The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Tactical Rifle & Carbine => Topic started by: blackwolfe on October 05, 2008, 06:28:30 PM
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It's past time to stock up on magazines. Any recommendations? I know Michael Bane prefers Brownell's magazines as he has stated in past posts and again recently in his blog. Maybe Michael can elaborate more here. The link Michael had recently in his blog for Brownell's showed both 20 and 30 round in various finishes with either stainless steel or chrome silicon springs. What are the advantages and disadvantages of 20 vs 30 round mags? What are the advantages and disadvantages of stainless steel vs chrome silicon springs?
If you look at other than Brownell's mags there are many choices of mags, some have steel, polymer, or aluminum bodies, various spring spring types and many types of followers. What kind and types of magazines do you use and how do they perform? I currently have some new milsurplus with aluminum bodies and green followers. I also bought some magpul 20 and 30 rounders with the anti tilt followers for $10.00.
I posted awhile back on changing an AR barrel and recieved good information here. I didn't change out the ban configuration barrel ( no bayo lug and pinned and welded compensator) on the unfired Rock River that I have yet but may still do so. I got a sale flier from a gunshop I get to every few years and they are having a moving sale so I made a special trip to see what they have. Put a new Rock River LAR15 on layaway. It has the CAR length hand guards, heavy barrel, Houge grip, 6 position stock, 2 stage trigger, and an extra swivel mounted on the barrel at the front sight tower. This one has Rock River's removeable tactical carry handle which is a optics rail with a rear sight built into it. The price is right so I instead of changing the barrel out on the one I have I got another. So many choices and desires and so little time and money.
Don't know much yet about ARs but i'm learning and think it prudent to acquire evil black, and politically incorrect stuff now before the the price gouging and bans begin. Thanks again for everyone sharing their knowledge and insight. I know AR15.com has a lot of info, but it can be a little overwelming when you haven't built up the basic knowledge base first.
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20-round mags are great when you're firing from a prone position since they don't stick out far enough to hit the ground. When I was in the army we often got 20-rounders when we went to the range but never saw them any other time. It was strictly 30-round mags for everything except when we qualified.
I have a Beta C-Mag so I don't have to change mags very often. ;D
I have 2 original Colt 20-round mags, with David Tubb's SpeedLock 10% extra power chrome silicon replacement springs. They're temporarily blocked off at 5 rounds each to make them legal for hunting. They're clamped together with a Choate "Clip Connector", there words, not mine. It's made for 30-round mags, but I modified it to fit the 20-round mags, for fast reloads.
I also have 1 Brownells 30-round mag with a chrome silicon spring, and 8 30-round GI mags. I replaced the original black followers with green anti-tilt followers in all the GI mags.
All 9 30-round mags and the 2 20-round mags are in 4 army surplus magazines pouches that I cut the grenade pockets off of, since I don't carry grenades. A rubber ball works as a spacer to keep the 20-rounders from falling to the bottom of the pouch. :) If the SHTF I can grab my army surplus web gear at a moment's notice and "head for the hills".
CS (chrome silicon) springs are supposed to be a lot better than SS (stainless steel). My understanding of the way CS springs work is that you load the mag and it takes a slight set and that's the end of the story. But when you load a mag with a SS spring it will continue to take a set and keep gettting weaker over time. Brownells simply says, "Choose from a mil-spec stainless steel spring or our new, high lubricity, dry-lube-coated chrome silicon spring that’s corrosion-resistant certified to 500 hour salt spray standards, and less prone to spring 'set'.” They're both the same exact price so there's no reason at all to get SS springs. http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/GunTech/NewsletterArchive.aspx?x=v&p=0&t=1&i=884
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Go 30-rounders, those will be the first to go.
I ordered 10 Magpul P-MAGs a while back, still in their heat-sealed plastic bags. Plus 2 other P-MAGs, and a mess of used LEO mags - got them from a pawnshop, shoot them mainly. Hey, if the gun will run with pawnshop mags and Wolf 5.56 ammo, it will shoot anything, right?
Shop around, get 'em while you can. When it comes to gun control, trust no one. Period.
Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.
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I stocked up on P-Mags. Midway, and others, have some deals going on with the 30 rd mags.
Milsurp mags work great if you can talk like an arab camel trader at a gun show also.
