View Full Version : Verdict on Lancers
Now that Lancers have been on the market for some time, what is the verdict on these? Are they comparable to PMAGs when it comes to durability and reliability? Are we seeing Lancers in the hands of the men and women in uniform who are able to acquire personal gear? Bottomline, are they GTG?
geminidglocker
03-05-10, 19:03
I love my Lancers. I shoot in all weather conditions, as I live in Vermont. I don't suppose I'll ever go back to using any other mags. ;) I wish I had had them back in 03' and 04' when I was in Iraq.
What I like about Lancers is the 360' clear visibility and ability to handle drops very well. Pmags are fine, too, but are not the only game in town. I'm not going to give them DEET baths, and that seems to be the only issue with them. They're also lighter than Pmags.
Jay Cunningham
03-05-10, 19:39
I really haven't heard anything bad about them - other than they melt in DEET.
How have experiences with the 20 rounders been?
I'm not going to give them DEET baths, and that seems to be the only issue with them.
I really haven't heard anything bad about them - other than they melt in DEET.
http://m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=37651&highlight=Lancer+DEET
:cool:
Chris Rhines
03-05-10, 19:56
I use Lancer magazines exclusively, and have never had any complaints. I stay the hell away from DEET, though...
-C
Ridge_Runner_5
03-05-10, 21:12
Great mags. I'd trust them the same as my Pmags or aluminum mags...
Seems there's a few different 'revisions' out there...I had a few about a year ago and they were difficult to seat when loaded to 30...just like GI mags (in fact more difficult, actually...). I can load my Pmags to 30 and seat them just fine with no issues, so I just stuck with my Pmags.
Having picked up another Lancer late last year for free I gave it a go again and it seems to be just as easy to seat when fully loaded as the Pmags now. So it's 'in the rotation' for me and I haven't had any issues with it yet. I still prefer my Pmags for overall cost and durability, though...hard to argue with a $10 Pmag.
Count Chocula
03-05-10, 23:50
I have one and it functions great. The follower isn't anti-tilt, but it hasn't been an issue so far. Apparently they handle drops better than the other polymer mags. Shotgun News had an "AR mag torture test".
I really like the mag. The two things that have kept me from buying more is the price and they hang up in my mag pouches. I could probably sand it down some to make the ribs less aggressive, but haven't got around to trying.
I've got one. All others I use are pmags except for one arc mag (very well built but doesnt 'handle' well in my hands during speed reloads). The arc magazine is too square and is just harder to grip than the more oval shaped pmag and I've even got it stippled. Anyway off topic there. I've had no issues with the lancer but they just feel fragile too me. Anybody else think the same? I guess this is because the sides are so easily pushed in. But like I said, zero issues with it.
I have a few, 3 or 4. I took them to a few classes last year and will take them to a class this year. No problems and they performed well. I also took a buttload of PMAGs to the classes and they were fine. I am not sure which revision my Lancers are.
I just got 3 TangoDown ARC magazines to try out.
DaBears_85
03-06-10, 02:13
...I've had no issues with the lancer but they just feel fragile too me. Anybody else think the same?...
That's exactly how I felt about them. I've never had any problems with them and they're extremely durable, they just feel really fragile. I always find myself losing time during quick mag changes cause I'll pull that thing out of my molle vest and for some reason stop because I think I'm gonna brake it or something. It distracts me from what I'm doing and makes me lose a couple seconds reloading. I know it sounds stupid, but it happens everytime I have it in my hand so I've just been sticking with my pmags.
Those things are freakin' expensive to boot.
Edit: Now that I'm looking at prices for them I find that they're not as expensive as when I bought them. Hmm...
The light weight is definitely a plus. Wear a full load of magazines and the reduced weight across 6-8 mags would be noticeable.
RetreatHell
03-06-10, 04:12
Please note that this is only geared towards those of you who buy your own mags with your own hard-earned money, not those who are issued mags by your employers.
...I've had no issues with the lancer but they just feel fragile too me. Anybody else think the same?...
Same here. I have 2 of them that I bought probably a year ago. They haven't given me any problems, but I haven't used them very often either. I just don't like them... at all.
The followers are not anti-tilt, they feel flimsy as hell, and PMAGs are widely available so why buy them? PMAGs are combat proven and then some. No magazine will last forever, as ALL mags out there are disposable after so long. But why not get the one that has the best track record and is also one of the cheapest mags out there?
