Ruger 10/22 Mag question

[Kain]

I have had most every example of 25rd 10/22 mags over the past 30+ years and the Ruger BX25 mags are the best by far due to fit, finish, reliability, and disassembly. I still have some Hot Lips and Butler Creek that work well enough for plinking but in my experience their lifespan is limited. Mostly due to cracks along the angular glued spine. They also seem to misfeed with various ammo more often than Ruger mags. The all plastic ones start wearing the rear pin as well.

The price difference is negligible for high quality OEM mags in my mind even for a cheap 10/22.

That said my 10/22 runs far better than my expensive TacSol upper and Black Dog mags.

Dennis.

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How limited of a life span have you seen with the Butler creek mags, if I may ask. I've got several that have been used, I won't say brutally hard, but pretty briskly up until about SH, at which I stopped shooting a lot of .22lr and have spent more time on 5.56 and 9mm due to the cost. I keep hearing the BX mags are better, what I am trying to gauge is how much and in what ways. I suppose I should have said that in the OP, but well it is the only day I have off this week and there may or may not have been several high gravity beers consumed.

Also, Dennis, was there any particular ammo that showed issues with one type of mag over the other? I have been known to feed my 10/22s the cheapest shit that is on the shelf, and I remember Rem Thunderbolt being, well kind of shit, but that was more dead primer than anything, but a fair amount of feeding issues over other ammo like federal. Can't say it was solely mags since we all were probably only running factory 10rders and the Steel lips at the time. So if there were a number of issues with particular types or brands with one mag over the other the data would be welcome.

No, I just got heavy with a wrench and when I backed off the problem seemed to go away. It could have just been my samples.

Even if you buy the BX25 mags and they don't work for you, they still have value and you could easily sell them. If you buy the Butler Creek mags you might have a hell of a time getting rid of them.

I personally would rather buy quality mags because I believe in the "buy once cry once" idea. I got burned quite a few times until I learned that lesson. Now, I just try to buy quality while getting the best deal possible.

I don't disagree with the buy once cry once idea. I mean, I EDC a ****ing $250 Surefire, which is pretty well used mind you. But, I bought that because it fit my niche, and it was more durable than the competition in my mind and experience compared to the competition even that in the one half and even one third price range, even compared to their lower cost designs for that matter, of which I just had issues with a G2X. And that kind of brings in my question, at sub $8 dollars, $7.87 I think to be exact, are the butler creek steel lip mags worth grabbing in a stack over $20 BX25s. The close to 1/3 price difference is kind of hard to argue, and mags are disposable to, be it 10/22 mags, or AR15 mags. (Granted this is coming from some one who spent several hours messing with a Cetme L mag to see if it would work with USGI followers, I ought to start a thread on that in and of itself. But, that wasn't to make a better mag as much as to satisfy curiosity.)

I guess what I am looking for here is actual break down, and data as to how the BX mags are superior, be it in reliability, durability, maintenance, ect. Again I don't have an issue with the buy once cry once ideal. I mean, I've got two BCM uppers and will likely be adding at third, if not 4th this coming fall because of the data and performance that others have been able to shown, beyond just subjective ideas. I want to have some sort of data beyond "they be better 'merica." basically.

[Dennis]

It all depends on your usage. I am only now getting back into 22 same as everyone else. My opinion is that if you are going to shoot your 10/22 every range day multiple times a year go with the Ruger mags. If you are going to pull it out once a year for a big day and want lots of loaded mags given they are such a PIA to load then pickup a load of sale hot lips mags.

With 22 ammo now on the comeback, if I saw steel Hot Lips mags on sale for $8 I'd buy 8 just on pure principle. However, if I saw Ruger 50rd mags at any price (they don't make them) I'd buy a few of those too!

I shoot mostly quality Federal and Eley ammo nowadays and of course they still jam very occasionally. I have some old Winchester and Remington bulk 22 that jams a lot more. 22 is 22 :-)

Dennis.

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[Straight Shooter]

GunMag Warehouse got the Ruger BX 25 rounders on sale $15.99. got a few other ones too on sale.
THEY WORK, PERIOD.