The Army’s Substandard Ammo Magazine Needs to Go

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At alarming rates, U.S. Army personnel are purchasing their own ammunition magazines prior to deployment. That’s because the Army’s official magazine, the Enhanced Performance Magazine (EPM), is far from reliable on the battlefield, and the soldiers know it. The Marine Corps and other branches of the U.S. military have made the switch to more-reliable polymer magazines. Why hasn’t the Army?

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/449569/army-ammunition-magazine-substandard-must-go
 
I bought all of mine the last time I was over there. But then again I bought a lot of my gear.
 
Is the EPM magazine different than normal USGI magazines? I've always heard that the USGI mags work just fine unless damaged in which case you replace them.
 
I don't recall having an issue with any mags I was issued. I didn't buy my own mags, but I did buy a grand worth of other stuff.
 
Because the army is always behind the Marines, never in front ;)
Don't worry, Army Airborne will secure the key structures and zones (pre battle ;)) so the Marines can be the "first" into battle and land by sea and advance with the rest of the Army legs following along.

IMG_0809.JPG
 
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Do you even airborne, at least use a night combat equipment jump photo.
LOL Just the first one that came up in google images. No I don't "airborne" anymore ;) Heck I get tired and sore just climbing in and out the deer stand now. :D
 
Don't worry, Army Airborne will secure the key structures and zones (pre battle ;)) so the Marines can be the "first" into battle and land by sea and advance with the rest of the Army legs following along.

View attachment 17153
82nd will claim a combat jump after SF has already secured the drop zone for the last two weeks. Kidding aside, the problem with M855A1 with its hard nose is that in full auto it tends to eat the softer M4 feed ramps of the receiver. The new mag was to change the angle of the feed into the chamber. PMags already did that but DoD has to develope their own mag. I never got any of the new mags in Iraq last year but did have some on order before I left. All the SEALs, MARSOC and SF guys either used whatever generation USGI mags or PMags. Course they had their choice of M193, M855, M855A1, or Mk262 depending on mission. Course weapon could have been Mk18/CQBR/URG, M4A1 or M16A4 (support Marines).


CD
 
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I think the mags I was issued - early/mid 90s - still had genuine Vietnamese mud caked on them. We always got the bottom of the pile.
 
The Army treats mags as disposable items. If they are not working correctly, toss them and get new.

That said, 30rd USGI mags work fine.

Bingo

This is crazy:

"The reasoning for the reversal? Significant backlash from military personnel. One infantryman in Southwest Afghanistan explained the absurdity of the ban, telling Military.com that the Army-issued EPM magazines “still get bent at the opening and are still prone to getting crushed in the middle.”


Feed lips are bent? Bend them back or toss it. And what's crushing a USGI mag that won't crush a PMag?
 
Polymer mags don't bend like metal. They either obviously break or they work. Metal mags can get bent not so you'd notice but so they don't function well or at all.
 
Funny buy $8 USGI 30round mags never gave me an issue... and when they did I crushed and turned it in for a new one.

The real problem is those in the military who DO NOT weed out and destroy bad mags...the just swap them with other "used" mags and before long most of the units mags are junk.

Never had mag issues in my unit
 
These new EPM mags are only a year old. Most deployments are 6 months. If they are crushing them then they are doing something that will crush a PMag also. Only time I've something crushed was when a M9 pistol fell out of a holster unto a closing ramp of a Bradley Fighting vehicle, crushed the frame and slide.


CD
 
82nd will claim a combat jump after SF has already secured the drop zone for the last two weeks. Kidding aside, the problem with M855A1 with its hard nose is that in full auto it tends to eat the softer M4 feed ramps of the receiver. The new mag was to change the angle of the feed into the chamber. PMags already did that but DoD has to develope their own mag. I never got any of the new mags in Iraq last year but did have some on order before I left. All the SEALs, MARSOC and SF guys either used whatever generation USGI mags or PMags. Course they had their choice of M193, M855, M855A1, or Mk262 depending on mission. Course weapon could have been Mk18/CQBR/URG, M4A1 or M16A4 (support Marines).

CD

Interesting about the ammo and feed lips. Every time you post I feel like I learn something. Thanks for being here.
 
Here's some links on the magazines.
http://soldiersystems.net/2016/08/16/first-look-new-us-army-enhanced-performance-magazine-for-m4a1/
https://www.army.mil/article/177640...azine_optimized_for_m4m4a1_carbine_and_m855a1
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/...performance-magazine-for-m4m16-series-rifles/

As I've stated I haven't had the oppurtunity to try the mags out yet. I have fired the M855A1 using tan and green follower USGI mags with that ammo. Never noticed or had an upper brought to me for repair when I was in Astan/Iraq for two straight years as a SOF small arms repairman. Replaced bolts and shot out barrels but not an upper. If this combination of ammo/mags work then they won't need the M4 feed ramps as rifle ramps will work just as well. Both barrels and uppers are in the system so I need to rebuild them corrrectly.

CD
 
Couple other points about the article.

1. USMC doesn't issue the M855A1 ammo to its troops. They issue the Mk318 SOST barrier ammo.
2. Article is about the Marines adopting the PMag when DoD is flooded with serviceable magazines.
3. AAFES sells PMags and they are a commerical vendor down range. They look at profit, not the welfare of the servicemembers. (can't speak on NEX as they aren't down range) Only thing AAFES sells that has NSN are uniform and some individual field gear. Magazines are not part of it.
4. Not invented here. DoD already screwed PMag by ripping off their no tilt follower by placing the feed on the opposite side (tan follower).

CD
 
If you bend a metal mag it stays bent. If you bend a polymer mag it springs back to the original shape unless you break it. Huge difference.
 
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