Author Topic: AR Magazine questions (Read 4139 times)

Graybeard · « **on:** November 23, 2008, 12:47:42 PM »

OK guys looking for some advice here. I bought a book by Patrick Sweeney on the AR and in it he seems rather high on Magpul products. In the book he only mentions them as supplier of magazine parts but I notice they now also make magazines out of some sort of plastic. Yeah I know I'm sure they don't think of it as plastic and it's likely a polymer or some such.

My first question is have any of you tried these and if so how good and dependable are they? The price is right and since Sweeney is so high on the brand I just wondered if their magazines are worth buying.

Next question concerns loading up the metal mags I now have. I did that yesterday and found it's not a whole lotta fun. The last few round sure didn't wanna go in and the lips seem rather sharp and were doing a job on my right hand pushing them down and in.

So... can you gently file a bit to lessen the sharpness without messing up the mags?

What kinda loading accesory tools are there to make loading them easier? What's the one to get?

Default · « **Reply #1 on:** November 23, 2008, 02:24:25 PM »

Bill I havent filed on any of my AR mags before ... But a good jewlers file i dont think would hurt to get rid of a sharp edge on the feeding lips ... my AK and mini mags over the years have seen files to get perfect fit out of them with no ill effect but different beasts

I have had alot of good luck with bushmaster , DPMS , C-products , Armalite and D&H industries mags ... I'm sure the other guys will let you know thier experiences with mags they have.

I havent had any Magpuls yet ... but you are right they make alot of accessories for the AR mags that alot of professionals use in thier respective lines of work, I have no experience with any of thier gear so no help there other then what i have heard from friends and professionals .. And its all been good ..

Definately stay with top quality mags with the AR ,They are paramount to reliable function of your arm .. i.e. No Promags , national etc.

I cant get any mags other then D&H through 44Mag.com and from DPMS right now ... so they seem to be the ones fastest on the ball to restock thier distrubitors..
Got two in the mail on monday last from DPMS for $12 a piece ( 30 rnd) .... Ack crap just checked 44mag.com and they are already out of stock on those 30 round D&H mags they got in ..they do have thier 20 rounders in thou....

Guess ill be getting my next buy on them from DPMS then .... Oh and last thing bill i got that model 1 site to come up on a google search using " Model1 sales "

hope this helps,

Default

Graybeard · « **Reply #2 on:** November 23, 2008, 06:11:49 PM »

Yes I got the Model 1 Sales site up from the link someone added. It mostly confused me with the vast array of decisions they want me to make on what options to chose. I'm going to pay a visit to bugflipper some time before Christmas and maybe seeing his guns and talking with him about it will help to clarify it all for me.

I'm actually not sure the brand on the 20 or 30 round mags I bought locally. I'm not sure if they even have it marked perhaps I should go look. OK my 30s are Bushmaster and the 20s are C-Products so I assume that means I did good?

What do folks here prefer for defense use mags 20 or 30 round? I got the distinct impression from reading the book by Sweeney he feels some good 20 round mags are really all a fellow needs.

Totenkopf · « **Reply #3 on:** November 24, 2008, 12:18:03 AM »

On the capacity issue, we used 100 rd double drums. For that short duration during the reload a terrible feeling of helplessness ensues. When the weapon is full again life is peachy. So my preference is 20 for target and 30 for defense. Just a little more insurance to eliminate hostiles or get to cover . It's fine to sand the sharp edge off. That is just an effect of the stamping process. Just blunt the bur at 90 degrees to it's point. This will not effect the factory gap of the lips.
On the P-mag yes to all. Very good mag. I only buy them now, still use GI mags also. Please stay away from the two Default warned you about they will let you down. The two you got are actually on the upper end for reliability. Every mag you have needs to have a stainless spring. The two you posted do.

Graybeard · « **Reply #4 on:** November 24, 2008, 04:43:37 AM »

Thanks Totenkopf that's good info to know. I have some more mags on the way from a GBO member that as I understood it are GI mags new in wrapper. Will they come with the SS spring?

