Tapco polymer mags?

[camoman]

Are they junk, Or are they serviceable?

[99HMC4]

I think I would buy wal-mart brand mags first.... Joking but really....:p

[bkb0000]

apparently they make pretty good AK mags.. i personally wouldn't even consider them for ARs, however, with all the known-good options out there for the same price or even less.

[Toonces]

apparently they make pretty good AK mags.. i personally wouldn't even consider them for ARs, however, with all the known-good options out there for the same price or even less.

The Tapco AK mags are considered a joke on the AK Forum due to the lack of metal/metal reinforcement in the locking lugs. Their AR mags stand a better chance of being acceptable due to support of an AR magwell vs the lugs on an AK. I'm not saying they are any good, just that their all polymer construction is more suited to AR mags than AK mags.

USGI and PMags are both 800 pound gorillas that are going to be hard to beat.

[bkb0000]

i dont do the AK thing, so i shouldn't even comment on it.

good magazines, $9 a pop
http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/AR-15-Magazines-p/magazines%20dh%20bt30.htm

[ZX672]

Purchased one to try it out and I returned it to brownells.....It worked fine on my 10.5 LMT SBR unsuppressed, but once the suppressor was on I had a failure to feed every 3/5 rounds. GI/Pmags work flawless.

[500grains]

apparently they make pretty good AK mags..


I have a dozen Tapco plastic mags for the AK47. They feed just fine. But they are not nearly as durable as a steel ribbed commie mag. At 15 bucks each, the Tapcos cost more too.

For an AR I like Magpul (I guess everyone does) and the HK marine mag which sells for about 60 bucks each. That HK is a very nice mag. Also I have had good luck with the C Products mag with magpul follower, but in drills I like to drop my empty mag on the ground and a mapgul mag doesn't mind that at all.

[TY44934]

Oh OK. Thanks!

Wait - WHY are we talking about magazines for the AK-47 rifle in the AR-15 section of M4carbine.net? Isn't there a sub forum that covers the AK-47 and its magazines? :confused:

[Tokarev]

Dave Fortier did a write-up on the Tapco AR mags a few months back in The Shotgun News. He tested these, the Lancers, the ARC mags and the PMAG along with a Brownell's GI mag and a C Products steel mag.

He dropped the mags from various heights, dunked them in gasoline and some other silly stuff that slips my mind at the moment.

Anyway, he said the Tapco mags held up as well as (or better than, in some cases) the rest of the mags he abused.

I might pick up one or two of these to see how they work in my SCAR. How's that for perfuming the pig?:p I've found that my SCAR is a little picky with regard to PMAG's etc and am curious as to whether or not the TAPCO mags will drop free, etc...

[camoman]

Well, I bought one from Cabelas for the AR, and put 200rds through it last Saturday. Not one stoppage so far. I'm not quite sure how the plastic feed lips are gonna hold up over time, but so far so good.

[BufordTJustice]

Tapco mags are really cheap. Their AK mags are prone to breakage...ask me how I know. I'd assume the same from their AR mags. If you're buying them for your kids plinker....but if reliability is at all a concern...just buy some real mags from Botach tactical or MidwayUSA. Botach has C-products stainless steel body magazines with CS springs and the bright orange follower for under $10; I have five of them and love them to death. P-MAGS are great also, but if you leave them loaded like I do (I'm an LEO, it's a job req), I'd rather not have to mess with the snap-off cover that is necessary to protect the feed lips after the mags have been loaded for a period of time. Either way...I would avoid tapco's mags.

[6933]

TAPCO is not known for high quality products, Botach has a sketchy CS record, and PMags do not need feed lip covers to prevent creep. Go with PMags or GI mags.

[BufordTJustice]

TAPCO is not known for high quality products, Botach has a sketchy CS record, and PMags do not need feed lip covers to prevent creep. Go with PMags or GI mags.

