Regardless of your opinion of the 9mm (and I think it stinks as a military round, it isn't even adequate as a police round), magazines are considered "semi-expendable" in the military. Wanna bet there was no money in the budget for replacement mags during the klinton regime, just like there was no money for small arms ammo production?
I didn't see a new M-9 mag in the FMF fer my last 10 years... only the shooting teams and the boys at the weapons lab had any new gear... M-9 is junk... why do you think the MEUs issue modified 1911s?...