Get 'em while you can.
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If you want to go for the cool factor look at Lancer Systems L5 mag. 8)
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Picked up my Rock River LAR15 and some more mags. I errored earlier and said they were magpul. I meant to say they were
C-Products with magpul anti tilt followers. Not sure what the springs are made of. The LAR15 came with a 30 round milsurp. I have some learning to do on the AR to do.
When I put LAR15 on layaway 3 weeks ago they literary had cases of Rock River Arms on sale. They were out of RRA but still had Bushmaster, DPMS, and a few others available. They were selling the DPMS lite for $629
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I know this thread is about AR mags, and it is very informative. I just want to throw out there to not forget about your 30 and 40 round mags for your AK. Talk about the poster child for an AWB, and AKs would be it.
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I've settled on the Brownell's because I've got a lot of them and they work all the time. I get the CS versions in the tan color (Part #080-000-502) so I can tell them apart from my old mil-surps at a glance. All my mil-surps have been fitted with the replacement green followers and new springs as well.
I like the Magpul plastic mags as well, although I only have 4 of them. When we filmed Rocky Mountain 3-Gun for SG this year, I would have to say the Magpuls PMAGs fitted with pulls were the most common AR mags there by a fairly substantial margin.
I've always read that the HK stainless steel mags were the best AR mags ever made, but they're still $49.95 from Midway ($39.99 from CDNN, BTW)...the cost of multiple aluminum or plastic mags. I've also read on the forums adulator stuff on the British Sterling steel mags, but I've never used any myself. I thought I might buy a couple from CDNN just to check them out.
Michael B
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Shop around, get 'em while you can. When it comes to gun control, trust no one. Period.
Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.
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YEP! +10
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Shop around, get 'em while you can. When it comes to gun control, trust no one. Period.
Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.
YEP! +10
10-4. I like the Brownells mags too...got another 1/2 dozen in just in case so the boys will have them into their adult lives. Ordered my first magpulls...gotta check them out when they get here. I also just received a couple of the H&K mags....a bit heavier...they have a marine rating....they feel like quality so I ordered more.
Guys...you can still get good mags under $15....better stock up! ! ! !
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I have military issue and Colt metal magazines in 20 & 30 round versions. All with original springs and followers. Some are constantly loaded and have been for years. I have had some of them for over 20 years. No problems. Only problems I have had is when they get banged around and dented. One of them, I took out the dent in the body and works great. Only problems I have had are with 30 plastic magazines, do not like them. For regular shooting like the 20 rounders but for deadly conforntations, I'll take the 30.
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Hi all:
I have just entered the AR15 toyroom here; have two Stag 2L's for my 15 year old son and a 11.5" Bushmaster and 16" Armalite for myself.
I am looking for 10 round LAR15 magazines as nothing else is legal here in Canada except 5 rounders. The LAR15 is the only ten rounder that is legal here as it is also a pistol magazine... long story.
Can anyone tell me where I can pick up a whack of these ten rounders with the magpul adapters on the bottom? I think we want to get about ten to twenty of them. We have a bunch of thirty rounders of various types but they are all pinned to accept no more than five rounds. That's the law here.
Thanks very much.
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Totontogunguy,
Welcome to the assylum ;D
I'm not going to try and aswer for you, because there are much wiser ;) guys (and gals) on here than me.
But, wanted to offer the standard Welcome!
P.S.
Please watch you step when the Haz is on the prowl (your correct terminology use makes me think you will be fine and you won't get clipped by the cat), and always bow when in the presence of the M'ette.
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I got an assload (can I say that here? :P) of LaBelle Industries NIW grey teflon finished 30 rounder with green follower from the equipment exchange of AR15.com. They were $20,- each, a good price for prebans when the AWB was still in place. Great magazines. They should be less now. I also use Canadian Thermolds which work fine in training but have a bad reputation. I find myself liking plastic mags better than metal mags though. They are smoother to handle. That's why PMAGs are on my short list. Just be aware that plastic mags in general are thicker than USGI mags which may cause trouble with your mag pouches. The best mags are worthless if I can't carry them on my body. Personally I use a chest rig for our fat G36 magazines. Those mag pouches also take three plastic AR15 mags each or three USGI with old-style magpuls. PMAGs are also known for not fitting properly in S&W M&P and HK 416 lowers.
