Best AR Magazines?

[TomAiello 26]

Anyone have an opinion on the best (5.56) magazines for an AR?

I'm partial to the HK mags, but they're pretty spendy.

I've beat up a lot of PMags, and they seem to work best for the low end of the price range.

I also bought some of the CMMG "Immortal" mags that have been pretty good, so far.

I've used a lot of mil-spec (mostly Colt) mags, and haven't been as impressed with them.

I also like the Barrett 6.8 mags. If they made a 5.56 version, I might be tempted away from the HK's for them.

Anyone got any thoughts? I'd especially be interested to hear from LouDiamond, or anyone else who's actually had to count on the damn things in a real situation.

-- Tom Aiello

Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[mnealtx 0]

I'm still an AR newb, and definitely NOT using them 'in harm's way', but I've got a couple PMags and they seem really nice.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[rushmc 23]

Quote

Anyone have an opinion on the best (5.56) magazines for an AR?

I'm partial to the HK mags, but they're pretty spendy.

I've beat up a lot of PMags, and they seem to work best for the low end of the price range.

I also bought some of the CMMG "Immortal" mags that have been pretty good, so far.

I've used a lot of mil-spec (mostly Colt) mags, and haven't been as impressed with them.

I also like the Barrett 6.8 mags. If they made a 5.56 version, I might be tempted away from the HK's for them.

Anyone got any thoughts? I'd especially be interested to hear from LouDiamond, or anyone else who's actually had to count on the damn things in a real situation.

I have found the Pmag's to be the best. I also like the stock Armalites.

But when in the 30 rd mags, the Pmags do not miss a beat

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[AggieDave 6]

I've taken Pmags through some decent bullshit and they have always worked. They're cheap, so you can buy a ton of them and its hard to break one. I've had H&K mags get their ears bent and had to trash them, same with just about every other major metal mag on the market. I've seen literally every other polymer mag shit its pants, except for the Pmag.

I also put a MIAD and a CTR on my work AR. Little things make a big difference.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[warpedskydiver 0]

Original Colt steel worked very well, if you do not beat up the feed lips, black follower or the green ones.

Pmags are ok, can be ruined easily.

I liked the Orlites they were cheap and the feed lips did not bend.

I have quite a few Colt Aluminum, if you do not drop then on the lips, no problems.

All have green followers.

I have some AA mags for 6.5 Grendel, they are actually C Products with either Marlube or Teflon.

They work well as long as the feed lips are in correct geometry.


The best magazine that I ever used as far as reliability were Steel 20 round FN/FAL mags, they are more trouble free than any magazine around.

All this revolves around one thing, always test mags for reliability in every condition you can encounter, and make sure you do it before you really need them.

There are mags good enough for the range, mags good enough for hunting, and mags good enough to save your life.

They are not always the same ones.

[warpedskydiver 0]

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I've taken Pmags through some decent bullshit and they have always worked. They're cheap, so you can buy a ton of them and its hard to break one. I've had H&K mags get their ears bent and had to trash them, same with just about every other major metal mag on the market. I've seen literally every other polymer mag shit its pants, except for the Pmag.

I also put a MIAD and a CTR on my work AR. Little things make a big difference.

Metal Mag lips are easily readjusted.

Broken plastic ones cannot be fixed.

[wolfriverjoe 1,523]

Bushmaster are ok.
Original colt are ok.
The old Adventure Line are pretty good.

None are real expensive.

The most important thing I have found is to not put 30 rounds in a 30rnd mag.

If you only put in 28, even the cheap ones will last quite a while.
If you fill them to 30, the lips start to bend fairly fast.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[mnealtx 0]

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Metal Mag lips are easily readjusted.

Broken plastic ones cannot be fixed.

I've not heard of problems with broken lips on the Pmags, but I did read where some of the earlier production runs had some splitting problems along a seam that appears to have been fixed - do you have recent examples of feed lip breakage?

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[warpedskydiver 0]

Yeah but it was an extreme case, he fixed his metal mags and forged on.

Belly flopped onto a rock his ready mags were protected but the others were not, so it was more a function of the ready mag.

If it can be broken it will at the worst time

The guy managed to break a MK48 Mod0

But there was some shit going on.

I use generation 3 stackable ready mags and they work great and really protect the magazines.

ITW makes them

Here are the Pmags in ready mags

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o42/warped60120/JB_28SEP_RANGE3.jpg

and yes that is a WCI brake on that rifle.

[mnealtx 0]

I can't see the pic - they've blocked photobucket over here, too (online storage).

Was the person not using the dustcover on the affected mags?

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[warpedskydiver 0]

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I can't see the pic - they've blocked photobucket over here, too (online storage).

Was the person not using the dustcover on the affected mags?

They were in a pouch that doubles as a drop pouch/dump bag when it is emptied.

