color coding mags by ammo type: anyone know of a standard?

[taliv]

circumstances have forced me to shoot a couple different kinds of ammo. it's easy to keep track of ammo when it's in cans, boxes, etc. but once you load up the mags, it's somewhat more difficult to remember what you put in there, as lots of projectiles look fairly similar. (none of my ammo has colored tips)

I will probably use colored tape, but whether you use tape or colored base plates or whatever, what color scheme do you use?

i can make up my own easily enough, but if there's a well-known standard, i'd prefer to use it if applicable.



in the absence of a standard covering a wide array of projectiles, are there some colors i should avoid? i.e. something that universally means 'blanks' or 'non-lethal'

[snafu]

Mark the mags.
Different color electrical tape,,paint them use different style/color mags.
Just some ideas,,FDE ,Blk,OD,Pmags of different colors,add in windowed vs nonwindowed.
20rd vs 30 rd

How many different loads?

[Quib]

.......are there some colors i should avoid? i.e. something that universally means 'blanks' or 'non-lethal'

Blue=Training

[Robb Jensen]

Blue=Training


I associate blue with training or SIMS.

Red/orange = tracer
Black or Silver = steel core/API

[taliv]

so gotm4, you mark your mags with those colors?

the different rounds i'm talking about are primarily factory m193, a reloaded m193 clone, a handloaded mk262 clone. also, prvi match 69g and wolf gold 75g.

i'm not expecting any sort of standard colors for the handloads obviously. but i was thinking i can't be the only one that has a bunch of mags loaded with cheap m193 and also something a little pricier for longer distance in 69/75/77g.

(once i figure out which shoots best in my rifle, i'll cull that list to just two, but for now, i have quite a few to keep sorted out)

[cschwanz]

buddy of mine uses electrical tape to wrap the mag. tape around the bottome is a dif weight than tape around the middle. just another idea for you. you could use two strips of tape as well so there is 4 ideas that require zero paint and zero permanent modifications.

[Robb Jensen]

so gotm4, you mark your mags with those colors?

the different rounds i'm talking about are primarily factory m193, a reloaded m193 clone, a handloaded mk262 clone. also, prvi match 69g and wolf gold 75g.

i'm not expecting any sort of standard colors for the handloads obviously. but i was thinking i can't be the only one that has a bunch of mags loaded with cheap m193 and also something a little pricier for longer distance in 69/75/77g.

(once i figure out which shoots best in my rifle, i'll cull that list to just two, but for now, i have quite a few to keep sorted out)


No I don't. The current ammo I have is 55gr mixed .223 Rem (SAAMI pressure) and 5.56 NATO pressure, 62gr Radway Green, LC M855 (5.56mm NATO pressure), a very small amount of 68gr and 69gr SAAMI pressure ammok, 75gr and 77gr (5.56mm NATO pressure).

[EzGoingKev]

Magpul makes some different color lock plates for use with their plates and I use their red ones on the mags I have loaded with 75grain TAP that I keep for defense.

[rrpederson]

i would go the route of using different colored electrical tape. i know that they have a lot of different colored duct tape as well. go to a walmart, they will many colors of both. if u use tape, u can take it off if u have more of one type of ammo and need to change which ammo goes into a particular mag. no permanent alteration to the mag.

[fdxpilot]

Not a perfect solution, but I bought a pack of dime sized stickers, like you'd find at a garage sale. I just write out the round type (XM193, PP XM193, 75gr TAP, etc) and stick it to the side of the mag. The stickers fall off with any extensive use, but usually last till the mag gets to the rifle, which is all I really need. I like the idea of different colored PMags, though.

[taliv]

marking the mags isn't really the issue, but thanks for the comments. i am also considering removing the base plates and duracoat them.

the real question is, what colors do people use? if you have mags marked to indicate type of ammo, what color did you use?

[wake.joe]

I just use the different PMag colors. :)

Metal mags for reloads.

[penguin]

M193-blue elec tape
M855-green elec tape
Tap-red elec tape
blanks-orange krylon
AP if i had any-black elec tape

this is just the simple color coding I have come up with to help me keep track of loaded mags.
I dont bother marking the mags I have steel case in as its pretty much instantly identifiable

[Failure2Stop]

I tend to try to stuff similar mags with similar ammo, and write it in a range logbook.

Ex-
B01-B47 Fed XM193
C01-C24 Prvi 75gr
HK01-HK15 TAP 75gr

Empty mags are segregated and training/match ammo is stored separately from social ammo. Social ammo is stored on armor and go-bag.

[MOA]

I dont think your going to find a color system for this. Your just going to have to make one up.

[The Dumb Gun Collector]

193 grey GI mag
855 black GI mag

[Belmont31R]

I got some sharpie brand paint pens from a craft store, and then mark the mags with the type of ammo.


P193 = Prvi M193
F193 = Federal XM193

BH75SMK = Blackhills 75GR Sierra Match King
SSA77 = Silver State Armory 77GR 5.56


Just make up your own codes...


When you empty the mag the paint comes off with a couple swipes of alcohol. I started marking mags with tape but it takes a long time to wrap mags, and I think the paint pen method is better. You can also use the paint pen to mark all the bolts on your weapon as witness marks if you so choose. Also if you take a class you can easily put your initials on mags.

[Quib]

I dont think your going to find a color system for this. Your just going to have to make one up.

This here.

I have in the past, when loading up with various brands or types of ammo, simply used a small piece of masking tape and a Sharpie to identify mags. This was of course a temp solution purely for identification at the range.

_________________________________________________________________


Another habit I’m into when loading up for a range session, is to keep an empty box from the ammo I’m using in the case of a malfunction. I often times buy ammo over an extended period of time, which often results in a supply of ammo from different Mfgr’s and varying Lot No.‘s.

This way, in the event of a serious ammo malfunction, I have the Lot No. of the suspect ammo if it’s necessary to contact the Mfgr.

[frogger]

You can get PMAGs in 20rd or 30rd. In the 30rd, you can get windowed or non-windowed. They come in Black, OD, FDE, Foliage Green and if you can find them, UDE, Clear and Orange. That should give you plenty of combinations and you are buying quality mags as a bonus.

[Ridge_Runner_5]

Red for live, blue for blanks:D

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/2973/dh2mp56.jpg

[6933]

Blue seems to be the "universal" training color. Wouldn't mark anything other than training this way. GotM4's advice/reasoning is sound.

[edwin907]

MK262 77gr: Grey USGI & OD PMag
5.56 75gr TAP: Black PMag
BHBB 75gr: Black USGI
M855 62gr: Foilage Green PMag
M193 55gr: Flat Dark Earth PMag

This is pretty much what I keep loaded in multiple mags and how I identify them. Probably 40 total, half with MK262.