Move back to GI magazines - a journey

[Surf]

I think it was here where I discussed this topic in a thread. Almost a year ago now I made the switch back to USGI mags as my primary mags. I still have a lot of PMAGS but I also do the USGI mags w/magpul follower and Magpul USGI Ranger Plates. I like the Ranger Plates and the follower is just added insurance. Like you mention the set up is not economical but it is my preference.

The following might be considered nit picking and for many shooters, they may never even realize these quirks that started to bother me. For myself, I really did not like the way in which the PMAGS pulled from any of my various types of mag pouches, just not a slick feeling pull. I also did not like the way in which they dropped from the weapon. I am not a big "flick it" or "snatch it" out of the weapon type. Again these are minor things to many but for myself it was enough to move back to USGI's. I am supplied with Colt USGI's and that is what I primarily use.

All of my armor and working rigs carry USGI's.


Lucky #7 is the mag that goes in the weapon first.

[rob_s]

My next purchase will be a ten pack of aluminum 30 round mags with may pull followers. I've been eying them from a few distributors for around $85.

Just pay careful attention to my third pic. That problem magazine is an allegedly "GI contract" magazine, from a very reputable supplier, who in fairness agreed to take them all back and replace them, which I didn't do because I don't have the OEM floorplates and followers for them. But I'm only buying NHMTG GI mags myself right now.

I've never used the ranger plates but have used the original magpul bottoms.

What is it you like about the ranger base plates? They look more compact than the old school pulls.

It's a variety of things. First is that I have not discovered a single downside other than the cost. The still fit in all the same pouches and cans I have, still function the same, etc. I'm a monopod-er with the magazines and the Rangers give me more traction for that on concrete and equal traction on soft surfaces. They give me something to hang the mags on if needed, and make it easier to get magazines out of places they may be stuck, from ammo cans, to pouches, to magwells.

This sounds good. How about adding up a tally of how many Labelle, Adventureline, Parsons, Colt and Center Industries mags you have in the mix?? I have one or 2 marked Adventureline, one Center Ind, a battered yet functional Parsons and maybe one Labelle.

It may be interesting. I already jammed the pre-ban box back in the closet though, so it's unlikely to happen anytime soon. I'm going to focus instead on getting the new magazines sorted, parts changed out, numbering them, and getting them into service/rotation, and boxing up everything else.

US Grunt Gear made me the 10 mag purse and I just had him make me a second. My goal is to have enough magazines spec'd to my liking and all function-checked to fill both purses as well as an ammo can I keep with a total of 24 magazines: 20 loaded with XM193 and 4 loaded with BH 77 grain, not to mention a few loose that live in chest rigs, belts, and other locations. So ultimately I'm going to need ~50 new magazines to replace the rotation I currently have in plastic mags. I'm halfway there now on the new NHMTGs.

[rob_s]

Something else I'll be looking at is a better way of marking my GI mags. In digging out a lot of these old ones I see where I marked them with Sharpie and while still visible many are very faded. The Sharpie works ok on Pmags because the ribs reduce the amount of rubbing on the writing, but the GI mags rub together a lot more and wear off the marker.

I don't want to get into stickers as I think that's a whole 'nother thing to get bound up.

Anyone with suggestions on this, I'm all ears. It does not have to be pretty by any means, it just has to be durable and visible.

[duece71]

I like the bag, thanks for the link. I have been to their website and their belts look very nice too. The bag would be nice for a grab and go, bug out situation.

[duece71]

Something else I'll be looking at is a better way of marking my GI mags. In digging out a lot of these old ones I see where I marked them with Sharpie and while still visible many are very faded. The Sharpie works ok on Pmags because the ribs reduce the amount of rubbing on the writing, but the GI mags rub together a lot more and wear off the marker.

I don't want to get into stickers as I think that's a whole 'nother thing to get bound up.

Anyone with suggestions on this, I'm all ears. It does not have to be pretty by any means, it just has to be durable and visible.

Not a suggestion but I have used small pieces of masking tape with the round type and count marked on them. Good for the range, maybe not so good for classes or competition.

[Crow Hunter]

I'm halfway there now on the new NHMTGs.

You may already know but, 44Mag sells NHMTG mags with Magpul followers installed for $12.99.

He is a great guy to work with.

Oh, and paint pens might be more durable than Sharpie. We used to use the paint pens to mark brake rotors as having been successfully tested and they would survive shipping on VCI paper/cardboard pallets on trucks to assembly plants. I haven't tried them on mags though. The dry film coating coming off would probably take the paint with it. Maybe you could sand that down to the annodizing for your numbering? Shouldn't hurt the mags.

[Facejackets]

Something else I'll be looking at is a better way of marking my GI mags. In digging out a lot of these old ones I see where I marked them with Sharpie and while still visible many are very faded. The Sharpie works ok on Pmags because the ribs reduce the amount of rubbing on the writing, but the GI mags rub together a lot more and wear off the marker.

I don't want to get into stickers as I think that's a whole 'nother thing to get bound up.

Anyone with suggestions on this, I'm all ears. It does not have to be pretty by any means, it just has to be durable and visible.

I know you aren't fond of anything sticky, but a good friend of mine has a strip of bright Orange tape on the bottom of his mags.

This isn't the best of pics, but you get the point.




He hasn't complained to me about the tape melting away yet, even in 110 degree heat


Edit- don't mind the huge Orange duct tape on the AR and a few mags. That's a 5.45 gun, and after someone tried shooting .223 from it, he needed to identify the gun so people wouldn't try it again.

[devilsdeeds]

Anyone with suggestions on this, I'm all ears. It does not have to be pretty by any means, it just has to be durable and visible.

How about an engraving pen on the body or soldering iron on the ranger plates.

[darr3239]

Without a doubt engraving pens would be the most durable, and permanent. Most guys don't want permanent, in case they want to eventually sell the mags, or change the numbering system.

Paint pens work well. You will have some of the marking go away, via chipping or wearing down, but with all I have seen I could still make out the number written. Paint also isn't permanent.

[rob_s]

I should mention what I've tried in the past re: marking.

First was individual pieces of masking tape, which generally got peeled off and lost and/or stuck in a place where it caused problems.

I went from there to wrapping the masking tape around the magazine body, and some of the mags from my first pic above still have that tape on it. The primary issue with this, besides masking tape drying out and cracking off, was the corners of the magazine collecting dirt and other crap behind the tape, which inevitably wound up falling out/off when I got home, decreasing my domestic bliss.

Then I used electrical tape in various colors. No drying issues but various markers didn't write on it as well and it still had the corner debris issue.

All of the above were an attempt not to have to mark directly on the body in order to preserve resale.

Once I realized the magazines weren't going anywhere, I started writing directly on them. First with standard Sharpies and then with Sharpie paint pens. The paint pens do appear to work better.

The electric engraving thing sounds promising, but I've never been able to write legibly with one. I'm also not sure how visible it would be.

I may just go back with the paint pens and deal with re-marking them as needed. The silver Sharpie paint pens have actually held up really well on my Glock magazines.