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What type of mags do you guys recommend? I have some P-mags on order but was wondering if I shouldnt get some aluminum GI mags. Cant have to many magazines.
AR magazines
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Stick the pmags. You will be fine.
The main thing is to make sure all the parts are working correctly. Magazines are designed to be throw away items. If one of them isn't working right, replace it.
Personally, I stick with pmags. They are really hard to beat. But the Lancers are good and the Troys are good also.
The main thing is to make sure all the parts are working correctly. Magazines are designed to be throw away items. If one of them isn't working right, replace it.
Personally, I stick with pmags. They are really hard to beat. But the Lancers are good and the Troys are good also.
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I find p-mags to be quieter, less battle rattle racket than their metal GI mag cousins. If you shoot steel case for training, SC ammo is easier to load into P-mags than GI mags. I also like Troy mags too, however Troy's magazine pullers are a PITA to remove.
I really, really like P-mags, but I'll go against conventional internet wisdom concerning USGI magazines.
I mostly ran USGI mags during a long (35 year) rifle-toting military career, and I never had all the problems I read about on-line. Not to the point where I ever flogged the basic mag design... whether using black, green, or tan followers. Occasionally, one of my mags would become unserviceable, but it wasn't really a common occurrence.
Truth be told, I think many folks denigrate the aluminum mags due to having mostly shot extremely worn and abused "range mags". These provided to them on military firing lines during their time in service. My own issued duty mags worked flawlessly and survived every manner of being slung around, impacted, dropped, low crawled, swum, skied, parachuted, etc. I managed to not bend my feed lips across multiple combat tours. I served as an 11B, 11C, 18B, 18F, and 18Z. I'm not the most experienced shooter on the planet, but I've a modicum of experience with AR magazines.
I rarely saw bent feed lips with USGI aluminum magazines; usually only when somebody stepped on one or crushed it under other gear or heavy boxes. I've seen blast/impact damage to mags in combat, but the same damage would have ruined any other design.
For a time, the steel HK 416 magazines were all the rage in my unit. Until we discovered that they fell apart (floor plate ejection) and weighed too much. Typical Teutonic Over-Engineering of a relatively simple bit of kit. Those got binned after a year or so of experimentation.
I have fired 38 x USGI aluminum mags (fully loaded with 30 rds of M855) through an M4A1...all on full auto, in under 1/2 hour. 1140 rounds. Black and green follower equipped magazines (mixed). Not a problem. Not a stutter. Not a single magazine failure. Not a failure of any kind... with the weapon or the magazines.
I own and use several Vietnam era 20 rounders with black followers. I carried them in Bosnia, OIF, & OEF loaded with full tracer for target designation. A simple and tactile means to discriminate between magazine types in the dark while under stress. I still shoot with them today. They work fine.
Performance wise, I didn't expect anything less from those USGI aluminum magazines. You shouldn't either, assuming those magazines aren't visibly ready for the trash heap. Brand new USGI magazines are one of the more affordable surplus deals out there. No reason to buy used.
There's a lot of marketing effort designed to part shooters from their money. Keep it in mind when you start to hyperventilate about not having the latest "hot thing" discussed on gun forums. Some, like P-mags, are actually worth the extra coin. Some simply aren't. And some "truisms" used to encourage buying the latest thing... aren't really true.
I mostly ran USGI mags during a long (35 year) rifle-toting military career, and I never had all the problems I read about on-line. Not to the point where I ever flogged the basic mag design... whether using black, green, or tan followers. Occasionally, one of my mags would become unserviceable, but it wasn't really a common occurrence.
Truth be told, I think many folks denigrate the aluminum mags due to having mostly shot extremely worn and abused "range mags". These provided to them on military firing lines during their time in service. My own issued duty mags worked flawlessly and survived every manner of being slung around, impacted, dropped, low crawled, swum, skied, parachuted, etc. I managed to not bend my feed lips across multiple combat tours. I served as an 11B, 11C, 18B, 18F, and 18Z. I'm not the most experienced shooter on the planet, but I've a modicum of experience with AR magazines.
