AR magazines

[blackwolfe]

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.

[Big Frank]

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. 

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

[Pathfinder]

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.

[twyacht]

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.

[Combustion]

If you want to go for the cool factor look at Lancer Systems L5 mag. 

[Sponsor]

[blackwolfe]

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

[fullautovalmet76]

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.

[Michael Bane]

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

[HAWKFISH]

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.
[/quote]


YEP!  +10

[Rastus]

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! ! ! !