View Full Version : USGI 20 round mags
Been looking to pick up a few USGI 20 round mags. Okay and Brownell's both seem to have good reputations with these. I did notice that the Okay mags are riveted on one end while Brownell's are spot welded on both ends. Is the level of durability about the same with both brands?
Renegade04
06-05-19, 07:27
Okay Industries has made 20-round and 30-round USGI magazines for many years. They are GTG. I have several old Okay Industries magazines that are still holding up just fine. Brownells' USGI type magazines are also GTG. I have a couple of these.
Okay mags are the standard.
Doc Safari
06-05-19, 09:15
I have used both. Sometimes you get a Brownells mag that wants to stick in the mag well a little bit when trying to drop the mag, but otherwise they are GTG.
I prefer Okay / Surefeed 20s and 30s.
You can find the 20s for $10.99 - only a dollar more than Brownells - since it sounds like you aren't buying tens or hundreds, just buy Okay / Surefeed.
My Okay 20s are some of my most heavily used mags. I've been quite happy with them.
I did notice that the Okay mags are riveted on one end while Brownell's are spot welded on both ends.
Are you sure the rivet is holding the Okay together versus being some sort of ban compliant block? The single end makes me wonder.
Are you sure the rivet is holding the Okay together versus being some sort of ban compliant block? The single end makes me wonder.
Possible, I suppose. Botach's site has some pictures:
https://www.botach.com/okay-surefeed-5-56mm-20rd-magazines-gray/
The circled areas?https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190605/c8d6992b7728ee38552bc27040ae125b.jpg
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Yep. Are those rivets, welds, or maybe something else?
Not sure just to be honest, but Colt/Universal Industries and other USGI 20's are made the same way.
https://www.armsunlimited.com/Colt-AR15-M16-M4-20-round-USGI-Aluminum-Magazine-p/sp62103.htm
I doubt you would have problems with either brand.
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The rivets only purpose is to hold the steel floor plate retainer tab to the mag body. The mag body itself is one piece and it's spot welded together on the back spine of mag.
Here is a recent thread about the 20 round mags. > https://www.ar15.com/forums/AR-15/Who-has-the-best-deal-on-quality-aluminum-20-round-mags-/17-740791/
LowSpeed_HighDrag
06-05-19, 14:18
I have used Colt, Okay, and NHMTG 20rd Mags for years with great results. I have Brownells 30rd Mags and they work just fine too.
The rivets only purpose is to hold the steel floor plate retainer tab to the mag body. The mag body itself is one piece and it's spot welded together on the back spine of mag.
Here is a recent thread about the 20 round mags. > https://www.ar15.com/forums/AR-15/Who-has-the-best-deal-on-quality-aluminum-20-round-mags-/17-740791/
It always make for an interesting review/opinion thread when someone remembers a poster wanting to share their opinion bounces around more than a super ball thrown in a tiny, empty room. :D
The rivets only purpose is to hold the steel floor plate retainer tab to the mag body. The mag body itself is one piece and it's spot welded together on the back spine of mag.
Here is a recent thread about the 20 round mags. > https://www.ar15.com/forums/AR-15/Who-has-the-best-deal-on-quality-aluminum-20-round-mags-/17-740791/
WTH that is all wrong, what some are calling rivets are the three spot welds on front of mag which hold it together, the only rivet I have ever seen on a M16 mag is a rivet through the floor plate to keep from removing a mag block on Colt 5 round mags as mentioned.
With all due respect, that's not accurate. Some brands do have rivets on the front, some have spot welds, and unless we're talking a completely different design, the seam is usually on the spine.
WTH that is all wrong, what some are calling rivets are the three spot welds on front of mag which hold it together, the only rivet I have ever seen on a M16 mag is a rivet through the floor plate to keep from removing a mag block on Colt 5 round mags as mentioned.
Edit: Actually, I have to correct myself because the seam can be on the front or rear. I'm just used to seeing a lot of mags with rear seams, so perhaps "usually" wasn't the best term.
I don't understand why the guy in the other thread was having problems. I've been using NHMTG twenties, which are made by Okay, since 2004. Top quality.
I use both OKAY and Magpul 20 rounders both work fine.
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I have piles of Brownells 20’s. I buy 10 packs of both CS and SS spring models, and label them upon receipt. Some of them are a little tight in some of my lowers and don’t drop free empty. One of them is very tight in one of my lowers. The ones they don’t work well in are smaller brands lowers/rifles, not Colt or KAC. But generally, they work well for a decent price. Cycling has been excellent. I mainly use them for training, and I cull the ones that are too sticky for my liking. The vetted ones, I would be comfortable using in a duty rifle, just like my experience with Brownells 30s.