The ones in readymags were protected, he never uses the dustcovers.

I have a bunch for the colt as well but they just get in my way.

[mnealtx 0]

I appreciate the info - sounds like the lack of the dustcover was the cause of the breakage.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[AggieDave 6]

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Metal Mag lips are easily readjusted.

I have never, ever, ever had a mag with bent ears that ever worked reliably ever again. For a weekend shooter, getting a double feed every few mags full isn't that big of a deal, but if your putting your life, your partner's life and who knows about the citizens out there, in your rifle, then that's not good enough. I know you know this.

My steel mags have been reduced to range mags, used when on the concrete flat range. Basically, not caring if they get toasted. I'll strip them for parts and chunk the body in the trash.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[namgrunt 0]

best AR mag

N BLOCK CLIP for the M1

.

59 YEARS,OVERWEIGHT,BALDIND,X-GRUNT
LAST MIL. JUMP VIET-NAM(QUAN-TRI)
www.dzmemories.com

[LouDiamond 1]

I'm partial to issue mags and they have worked fine for me. There was a bad batch of them out there some years back and those were junk. The current issue ones work fine but I am pretty sure they aren't made by Colt. Like anything, it requires maintenance periodically,especially if you're in the sand/sea,etc. The Pmag is the next best thing IMO and lots of guys are running them without issue. I simply have so many issue mags that if I ever have an issue with one, I just throw it out, it's usually from wear of the lip, the door on the bottom of the mag or the spring failing/weakening.

Some guys expect mags to last forever after beating on them or running lots of rounds through them and sometimes you just get a shitty one. If I have a questionable mag, it gets moved to the range bag of extras. All my "go to work" mags are fairly new and or have no issues.

If I had to recommend which ones to buy, I'd say and buy the Pmags personally. If you are in need of some, these guys have them in stock in fairly large quantities just about always.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[Ron 10]

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I have never, ever, ever had a mag with bent ears that ever worked reliably ever again

Maybe you are just not doing it right. I have fixed several, and they have been fine.

I don't get into firefights, but I did (and do) trust the metal mags I was issued. They work as well as anything else I have seen and I have a whole freaking bunch of them.

When they start to act up... I mark them and replace the spring.... Presto!!!! New mag.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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Anyone have an opinion on the best (5.56) magazines for an AR?

I'm partial to the HK mags, but they're pretty spendy.

Genuine USGI surplus 20 round. Feed perfectly. Great ergonomics. Affordable before whatever insanity currently going on happened. Not pretty since the anodizing has worn off but we're looking for functionality.

Government contract 30 round magazines work well too. Green followers are supposedly better but I never noticed a difference.

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I've used a lot of mil-spec (mostly Colt) mags, and haven't been as impressed with them.

Apart from aesthetics, what were the problems?

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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The best magazine that I ever used as far as reliability were Steel 20 round FN/FAL mags, they are more trouble free than any magazine around.

Bullet proof and cheap too. I bought a life time supply after the Clinton ban for under $5 each.

[TomAiello 26]

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I've used a lot of mil-spec (mostly Colt) mags, and haven't been as impressed with them.

Apart from aesthetics, what were the problems?

[AggieDave 6]

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Maybe you are just not doing it right.

Maybe not, maybe the people I've trained with are doing it wrong too. Eitherway, I've pretty much walked away from the metal mags and have enough Pmags (for now).

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[warpedskydiver 0]

There are easy ways to reconfigure the lips to fix them for flawless function serrated pliers are not the right tool.

Long nose pliers or a steel arbor shaped in the right geometry are the right tool.

The long nose pliers are to bend them up, the arbor is to insert and beat the lips down to with a lead or rubber mallet.

[TomAiello 26]

Yes, but do you have enough .308 Pmags? They're taking pre-orders now...

-- Tom Aiello

Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[AggieDave 6]

If I bought some AR-10 mags, then I guess I'll have to buy an AR-10. I'll tell my wife you told me I had to!

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[mnealtx 0]

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If I bought some AR-10 mags, then I guess I'll have to buy an AR-10. I'll tell my wife you told me I had to!

So she can beat up you AND Tom?

I will admit, that Patriot Ordnance 308 looks sweet...

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[warpedskydiver 0]

Overgassed, over massed and undersprung.

Hear me now, believe me later.

You can get accurate, or reliable but not both.

Don't expect a really accurate one to last. Don't expect a reliable one to be less than 1moa.

If you want a reliable .308 semi auto get an FAL and work on it. Parts are semi cheap and so are magazines.

An M14 takes a lot of work to be really accurate, they are fairly reliable and not bad at all.

You can get a national match for around $1400

Mags are expensive as all hell.

HK's are expensive to own and maintain.

You can get sub moa with the right ammo.