Pat Rogers sees hundreds of thousands of rounds go downrange each year in his classes, so I trust his word more than most. He recommends and runs PMAGs and Tango Down ARC mags. I personally don't like the TD mags for the simple reason that it places the 28th round on the left side of the mag, as opposed to the right side. My Marine Corps Infantryman brain can't handle that drastic change and basically overloads when I see that round on the left side. I also prefer the texture and ergonomics of the PMAG over the TD ARC mag. But both of those are purely personal preference issues, NOT anything to do with the quality of the TD ARC mags themselves, which is top-notch.
GI mags with Magpul followers are good to go as well, if you prefer the GI mags. I've got a few of them myself.
This is not a cheap shot at Lancer, either. If you already have some Lancer mags, I'm not saying you should get rid of them or anything. And if you really like them and want to buy more of them, hey more power to you and I think that's great! I just don't see a legitimate reason (i.e. function-wise) to buy them if you're new to ARs and are in need of some magazines for your brand new AR15, when the best mags out there today (PMAGs) are readily available at an awesome price. I also feel that if you already own PMAGs, Tango Down ARC mags, or high-quality GI mags with anti-tilt followers, then you are taking a few steps back and essentially downgrading by purchasing and running Lancers.
Also, while at a Magpul Dynamics Carbine 1 course, Travis Haley was running a PMAG that he used in the first AOTTC DVD set... He told me that it has had over 100,000 rounds put through it. Just some more food for thought.
Semper Fi,
-Paul
geminidglocker
03-06-10, 07:26
I just bought 5 more Lancers from BCM @ 11.95 per about two months ago, so I don't understand why anyone is avoiding them due to price.:confused:
Robb Jensen
03-06-10, 08:12
I have 22 of the Lancer mags including 1 48 rounder. I have had zero problems with Lancer mags. Some of them are even the older green follower ones. 2 are 20 rounders. I've bought some won some and have been given some. They are good mags.
I use them and have had no problems. I also have a couple of Pmags and a bunch of USGI.
I bought 2 Lancer mags at Bravo about a month or two ago and gave it a try at the range. I ran into a weird "problem".
I was sitting in a shooting bench sighting in my AR. Since the table platform of the bench was chest level, it was awkward for me to lift up the rifle with my right hand to give the mag a good whack with the left. So instead, I turned the rifle 90 degrees so that now the ejection port was facing down. This is all while I was sitting down.
I inserted the mag with my left hand and gave it a good whack to seat it in. Strangely enough a round popped out of the mag and fell out of the ejection port (bolt was locked back).
Other than that, the mags function.
i got 10 of the 20rdrs awhile back, and have tryed them in about half-dozen different rifles, all with excellent results. never had the first problem with the 30s either. my opinion is positive for lancers
I just bought 5 more Lancers from BCM @ 11.95 per about two months ago, so I don't understand why anyone is avoiding them due to price.:confused:
Without having looked for them recently, I do recall retailers wanting ~$18-22 per mag. For this price, I would have went PMAG, but at PMAG price, GI mags were 2:1 over GI...
Checking prices this morning on magazines shows that $11-15 gets you a polymer mag...
CarlosDJackal
03-06-10, 09:39
I've been using Lancer mags for practice anad training and have yet to encounter a magazine-related issue with them. FWIW.
I initially bought one to try out and since have bought several more in both 20's and 30's. They work just fine and I like the looks and especially the rubber bumper bottom.
I think if you read previous Lancer threads, you will see lots of people running them without issue etc in trainings. While most of my mags are PMAGs, my Lancers are in my GTG go-to pile as well. I have not tried a 20 but I recently ordered a single 20R one to try out.
The reason they "feel" flimsy is that they are made of a different sort of polymer than standard polymer type mags (PMAG and ARC). I am not a plastics person but they seem to be made of a polycarbonate plastic which is why they are strong yet light and see-through.
Jay Cunningham
03-06-10, 13:24
I think if you read previous Lancer threads, you will see lots of people running them without issue etc in trainings. While most of my mags are PMAGs, my Lancers are in my GTG go-to pile as well. I have not tried a 20 but I recently ordered a single 20R one to try out.
The reason they "feel" flimsy is that they are made of a different sort of polymer than standard polymer type mags (PMAG and ARC). I am not a plastics person but they seem to be made of a polycarbonate plastic which is why they are strong yet light and see-through.
Several people I have spoken with recently (some sharp cookies in the bunch) seem to think that the "flimsiness" - or perhaps better stated their ability to flex as much as they do actually contributes to their durability.
Jay Cunningham
03-06-10, 13:27
Same here. I have 2 of them that I bought probably a year ago. They haven't given me any problems, but I haven't used them very often either. I just don't like them... at all.
