Metal GI mags?

mitranoc · February 22, 2013, 07:43 AM

One of my local surplus stores just got in 300 of these used for $15 each. Is it worthwhile to pick up a few, and put the anti-tilt followers in them?

ScottRiqui · February 22, 2013, 08:29 AM

"Elephants two for a quarter is a good deal - if you have a quarter AND you need two elephants".

Do you need more magazines right this instant? What's the cost of the anti-tilt follower, and can you get them right now?

Unless you just broke your last mag and NEED another one immediately, I'd wait a few months until PMags (or your brand of choice) will likely be available for less than what you'd have to spend today to buy the GI mag and put a follower in it.

Tucker 1371 · February 22, 2013, 09:01 AM

GI mags suck IMO, take it from someone who was issued them. The locking tab gets deformed and the mags fail to lock and fall out of the weapon, the followers suck unless you replace them, and the feed lips bend. They have te life expectancy of a June bug. Unless you're just desperate for mags then stay away.

mitranoc · February 22, 2013, 09:11 AM

Quote:

"Elephants two for a quarter is a good deal - if you have a quarter AND you need two elephants".

That's a good one

Quote:

Do you need more magazines right this instant? What's the cost of the anti-tilt follower, and can you get them right now?

Unless you just broke your last mag and NEED another one immediately, I'd wait a few months until PMags (or your brand of choice) will likely be available for less than what you'd have to spend today to buy the GI mag and put a follower in it.

I have 8 PMAG's, so no I don't really need them at this point. With shipping from Mako, 4 anti-tilt followers are $14.80. So I'd be looking at $18.65 total for a used mag with a new follower. I'll take your advice and wait it out.

mitranoc · February 22, 2013, 09:12 AM

Quote:

GI mags suck IMO, take it from someone who was issued them. The locking tab gets deformed and the mags fail to lock and fall out of the weapon, the followers suck unless you replace them, and the feed lips bend. They have te life expectancy of a June bug. Unless you're just desperate for mags then stay away.

Thanks for the info

Tucker 1371 · February 22, 2013, 09:17 AM

Take a look at Troy Battle mags, they're just as reliable as PMags IMO and are about the same price but since they don't have the same notoriety as PMags the demand is a little lower as well as the current price, I believe Midway has them in stock.

CTS · February 22, 2013, 11:08 AM

From someone who also "was issued them" I would rather have a GI mag over some plastic crap any day. Most GI mags now days come with anti tilt followers already installed and in 37 years of being issued, and using and buying GI mags I have never had one fail. You can load them and keep them loaded and ready regardless of what the internet hype is, unlike Pmags that require the use of a "dust cover" to keep the feed lips from spreading. Actually it is better to keep them either loaded or unloaded and not constantly loading and unloading them. Continuous compression and decompression of the spring is what causes the problems, not continuous compression as some tend to believe. I have had mags loaded for 10 years or more and never had a problem with feed lips spreading. Give me a standard issue GI mag any day.

TacticalDefense1911 · February 22, 2013, 12:55 PM

$15 for used GI mags of unknown condition? No thanks, you can do better. Look around, you can find guys selling new mags (Okays, D&H, etc) for $20 or so. Couple that with it being difficult to find followers and spring kits, try looking for some new mags if you need them before you try to patch together some old GI mags at that price.

greentick · February 22, 2013, 01:20 PM

I used nothing but issue GI mags, with and without

the newer followers and NEVER had a mag related issue. Not in the Amazon basin, not in Astan, nor anywhere else I travelled and I burned up alot of unka sam's dimes in ammo.

Speaking of the mag detent failing I have had 3 separate PMags fail at the detent. All it takes is a small chip of that detent. Those were 308 mags. Currently replacing my pmags with SS ones. Maybe the 556 pmags are better.

That being said, $15 bucks a pop for a used mag I would avoid. Can you bargain down to 2-3/$15 maybe?

CTS · February 22, 2013, 03:46 PM

Quote:

$15 for used GI mags of unknown condition? No thanks, you can do better. Look around, you can find guys selling new mags (Okays, D&H, etc) for $20 or so.

OKay, D&H, LaBelle, Center Industries, etc are all GI mags. They all are licensed to sell to the government and all have or have had government contracts.

madcratebuilder · February 22, 2013, 04:49 PM

USGI mags in good condition should be around $10, new D&H can be found for $17. Four months ago I bought D&H for $84 a dozen.

It's insane to buy mags at these panic prices. They well come down.

When Pmags have preformed as long as GI mags and as well as GI mags then , and only then, well be worth the price.

