Stick
Board policy mandates I state that I shoot for BCM. I have also done work for 200 or so manufacturers within the firearm community. I am prior service, a full time LEO, firearm instructor, armorer, TL, martial arts instructor, and all around good guy.
I also shoot and write for various publications. Let me know if you know cool secrets or have toys worthy of an article...
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I did a little shooting with the H&K translucent mag and here's my initial impressions:
Pros:
-0 issues at all
-Both steel & brass case ammo feed flawlessly
-Bolt locks open on last round
-Good texturing on mag body
-They look good
-Did well when dropped on their feed lips on concrete repeatedly (see video)
-Disassembles easily
Cons:
-Price. These are coming to market at $20/ea
-Thicker than other mags, may be an issue in double mag pouch set-ups.
Here's the review with a bunch of shooting, a discussion of the pros/cons, disassembly, and a drop test:
HK Translucent AR Magazine HD Video Review Link
I had several HK SA80 mags. Never had problems with springs in those (maybe circa 3000 rounds per mag was not enough to kill them). They have proprietary springs, but out of pure curiosity I fitted Magpul E-Mag spring to HK mag. Worked without problem.
BTT
One of things I noticed when I first got new HK mags were feed lips that taper toward front and put to round at upwards angle for feeding. This gave me some idea. I own 5.56 AK style SBR, that is in process of being converted to use AR15 mags (using prototype mag adapter). Mag adapter is already fitted and trunion milled to allow seating mag. However feed ramps are too low for AR mag and rounds from right side of mag are feeding to the side of chamber (5 o'clock) just near chamber edge (actually when rifle cycles it manages to chamber rounds, but bullets are pushed back into case - they shoot all right, but accuracy sucks).
Rifle was tested with USGI, HK SA80, Lancer L5AWM, Surefire and Magpul E-mags. All of those mags do not feed into chamber in this rifle. Actually Magpul E-mag feeds about 1 round out of 3, probably due to shorter feed lips, that allow earlier round rise up. But when I put there new HK polymer mag, if fed every round into chamber. Those tapered feed lips and side round guides definitely works. Probably not important on good, in-spec rifles, but even for those it can reduce chambering effort.
Montrala
I'm sponsored competition shooter representing Heckler&Koch, Kahles, Hornady and Typhoon Defence brands in Poland, so I can be biased
http://montrala.blogspot.com
I have four of the new HK Polymer mags and they appear well made. I have only put 10 rounds through one of them. (6 year old grand daughter range day is the reason for only 10 rounds.)
Time will tell I am sure, I was impressed enough to order 4 more.
The rounds do not go into the magazine as "crisply" as they do with the metal HK magazines. -That certainly isn't an issue for 1/4 the price.
Last edited by HKGuns; 08-07-13 at 07:59.
I ordered 1, if it works then I'll order some more.
Maybe I missed something but the HK mags I just got look like they are not grooved for stripper clips.
The lack of stripper clip grooves also means the Strip Lula won't work with the HK mags. The regular Lula loader does work OK.
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