So you have some, they have worked for you with no issues... but you don't like them and don't recommend them?
No magazine will last forever, as ALL mags out there are disposable after so long. But why not get the one that has the best track record and is also one of the cheapest mags out there?
Sounds like you are making the argument for USGIs... :p
I have 4 that I've ran through a couple of classes. I have had a couple of malfunctions that were so weird that I wasn't even sure how that was possible and decided it was my error somehow. Then I read about same issue on another forum; so far that is the only report (besides mine). The malfunction was FTS - failure to strip (and chamber) round from the mag. I am still not sure how that was possible, however, I'll probably won't get any more Lancers. Also, they don't work well with SCAR - for those who own one it might be important.
I've got 4 of them, but I prefer the windowed Pmags.
RetreatHell
03-06-10, 19:24
So you have some, they have worked for you with no issues... but you don't like them and don't recommend them?
Yup, never had any issues, though I have not put them through even close to what my PMAGs have been through. Not liking them is purely a personal preference. Although there's no reason IMHO that a 5.56mm magazine today shouldn't have a non-tilt follower (although if the current gen lancers do have them, then this point is officially moot).
Like I said, if you have them and like them and like running them more than any other magazine, that's great. And I wouldn't ever turn down a free lancer either, or for that matter give up the ones I currently own until they shit the bed.
The reason I don't recommend them is simply because I don't see the point of buying them when PMAGs are available. I know that makes NO sense, and I feel kinda weird saying it like that, but that's how I feel. Also, the PMAG definitely has the huge advantage of being proven in previous and ongoing combat operations in some real nasty places (environmentally speaking) around the globe. However, it's very possible that in a few years we could be hearing the same about the Lancers.
Sounds like you are making the argument for USGIs... :p
Now that's ****ing funny right there! Touche'!!;)
You literally made me "lol" when I read that!:p
Semper Fi,
-Paul
We've been T&Eing them at one of our training facilities. We give 3 of the Lancers to each student, with an average class of 15 students. Terrain is primarily gravel, with grass making up the longer shooting positions, but that's usually from prone. Kneeling and standing shooting positions are on the gravel and the mags have impacted the ground from those two positions multiple times over the course of a week for the last 3 months or so. They are holding up well.
No problems with them whatsoever. I actually prefer Lancer L5's to Pmags (heresy, I know)
I love my Lancer mags but don't like the fact that they don't fit some M4 mag pouches with kydex inserts because of the magwell stop profile and they don't fit my MSAR E4. The ones I currently own are over a year old (mixture of green and black follower versions) and I haven't seen if the current 30rd mag has the lower-profile magwell stop revision that is incorporated in their 20rd. mag. Otherwise they run fine and I love the steel lips on them. I don't plan of soaking them in DEET anytime soon..:D
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa10/uspopo/locknload/lnl03.jpg
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa10/uspopo/locknload/lnl15.jpg
They fit tight in the SCAR 16s but functioned fine..
They fit tight in the SCAR 16s but functioned fine..
Have you done speed reloads with your SCAR and Lancers? I can't drop bolt forwards using bolt catch/release button; I know others have had the same problem.
I just bought 5 more Lancers from BCM @ 11.95 per about two months ago, so I don't understand why anyone is avoiding them due to price.:confused:
Socom Tan USGI Brownells mags are $8.99 each. It's hard for me to justify buying anything other than those.
Have you done speed reloads with your SCAR and Lancers? I can't drop bolt forwards using bolt catch/release button; I know others have had the same problem.
The SCAR belonged to a fellow LEO and was already charged and ready to go when I shot it with a full mag. The SCAR functioned without a hitch and the mag did seem tight in the magwell when I pulled it out so I would have to ask my friend if he had any issues with the bolt release with the Lancer or if he loaded the gun via pulling the CH. The owner had the factory FDE painted USGI mag and a FDE PMAG with his SCAR but the Lancer belonged to someone else from the shoot.
Jay Cunningham
03-07-10, 13:15
Socom Tan USGI Brownells mags are $8.99 each. It's hard for me to justify buying anything other than those.
There was a short time a little while back where NHMTGs were $7.49 apiece new...
If I find any P-Mags for $10 I am going to buy .Till then i'll stick with $7 GI.
There was a short time a little while back where NHMTGs were $7.49 apiece new...
Odd that the best AR mag out there was the cheapest. I've finally come to the conclusion that I have more mags for the AR than I could wear out in my lifetime.
But I still would have bought some NHMTGs at that price!!!:p
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