HK's so called High Reliability Magazines are not only expensive but also made of steel. Steel is heavy and steel rusts. Their lifespan may be longer compared to aluminium mags but it comes at a price not worth it. Furthermore they are longer than USGI mags which might again cause trouble with your mag pouches.
I suggest to separate your magazines in training mags and mags for situations were failure is not an option. Train hard with the training mags and don't get married to them and cycle the other mags through live fire just to make sure they work properly but other than that, baby them.
You might want to have a look at Troy Tiscareno's Mag FAQ at http://magfaq.tripod.com
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I've been using the brownell's mags with the chrome silicon springs, with 0 malfunctions, but if loaded to 30 rounds may not seat without difficulty, and may slow the bolt, go to 27 rounds and they are slick as butter. The P mags, with and without windows have been working very well too, but I've got 15 unopened packages and want to keep them that way, so not a true range report.
Has anyone had experience with the Cammenga easy mag, good video and concept, would be good for competition, but I am leery for defense work, even though the demonstration is very good.
See what you think.
http://www.cammenga.com/index2.php
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I've seen Cammenga mags for sale but didn't know exactly how they worked until I watched the videos. They look good to me but I don't need anymore mags. And I have hundreds of rounds in GI and Thermold stripper clips ready to go. I also have a Thermold magazine charger that loads from clips or loads 10 loose rounds at a time.
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mattburkett.com has standard cap AR mags. They've got a deal going where the magazines get cheaper the more you buy.
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At this point I'd say the best bets are the Midway USA AR-Stoners, which are privately labeled C-Product mags with Magpul-like antitilt followers. I took delivery on a dozen 20-rounders last week (at $9.99 apiece...a price Midway CEO Larry Potterfield told me they'd set in place for a promotion much much earlier in the year! Our gain...); all 6 I checked are fine (I left the other 6 in their wrappers, a policy I've instituted since b-HO became Prez-Elect). I had one report on my blog of bent feed lips, and the VP of Midway USA handled it personally and made it real clear that Midway USA stood by its products.Also, Midway is taking regular delivery of the mags...new stock of 30-rounders on Christmas Eve; new stock of 20s on 17 January. They are taking backorders at the $9.99 sale price.
I totally agree about steel magazines...I shot 3-gun in Florida back in the day, and H-K 91 steel magazines would get sometimes get a patina of rust, especially on fingerprints, during the course of one match. Of course, in Florida wood will rust...
Michael B
MICHAEL'S TOTAL DISCLOSURE: Midway USA is a huge advertiser on my shows and is the name sponsor of Wednesday Night at the Range on OC! Midway's money is what makes Wednesday night possible. I have been taking a lot of crap on my blog for recommending products from sponsors, which makes no sense to me. My entire career I have supported the people who support my sport. Period. What we do on OUTDOOR CHANNEL and DRTV would not be possible without our sponsors. I am very lucky in that my sponsors also make products I use anyway...the other advantage is that I have input into my sponsors' products, hopefully to make them even better. I do NOT shill product; all my shows operate under my standards, which are that yes, we love our sponsors and will use their products when applicable, but we do not ignore every other product out there. We are the ONLY shows with such a policy; every other shooting show is "pay to play."
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torontogunguy...have you tried Midway and Brownells?
Richard
PS: Just went to GS last weekend and AR and AR mags abound. Prices on AR's are up about 5% or so.
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Michael B
MICHAEL'S TOTAL DISCLOSURE: Midway USA is a huge advertiser on my shows and is the name sponsor of Wednesday Night at the Range on OC! Midway's money is what makes Wednesday night possible. I have been taking a lot of crap on my blog for recommending products from sponsors, which makes no sense to me. My entire career I have supported the people who support my sport. Period. What we do on OUTDOOR CHANNEL and DRTV would not be possible without our sponsors. I am very lucky in that my sponsors also make products I use anyway...the other advantage is that I have input into my sponsors' products, hopefully to make them even better. I do NOT shill product; all my shows operate under my standards, which are that yes, we love our sponsors and will use their products when applicable, but we do not ignore every other product out there. We are the ONLY shows with such a policy; every other shooting show is "pay to play."