I rarely saw bent feed lips with USGI aluminum magazines; usually only when somebody stepped on one or crushed it under other gear or heavy boxes. I've seen blast/impact damage to mags in combat, but the same damage would have ruined any other design.
For a time, the steel HK 416 magazines were all the rage in my unit. Until we discovered that they fell apart (floor plate ejection) and weighed too much. Typical Teutonic Over-Engineering of a relatively simple bit of kit. Those got binned after a year or so of experimentation.
I have fired 38 x USGI aluminum mags (fully loaded with 30 rds of M855) through an M4A1...all on full auto, in under 1/2 hour. 1140 rounds. Black and green follower equipped magazines (mixed). Not a problem. Not a stutter. Not a single magazine failure. Not a failure of any kind... with the weapon or the magazines.
I own and use several Vietnam era 20 rounders with black followers. I carried them in Bosnia, OIF, & OEF loaded with full tracer for target designation. A simple and tactile means to discriminate between magazine types in the dark while under stress. I still shoot with them today. They work fine.
Performance wise, I didn't expect anything less from those USGI aluminum magazines. You shouldn't either, assuming those magazines aren't visibly ready for the trash heap. Brand new USGI magazines are one of the more affordable surplus deals out there. No reason to buy used.
There's a lot of marketing effort designed to part shooters from their money. Keep it in mind when you start to hyperventilate about not having the latest "hot thing" discussed on gun forums. Some, like P-mags, are actually worth the extra coin. Some simply aren't. And some "truisms" used to encourage buying the latest thing... aren't really true.
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It's funny how you can find Pmags on sale from time to time for $10-$12 and on the same site aluminum mags are $15 - $20
Stick with Pmags if you can find them, you have to look for great prices and jump on them when you can.
Stick with Pmags if you can find them, you have to look for great prices and jump on them when you can.
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16,211 Posts
Really, I'll see how many pro mags I have, and you are welcome to buy them all from me.
:thumb:
I would not gamble my life with the promag crap.
Not hear say, but actual experience. Bran new issued mags, ftf on all but 2
I'll pass. I have never had a issue with pmags, in my experience buy the pmags.
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Are the steel Blackhawk mags any good? Bought 10 on a Xmas clearance for $6 apiece. Haven't opened them yet to try. If they are junk I may try to resell or trade for others.
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The p-mag vs GI mag debate seems like the AR vs AK debate. I'll just have to get both. It seems from what I've read the Brownell GI mags are good quality is there any GI mags I should stay away from?
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The usgi mag with a good follower works well, and do Pmags. However, the constant internal curve used in the Pmags just makes more sense with a tapered cartridge.
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I wouldnt mind having some metal mags for long term. I wont be selling any guns I have which means I will be passing them down. Im sure polymer magazines will be fine but just in case I will put up some metal GI mags also. No reason to put all your eggs in one basket right. I did notice that some of the GI mags have Pmag followers in them. I wonder if the ones they sell the military have Magpul followers In them.
I can buy Milspec quality Aluminum magazines for $6 apiece. Palmetto runs D&H's on sale about every other month. Excellent magazines, I have bought a couple hundred so far.
Personally, I don't like anything made by ASC the successor entity to C Products. Although truth be told, I have several C Products magazines that have run just fine....
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Let me backstep a sec.
I am notsaying the GI mags are bad, all I have I have aquired from the Army.
I have magazines stamped Brownells and I have some stamped Colt. All function good.
The only Mags I have ever had issues with are, ProMags.
I use Pmags, they work everytime and they"re durable.
It does come down to preference
I am just telling you what I trust, and I dont want to steer you wrong.
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USGI mags or Pmags. We had had no issues with it.
Well, while we're at it...
I'd heard praises for Lancer magazines, and while I was acquiring them, I got several locally and from botach during one of their great sales.
However, I discovered that some AR's that work with GI magazines, without problems have problems with Lancer.
I'd heard praises for Lancer magazines, and while I was acquiring them, I got several locally and from botach during one of their great sales.
However, I discovered that some AR's that work with GI magazines, without problems have problems with Lancer.
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What issues?
Is this the L5, or newer L5 AWM? The original L5's did have some teething issues.
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