I have a fellow deputy who used P-MAGS in his patrol carbine...in the heat of the interior of his patrol car, the feed lips weakened and a crack developed during his quarterly quals while at the range. This happened on two of his three P-MAGS. The one it didn't happen to had the cover on. Also, Magpul recommends using the cover if they are being stored loaded. Additionally, standard aluminum GI mags will have feed-lip spread within a year if they are being stored loaded to 28 in a hot environment...i.e. the trunk. I know of a guy in an adjoining agency who's gun locked-up because the magazine had spread so far as to wedge itself inside of the lower. NO magazine is perfect, but C-products makes some of the best right now. Botach has been sketchy, by selling items they did not have in stock. If these are in stock..they are HK mag quality for 25% the price. I am forced to leave mine loaded unless I find time between my 12 hour shifts to load and unload all of them...that's time wasted if you have a family, brother. Can't leave a loaded P-MAG in the gun in FL heat during the summer. I've seen the failures with my own eyes. I need a mag that can be left in the gun...ready to go at a moment's notice. P-MAG's haven't been able to do that for me or my buddies.

[6933]

The covers are to prevent damage from impacts and to protect from dust; not feed lip creep. I understand you have had issues, but your sample size is small. PMags are in use in the 'box and I'm fairly certain it gets just a little hotter there.:D I've had issues with Lancers, but my sample size of one isn't significant. Many consider them GTG. Same with PMags. I haven't heard of the issues you bring up, so maybe ya'll have had a run of bad circumstances. I have trained with many that run PMags in extreme heat like you describe and none has ever mentioned your issues. Maybe you've just gotten the sh** end of the stick so far. PMags are good kit. HK mags; good but too heavy. Ounces=pounds, and all that.

[BufordTJustice]

The covers are to prevent damage from impacts and to protect from dust; not feed lip creep. I understand you have had issues, but your sample size is small. PMags are in use in the 'box and I'm fairly certain it gets just a little hotter there.:D I've had issues with Lancers, but my sample size of one isn't significant. Many consider them GTG. Same with PMags. I haven't heard of the issues you bring up, so maybe ya'll have had a run of bad circumstances. I have trained with many that run PMags in extreme heat like you describe and none has ever mentioned your issues. Maybe you've just gotten the sh** end of the stick so far. PMags are good kit. HK mags; good but too heavy. Ounces=pounds, and all that.

Yes, my sample size is small. But I don't need to see but a few failures in my line of work to start eliminating equipment. For 95% of users, the P-MAG is perfect. It is good kit, period. However, The guys in the sandbox don't normally leave their mags in 140-150 degree car trunks. Shit, it gets up to 125 in the cabin (with civ-illegal dark tint) with the air off for an hour if it's mid-day. The sandbox is hot, but the heat that these mags are getting exposed to is extreme...which is why I'm not knocking them. The C-products steel bodies mags with CS springs have worked perfectly for us. For 95% of end users, the P-MAG is the best thing since sliced bread. I keep them at my house....but my C-products go 10-8 with me. Not knocking anybody...just stating fact. As for feed lip spread...most all of my LEO friends in the area love P-MAGS, just not in their patrol cars/rifles while on duty. We all have them and enjoy using them (I personally love being able to load a true 30 rds and seat it on a closed bolt). No bashing here.

[6933]

Buford- I understand where you are coming from. Going back to a previous post of mine, I wouldn't stake my life on a Lancer based on my personal experience. It seems you won't stake your life on a PMag as part of your duty kit based on your personal experience. I just hate to see someone not benefit from a great product. Have LE's in Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Louisiana, etc.(places with extreme heat similar to or above your AO) experienced the same problems? I have not seen any info. stating this is the case. It seems you and your fellow officers may have had a run of bad luck with PMags. I say this since I am currently unaware of any other high temp. locations that have had similar probs. What color were the PMAgs?

[SWATcop556]

My personal experience with Tapco mags is that they are shit. If you want a plastic/polymer mag then Pmags are the way to go (I have no hands-on time with the TD mags yet).

As far as the problems mentioned with Pmags vs. CProducts I've had more CProducts mags shit the bed vs. any of my Pmags. My sample size was 100 CProduct mags that we tried to issue in our rifle program. We now issue Pmags. I have only see one cracked feed lip on a Pmag at it was an older one with around 10k through it.

I've carried loaded Pmags in the patrol unit in my carrier and rifle for several years now. Temps from -10 to 130ish in the car with no AC. No issues with Pmags. Not saying they can't fail but I've seen more issues with USGI mags than Pmags.

If I want USGI mags I get the BravoCo mags with magpul followers. Best USGI mags out there. H&K like their shit too much and I've bent the hell out of some brand new ones just by dropping them.

