i know i asked this before but can't find it. wonder what the opinions are on which metal mags (alum or steel) are the best with the best known history for toughness,reliability and no prob function. tx for replies.
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metal AR mag question
- Thread starter mosin46
- Start date
OK Industry Mags are nice.
STAY AWAY FROM ASC!!! Their followers suck and of the 5-6 I have, they do not feed reliably, even after putting in Magpul followers.
PSA branded D&H ones are ok. Kinda stiff to load on a closed bolt (29 rounds in mag).
Brownell’s are supposed to be good.
STAY AWAY FROM ASC!!! Their followers suck and of the 5-6 I have, they do not feed reliably, even after putting in Magpul followers.
PSA branded D&H ones are ok. Kinda stiff to load on a closed bolt (29 rounds in mag).
Brownell’s are supposed to be good.
I took a small flat file and relieved a bit from the locking hole in the mag. Just a few swipes and they lock in perfectly now. Takes about 30 seconds. They are reliable mags.
edit: D&H mags
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I have a box of ASC mags 10 and 20 rounds ,I fucked with them to hell wont have it.
I dont use them and would never trust my life to them.
This is one of those threads that will never have a right answer. For instance, my ASC mag experience has been great across many magazines and several calibers.
did a big search. what is out there are duramags,ok industries,c products,asc. brownells-OOS. any of those choices shown to be worthwhile? yes i have a bunch of lancers and gen 3s. yea,i know there is going to be no right answer or majority concensus. just asking for experiences & ideas.
Same here. The Grendel ones work fine too.
I've got a couple hundred of the fucking things, I think a majority are Brownells mags when they got the GI contract ten years ago --I scored a fucking shitload for practically nothing and passed on the deal here.
The ones that don't work are the beat up ones that weren't taken care of or are past their usefulness.
The bad ones just get the lips bent with needle nose pliers and modified into Beowulf mags. That damn thing will feed from almost anything.
Number or label all your mags. Then weed the shit out.
Can you show a picture of this? Having a hard time seeing it in my head.
I’ve got a few of these and would like to have them not be so difficult to seat.
Get a flat file and take off just a little here. Don’t get too carried away. Go slower on the first one until you get the idea. It doesn’t take much to make a substantial improvement. Let me know when you get it done.
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- Nov 3, 2010
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OK and Colt in my pile of trusted AR mags. Maybe one other brand but I don’t think so.
The 7.62x39 in an AR platform is a different animal though. I actually found the AR Stoner 10 rounders to work great for me and my gun.
The 7.62x39 in an AR platform is a different animal though. I actually found the AR Stoner 10 rounders to work great for me and my gun.
Yup.
Metal sucks. Sure, it feels good in the hands. Sure, it's mil-spec.
It also takes one wrong hit to bend it out of operation. Can it be fixed? Yes! Will you notice that before you depend on it? I'm not betting my life on it.
Polymer may have a finite lifespan. However, once you check it, it's good until it's broke. It won't bend, it won't get dings, it won't seize the follower because it's squished.
It simply works until it doesn't. When it doesn't it's pretty obvious because it will spit everything out when it hits the ground. Then you chuck it and replace.
Okay Industries Surefeed magazines are what you seek. 20 and 30 round mags are...
THE STANDARD BY WHICH ALL OTHERS ARW ARE MEASURED.
/end thread.
Colt contracts with Okay Industries for the Original Gangster (OG) 30 round mag since Back In The Day.
Do your part.
Fight communist power.
Buy Okay Industries Surefeed magazines.
I may mor may not be drunk
Thats inconsequential.
Okay Industries magazines are still a thing.
Yeah. I've had many an aluminum magazine throughout my time actually working with them for almost 2 decades.
The only problem was boot as fuck people who were afraid to speak up about malfunctions, which perpetually perpetuated the issues with perpetual malfunctioning magazines.
Change my mind
For something that should be a "mil spec" magazine, the TDP (Technical Data Package) is available to companies who do these things for a living.. and therefore there is no reason to need to modify a QUALITY made magazine.
If you need to Mod your mags, you're wrong, and need to buy different and/or better magazines.
Okay Industries.
No, I don't work for them. By all means, report me.
I live in the real world where real world does real world things.
And, uh, yeah Okay Industries mags are like $12 +/- at whatever your preferred retailer. I use Gun Mag Warehouse.
Are the lives of your loved ones worth it?
Are the lives of your loved ones worth it?
Bought some ACS 20 rnd mags. Unimpressed. Opened up 2 of them, one won’t lock the bolt back or hold more than 19 rounds
Why buy metal? If I was to replace all my mags or when I suggest someone starting off: PMAGs. Whatever the latest gen is. Windowed. 20s and 30s so you aren't missing anything. Some like Lancer, et al. I have insufficient experience with them.