CTS · February 22, 2013, 06:33 PM

I agree that the prices are way too high. I just can't agree with anyone who claims GI mags are junk.

Tucker 1371 · February 22, 2013, 08:01 PM

Quote:

From someone who also "was issued them" I would rather have a GI mag over some plastic crap any day. Most GI mags now days come with anti tilt followers already installed and in 37 years of being issued, and using and buying GI mags I have never had one fail. You can load them and keep them loaded and ready regardless of what the internet hype is, unlike Pmags that require the use of a "dust cover" to keep the feed lips from spreading. Actually it is better to keep them either loaded or unloaded and not constantly loading and unloading them. Continuous compression and decompression of the spring is what causes the problems, not continuous compression as some tend to believe. I have had mags loaded for 10 years or more and never had a problem with feed lips spreading. Give me a standard issue GI mag any day.

Your supply guy must be better than mine, of my 7 issued mags three of them would not lock in the weapon and one had bent feed lips, causing quite a few jams doing Table 2 drills one day. None had anti tilt followers. Bought PMags and the next time we ran a range the weapon functioned flawlessly. I took PMags to Afg because after that crap theres no way I would have trusted my weapon always to go bang bang with a issue mag in it. Now we get NJP'd if we get caught using PMags

Have you tried the "plastic crap"? I mean to each his own but the evidence points to the "plastic crap" being far superior in terms of durability and reliability.

CTS · February 22, 2013, 11:29 PM

You were probably using the same mags I was issued back in the mid '70s.

Justice06RR · February 22, 2013, 11:58 PM

From someone who was not issued any mags (I'm a civilian

) I've recently have gained trust of GI mags over those highly-acclaimed Pmags.

I've run both GI mags and Pmags in my AR's and they both work well. But for some reason a few of the Pmags do not always lock the bolt back after the last rounds. And these are new/barely used Pmags. GI mags have always locked the bolt back, and I've never experienced any issues with them jamming or falling out of the magwell during 3-Gun or just range shooting. I was a die-hard Pmag guy in the beginning, but the excellent performance of the GI mags I have acquired have made me lean towards them more.

Nothing wrong with Pmags because they are great, just boils down to what works for you and what you can afford.

I'd agree that $15 is a bit much for a GI mag, but that is much better than $50 that some stores are selling them for used! If you had some extra money laying around, I would pick up a few of those GI mags. Extra mags are always good, and you can never have too many.

boostedtt91 · February 23, 2013, 06:29 PM

id pick up a few and just put some magpul followers in and they work flawless. $15 is a decent deal as i used to pay $10 for them before all this crap hit the fan. With the fate of 30 round magazines still a unknown id buy them. Better to have extra mags and not enough mags

Hawg · February 23, 2013, 06:40 PM

I like G.I. mags. Won't ever trust my life to a plastic mag or plastic follower.

jad0110 · February 23, 2013, 06:59 PM

I think it all comes down to what your particular gun likes. I've experimented with a LOT of different mags, and have never had one single glitch with PMags. OTH, over half the GI mags I've tried experience one problem or another. The best GI style mags I've found are the ones Brownells sells under their name. Out of the 3 I bought, only 1 didn't work

.

Mike40-11 · February 24, 2013, 08:30 PM

I have GI mags, commercial aluminum mags, commercial steel mags, Pmags, tapcos, and 1 or 2 other brands of plastic, er, I mean hi tech polymer mags. I don't have any that I consider junk or unusable.

The ones I've had the most trouble with were mags issued to me in the Army. Not because they were inferior but because they had been folded, spindled and mutilated by joe. When I had to, most of the time I could get them operational by bending the feed lips back, working out dents, or replacing springs.

You could make the case that their (lack of) durability makes GI mags inferior but under most conditions, they last just fine if they're not abused. If you smash a plastic mag, you can't bend it back, it just breaks.

ScottRiqui · February 24, 2013, 08:46 PM

Quote:

If you smash a plastic mag, you can't bend it back, it just breaks.

Yep, that's the tradeoff with plastic mags. They don't dent or warp, so as long as they're not broken, they're probably fine. But once they *do* break, they're pretty much not repairable.

In a similar vein, my older brother once had a road bicycle that had *wooden* rims. The idea was that they were lighter than the steel rims of the day. They were heavier than aluminum, but unlike the aluminum rims, they wouldn't get permanently bent out of shape if you hit a pothole. Pretty much as long as they didn't flat-out break, they'd stay round and true.

Fishbed77 · February 25, 2013, 11:59 AM

This may sound crazy, but even though I've standardized on PMags, I've bought a few metal USGI and E-Lander mags just in case there is ever a mag ban.