[BufordTJustice]

Buford- I understand where you are coming from. Going back to a previous post of mine, I wouldn't stake my life on a Lancer based on my personal experience. It seems you won't stake your life on a PMag as part of your duty kit based on your personal experience. I just hate to see someone not benefit from a great product. Have LE's in Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Louisiana, etc.(places with extreme heat similar to or above your AO) experienced the same problems? I have not seen any info. stating this is the case. It seems you and your fellow officers may have had a run of bad luck with PMags. I say this since I am currently unaware of any other high temp. locations that have had similar probs. What color were the PMAgs?

I would stake my life on a P-MAG....just not after it's been heated to over 140 degrees for 12 hours today for ump-teen shifts. I have them at my house (I own several black non-windows...the revised version) and they are ready to defend my family...they are in my chest rig for SHTF (along with the C-products). They are great mags, but for the heat endured in a patrol car's trunk...and with the pressure of their amply strong mag spring on a full 30 round stack...we experienced failures as stated before. I and my buddies all still use P-MAGS...for the range and for home defense. The P-MAGS used were black mostly non-windows...and all that I saw were the revised version. It is entirely possible that this was an isolated incident...but we all procured our mags from different sources (WE bought them) ranging from local gunshows, gunbroker, gunshops, and many online dealers....I simply don't understand how our circumstances couldn't be the cause...there's no way MagPul made that many defectives. Just no way.

As for the C-Products magazines I mentioned that I use, they are not GI mags. These are GI form factor, but using better magazine body (heat treated stainless steel), Black smooth teflon treatment, Chrome Silicon Spring, and new Orange Cproducts follower (looks quite similar to MagPul's newest follower design). The original GI mags are disposable and should be regarded as such...these are a far cry from standard (or 'improved') GI mags. Linky:

http://www.botachtactical.com/cprarststma.html

I use 'em and love 'em. If Magpul made a Stainless reinforcement molded into the mouth of the mag (or just into the feed lips), I would marry a P-MAG. Till then, it's just an affair. :)

[6933]

BTJ- There are plenty of other depts. that have AO's with temps. as high or higher than your own(like SWATc) and have no issues with PMags. There are plenty of PMags in use in the 'box. I'm re-stating this in a mindset of trying to sort through the issues, not trying to be a di**head. What is the probability you and your friends all happened to purchase less than optimal mags? Low, but there is a chance. Maybe there were other handling issues that caused the probs. We'll most likely never know.

I don't think you should recommend against carrying PMags in the conditions you describe since there are many, many using them in conditions just as bad and in many cases, worse. This is possibly going to prevent someone from buying a product that may contribute to their well-being. Have you discussed the issue with Magpul?

[BufordTJustice]

Not proof of failure:

http://www.magpul-pts.com/pdfs/PMAGPress.pdf

Please see page 5 for the following statements:

"What is the purpose of the Impact Cover (Snap Cap)?
When mounted, the Impact Cover provides protection to the magazine in three ways: it guards against
dirt, dust or debris; it relieves upward pressure on the feed lips from the loaded rounds; and it serves to
protect the feed lips from direct impact damage when a magazine is dropped. The cover also serves as a
tool to assist in disassembling or unloading the PMAG™."

&

"How does the Impact Cover improve long-term loaded storage reliability?
The Impact Cover locks into geometry on the front and back of the magazine exterior and presses down
on the top most round of the loaded stack. This eliminates most of the pressure from the rounds that
would normally deform plastic feed lips over time and cause magazine-related failures."

If they recommend it, I'm G2G with that. It's not a knock...they are the best polymer magazines ever made...for any gun. But, they are still polymer. I require a magazine that will work if fully loaded for maybe years at a time and that will be exposed to extreme heat over long periods. Until such testing is performed to prove me wrong (a test with those results would be good news, by the way), I must stick with what I know will work. I heartily rec P-MAGS to all my buddies that are AR newbies. I would be remiss in not stating what has been my experience for fear that somebody else would duplicate my circumstances and also duplicate my failures. That would be bad advice.

[ca_fireman19]

two words... P mags

[GLOCKMASTER]

Oh OK. Thanks!

Wait - WHY are we talking about magazines for the AK-47 rifle in the AR-15 section of M4carbine.net? Isn't there a sub forum that covers the AK-47 and its magazines? :confused:

Exactly!!


Now that I have given this thread a needed eniema please keep it on track.