HK translucent polymer magazines

[WS6]

It is like those cars, that show you remaining range until low fuel turns on and range disappears. In this case when all your rounds are inside magwell and you do not see them, this is "low fuel" warning

BTW HK mags probably pass "military test" flying colours. But "internet test"? I'm not so sure

On serious note. It is little apple to oragnes, but I have example of AK style mags (polymer AK style mags are much easier to do than STANAG mags, I know). Back in 1994 polish factory in Radom was without magazine supplier (steel magazines manufacturer Wifama bankrupt and stopped making them). Guys in Radom decided for polymer mag. They started to make black mags, with steel reinforcement inserts everywhere. Some time later Army wanted to have translucent mags. Radom started to make white translucent mags, with steel reinforcing inserts. Those where big fail (maybe not so big, but if you have 5.56 AK, stay away from those mags). Polymer was getting brittle with time and mags were cracking. But mags where cracking around inserts. So they came with new design, that got rid of inserts, changed polymer to make it more elastic and those mags GTG. They pass all military acceptance tests here (based on old school USSR testing procedures) and our troops have zero problems with them. But Internet... Internet knows that AK polymer mag must have steel inserts...

My point is, that HK was not founded yesterday and not overnight. They know their trade and they make for military - everything they make is military grade. They do not have any other, translucent or not, polymer STANAG mag. They designed this one from the scratch. I think they know where weak points are. Can those mags be broken? Sure. Man is always stronger than matter. Magpul or Lancer mags can be broken if one is persistent enough to do that. Will those mag give up with time an use? Sure. As everything eventually will

HK has had their share of spectacular flops, as well.
On another note, looks like English might be your second language? Mad props!

[montrala]

HK has had their share of spectacular flops, as well.
On another note, looks like English might be your second language? Mad props!

They did. That is why I'm very curious if this new HK "magic" works. But with HK odds are that it will (at least better odds than if for eg. LWRCi or Izmasz or SIG USA would come out with full polymer, translucent AR mag overnight)

English is definitely my secondary language, mostly self learned (and I suspect that I do harm it all the time). And I sound like Borat... or so Internet says But thanks anyway (I needed to look up urban dictionary to check what you had on mind)!!

ETA: It seems to be Christmas everyday:

[sinlessorrow]

They did. That is why I'm very curious if this new HK "magic" works. But with HK odds are that it will (at least better odds than if for eg. LWRCi or Izmasz or SIG USA would come out with full polymer, translucent AR mag overnight)

English is definitely my secondary language, mostly self learned (and I suspect that I do harm it all the time). And I sound like Borat... or so Internet says But thanks anyway (I needed to look up urban dictionary to check what you had on mind)!!

ETA: It seems to be Christmas everyday:

We won't know till they get tested, but unless they have found a way to make a polymer that even Dupont has yet to create translucent AR magazines fail at the feedlips. The polymer is not thick enough, nor is it strong enough to withstand any sort of harsh use.

Its not about the company but about the polymers themselves. I said the same thing when Magpul was working on a translucent mag and we see how that worked out.

Even translucent AK mags are far more prone to breakage than their steel counterpart and they are multiple times thicker than an AR magazine in every area, but especially the feed lips.

[WS6]

We won't know till they get tested, but unless they have found a way to make a polymer that even Dupont has yet to create translucent AR magazines fail at the feedlips. The polymer is not thick enough, nor is it strong enough to withstand any sort of harsh use.

Its not about the company but about the polymers themselves. I said the same thing when Magpul was working on a translucent mag and we see how that worked out.

Even translucent AK mags are far more prone to breakage than their steel counterpart and they are multiple times thicker than an AR magazine in every area, but especially the feed lips.

ALLEGEDLY, these have been in the R&D phase for years and they are good to go...per HK.

We will see.

[sinlessorrow]

ALLEGEDLY, these have been in the R&D phase for years and they are good to go...per HK.

We will see.

I remain skeptical.

As far as I know HK does not specialize in polymer and to really make it work they would need some kind of fancy never before heard of super strong polymer to keep the feed lips from cracking and breaking.

[montrala]

We won't know till they get tested, but unless they have found a way to make a polymer that even Dupont has yet to create translucent AR magazines fail at the feedlips. The polymer is not thick enough, nor is it strong enough to withstand any sort of harsh use.

Its not about the company but about the polymers themselves. I said the same thing when Magpul was working on a translucent mag and we see how that worked out.

Even translucent AK mags are far more prone to breakage than their steel counterpart and they are multiple times thicker than an AR magazine in every area, but especially the feed lips.

Of course they will crack. It is not like you discovered America or something

Feed lips on every STANAG style magazines will crack or bend with hard use. No matter what material used (unless they start to use unobtanium at least). AR magazine was not designed to last in first place (courtesy to AR10 design idea of one use, disposable magazines). Civilian users want their mags to last forever, military users know that stuff breaks all the time and they adjust for that.

As to AK mags, good polymer mags acctually are as good as steel ones and even better. They can stand mechanical abuse that would damage any steel mag (like repeatedly hitting mag body placed on anvil with 3kg hammer, that is part of QC process I witnessed in FB Radom). Also corrosion resistance is big factor (I think that of all people you will agree with that! ).

ALLEGEDLY, these have been in the R&D phase for years and they are good to go...per HK.

We will see.

This remained me of something. HK made HK416C. They even started to show them, samples went to several places. Polish Police even put sizeable order for those. And then HK said "Sorry, HK416C is cancelled. We tested it some more and we are not happy with reliability level". They are able to cancel product on that late stage, when they are not happy with it. How many other companies would just release it thinking "OK, we will work it out somehow later, if customers will notice anything..."?

[WS6]

I remain skeptical.

As far as I know HK does not specialize in polymer and to really make it work they would need some kind of fancy never before heard of super strong polymer to keep the feed lips from cracking and breaking.

I'm not arguing, just stating what has been put out there by HK. I'd like to see.

[montrala]

My initial impression with mags is good. Body is stiff, also narrrow portion that goes into mag well seem stiff enough, while flex also enough not to be easily broken. Feed lips geometry is interesting. They are little thicker in the back (there is step up on lips some 3mm from back of magazine) and they gradually become narrower toward front. Most of cracked feed lips I seen, where cracked at the back. Front of mag body has shelves in corners (shaped to clear bullets), that reinforce body and prevent front of follower to came up.

There is shelf around mag, where narrow parts end and ribbed parts start. It looks like this shelf can work as anti over insertion device for both HK416 and AR15 magwells, But I did not opportunity to test that yet.

Spring seem to have plenty of juice in it and there is no tilting in follower.

Disassembly is very easy and do not require tools. There is special "pocket" on bottom of mag to place thumb, then squeeze mag body and slide bottom plate toward back of magazine. That is all it takes.

[SPQR476]

They look a lot like the mags from the SA80 contract submission. The store page lists them as the same polymer as in the G36 mags. I'll be interested to see if it's something different than that, though.

[Swag]

I really hope these mags are legit, I really do. Especially at this $ point. It would be a major +1 for "YS&WHY" (YouSuck&WeHateYou).