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Thread: magazine for durability

  1. #1
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    magazine for durability

    Hey all,

    I'm not too familiar with the ARs but which magazine material is best for longevity, not necessarily reliability? I noticed aluminum, stainless steel, and polymer such as Magpul.

    Which are good to keep loaded without the feed-lips becoming separated beyond repair?

    Will a cap on the feed-lips of a loaded mag help a lot?

    Thanks.

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    I'd hit the orange search button on the upper right hand corner of the page. There's a lot of good threads on choosing mags, along with reviews of specific makers.

    I'm not hollaring "Use the search button, noob!" but there's some great resources here with some digging. Magazines are a pretty commonly discussed topic.

    Remember that they are a useable and ultimately disposable item, not a durable artifact like the Pyramids.

    And welcome to M4C. The sticky threads are a terrific place to start, I learn a ton there myself.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by SeriousStudent View Post
    I'd hit the orange search button on the upper right hand corner of the page. There's a lot of good threads on choosing mags, along with reviews of specific makers.

    I'm not hollaring "Use the search button, noob!" but there's some great resources here with some digging. Magazines are a pretty commonly discussed topic.

    Remember that they are a useable and ultimately disposable item, not a durable artifact like the Pyramids.

    And welcome to M4C. The sticky threads are a terrific place to start, I learn a ton there myself.
    Sums it up in truth and wisdom.
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    PMAG, the YouTube test is legendary. I have a couple of the fusil USA all steel mags. Good mag albeit a little heavy. Go with Magpul.

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    Filled a gen 3 pmag with m193. Froze it to 10-20*f. Dropped it twice from 5.5-6' onto the feed lips. Drop #2 it cracked down the side and vomited nearly half a dozen rounds in a spasmotic fashion..

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    I'm not too familiar with the ARs but which magazine material is best for longevity, not necessarily reliability?
    I think I must be misunderstanding you. Why in the world would you want to buy non-reliable mags? A magazine that doesn't function reliably is best used as a paperweight, regardless of if the body is still intact or not.

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    I've found that I have virtually no feed issues with Magpul Pmags, whereas with GI mags there were quite a few. That's just my experience though. Good luck in whatever you choose!

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    Here's a thread that might help-
    https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=81074
    INSIDE PLAN OF BOX
    1. ROAD-RUNNER LIFTS GLASS OF WATER- PULLING UP MATCH
    2. MATCH SCRATCHES ON MATCH-BOX
    3. MATCH LIGHTS FUSE TO TNT
    4. BOOM!
    5. HA-HA!!

    -WILE E. COYOTE, AUTHOR OF "EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW IN LIFE, I LEARNED FROM GOLDBERG & MURPHY"

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  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by WS6 View Post
    Filled a gen 3 pmag with m193. Froze it to 10-20*f. Dropped it twice from 5.5-6' onto the feed lips. Drop #2 it cracked down the side and vomited nearly half a dozen rounds in a spasmotic fashion..
    what were the results when you repeated this test with USGI/Al, HK/Steel, Lancer/hybrid, etc.?

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by shadowspirit View Post
    Hey all,

    I'm not too familiar with the ARs but which magazine material is best for longevity, not necessarily reliability? I noticed aluminum, stainless steel, and polymer such as Magpul.

    Which are good to keep loaded without the feed-lips becoming separated beyond repair?

    Will a cap on the feed-lips of a loaded mag help a lot?

    Thanks.
    agree on using the search, but i'm willing to spend a few keystrokes...
    there are many, many opinions/experiences on this topic (there must be days-worth of reading just on m4c).
    most opinions based on personal experience rather than testing. some have more & more-relevant experience, so consider the source.

    the pmag is uber-popular for a reason:
    --great mag for low price.
    --specifically & successfully designed to mitigate the most commonly encountered real-world failures.
    --(it is the Glock of magazines)

    usgi/aluminium:
    --the originals.
    --many folks swear by them despite the development of improved designs.
    --have come a long way, esp w/modern followers
    --remain well priced.

    stainless:
    --supposedly address some of the durability issues of Al around crush, crack, and deform. i'm not doubting, they just don't seem to be common enough to have confidence (and that may be the real truth to how worthwhile they are).

    lancer awm's seem to be designed as an answer to pmag deficiencies. they have a good reputation, but are much less common than pmags, probably due to the fact that they are around 50% more expensive.

    i think tango down arc's are also uncommon for the same reason.

    if it came down to it, i'd take 2 pmags over one lancer/tango any day.

    troy mags also have a good, but limited-success design with good price. i think they're simply overshadowed by magpul's rep and marketing.

    i have samples of nearly all the different mag designs, mainly out of curiosity.

    my primary choice - pmag - was based on the information filtered from M4C posts as well as those of a former SEAL and his partner SWAT/Contractor that run a local training company (basically, "buy pmags and worry about practice instead").
    i do keep the dust covers on the pmags, though several people seem to have no problems with long-ish term storage of uncovered, loaded pmags.

    i am also partial to the Lancers, and keep a few of those loaded and ready since their steel feed lips were designed to avoid spread and crack.

    ultimately, if you are concerned with longevity, buy 8 - 12 mags. rotationally use the hell out of 4 - 6 of them, keep the other 4 - 6 new-in-the-wrapper in an ammo can with a dessicant in a relatively cool, dry place (fill the other half of the can with M193/M855 and some Mk318)

    from a practical perspective, you'll hand most of it down to your children along with your rifle.

    as a political hedge, you might want to add 2 - 3 of whatever strikes your fancy to your collection once or twice a year.
    Last edited by jmk; 08-17-13 at 11:04. Reason: grammar

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