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Thread: Any advantage to using USGI over PMAG?

  1. #41
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    Pmags don't need the dust cover at all when storing them loaded, Magpul put those on them when they first came out because they thought it might be a problem down the line and it's not. They have Gen I mags that have been kept loaded for years with no cover and still have their feed lips within spec. There's no real point to them unless you're storing them to keep dust and dirt out of them.

    I have a bunch of PMags that served me well overseas, but I also have a bunch of USGI's. I prefer Okay brand mags in excellent condition w/ MagPul followers only loaded with 28 rounds and so far have yet to have a malfunction that I can attribute to them. I have had a metric shit-ton of malfunctions to worn out and damaged USGI mags but they were waaaaay past their prime. As other posters already stated the military frequently retains junk mags instead of trashing them. Take care of your mags and they'll take care of you, and when they show any signs of excessive wear or damage stomp 'em in the ground and toss 'em.

    Now if you were asking about HK mags... talk about pieces of crap...
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  2. #42
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    The little I know concerning AR mags:

    I test all of my mags by loading them up to capacity. To me, a 30-round mag is a magazine for thirty rounds and I test it as such. Glad to read the other day that Kyle Lamb feels the same way. If the mag does everything correctly, I mark it with a “check” and date it. If a mag fails, it gets a “X” and a date and gets relegated as a range mag. I do this test to every mag I have, it may take quite a few range trips but I diligently test every mag at least one full capacity load.

    I’ve picked up several P-Mags and some came with my rifles. Personally, I like the P-Mags better, they just feel nice BUT they haven’t tested well. I have had intermittent failures to hold the bolt open after the last shot with 3 out of 10 P-Mags.

    So, I’ve been buying USGI mags and my favorite is NHMTG but I also pickup Okay, DSG and Center when I find them. I put in a yellow MagPul Follower, it aids my old eyes seeing if the mag is empty plus it makes them easy to identify as mine laying on the ground because no one wants a yellow follower, it isn’t “tacticool”.

    I am warming up to DSG mags. You can get them with the new USGI Magpul Follower already installed for about $9 each. With a Magpul Follower running about $2 that means the mags cost about $7. That’s a pretty good deal and the 4 or 5 I’ve tested have been really flawless.

    If I pickup used mags, I disassemble them, “409” the bodies and clean inside with a mag brush, then I put the bodies and the springs in the dishwasher, and run them through a wash cycle (w/ detergent). Then, I inspect them real close for parallel straight lips, cracks, dents, etc. and reassemble with Magpul Follwers. Then, I take a 16” long ½” diameter dowel rod and press the follower to the bottom and pull it out real slow to feel for any kind of snag.

    Then, I load ‘em up and test fire them like all my mags and mark accordingly. Out of the 30 or so USGI mags I’ve tested, every one has been fine. Not one failure, new or used. My biggest reason for success with USGI, simple I buy good mags, I buy mostly new mags, and if I buy used, I inspect the heck out them before I buy.

    I think you can sum up the “good” advice (Note - there is some bad advice) in this thread with two rules:
    #1 - Test your mags (that’s what “Use what works for you”, really means)
    #2 - Don’t fall in love with your mags.


    GBY

  3. #43
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    Quote Originally Posted by ucrt View Post
    If I pickup used mags, I disassemble them, “409” the bodies and clean inside with a mag brush, then I put the bodies and the springs in the dishwasher, and run them through a wash cycle (w/ detergent). Then, I inspect them real close for parallel straight lips, cracks, dents, etc. and reassemble with Magpul Follwers. Then, I take a 16” long ½” diameter dowel rod and press the follower to the bottom and pull it out real slow to feel for any kind of snag.

    Then, I load ‘em up and test fire them like all my mags and mark accordingly. Out of the 30 or so USGI mags I’ve tested, every one has been fine. Not one failure, new or used. My biggest reason for success with USGI, simple I buy good mags, I buy mostly new mags, and if I buy used, I inspect the heck out them before I buy.
    A good way to check for feed lip separation (not always exact but a sure way to weed out the bad ones) is as follows:

    A (clean) empty magazine should always drop free from a (clean) in-spec magazine well off of a closed or open bolt. One of the reasons for a magazine to not drop free is feed-lip separation. Magazines that don't pass that test get clearly marked and tossed into the, 'range only' pile. Once they double-feed from that pile, they get smashed and thrown out (I will usually rescue the magpul follower, however). Here's what happens to magazines that dare to double-feed on me:



    (I've considered sticking them on sticks in front of my other magazines to serve as a warning).

    Quote Originally Posted by kaltesherz View Post
    As other posters already stated the military frequently retains junk mags instead of trashing them.
    Get this, in 2002, I was issued magazines with black followers. We switched to green followers in what, 1994? Those magazines were at least eight years old. After that, I just became good friends with one of the armory custodians and always had NIW mags. Whenever mags would **** up, I'd have my Marines crunch and toss them instead of turning them into the armory (who just put those bastards back into rotation).

