How do you make your magazines functional 100%??

[Glockster35]

I am looking for a 100% trustworthy way to upgrade a few of my magazines.

These mags will be kept in my gun cabinet loaded at 28 rounds, to help preserve the life of the spring. These magazines will not see much use, but will be for home defense, and must be 100%.

The magazines are new, with the green follower, and are still in the packages.

I know MagPul makes the cats meow in followers, and I am planning a purchase of them soon. Along with their Ranger/L Plates. I already have 12 of their older MagPul.

What magazine springs offer the best performance? I have 9 of the Wolff +10 percent springs already. But I have never used them, are they worth what I paid for them?

I am not interested in buying CProducts magazines. I have close to 40, 30 rounders and near 50, 20 rounders already.

[Voodoochild]

If you are wanting good springs then you need to look into ISMI springs.

http://www.ismi-gunsprings.com/

[AR-15A3]

You pretty much answered your own question. :D

My most used and ready-to-go mags (quantity 8) are made by D&H, teflon grey finish, with Magpul grey gen 2 followers, Wolff extra power springs and flat dark earth Magpul Ranger plates loaded with (for now) 28 rounds of SS109, I will be upgrading my ammo next with TAP 75/ 77 gr.

One time I was unloading with my LULA loader my new D&H teflon mag with only a Magpul follower upgrade (tested-passed with my carbine and rifle M16A2 clone), the follower jammed about halfway up the mag, the mag was pointed downward.

Maybe the bullet tips dragged on the inside surface of the mag and the stock SS springs didn't have the force to push it up further, but I tried it again with the same mag with the Wolff spring and repeated it about five times and it didn't jam anymore.

Some guys are also using red mag springs from SAW (Specialized Armament Warehouse, AZ) instead of Wolff springs.

Any of the USGI mag brands should be fine too.

I haven't had any problems with older 30 rd mags with black and green followers but I'm more confident that my current setup is a lot more reliable now than in the past.

[Glockster35]

What is the benefit to using the ISMI springs over the +10 Wolff springs?

I have used ISMI springs in my glocks before, and they worked great, but I wasn't aware they were making anythign for the AR!

[HAMMERDROP]

Fortunately for me I have had outstanding luck with the dozen or so I own.
Mostly they are FN magazines I picked up at my local gun shop.
But if I were to upgrade them for IMO total reliabilty I'd use Superior Shooting systems silicon springs and Magpul followers and then Rem-oil then I'd pray again. I imagine there are after market springs whose quality rates higher than Superiors' but I have a Superior silicon buffer spring and have been pleased with its performance. But the mags I own still have the original factory springs in them so until they begin to fail me I have to ask myself whats wrong with them? I considered that they may have been rebuilt before I bought them but they were in waxed paper on the counter in a box with FNH markings on it so I guessed them to be brand new. But in reality what do I know ? They work and thats the bottom line ...

[Voodoochild]

What is the benefit to using the ISMI springs over the +10 Wolff springs?

I have used ISMI springs in my glocks before, and they worked great, but I wasn't aware they were making anythign for the AR!

Wound from high performance, aerospace specification chrome silicon wire; then heat treated, shot peened & stress relieved. This provides you with maximum performance, durability and consistency in magazine performance. Available for 20, 30 & 40 round magazines.

The 20 round springs are designed to use the standard follower. The 30 and 40 round springs are designed for use with the "green" mil-spec follower.

[rmecapn]

Wound from high performance, aerospace specification chrome silicon wire; then heat treated, shot peened & stress relieved.

Is this different than what Wolff does with theirs?

[nyeti]

I have nothing but the highest praise for the SAW "christmas tree package" (red spring, green follower). I use them in both my personal guns and all of our duty rifles. They are kept loaded with 28 rounds for long periods, and have never any mag related issues.