Re: Alpha mags in EU ?
The magazine supply issue reflects totaly the general supply issue with many component parts. Supply from the USA has proved sporadic apparently due to the export regulations and the simple fact that the EU market is viewed as less important by many US manufacturers.
Having to jump through hoops and perform all sorts of burocracy to enable export is something that any company will think twice about. The rule makers don't make the rules easy to follow by any means and wading through the red tape does use up valuable man hour resources, hence its quite understandable that smaller companies making a small range of products concentrate on thier home market first. many of the promises to supply are no doubt genuinely made, but then stumble on the export procedure.
When it comes to ordering money generaly talks, a customer with an order for a batch of 5000 items will always get priority over a customer with an order for 5. This has become absolutely apparent to me over the last 5 years struggle to source single parts for one of a kind rifles.
I am so glad that others are seeing and reporting on the difficulties encountered in procurement as ive taken so much crap for not being able to supply on time or supply at all.
To confirm what Sharac said. Yes Roedale are working on a German made magazine that is compatible with all AICS type systems. After the 1st problems with metal bending companies who have an Anti Gun Ethics policy we found a local company who are more than happy to take on the job.The 1st prototypes have been made but weren't quite right, the next are in progress.
I personaly use a self hand made AICS type magzine in my rifle.( we sold out otherwise, it was my last magazine in the whole establishment, untill we got a long awaited resupply of AI mags last week)
Many would expect that a magazine is a simple thing to manufacture, it does however have to be right as a magazine that doesnt feed reliably and remain robust for years of use is no use to anyone at all, indeed it is a liability ( we saw this with the L86A1/A2 ( SA80) when they where taken into service, the main cause of stoppages bieng the magazines.
Hence i want to get the magazines right before we release them for sale. In the mean time we are using AICS mags from AI. but we certainly require reliable supply with magazines as our RCS II's start shipping out in a few days ( and the Raptor stocks just after) and I expect we will see a high demand.
We have sold / pre sold RCS stocks without magazines up to now purely because of the difficulty of keeping the mags on shelf.
There are several magazine manufacturers in the EU who make magazines that could be used, however none are AICS format, and it makes no sence to me to deviate away from the AICS type which is so popular.
Some other manufacturers have done this, even using the standard questionably reliable plastic tikka mags, or other plastic mags in thier mag systems and stocks, but I think to do that would be a folly, hence we are staying with the AICS type. As soon as we have magazines available they will appear in our shop. untill then ( I expect mid December will see magazines, but it might stretch to early Jan 2012) we are using as I said AICS mags from AI but would appreciate top up supply from any of the US manufacturers if they can reliably supply..
Pete