  4. #44
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    Quote Originally Posted by ucrt View Post
    I test all of my mags by loading them up to capacity. To me, a 30-round mag is a magazine for thirty rounds and I test it as such.
    I fill mine up with 28. It is not because I doubt the mags ability to properly function when filled to capacity or me trying to save the spring BS.

    I notice how hard it is to put a full mag into an AR with the bolt closed. My concern is that if if the shit went down and I reloaded prior to running empty all that drag could cause a bolt related malfunction.

    I do not think I am the only one.

  5. #45
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    Quote Originally Posted by tampam4 View Post
    Point well taken, JSantoro. Been a looong day over on my side, easy to jump on someone when they're on the other side of a computer screen. My apologies to Logan09 for being an ass. I mentioned that specific ad not as the reason why pmag's are more reliable, but mainly because it was a certain event where we have the two products being discussed, and I ASS-umed the failures were due to the USGI mags.
    The mark of a real man. Respect.

    AC
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  6. #46
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    I wouldnt sell them, maybe upgrade them with magpul followers but no need to sell them if they work.
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  7. #47
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    I use a mixture of USGI & P-Mags and have no issues. P-Mags are great but I don't use them exclusively. Never seen the need to when my USGI's continue to work 100% When my USGI's stop working I either throw them out or rebuild them depending on time constraints. Usually I just throw them away because it’s only $6 - $7 to replace them with new. I know others have the same approach to malfunctioning P-Mags.
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  8. #48
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    I have several dozen USGI aluminum, and a dozen or more HK uber-mags, but they're all nicely wrapped and stacked in a cardboard box.

    I've found the PMAGs more reliable. I don't load more than 28. I have shoved more than 30 (32, I think) into a mag or two when I haven't been paying attention and paid the price with a stoppage). I've had mine out in some sub-zero temps (I live in AK) and haven't seen any feed lip cracks, even when running them hard and cold in a cold gun in cold weather. Then again, I haven't spent a lot of time dropping those fully-loaded PMAG feed lips onto concrete after a day of snowmobiling in the hills or up and down the rivers.

    My son liked them plenty on two tours of actual trigger pulling in Iraq. He never had a complaint other than the fouling when using a SureFire or Knight's suppressor. Even then, it was just the issue of cleaning black carbon and crud off and out of a FDE magazine, never an issue of feeding or performance.

  9. #49
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    I won't use anything but Magpul Followers in USGI's.

    After I had two pretty bad FTF's where the rounds misfed and hit the top of the barrel inside the receiver and pushed the bullet all the way into the casing.

    That happened twice, I had taken out my Dad to show him my new AR, I told him we weren't going to fire anymore that day, as honestly I was seriously concerned one would chamber, and I immediately ordered all new Magpul followers and replaced them.

    I'll never buy a magazine with Green followers again.

    Plus you guys talk about magazine costs, has anyone here ever bought a pistol magazine? Or much worse even looked at H&K pistol magazine prices?

    They're at least double usually triple the cost of rifle magazines.

    I'd say keep buying a mixture of USGI and PMAG's for one reason.

    As much as I don't think another assault weapons ban is coming, we don't know how the Magpul Polymer material will hold up after 10, 20, 30 years down the road, we don't know how the material will survive, etc, where as you know a USGI's lips will eventually spread just from use, but you know what to expect.

    I don't mean to try to scare tactic you into buying more USGI's, but since I simply don't know because they haven't been around that long, I'll continue to buy both.

    YMMV.

    ETA: As a side note, all of my Magazines happen to be loaded to capacity, but, do you need to store all of your magazines loaded? I'd say if you wanted you could leave 5 or 6 loaded, but I see no reason to leave them all stored long term loaded, especially if you have near 50 of them like some members here.
    Last edited by BWT; 07-21-10 at 08:32.

  10. #50
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    Quote Originally Posted by BWT View Post
    As much as I don't think another assault weapons ban is coming, we don't know how the Magpul Polymer material will hold up after 10, 20, 30 years down the road, we don't know how the material will survive, etc, where as you know a USGI's lips will eventually spread just from use, but you know what to expect.
    ===============================

    BWT, That's a pretty good point. We really just don't know in the long run how long the polymer will hold up.

    I haven't read or heard where someone took a true milspec USGI mag in good condition with Magpul follower installed and had a problem, (dropping free, holding bolt open, double feeds, etc.)

    Has anyone had issues with USGI's with Magpul followers? If so, what kind of issues?

    .
    Last edited by ucrt; 07-21-10 at 17:43. Reason: Clarity

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