Totenkopf · « **Reply #5 on:** November 24, 2008, 05:08:40 AM »

Yes sir, only way they wouldn't would be pre 1969 mags if GI. It's hard to beat GI mags. They are not considered the best by people more knowledgeable than myself. But thank the lord I never had one malfunction so I like em. The magpuls and C-products (actually is a GI mag, just best manufacturing facility) are supposed to be even better.

AtlLaw · « **Reply #6 on:** November 24, 2008, 05:16:41 AM »

Quote from: Graybeard on November 23, 2008, 06:11:49 PM

my 30s are Bushmaster and the 20s are C-Products so I assume that means I did good?

Quote

What do folks here prefer for defense use mags 20 or 30 round? I got the distinct impression from reading the book by Sweeney he feels some good 20 round mags are really all a fellow needs.

Almost all my magazines, something around a hundred, are USGI. After the ban set I bought 6 C products 30's. The opinion at the time being that they were about as good as could be got. I prefer the 20's overall and especially in my A1; they seem to balance better. I don't mind the 30's in the much heavier A2, except for Hi Power Match shooting.

Kinda like young love huh Bill!? Ain't this exciting!?

jsoukup · « **Reply #7 on:** November 24, 2008, 10:16:37 AM »

I didn't think much about the Magpul Pmags till I got some. Very nice. Easy to load, easy on the brass. If you can find some at a reasonable price, get some.

AtlLaw · « **Reply #8 on:** November 24, 2008, 10:42:09 AM »

Quote from: Graybeard on November 23, 2008, 12:47:42 PM

What kinda loading accesory tools are there to make loading them easier? What's the one to get?

The issue charger and stripper clips. The charger fits onto one of the groves in the mag, the stripper clip fits in the charger and you push down on the top round in the clip. BooM! 10 rounds loaded!

Of course if you don't buy your ammo on stripper clips you have to load those, but that's a lot easyier then single round loading a magazine.

Do you have a charger and some stripper clips?

teddy12b · « **Reply #9 on:** November 24, 2008, 11:15:40 AM »

Quote from: AtlLaw on November 24, 2008, 10:42:09 AM

Quote from: Graybeard on November 23, 2008, 12:47:42 PM
What kinda loading accesory tools are there to make loading them easier? What's the one to get?

The issue charger and stripper clips. The charger fits onto one of the groves in the mag, the stripper clip fits in the charger and you push down on the top round in the clip. BooM! 10 rounds loaded! Of course if you don't buy your ammo on stripper clips you have to load those, but that's a lot easyier then single round loading a magazine.

Do you have a charger and some stripper clips?

You beat me to the punch on this. I've been using the stripper clips for some time now. You can find them on Ebay for next to nothing. I think they sell a package of 50 stripper clips for $6. Each stripper clip holds 10 so for $6 shipped you could have 500 rounds orgainzed and ready to go if need be.

As far as loaded mags go. I don't really like to keep the tension on the springs maxed out even if I don't have to even though that's what they're made for. If it's just being kept loaded in case I need something quick, I keep 20 rounds in a 30 round mag.

I can't say enough about buying the stripper clips and a couple guides. They take some getting used to, but they really work.

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=223+stripper+clips&hl=en&emb=0&aq=f#

I don't doubt that I could have every one of my mags frmo completely unloaded to loaded in a few minutes if I needed to.

Graybeard · « **Reply #10 on:** November 24, 2008, 01:32:18 PM »

Quote

Do you have a charger and some stripper clips?

nope sure don't. I'll do some looking to see if I can locate some.

I placed a back order for sixteen of the Magpul mags today ten 30s and six 20s. No one seems to have them in stock. They ran $13.25 and $14.20 each which seems pretty cheap compared to the prices folks are asking these days. I saw some folks asking double that for them. That's MSRP on them I believe.

