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Old November 2, 2012, 10:18 AM   #1
pumkin
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?? Magazine reccomend. AR-15

Hi, I have bought some lowers. I havent had a AR 15 before. I'm looking for some recomendations on what brand, or brand and model of magazines.
I heard 30 round mags could be unreliable, and that 20 rounds was the ideal mag. Is that so? Anyway, if I can get some different views on different magazines, and your reasons, it would help me. I like to save money as much as anyone else, but I don't want junk or anything that has problems. I'm thinking of getting at least a half dozen. Any responses are appreciated.
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Old November 2, 2012, 11:22 AM   #2
MtnCreek
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P-Mags are best bang-for-buck. IME, 30rd P-mags and quality alum mags (like Kay) are as reliable as 20rd'ers. The fist AR mags I bought were cheap and would malfunction often. Don't buy cheap mags....
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Old November 2, 2012, 11:33 AM   #3
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Both 20 and 30 round P-mags have been totally reliable for me. The 20 round mags are "handier" and better for shooting from prone or bench. Get them here:
http://www.botachtactical.com/magpulpmag.html
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Old November 2, 2012, 11:44 AM   #4
Crow Hunter
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Personally, my preference is for GI aluminum mags.

Specifically:

30 rd mags

http://www.44mag.com/product/nhmtg_m...ar15_magazines

and

20 rd mags

http://www.44mag.com/product/nhmtg_2...ar15_magazines

NHMTG is the civilian side of Okay Industries, which manufactures mags for the Army and also Colt.

http://www.okayind.com/

I had about 100 Pmags at one time and I didn't like them that much for my usage. (Hard to get into and out of pouches and quickly wearing mag release notches, and bulkier)

Others REALLY like them, and they seem to be a sound option.
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Old November 2, 2012, 11:54 AM   #5
Downeast
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Another vote for P-Mags, either 20 or 30 rounders
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Old November 2, 2012, 02:57 PM   #6
allaroundhunter
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If you want reliable 30 round magazines, either use PMags, or use USGI mags with anti-tilt followers.
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Old November 2, 2012, 05:03 PM   #7
BillyJack3
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PMAGs and DSG Aluminum with Tan Magpul followers. All in 30 rounders. Not sure where you heard that 30 round mags were unreliable. That's the first time I've ever heard that. However, I have heard of issues with 20 round PMAGs on several occasions. Never had any personal experience with them though.
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Old November 3, 2012, 08:02 AM   #8
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Wideners has a sale on 30rd aluminum mags with black Teflon finish and yellow followers in lots of 10. Great mags with the latest version follower.
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Old November 3, 2012, 08:15 AM   #9
Sport45
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My Brownells magazines have never given me any problems.
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Old November 3, 2012, 08:32 AM   #10
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Quote:
NHMTG is the civilian side of Okay Industries, which manufactures mags for the Army and also Colt.
Another vote for Okay Ind. mags. I have some 20 rounders that I bought back in the late 70s for under $5 a piece that still work fine.

C
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Old November 3, 2012, 08:45 AM   #11
hasbro_fan
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Pmags, or pick up used at shows. I have 20 and 30, both sizes work fine. 20 is easier from a bench or prone.
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Old November 3, 2012, 12:45 PM   #12
Achilles11B
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Yet another vote for PMags. A good alternative is the GI issue mags with PMag follower. Can't go wrong with either.
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Old November 3, 2012, 12:56 PM   #13
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Have been very happy with 30 round PMags. I've had some issues with a 20 rounder, but I found a fix that I'm doing this weekend.
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Old November 3, 2012, 04:18 PM   #14
RadioFlyer8
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I use 30 rd and 20 rd PMags and have had no issues.

I have 5 of each for the reason stated above. 20 rd mags are easier to use while shooting prone.
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Old November 3, 2012, 06:19 PM   #15
Nathan
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Like others have said, Pmags are great. I like the USGI D&H mags w/ Magpul followers. There may be others in this class. There are definitely worse. Buyer beware.

