Are Black PMAGs the Most Reliable?

Gewehr3 · #1 10-23-08, 06:20

Greetings,

I read that the black Magpul PMAGS are more reliable than the other colored PMAGS. Can anyone verify that this is the case?

Thank you!

Robb Jensen · #2 10-23-08, 06:36

I've run thousands of rounds through several PMAGs mostly foliage green and FDE. I've only ever had a problem with one black PMAG and it was one the three that I owned that had the free replacement tubes due to over molding internally.....

Hawkeye · #3 10-23-08, 07:02

There is nothing different between the black PMags and any of the others besides color, so I cant understand why anyone would think that they were more reliable.

Out of curiosity, where did you read that at?

rob_s · #4 10-23-08, 08:23

Aren't the colored magazines made of a different material? Thought I had seen a post regarding this from someone at Magpul. I'll try to find the post, but I'm not sure if it's here or elsewhere.

I think that is where this rumor is starting; the colored mags are made of a different, weaker, material and are therefore less reliable in that they are more prone to breakage. Not saying this is the case, just following the line of (questionable) logic that some are using.

Hawkeye · #5 10-23-08, 08:39

I thought the only difference was the pigment/coloring, and not the material but I could be wrong though.

rob_s · #6 10-23-08, 08:43

Not exactly what I was looking for, but Magpul posted here

Quote:

The Orange PMG were released over the Clear TMAG for three main reasons.

1. The Military asked for them through DSG
2. The material is the same as the other colored (FDE, OD) magazines so we know how it will work. TMag material is still going through testing.
3. The mold is already in and running PMags (the TMag is a different mold)

This leads me to believe that the colored mags are different than the black ones.

It's hard to find the old information since all anyone appears to want to chatter about are the stupid "clear" magazines.

Rik · #7 10-23-08, 09:04

The black magazines are faster.

John_Wayne777 · #8 10-23-08, 09:38

I know that there has been some issues with this in polymer AK magazines, namely that "clear" polymers are not as durable as the black polymers used in "waffle" style magazines.

I would imagine that a "clear" PMAG would present Magpul with some of the same challenges that it has presented other folks who have tried to make one.

That being said, I'm unaware of any difference in the reliability and durability of current PMAGs based on color. This thread is the first mention I've heard of it...and there are a bunch of PMAG fans and insiders here. IIRC the polymer formula for all the PMAGs currently on the market (regardless of color) is exactly the same, as is the production process. I think the only difference is the pigments they put in the polymer formula to get the different colors.

markm · #9 10-23-08, 09:44

The chrome lining on the black mags is thicker.

St.Michael · #10 10-23-08, 10:00

I was only going to get black, but should I mix it up? Now seeing this post I am concerned.

Gewehr3 · #11 10-23-08, 10:05

I remember reading a post by DocGKR that mentioned it was best to stay with the black pmags. I may be mistaken. I'll try to find that post.

#12 10-23-08, 10:11

Making clear mags is tricky because the plastic has so much less carbon content. This makes them brittle and therefore much more susceptible to breakage. You'll note that really successful clear polymer mags (HK, SIG) are used in guns with wider overall magazines. This means they can have much thicker walls to overcome the inherent weakness of the polymer itself. (I've personally pounded the feed lips of a SIG 550-series magazine into concrete dozens of times and then fired the entire mag on full auto with no stoppages ... as part of a demo)

Getting up in arms about whether the black or FDE or orange PMAGs are stronger or weaker is probably foolish. While the non-black mags may be marginally "weaker," that doesn't mean they're less suitable for the purpose of serving as an AR magazine.

If I told you one kind of plastic could support 5 tons of weight, and another could only support 2 tons of weight, which would you choose for a plastic fork? Answer: who cares?

Too many people get their panties in a bunch worrying about whether they have "THE BEST" and completely ignore whether a particular piece of gear, "BEST" or not, more than adequately satisfies every conceivable practical need.

markm · #13 10-23-08, 10:18

This whole thing started from another thread where one of the Industry Professionals here said something along the lines of... I would just buy X number of Black Pmags.

I can't remember who it was, but the post was vague and left some guys wondering if there was an issue with the colored mags.

Gewehr3 · #14 10-23-08, 10:23

http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=20232

St.Michael · #15 10-23-08, 10:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToddG

Too many people get their panties in a bunch worrying about whether they have "THE BEST" and completely ignore whether a particular piece of gear, "BEST" or not, more than adequately satisfies every conceivable practical need.

Now see that makes me wonder now the question; Do we need to be paying top dollar for any piece we add to the AR that does NOT pertain to function. Such as add ons and what not. Sorry original poster not meaning to hijack, just a thought.

rob_s · #16 10-23-08, 10:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToddG

Too many people get their panties in a bunch worrying about whether they have "THE BEST" and completely ignore whether a particular piece of gear, "BEST" or not, more than adequately satisfies every conceivable practical need.

True, but....

It's human, and especially male, nature to want the best of a thing, and even more so to want the best of a thing at a given price.

For another thing, it's not like we have anything better to do.

Many of us are sitting at work killing time between assignments or whatever, so it's not really detrimental to discuss "better" even if it's only marginallly so.

In other words, even if the reward is minuscule, there's no down side to understanding and taking advantage of that reward since the time "wasted" discussing it would just be wasted doing something else equally pointless, and the dollars spent for "good enough" and "insignificantly better" are the same.

markm · #17 10-23-08, 10:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gewehr3

http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=20232

Yep. It was Doc.

St.Michael · #18 10-23-08, 10:43

haha

once again a point I totally agree with. Liking this forum already!

BushmasterFanBoy · #19 10-23-08, 11:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by rob_s

True, but....
It's human, and especially male, nature to want the best of a thing, and even more so to want the best of a thing at a given price.
For another thing, it's not like we have anything better to do.

Many of us are sitting at work killing time between assignments or whatever, so it's not really detrimental to discuss "better" even if it's only marginallly so.
In other words, even if the reward is minuscule, there's no down side to understanding and taking advantage of that reward since the time "wasted" discussing it would just be wasted doing something else equally pointless, and the dollars spent for "good enough" and "insignificantly better" are the same.

I agree completely. Think of why we all spend so much time lifting? Does it really matter if you can bench 315, versus 225, or even 135 for that matter? Not really.
But that's what this whole hobby is formed around (plus pictures

). If we all agreed on everything there wouldn't be anything to talk about anymore and I for one would be having any fun here at all.
At least we as a community are at least kind of down to a generalized consensus

.
Started off with:
HK/PMag, Eotech/Aimpoint, Bushmaster/Colt
Now we are down to this:
PMag color debate, T-1/M4, Colt/Noveske.
I can't even imagine what we are going to debate next.

#20 10-23-08, 14:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by rob_s

or another thing, it's not like we have anything better to do.

Many of us are sitting at work killing time between assignments or whatever, so it's not really detrimental to discuss "better" even if it's only marginallly so.

I didn't say it was detrimental to discuss it. I said too many people get their panties in a bunch worrying about it. Perhaps it's just semantics.

So now we have people worried about their FDE, green, orange PMAGs all because they can't understand the difference between "best" and "more than good enough."

At a certain point, shooters mature and understand that miniscule differences on a square range (or worse yet, in a manufacturer's catalog) really don't translate into anything at all on a practical level.

A whole lot of people have died from less-than-best shot placement of less-than-best projectiles that were fired from less-than-best weapons handled by less-than-best shooters.