44 Man · « **Reply #11 on:** November 28, 2008, 10:38:41 AM »

Graybeard, it doesn't matter what magazines you want, you can't find them. When Obama won the election, all the AR owners in the country went crazy trying to beat a new Assult Weapons ban. C-Products says they have orders from their distributors for 1,000,000 mags (yes, that's right. One million) right now. They are the largest supplier in the US. I have some of their Stainless steel mags and they are excellent! 44 Man

Camel 23 · « **Reply #12 on:** December 07, 2008, 01:44:32 PM »

I have some of the Magpul Pmags and really like them a lot. I had a bad feeling before the election and got my orders out earlier than most people I guess. But I think I'm going to stay with the pmags from now on when ordering more mags. As far as 20 vs 30, the 20's are nicer if you are shooting prone or from a bench. The 30's just seem to get in the way unless you are shooting off hand.

CannonKrazy · « **Reply #13 on:** December 07, 2008, 02:59:07 PM »

Quote from: Camel 23 on December 07, 2008, 01:44:32 PM

I had a bad feeling before the election and got mine. The 30's just seem to get in the way unless you are shooting off hand.

This is my feelings also. I bought a few 30s while supplies were plentiful and I could still legally buy them. I'm going to get a few 20s now for hunting and shooting if I can still find them. A couple of places are still letting people back order mags.

Mohawk · « **Reply #14 on:** December 07, 2008, 10:37:57 PM »

Hey GB. Always had better reliability with the metal mags in the AR platform. The .50 Beowulf we had on an AR platform would not even accept polymer mags. Don't know why, the design was the same, but would lock up everytime with the plastic mags......

FourBee · « **Reply #15 on:** December 17, 2008, 07:17:56 AM »

Quote from: Graybeard on November 23, 2008, 12:47:42 PM

My first question is have any of you tried these and if so how good and dependable are they? The price is right and since Sweeney is so high on the brand I just wondered if their magazines are worth buying.

Next question concerns loading up the metal mags I now have. I did that yesterday and found it's not a whole lotta fun. The last few round sure didn't wanna go in and the lips seem rather sharp and were doing a job on my right hand pushing them down and in.

What kinda loading accesory tools are there to make loading them easier? What's the one to get?

Yes I have the PMags and they are nice. They fit well in the mag holders, and come with a dirt/dust cover, and the black ones look good on the black rifle. They are hard to find at the large retail stores, but small town Pawn/Gun Shops have them for sale, but no customers.

The Loading Tool is a must if you do any shooting. Butler Creek makes the LULA Loader for the AR-15's. It's so fast and easy. You can Load or Unload with it very quickly and no sore fingers and thumbs. It's small and compact and fits right into my ammo bags side pocket, so I can tote it right along with me to the range.

ButlerFord45 · « **Reply #16 on:** December 17, 2008, 07:49:54 AM »

Bill, sorry hadn't noticed this post before. Doug (youngest) called home while on first tour in Iraq and asked for 4 HK magazines due to absolute reliability in all encountered conditions. His platoon sargent ( an old friend from a previous assignment) had let him use 3 of his extras. Doug had been duly impressed with their reliability. While home between tours, a rep gave him a couple of magpul magazines. He and his compatriots tried them out, could not make them malfunction, wear out or break, they ran over them numerous times with a hummv, shook the dirt out and continued using them without fault. Doug convinced his PL to order some for the platoon, CO found out, tried them liked them as well and when extra money came to the Company, purchased 6 for everyone. Doug's comment was: "Dad, they are even better than the HK mags, best ones I've ever used".
I believe you may have made a wise decision.

FourBee · « **Reply #17 on:** December 17, 2008, 08:32:56 AM »

Graybeard:
In regards to the LULA Loader/Unloader, don't get it mixed up with their LULA Strip Loader.

Here is their Loader/Unloader:

http://www.cabelas.com/prod-1/0048644225864a.shtml

44 Man · « **Reply #18 on:** December 17, 2008, 10:06:31 AM »

44Mag.com has C-products (the largest AR mag producer) stainless steel 20 round mag's in stock. I have 4 and I love them. 44 Man

Graybeard · « **Reply #19 on:** December 17, 2008, 11:07:38 AM »

Quote from: FourBee on December 17, 2008, 08:32:56 AM

Graybeard:
In regards to the LULA Loader/Unloader, don't get it mixed up with their LULA Strip Loader.