The next key is how to get them for $12 or less each. For that, you need to access the knowledge of AR15.com. I bought D&H for $11 each from BCM. PSA has them for an even better price when you buy 10.
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Old November 3, 2012, 09:57 PM   #16
Metal god
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Pmags work great if they are the newer ones . I also bought some AR-Stoner mags that work great

Quote:
Have been very happy with 30 round PMags. I've had some issues with a 20 rounder, but I found a fix that I'm doing this weekend.
I have 2 older 20 round pmags that suck . Feed jams every time I use them . What is the fix you have .cus if I can't fix them they are going in the trash
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Old November 3, 2012, 10:05 PM   #17
HankB
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I've mostly got Brownell's mags and they work fine - not a bad deal at under $12 each. The USGI and the NHMTG mags I've got also work fine, as well as both P-mags in my kit.

Thinking back now, the only mag that ever gave me any trouble was a refinished USGI 20 rounder that I got at a gun show during the dark days of the Clinton AWB . . . it was worn out and I was taken in by the nice refinish. Caveat emptor!

You can find a lot of information and opinions at http://www.ar15.com/forums/f_3/17_Magazines.html Some FAQ information is dated, but overall it's a good starting reference.

One thing - I highly recommend the LULA loader/unloader accessory! It makes loading easy, and if you want to, you can unload a 30 round mag in a matter of seconds.
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Old November 3, 2012, 10:34 PM   #18
p loader
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Quote:
PMAGs and DSG Aluminum with Tan Magpul followers. All in 30 rounders. Not sure where you heard that 30 round mags were unreliable. That's the first time I've ever heard that. However, I have heard of issues with 20 round PMAGs on several occasions. Never had any personal experience with them though.
Probably heard it from the same guy who says you should never load more than 25 rounds in a 30 round magazine, or from the guy who insists on tapping the mag on his head (helmet) prior to inserting it into the magazine well.

FWIW I'm all for 30 round USGI mags or 30 round PMAGs.
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Old November 3, 2012, 11:23 PM   #19
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I don't like P-Mags. The plastic feed lips can start to spread out if they're kept loaded too long, which of course will eventually affect reliability. That's why they come with the "dust covers": to keep that from happening. But that just makes it slower to load your weapon in an emergency. Also, P-Mags can melt with suppressor use.
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Old November 4, 2012, 12:16 AM   #20
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Get the 30 round milspec mags. They have a number stamped on them to identify them as such. (33710 above the date code). The Okay Mags have it, the NHMTG mags have it, and some others like Cooper. If they turn out to have weak springs replace the springs and followers. I like the green followers.

I have a slew of 20 round Colt Mags. They don't have the number but work very well.
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Old November 4, 2012, 02:06 AM   #21
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This^^^

The number you're looking for is a CAGE (Civilian and Government Entity) code. The presence of this number means that the Gov't has officially designated them as parts or items for use by our troops.

PMAGS should carry a CAGE code, as well as authentic mil-std magazines.
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Old November 4, 2012, 08:26 AM   #22
mitranoc
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Metal God -

Here's the fix (well hopefully) that I found.

http://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.ht...f=124&t=197936
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Old November 4, 2012, 09:19 AM   #23
m.p.driver
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I have used metal issued mags since the Army,and never had any issues.Recently been using P-Mags and they are nice.CDNN runs them at discount in their weekend e-sales and you can get them cheap.
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Old November 4, 2012, 09:35 AM   #24
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the h&k mags if you wanna spend about $60 a pop.
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Old November 4, 2012, 05:11 PM   #25
The Long Shot
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Lancer All the way

I'm loving the Lancer L5 AWM mags. They've proven to be as reliable and more durable as pmags. I like the L5 AWM mags because they ar made of polymer with STEEL FEED LIPS with a self leveling follower. I've seen too many PMAG's fail due to the feed lips.

Long story short, when I have to trust my life with my gear, I take my L5 AWM mags.
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