Sorry about the low-lifes hassling you over touting your sponsors. I have been following you for a few years now (thanks for the restraining order BTW ;D ) and I always assumed that you touted the sponsor's wares not only because they were your sponsors, or because they supported you as well then and now, but also because they are damn fine company's to do business with. I think anyone with 2 brain cells to rub together knows full well that you do not force them to pay to play.
Keep it up, MB - your works are hugely appreciated.
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Michael, I think the door swings both ways, you promote what you think and know works in your experience, which is no small deal, We also share what We think works in our experience, on other forums, this might get squelched as advertising from a moderator or a forum member. Here it is share and share alike. Now when things like mags are in short supply or going through the roof, someone letting you in on not only availability but on sale to BOOT!
I defend your presenting options to us, We otherwise would not have, and Personally appreciate it. ;D ;D ;D
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Michael B[/color]
I do NOT shill product; all my shows operate under my standards, which are that yes, we love our sponsors and will use their products when applicable, but we do not ignore every other product out there. We are the ONLY shows with such a policy; every other shooting show is "pay to play."
I kinda noticed. I'm getting tired of seeing reviews on the other shows of the same company products every show. And I wish they'd call it something other than "review", which to me means looking at something critically. What they're doing is "showcasing". Just showing off the product and telling you about it's features.
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Went to another GS today...couldn't find an AR I could afford. Lowers either stripped or complete are nowhere to be seen (at any price). Mostly used milspec mags but some new. All prices are up a bit.
Richard
PS: Another show next week but it doesn't look good for me to find anything I can afford.
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Went to another GS today...couldn't find an AR I could afford. Lowers either stripped or complete are nowhere to be seen (at any price). Mostly used milspec mags but some new. All prices are up a bit.
Richard
PS: Another show next week but it doesn't look good for me to find anything I can afford.
Call The Outdoorsman in Fargo, ND - last time I was there they had a dozen stripped DPMS lowers for $200 each. I have not been in a for 7-10 days, but give them a call.
Full Disclosure - I have none, no relationship to the store whatsoever, just a small family owned business in competition literally within 2 miles of them with Gander Mtn, Scheel's (regional biggie) and Sportsman's Warehouse, not to mention email order and the internet.
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MICHAEL'S TOTAL DISCLOSURE: Midway USA is a huge advertiser on my shows and is the name sponsor of Wednesday Night at the Range on OC! Midway's money is what makes Wednesday night possible. I have been taking a lot of crap on my blog for recommending products from sponsors, which makes no sense to me. My entire career I have supported the people who support my sport. Period. What we do on OUTDOOR CHANNEL and DRTV would not be possible without our sponsors. I am very lucky in that my sponsors also make products I use anyway...the other advantage is that I have input into my sponsors' products, hopefully to make them even better. I do NOT shill product; all my shows operate under my standards, which are that yes, we love our sponsors and will use their products when applicable, but we do not ignore every other product out there. We are the ONLY shows with such a policy; every other shooting show is "pay to play."
They don't see the difference between being paid to promote what you don't actually use and being paid to rephrase what you would say any way, for example I don't think Midway would be as happy if you said "Their stuff is F@#$ing great", but what they pay you to say means the same thing ;D
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Got this link from Brownells in their monthly newsletter for newly designed AR mags by Fusil USA.
http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/Store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=27014&mc_ID=2019
Thought some of you might want to check them out.
PegLeg
8)
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Went to a small local gun show today, only thing I was realy looking for were AR mags and 556 ammo. found some cheesy looking stamped steel 30 rd mags, but the guy wanted $35 a piece for them. Then found a guy back in the corner had some 30 rd c products mags for $20 so I picked up a few of those. Wasn't any ammo deals to be had, unless you needed 762 there was alot of it, mostly russian. A few AR's priced way to high. No AK's that I saw, mostly old mil surplus bolt action rifles, wasn't interested so I can't tell you what they were. Lots of home defense shotguns though.
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GOT the 20rd AR Stoners from Midway Christmas Eve. Wife confiscated them for the stocking. They look good. Have "loaded" two of them and are now in the rotation of loaded mags. Hopefully Monday/Tuesday will be range day. Savage 25 and the new AR barrel.