steel case ammo, download mags by 1?

Jayne

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Not really an AR guy so apologizes if this has been asked before...

When you're running steel case ammo in a metal mag, do you need to always download by 1?

I built up a beater AR and have a bunch of new pmags and new aluminum mags (PSA and brownells). The pmags seem to run fine with 30 rounds of wolf steel in them. The aluminum mags won't feed the first round in very well if at all. rounds 2-30 are ok and if I download it to 29 it seems to work just fine. Wondering if that's normal for steel, or if it's a function of the mags all being brand new?

All the 'serious' ammo is brass and run out of pmags, but the "let's do a mag dump!" ammo is steel.


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I use USGI mags with aftermarket followers, and I don't have to do that.
 
I would bet once they break in a little you'll have better reliability with full mags of steel.
 
Try loading them up and let them sit a few nights and give it another go.
 
I left them loaded for about a week before using them. Compared to the pmags that let you almost load 31 rounds in (so there is a lot of give on the spring still) these steel mags don't give at all when loaded to 30.

I reloaded them all and they'll sit for 3-4 weeks at this point before I can get out again, so maybe that will let the springs relax a little.
 
Are you sure the magazines aren't aluminum? When you say wont feed are you talking about loading the first round of the magazine into the chamber? I use exclusively G.I. Contracts aluminum mags and even when there 20-30 years old they still load the first round in, even the Wolf steel case ammo.
 
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I guess they could be painted aluminum, they just felt pretty solid vs. the old mags I had that I know are aluminum. I'll throw a magnet against them when I get home.
 
"don't give at all" kind of sounds like the follower is bottoming out rather than the spring tension stopping you from pressing the stack down.
 
I seem to have always had trouble when loading a mag to full capacity. Not sure the reason why, but ever since I've gotten into competitive shooting it has helped with feeding. No matter what ammo was in it
 
I've got a lot of the C Products steel mags, and they seem to do fine for me when loaded with 30 rounds, even with steel ammo. May just need some break in, or changing the followers.
 
Are you sure the magazines aren't aluminum?

You are correct, they are aluminum. Magnet wants to grab at the spring but not the mag body. Huh.

Something else I learned tonight with the magnet. I bought 3 cases of S&B brass cased ammo in 1995 (for $100/case) of which I just opened one and it has steel in the projectile. No green tip but it must be M855?
 
Something else I learned tonight with the magnet. I bought 3 cases of S&B brass cased ammo in 1995 (for $100/case) of which I just opened one and it has steel in the projectile. No green tip but it must be M855?
Not necessarily, it may be steel jacketed. What grain is it?
 
I almost always download my mags by 1 to 3 rounds. Regardless of ammo. Better safe than sorry, when it comes to reliability in a social or match situation.
 
I always download by 1 even with PMAHS just in case I missed count and put 31 in it which can happen with some PMags and will cause issues

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I left them loaded for about a week before using them. Compared to the pmags that let you almost load 31 rounds in (so there is a lot of give on the spring still) these steel mags don't give at all when loaded to 30.

I reloaded them all and they'll sit for 3-4 weeks at this point before I can get out again, so maybe that will let the springs relax a little.

From what I've learned, keeping them loaded isn't going to "loosen" up the springs much. If they are static in either position it won't make a difference in flexibility. The spring being used (ie. loaded and unloaded) is what will wear them in. Basically what I'm getting at, is shoot them a good bit. Even if you only load them to 29 rounds use them, that should help with a break-in.
 
I generally download by two with reload mags so that they're easier to seat on a closed bolt.

Excess friction between steel cases and metal mag bodies isn't unheard of. I avoid steel 9mm for this very reason. Though I've never seen it with GI AR mags, it's possible that there's just too much friction between the case and the feed lips to allow reliable feeding in that rifle.
 
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