Magazine Priorities

[chazthebiker]

Disposable or not? Some say magazines are a consumable, or disposable item. Obviously, in a fight, one is not going to be worried about trying to pick up magazines while on the move. Realistically, unless one is a LEO or active duty military, that fight probably won't ever come. On the other hand I suspect that all of us would be policing the ground for empty magazines once the shooting stopped. I would imagine LEO's have to account for evey magazine. Could be wrong though. While some consider the ammunition magazine disposable, let's face it, most of us don't have hundreds of them gathering dust either.

What are your ideas concerning the role of the lowly magazine? When you purchase magazines do you just look for the cheapest possible price? Is it a disposable item? Or is it a question of reliability first and foremost? Dare I ask; Does the "look" matter (Magpul)?

If you are stockpiling do you want them all to match? Or is it, again, a matter of the most for the lowest price? If you stockpile, why? Is it in hopes of a profit should another ban materialize?

What is the role of the magazine in your eyes?

For me, the magazine is not a disposable item. First of all, they cost too darn much. Especially for my precious Magpul magazines, though they are not always that much more than steel mags if you find them on sale. No, the magazine is regarded in high esteem by this shooter. The priorities look like this:
1. Reliability
2. Accumulation of a stockpile
3. Resale value should a ban be imposed (How desirable do I think a particular brand will be)
4. Appearance
5. Price

So let's hear your thoughts concerning the lowly magazine.

[Eric]

The magazine is arguably a weak (or potentially weak) link in the AR15/M4/M16 system. Reliability needs to be the first priority. If a $50 magazine was the only one I found to be reliable, I would spend the money. However, we currently have a great selection of reliable mags that area reasonably priced; anywhere from about $8 to about $20 each (USGI, Pmag, Lancer, etc.). I do not necessarily consider mags to be disposable, but it makes no sense to retain questionable mags, given the minimal replacement cost. I fail to understand some folks who have $1,500 tied up in a weapon system and they skimp on buying POS mags or clinging to problematic beat to crap mags.

[hatchtrikk]

I would go with function over fashion every time. When I do stockpile, price comes into play, but not before reliability. Aesthetics are last on the list. If a reliable mag is a few bucks more than a half-assed mag, I'll buy fewer mags and go with function. I'm no operator, so as always YMMV.

[Bob Reed]

Hello,

Having the highest quality magazine available is very important to me, so I exclusively use & buy COLT Factory Magazines, and I buy all of mine from Specialized Armament.

The COLT Factory 20 Rd. Magazine is my personal favorite, and it's what I use the most. http://www.specializedarmament.com/products/MAGAZINE_ASSY_223_5_56MM_20RD_COLT_FACTORY-268-4.html

And I also buy quite a few 30 Rd. COLT Factory Magazines from them as well, and plan on buying a bunch of Ken's Famous Red Spring's too. My brother-n-law bought some Enhanced COLT Factory Magazines from SA (they come equipped with Ken's Red Spring), and believe me, that Red Spring is Amazing! http://www.specializedarmament.com/content/skins/flat/popup_issue_96.html

[rob_s]

I am currently in the process of mothballing all of my Pmags in favor of NHMTG mags (the maker of the COLT mags, and available at significant savings over paying for a floorplate). I am converting them to my own preferred combination of Magpul Ranger Plate and yellow Magpul follwer. I prefer the Ranger Plate because it gives me more options for grabbing or holding the magazine, gives me a better purchase when monopodding the gun, and gives me a color-coding option for different ammo types. I prefer the yellow Magpul follwer because even the green USGI "anti-tilt" follower can still tilt, the yellow color gives me a visual cue as to the status of the gun when it runs dry, and because in combination with the Ranger plate I do not lose any capacity in the magazine.