I bought my collection of AR mags before plastic was a big thing* and stay consistent so have upped my inventory with more metal. Have CProducts, Colt and a smattering of other things. None are especially bad. That said, principles for all mags, esp metal ones:
* Actually my first mags were Thermolds, largely due to being AWB era so mags were hard to get. They are a no-go.
I bought my collection of AR mags before plastic was a big thing* and stay consistent so have upped my inventory with more metal. Have CProducts, Colt and a smattering of other things. None are especially bad. That said, principles for all mags, esp metal ones:
- If it doesn't work, toss it. If very expensive you can fuss with it, I have for things like SIG 55x but generally a bad mag is bad and not worth it.
- Followers and springs are wear items. Replace them periodically. Any of the modern plastic followers (not tan. Anything else) are fine.
* Actually my first mags were Thermolds, largely due to being AWB era so mags were hard to get. They are a no-go.
Bingo
OKAY/Surefeed Magazines | The Mag Shack
If you’re searching for extraordinary gun magazines for your AR-15, check out The Mag Shack’s selection of Surefeed Magazines from Okay Industries. Manufactured and quality-tested for the utmost durability, Okay Industries’ mags offer tremendous, long-lasting reliability with every use. From...
themagshack.com
If someone sees the 20s for a decent price post the link or pm me if you have some you want to see. Only looking for a handful.
edited- looking for the surefeeds
edited- looking for the surefeeds
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Brownells straight 20s, $16
"AR Stoner," not sure who makes these but other parts they make are good IME, straight also $13
www.midwayusa.com
BROWNELLS AR-15 20RD MAGAZINE SS 223/5.56 | Brownells
A battle rifle is only as reliable as its magazine – make sure the one in your rifle is from Brownells. When ...
www.brownells.com
"AR Stoner," not sure who makes these but other parts they make are good IME, straight also $13
AR-STONER Mag AR-15 223 Remington, 5.56x45mm, 300 Blackout | MidwayUSA
The new and improved AR-STONER™ AR-15 Magazine features a stronger Stainless Steel Body for longer service life and greater resistance to damage than the traditional, aluminum bodied AR-15 magazine.
www.midwayusa.com
Exactly my point. A p-mag either works or it's garbage.
My metal mags hangout in the range bag. When they get fucked up I chuck them also. However, they're the reason for the paint pen to mark bad mags in my range bag.
I like the C-products Duramag SS, heavy duty mags never had an issue but only have the 30's.
IIRC, these are the mags that allow a longer OAL, maybe even 2.300. I know I have a few but can't remember, lol.
I buy Okay or D&H. My drill sergeant was a Vietnam veteran and told me to only load 28 and as I cannot disobey his lawful order, I don't have problems inserting on a closed bolt.
Why not 29?
The times, they are changing. Technology advances and fudd lore keeps the old ways alive.
It kills me when military training is a driving factor in any decision. They operate on cost. Unless you're a tier 1 guy, you're getting whatever they decided was cheapest 40 years ago.
I always download. 1 is enough for function, but 2 means your crosscheck is the same as when fully loaded so you aren't confused if given loaded-to-30 mags like borrowing from someone else etc.
Crosscheck in case you don't know: Odd number of rounds in the mag, the left side round will be the highest one. Even number, right right side. 30 or 28, once you have charged the gun you pull the mag out, then feel the top and expect a round on the LEFT which means the one on the right got loaded without cracking the chamber, risking a stoppage, etc. later.
Rumor has it: COLT never made one da-da-damn mil-spec M/AR mag for production. Minority Owned Companies made mags on COLT Tooling.
....
I have most if not all Minority NSN mags NIW or NIB. I owned LaBelle Teflon coated mags before it was kewl to even know about them. BUTT!!! then I'm old. I left Stone Bay as an Instructor @ 6 months before Frank walked on as a Student. Most of the 1/8 STA Instructors had left by then.
There can be only ONE. God Bless 1/8 STA, the Beirut Bastards. God Bless Frank.
BTW, we humped Adventure Line 30 rounders w/green followers for our A/S with 28 rounds each.
ARFCOM, at one time, had a better historic article.
It doesn't take the integral f(x) by separation of parts to understand that mil-spec aluminum is the only way I ride a small frame AR.
For AR large frame/short receiver:
ARMALITE gets Gen 2
KAC/DPMS designs get LaRue and Lancer Systems L7AWM
Nothing less for each system. FRACK MagPul in the large frame.
BTW, I lost all of my stash in a tragic boating accident...
or sold some, at high dollar, to an ATF scrotumite on his way to Kalifornia.
Merlot makes me mean.
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Does any gun maker build their own mags? I thought not (from other gunmaker details I know of but not Colt rifles) as it's pretty different work so all are outsourced for quality and cost savings.
I didn't even know mfgs owned the tooling. I mean, maybe technically because they paid for it and to prevent others from using it but not functionally, for making or operations.
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