when do you trust your AR mags?

Jayne

Jayne

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I've got exactly 2 mags that I've actually used in my AR and are known good, as well as some new pmags, brownells branded aluminum and PSA branded aluminum mags.

How many rounds do you run through a mag before you say "yep, that one is good" and put it into the "would trust your life to it" pile?
 
I have two 20 round Colt mags that were made in early 80's. I personally rebuilt them with fresh springs and set the feed lips with a lip gauge I've had for years. Those two mags are the ones that are staged with my HD carbine. They do get some work but they are not dropped on concrete and kicked around any longer. To me the 20 round mags are more balanced and I prefer them.

As to others, I have a box full of old GI mags and another box of rebuild kits (a fresh follower, spring and floor plate) to rebuild 'em as I need them. They all have get the feed lips gauged and set along with a good cleaning rust inhibitor treatment. They ain't brand new pretty after the rebuild but they are reliable ... I've had new mags that the feed lips are not set correctly and would not feed properly. In fact all mags I own with metal feed lips get the same treatment since the a big point of failure of a mag fed firearm is the damn mag.

As far as polymer mags go Magpuls do a good job but I prefer Lancer L5 hybrids. I have had some older Magpuls with worn damaged feed lips from wear, dropping and such but the Lancers haven't shown that yet ... they aren't as old or had as much work yet.
 
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I run Troy 30 round Battlemags and have never had a problem. I have a few Magpul 20 rounders with the same results.
 
I've got Troy's, Magpul, and Lancer L5's that have never given me a problem, along with some Aluminum GI mags that all run great. I have run about 10 each in classes, with no issues, and would trust them completely.

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I run Pmags and rebuilt good ole GI mags. Have mostly 30 rounders, think I have 1 20 and I have a homemade 5 rounder.
 
I have GI, Bushmaster ban era, and Pmags mostly. Never had a malfunction that that traced to any of them. Unless damaged I will trust them and others like them.

My $5 Thermolds, not so much, only fail to lock back but just holding them makes you wonder if they're gonna come undone.

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I've only had problems with one magazine, an off brand 40 rounder. The feed lips got a little dinged and I had to smooth them out. But I can't recall ever having a magazine related issue, and I mainly use GI and Pmags.


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I bought a ton of those GI Mags on CSC back in the day. took them apart, washed them out, put new followers in them, light coat of oil…. and they are like butta.

Oh, and those ranger plates….I dunno about those. Theory is cool, but had some issues seating a mag once and it was like smacking a spring on the bottom of the mag. eh.
 
I have a few HK (maritime mags) a couple Magpul, Troy and GI (Colt) that I trust. The majority I own are unproven, unfired and still in the wrappers.
 
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I've always ran Colt 20 round mags with metal followers. Other than cleaning and replacing springs they've always been reliable.
 
Sounds like a lot of people are happy with all of their AR mags, and if they're not dented up they just work.

Most of my AR experience was in CA where bastardized chopped up "10 round" mags were the norm. That stuff rarely worked, but it was all we could get back in the early days of the 2nd ban. They kept taking 30s and cutting the middles out and spot welding them back together.
 
I've gone thru thousands of USGI mags over the decades in SF. I generally run at least one mag on a range with them before I would go off to the sound of guns. In 05' with 5th SFGA had a Reserve unit in Balad Iraq give me 40,000 rds of M855 already loaded in USGI 30 rd mags. Thats about 1,333 mags! I was giving those things away on the range (had a 485 yd KD range on our compound and I ran 7 scheduled ranges a week for 6 months). If I had a mag go bad it became a target or smashed with a hammer. Had a pallet of NIB 30 rd mags (40 cases of 100) I was issuing out as late as last year in Kuwait/Iraq.

Back in the late 80s had some Thermold get issued to us in 1/10th SF in Bad Tolz Germany. You could use the Thermold stripper clips and mags as fuel starters in a winter survival situation. Cracked the back of one and kept it for malfunction drills (mag marked). Still have about 100 of the USGI 20's which I still use a few in combat. 20s don't bang your knees when carried muzzle down between your legs in armored vehicles/AC. You can also have a 20 loaded inside a 1950 weapons case when parachuting where you can't a 30 and its ready when you hit the ground. Jumping exposed a 30 fits better holding the reserve chute belly band but is so taped up that firing upon hitting the ground is a slow process.

Got issued lots of HK Maritime mags between 03-04' but found out that they are heavier and not so great. PMags I started using in Iraq in 08' and are the only non USGI I'll trust. Had one 20 rd mag that I kept loaded in the safe for over 3 decades. Just shot it last Dec and it feed and functioned as if I just loaded it. I clean/inspect my mags when they get dirty, covered in sand or after swimming in saltwater.

CD

ETA- do have one steel mag that has stood the test of time. Got one NATO FNC 30 rd mag that works as it should. Heavier than the USGI and doesn't have a bolt hold open. Picked that one up in Germany in 00' which will work in a AR15.
 
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I have more than one. I don't sweat it. If one fails I'll swap it. That's why we practice reloads.
 
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