In 50 years, who knows how the polymer mag bodies will be holding up? I have yet to see a polymer that doesn't oxidize or degrade over time. However, a few metal mags properly stored should last forever.

valleyforge.1777 · February 25, 2013, 11:05 PM

Hopefully I am wrong about this, but...
If they do not ban the mags today, they'll do it next week or next year or next something. So, even if we get through this current crisis OK, I'd stock up on whatever mags you can, and like someone already said, the metal ones may well last a lot longer than the plastic ones.

My policy for buying guns, mags, ammo, etc is to ask myself, "If what i have on hand today is all I will ever be able to get for the rest of my life, do I have enough or do I need more?" I have long been asking myself that question. I have never answered with, "If I could never, ever buy any more of these ever again, I have plenty." Nope, never gave myself that answer.

February 22, 2013, 07:43 AM	#1
mitranoc Senior Member Join Date: November 24, 2011 Location: West Palm Beach, FL Posts: 337	Metal GI mags? One of my local surplus stores just got in 300 of these used for $15 each. Is it worthwhile to pick up a few, and put the anti-tilt followers in them? __________________ "The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference - they deserve a place of honor with all that's good" George Washington

February 22, 2013, 09:01 AM	#3
Tucker 1371 Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2008 Location: East TN Posts: 2,649	GI mags suck IMO, take it from someone who was issued them. The locking tab gets deformed and the mags fail to lock and fall out of the weapon, the followers suck unless you replace them, and the feed lips bend. They have te life expectancy of a June bug. Unless you're just desperate for mags then stay away. __________________ Sgt. of Marines, 5th Award Expert Rifle, 237/250 Expert Pistol, 382/400. D Co, 4th CEB, Engineers UP!! If you start a thread, be active in it. Don't leave us hanging. OEF 2011 Sangin, Afg. Molon Labe

February 22, 2013, 09:17 AM	#6
Tucker 1371 Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2008 Location: East TN Posts: 2,649	Take a look at Troy Battle mags, they're just as reliable as PMags IMO and are about the same price but since they don't have the same notoriety as PMags the demand is a little lower as well as the current price, I believe Midway has them in stock. __________________ Sgt. of Marines, 5th Award Expert Rifle, 237/250 Expert Pistol, 382/400. D Co, 4th CEB, Engineers UP!! If you start a thread, be active in it. Don't leave us hanging. OEF 2011 Sangin, Afg. Molon Labe

February 22, 2013, 01:20 PM	#9
greentick Senior Member Join Date: January 15, 2011 Location: Deep South Posts: 261	I used nothing but issue GI mags, with and without the newer followers and NEVER had a mag related issue. Not in the Amazon basin, not in Astan, nor anywhere else I travelled and I burned up alot of unka sam's dimes in ammo. Speaking of the mag detent failing I have had 3 separate PMags fail at the detent. All it takes is a small chip of that detent. Those were 308 mags. Currently replacing my pmags with SS ones. Maybe the 556 pmags are better. That being said, $15 bucks a pop for a used mag I would avoid. Can you bargain down to 2-3/$15 maybe? __________________ nous défions

February 22, 2013, 08:29 AM	#2
ScottRiqui Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2010 Location: Norfolk, VA Posts: 2,905	"Elephants two for a quarter is a good deal - if you have a quarter AND you need two elephants". Do you need more magazines right this instant? What's the cost of the anti-tilt follower, and can you get them right now? Unless you just broke your last mag and NEED another one immediately, I'd wait a few months until PMags (or your brand of choice) will likely be available for less than what you'd have to spend today to buy the GI mag and put a follower in it.

February 22, 2013, 11:08 AM	#7
CTS Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2011 Location: NE Georgia Posts: 1,070	From someone who also "was issued them" I would rather have a GI mag over some plastic crap any day. Most GI mags now days come with anti tilt followers already installed and in 37 years of being issued, and using and buying GI mags I have never had one fail. You can load them and keep them loaded and ready regardless of what the internet hype is, unlike Pmags that require the use of a "dust cover" to keep the feed lips from spreading. Actually it is better to keep them either loaded or unloaded and not constantly loading and unloading them. Continuous compression and decompression of the spring is what causes the problems, not continuous compression as some tend to believe. I have had mags loaded for 10 years or more and never had a problem with feed lips spreading. Give me a standard issue GI mag any day.

February 22, 2013, 12:55 PM	#8
TacticalDefense1911 Senior Member Join Date: April 4, 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,277	$15 for used GI mags of unknown condition? No thanks, you can do better. Look around, you can find guys selling new mags (Okays, D&H, etc) for $20 or so. Couple that with it being difficult to find followers and spring kits, try looking for some new mags if you need them before you try to patch together some old GI mags at that price.

