
I also ground down the bottom of the bases because the step/shelf wedged in between our ring and little finger, and again to duplicate the protrusion of the flat base plate. I also had to grind down the tops of the base plates to make them a little shorter for the PM9's so that the mags travel further up the mag well to engage the mag lock.
I know that a lot of people know about using K9 base plates on PM9s, but I don't know if they realize that with the thicker K9 plastic locking tab, everything bottoms out inside a fully loaded mag when you insert it into the gun. This could retard your slide travel and also put undue stress against the base plate, the mag release button and shelf. No you can't use the steel locking tabs. The buttons are too short to hold securely.
For those interested, these are the measurements that work for me.
I grind down the flat side of the plastic locking tab to .070" thickness.
After I grind down the bottom of the base plates flat, I grind the tops down until I get .190" - .195" total height.
Wife's PM9
My PM9
Wife's K9
My K9