I also just picked up two Gen 3 PMag 20’s, and they work well in every lower, as well as the older gen PMag 20’s I have/had. I’m going to start on a stash of the Gen 3 20s.
WTH that is all wrong, what some are calling rivets are the three spot welds on front of mag which hold it together, the only rivet I have ever seen on a M16 mag is a rivet through the floor plate to keep from removing a mag block on Colt 5 round mags as mentioned.
I'm referring only to the Okay/NHMTG/Colt 20 round mags which indeed have always had a steel floor plate retainer tab attached at the front of the magazine by rivets.
In my experience the Okay 20s have been very good mags and it's very odd to hear any complaints about them.
I guess if rivets aren't your thing, you can always go Brownell's.
Glad I asked this morning. 25 years and never paid attention to the retainer tab being held on with rivets...even after looking at the heads on the exterior. Got in awhile ago and looked inside one.
Hadn't caught on to the Brownell's being made like a 30 sans curve either.
556BlackRifle
06-06-19, 00:59
I have a shitload of Okay Ind. mags and they are G2G as far as I'm concerned.
The circled areas?https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190605/c8d6992b7728ee38552bc27040ae125b.jpg
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Does the old black follower style have anything to do with the body style?
My Brownell 20s are all green followers.
Does the old black follower style have anything to do with the body style?
My Brownell 20s are all green followers.Do they have the beginning of the 30 rds curve near the bottom like this?
https://gunmagwarehouse.com/bushmaster-ar-15-223-5-56-20-round-aluminum-magazine.html
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Would never buy a brownells magazine.
They fit tight in lowers and overall their workmanship is less than that of a NHMTG/OKAY/Colt magazine.
Do they have the beginning of the 30 rds curve near the bottom like this?
https://gunmagwarehouse.com/bushmaster-ar-15-223-5-56-20-round-aluminum-magazine.html
Sent from my LG-K371 using TapatalkThe one Brownells 20 I have is not curved (like a curved Cproducts for instance, or the Bushmaster in your link), it is straight.
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The one Brownells 20 I have is not curved (like a curved Cproducts for instance, or the Bushmaster in your link), it is straight.
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Well there went my guess on thinking it was necessary due to shape. Wonder if it was an early one?
Are we really all out of things to debate, so now it's on to debating a 40 year old design and quality of Okay/NHMTG/Colt OEM mags? I think they've proven themselves enough.
Okay surefeeds are all of $12. Just buy some and forget about them.
Are we really all out of things to debate, so now it's on to debating a 40 year old design and quality of Okay/NHMTG/Colt OEM mags? I think they've proven themselves enough.
Okay surefeeds are all of $12. Just buy some and forget about them.
This. Or Pmags. I have a big box of both, but my range mags are two Okay 30s and one NHMTG 20. Been using those three for years.
Just as a point to note (and it makes no difference in performance), there are subtle differences construction between the original 20 round magazines and the later 30 round magazines. The original design was one piece wrapped into a rectangle, the later 30 rounders were two halves, overlapped and spot welded along the front and back. There were also differences in the shape of the front and back of the feed lips. And of course the method of floor plate retention, the spring riveted to the front of the body and a slot in the floor plate versus the simple nubs stamped in the floor plate itself.
The original black plastic follower is exactly the same as the older aluminum one, save the addition of a stem to limit maximum spring compression.
The Okay 20 round magazines are made just like the original Colt's, but the Brownell's 20 rounders are actually made more akin to the 30 round magazine (although straight) in that they are two pieces spot welded front and back with the simple floor plate and 30 round feed lip geometry. I think both Okay and Brownell use a plastic follower
Can you spot the differences in the feed lips?
https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-b7687/images/stencil/500x659/products/1195/18389/COLT-20rd-Polycoat-AR15-Mag-STAND-FOLLOWER-s-o__01888.1552537123.jpg?c=2&imbypass=onhttps://www.nyfirearms.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/10_GrayIDfollowersjpg.jpg
https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-k5jq3j85wp/images/stencil/600x791/products/671/379/colt-rifle-magazines-colt-usgi-20-round-aluminum-magazine-for-ar15-m4-m16-3642123157576__75179.1545514506.jpg?c=2&imbypass=onhttps://gunmagwarehouse.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/600x600/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/m/a/ma-02l_1_4.jpg
I have 5 NHMTG magazines that bought some years ago and I have not and any issues with them. Pretty sure that Okay was the manufacture of NHMTG ones though buy now they are sold under the Okay brand.
Colt = Okay = NHMTG = cage code 33710.
Colt Okay and NHMTG 20 mag feed lips are open in the back. 30 round versions are closed in the back, as are brownells 20 rnd mags.
You can overspend like me and buy Colts.
PB
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