February 22, 2013, 04:49 PM	#11
madcratebuilder Senior Member Join Date: November 2, 2007 Location: Northern Orygun Posts: 4,923	USGI mags in good condition should be around $10, new D&H can be found for $17. Four months ago I bought D&H for $84 a dozen. It's insane to buy mags at these panic prices. They well come down. When Pmags have preformed as long as GI mags and as well as GI mags then , and only then, well be worth the price.

February 22, 2013, 06:33 PM	#12
CTS Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2011 Location: NE Georgia Posts: 1,070	I agree that the prices are way too high. I just can't agree with anyone who claims GI mags are junk.

February 22, 2013, 11:29 PM	#14
CTS Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2011 Location: NE Georgia Posts: 1,070	You were probably using the same mags I was issued back in the mid '70s.

February 22, 2013, 11:58 PM	#15
Justice06RR Senior Member Join Date: December 21, 2010 Location: Central FL Posts: 1,360	From someone who was not issued any mags (I'm a civilian ) I've recently have gained trust of GI mags over those highly-acclaimed Pmags. I've run both GI mags and Pmags in my AR's and they both work well. But for some reason a few of the Pmags do not always lock the bolt back after the last rounds. And these are new/barely used Pmags. GI mags have always locked the bolt back, and I've never experienced any issues with them jamming or falling out of the magwell during 3-Gun or just range shooting. I was a die-hard Pmag guy in the beginning, but the excellent performance of the GI mags I have acquired have made me lean towards them more. Nothing wrong with Pmags because they are great, just boils down to what works for you and what you can afford. I'd agree that $15 is a bit much for a GI mag, but that is much better than $50 that some stores are selling them for used! If you had some extra money laying around, I would pick up a few of those GI mags. Extra mags are always good, and you can never have too many.

February 23, 2013, 06:29 PM	#16
boostedtt91 Senior Member Join Date: January 28, 2011 Location: Danville, Pa Posts: 520	id pick up a few and just put some magpul followers in and they work flawless. $15 is a decent deal as i used to pay $10 for them before all this crap hit the fan. With the fate of 30 round magazines still a unknown id buy them. Better to have extra mags and not enough mags

February 23, 2013, 06:40 PM	#17
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,189	I like G.I. mags. Won't ever trust my life to a plastic mag or plastic follower.

February 23, 2013, 06:59 PM	#18
jad0110 Senior Member Join Date: May 30, 2007 Posts: 761	I think it all comes down to what your particular gun likes. I've experimented with a LOT of different mags, and have never had one single glitch with PMags. OTH, over half the GI mags I've tried experience one problem or another. The best GI style mags I've found are the ones Brownells sells under their name. Out of the 3 I bought, only 1 didn't work .

February 24, 2013, 08:30 PM	#19
Mike40-11 Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2005 Location: Missouri Posts: 842	I have GI mags, commercial aluminum mags, commercial steel mags, Pmags, tapcos, and 1 or 2 other brands of plastic, er, I mean hi tech polymer mags. I don't have any that I consider junk or unusable. The ones I've had the most trouble with were mags issued to me in the Army. Not because they were inferior but because they had been folded, spindled and mutilated by joe. When I had to, most of the time I could get them operational by bending the feed lips back, working out dents, or replacing springs. You could make the case that their (lack of) durability makes GI mags inferior but under most conditions, they last just fine if they're not abused. If you smash a plastic mag, you can't bend it back, it just breaks.

February 25, 2013, 11:59 AM	#21
Fishbed77 Senior Member Join Date: November 23, 2010 Posts: 4,862	This may sound crazy, but even though I've standardized on PMags, I've bought a few metal USGI and E-Lander mags just in case there is ever a mag ban. In 50 years, who knows how the polymer mag bodies will be holding up? I have yet to see a polymer that doesn't oxidize or degrade over time. However, a few metal mags properly stored should last forever.

February 25, 2013, 11:05 PM	#22
valleyforge.1777 Senior Member Join Date: June 2, 2011 Posts: 177	Hopefully I am wrong about this, but... If they do not ban the mags today, they'll do it next week or next year or next something. So, even if we get through this current crisis OK, I'd stock up on whatever mags you can, and like someone already said, the metal ones may well last a lot longer than the plastic ones. My policy for buying guns, mags, ammo, etc is to ask myself, "If what i have on hand today is all I will ever be able to get for the rest of my life, do I have enough or do I need more?" I have long been asking myself that question. I have never answered with, "If I could never, ever buy any more of these ever again, I have plenty." Nope, never gave myself that answer.