Here is their Loader/Unloader:
http://www.cabelas.com/prod-1/0048644225864a.shtml

Yes that's the product I've been looking at and wondering do I want it or not. I've still not gotten any comments positive or negative from folks actually using it.

I'm still waiting on both of my back orders. One for the $10 mags I think it was had indicated they expected them around the end of last month and had they gotten them then I'd have expected to have gotten them by now. Maybe some day before I need them desperately they'll show up.

CannonKrazy · « **Reply #20 on:** December 17, 2008, 02:27:15 PM »

GB if those 10 dollar mags were ordered from Midway you may have a long wait. I called them last week and asked if the shipment that was due in Dec the 8th had arrived. There comment was yes they had 12000 of them and they had all been shipped. They also said there was 16000 more on order. I hope mine comes in shortly.

Graybeard · « **Reply #21 on:** December 17, 2008, 06:17:19 PM »

Yeah I'm pretty sure they are on back order from Midway. I don't recall just who the Mag-Pul mags are on back order from really.

Buckskin · « **Reply #22 on:** December 20, 2008, 03:04:57 AM »

The Midway Stoner 30 rounders are expected to be in Dec 24th.

Graybeard · « **Reply #23 on:** December 20, 2008, 11:03:22 AM »

Quote from: Buckskin on December 20, 2008, 03:04:57 AM

The Midway Stoner 30 rounders are expected to be in Dec 24th.

I'm pretty sure that's the one I have on back order. I think I asked for 20 of them but my CRS is alive and well and I honestly just don't remember.

Buckskin · « **Reply #24 on:** January 03, 2009, 05:03:21 AM »

If you are looking for mags, here is a good place to look everyday, actually better if you do it a couple times a day because they tend to go quickly. PMags are a little tougher to find now, but some are available for a premium. Good SS or Al's and Lancer's tend to be available here and there regularly

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=17&t=408136

Graybeard, have you recieved your Mags from Midway yet? I ordered in Mid December and haven't seen them yet...

Graybeard · « **Reply #25 on:** January 03, 2009, 06:55:57 AM »

Yes I got a box yesterday from Midway with my 20 30round mags I had on back order. Now I'm only waiting on the 16 mag-pul plastic mags I have on back order. The total bill on the 20 including shipping came to $10.64 each delivered.

Buckskin · « **Reply #26 on:** January 03, 2009, 11:13:51 AM »

Good to hear! Hopefully mine are on the way soon. I never got on the PMAG backorder lists, maybe I'll get some when and if they catch up. Did get 1/2 dozen of the Lancer's to try, they haven't gotten here either but they were in stock and ordered just last week.

Airsporter · « **Reply #27 on:** January 03, 2009, 12:45:33 PM »

My son had me ship him some of the steel HK SA80 mags while he was in Iraq last year. Seems one of the guys in his platoon dropped a fully loaded issue mag (aluminum) on concrete and it split open spilling the rounds all over the street. Not good. HKs are pricey but beautifully made.

http://www.botachtactical.com/hkarma.html

CannonKrazy · « **Reply #28 on:** January 03, 2009, 05:30:36 PM »

OUCH!!!!! You weren't joking when you said a bit pricey. Forty bucks is mighty high for one mag.

Like others here my AR Stoner mags came in the mail today from Midway. They are better quality than I expected.

Buckskin · « **Reply #29 on:** January 05, 2009, 08:12:46 AM »

Quote from: CannonKrazy on January 03, 2009, 05:30:36 PM

OUCH!!!!! You weren't joking when you said a bit pricey. Forty bucks is mighty high for one mag.

Yeah, a bit high is right. Let's see, 4 Stoner's or the like for one HK??? Or 2 window'd PMags which is what everyone seems to be going crazy for at the time.