I load all of my magazines to 28 rounds, whether the manufacturer tells me I have to or not. In USGI-style magazines I have personally had, and watched literally countless number of other shooters have, trouble seating the magazine on a closed bolt. This is rarely a problem for the bench-rest or other static shooter but in dynamic shooting situations, with wet, sweaty, or muddy hands and when potentially working form unconventional positions, 28 rounds in the magazine makes seating it easier. As I am fond of saying "do you want 28 rounds in the gun or 30 rounds on the floor?"

I have no use for any of the steel magazines. Complete snake-oil nonsense that address zero issues in the known performers and bring many of their own to the table (rust and weight along with ridiculous cost). Similarly I have no use for the "USGI-style" makers such as Crap-Products (or whatever they are calling themselves now). Dean Caputo says that most AR malfunctions can be tracked back to MEAL for Magazines, Extractor, Ammo and Lube. I see no value in saving $1-2 for a suspect magazine when known performers are readily available.

Either way, I am not attached to my magazines. There is no ban, and if you live in a ban state your priorities may be different, but I number all of my magazines and track failures. I will make attempts to rectify issues I discover and if the problems are not able to be resolved I salvage the plastic parts and mothball the body. If there is another ban there may be a dollar value associated with a body, even one that is known to be a non-performer.

I have spent time with the Tango Down magazines and find the MK2 version currently available to be serviceable, but otherwise I cannot justify the cost. I have tried the Lancer magazines and found the old versions to be too hit-or-miss, both in my own guns and in those I supervised or observed, to bother with them. I'd be passively interested in trying the new ones but why when I have a solution that works for me already and I can't (just like the TD) figure out what they are supposed to do that my known solution doesn't.

For strict stockpiling, NHMTG in stock for are my choice. I have a target number that I'd like to hit, and a storage solution in mind that will hold that number, to hedge against future legislation or panic buying episodes as administrations change. I have heard that they are going to be changing over 100% to the Magpul followers on their commercial magazines (the new tan GI followers are a restricted item and they can only install them and the proprietary springs in magazines intended for Uncle Sam) but have not seen this change over yet.

[Paulo_Santos]

I don't go crazy over this. I just buy good quality mags (PMAG for me) and I keep track of them. If I have any mag related failure, I either get rid of them or send them back for replacement. I don't color coordinate them, but I number them.

[rob_s]

Color-coordinating for aesthetics is pretty gay. Color-coordinating as indicator of ammo type is a long-established and well-used technique.

Hell, they even used it in Die Hard 2! [BD]

[Paulo_Santos]

Color-coordinating for aesthetics is pretty gay. Color-coordinating as indicator of ammo type is a long-established and well-used technique.

Hell, they even used it in Die Hard 2! [BD]

LOL. I forgot they even made Die Hard 2. I use the same training ammo, which is my handloads and when I get home I just have one loaded mag with the good stuff that I put in my AR. The only thing I have to do is pull the charging handle and rotate the select lever and I'm ready to rock.

[chazthebiker]

Wow, I would have never thought about numbering the magazines to keep track of them. That sounds like a great idea for the purposes of weeding out the lemons. For my own stockpile, I have thought of having just 5 magazines to use at the range or for hunting and leaving the rest in their original packaging until the five begin to wear out or until they are needed. Asthetics are low on my list of priorities, but I have to adimit that it is a consideration for me personally. I have, though, been getting lucky lately finding them on sale for under $12 each online.

Another reason for my choice of Magpul is what I perceive to be lower reflectivity than metal magazines and they seem to be less noisy than metal too. I have not done any scientific study on the reflectivity or noise profiles of various magazines, those are just my perceptions of the product. If true, that should equate to a tactical advantage. Like anything else, that is my preference though it may or may not be everyone's. I have not even thought about stocking extra springs and followers either. I am wondering now where to get those and what to get. Have you men got any idea of the life cycle of the springs? 50 loadings? 100 loadings?

One huge problem I am having is getting more of the Barrett 6.8 SPC magazines. They have been off the website for at least the last 4 months and I have only been able to stock five of them.