Quote:
Originally Posted by Team Sergeant
Maybe the best you've ever used and you're comparing them to what? I take it you have knowledge that those mags have already passed the U.S. Army's Developmental Test Command testing for weapons and equipment?
I've not used Mag-pul poly PMAGS but I have used conventional M-4 mags for a few decades and I only have one issue with them, they're loud when empty or dropped. Other than that I have no issues with the current issue of conventional mags.
And I do believe the MagPul poly PMAGS are heavier than the current issue mags. I'll hold judgement until I take and use one of their mags, fully loaded, and only after I carry it in the trunk of my car for six months in the Arizona desert heat.
This is not ar15.com, we don't have a profit motive, nor do we recommend anyone's gear on the advice of airsoft shooters, novices, weapons amateurs etc. Remember where you are and to whom you are addressing before you post on here again.
Team Sergeant
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I don't want to butt heads with anyone especially those like yourself whose experience levels are far above my own but I respectfully second his high opinion of Magpul's poly P-Mags. However, I also have a great deal of first hand experience with them which brought me to this conclusion.
Until just the last few years I was a diehard user of GI aluminum magazines for 20 years.
I absolutely hated Colt steel mags for being notorius for suddenly ejecting every round from the mag before it's even in the gun.
Then there was the first several batches of polymer mag attempts such as Thermold or Polytech, and a few others. They all had problems at least 1 of the following sometimes more..
1. Sudden ejection of rounds
2. Floor plates falling apart.
3. Magazine spreads at feed end
4. Followers would jam or twist allowing spring to pass through
5. Dry rot with prolonged exposure to heat.
6. Failure to lock in gun or tendancy to fall out after several rounds are fired (Mag spread)
7. Factory molding blemishes on feed end which would cause double feeds or other malfunctions.
The majority of the poly mags were marketed for certain novelty features such as mags which would expand to let the springs rest until needed and so on... But they were all mostly hype and rip offs.
Another reason I always loved the Aluminum GI mags so much were because they were everywhere, inexpensive, and (usually free for some of us) so whenever they were damaged it was no big deal to toss them away and grab another.
1. That seemed to be one of the problems with the aluminum mags though, they do suffer damage rather easily. Years ago before factory Magpuls, we always would pull the floorplate and install a loop of 550 cord, everyone's done that a few times... But if you wasn't careful the floorplate would be ruined. Drop an empty mag on the feed end at the right angle and it would be ruined also.
2. And then there is the problem wth capacity. GI aluminum are standard 30 rounds, so they claim! But using 30, it's usually a PITA to lock it in the gun, usually it just falls right out, lol. So most of us starting "Downloading" our mags to just 28, so our reloads would be positive and consistant.
3. Ever heard the phrase, "Hot tin roof? lol, like an aluminum mag sitting in the sun, they'll burn the shit outta you! lol
4. Another problem with them are the followers which have a mind of their own at times, crooked movements, hangups, or diengaging the mag spring and falling completely out when empty. Easy enough to fix however, most guys say, just buy the aftemarket followers.
5. Also, the absence of Magpuls, textures, or grippable surface on the mag floor for ease of reloads. No problem most will say, just install aftermarket Magpuls, fine.
So let's do the math.... 3 GI Aluminum 30 Round (28) magazine $45
1 x package of 3 mag followers $20
1 x package of 3 Magpuls $20
Now you got $85 invested in just 3 magazines to make them reliable. And they're still fragile soft aluminum, only now they're too expensive to just toss away.
I started using P-Mags somewhat against my will, lol during training at a facility in Nevada, which uses P-Mags exclusively. I was hooked almost instantly. For many reasons including the following.
1. They're about the same price or less than a single GI Aluminum mag. About $15.
2. The finishes are matte, non reflective, in Tan, OD Green, and Black
3. The floorplates have a much greater surface area than most others, which fully wrap around the body of the mag for positive grip on mag walls, and uses a very tough locking tab instead of a few tiny pieces of folded aluminum that can break quickly.
4. They have true 30 round capacity. Jam them up with 30 rounds, and reloads are just as solid as they ever were with 28 rounds, without the need for any banging the mag to seat it.
5. As far as being tough? If you trust Glock, HK, or Springfield's polymer frames and thei ruggedness, you can trust P-Mags, They're the exact same material. Seriously.
6. Heat? No problem, unless you plan on conducting operations inside an active volcano, lol.
The following taken from hxxp://packpractical.com/reviews/pmag.php.
"After talking with a former Navy Seal, and private contractor, the point of heat was brought up. More precisely, the mags resistance to the heat. It was pointed out that many times in Iraq, Kuwait, heck even Arizona, gear is left in a Humvee, often times for hours, where the temperatures inside the vehicle can easily reach 140F. The metal USGI mags don’t have a problem with the heat, but the pmags are made of plastic, and plastic would obviously have a lower failure point. I just don’t know where that is. So with that in mind, I commandeered the kitchen and decided to do some cooking with the Pmag. Two hours at 200F should be enough right? I mean surely if it is going to fail, it will do it at this time. I don’t even think it’s possible for the inside temperature of a car to reach 200F, but that’s beside the point. The Pmag held up to the heat. No warping, no melting, no deformation, no problems. At this point I was hungry, so I put the mag back in the oven and baked some cookies at the same time. Again, with the same results, the Pmags stood up to the heat."
In fact, I've never once met anyone who has ever used P-Mags to later prefer the old GI Aluminum ever again. You can literally see the difference in the technology, design and quality while loading the first mag. No more rickety-clang-clang, and rapping the mag to seat the rounds, they all go in perfectly straight, and smooth.
And just wait till you see how easy they are to manually unload full mags!!! they all slide right off without hanging, or making scratches on the rounds, just imagine how they work inside the rifle action!
Again, I don't intend to anger anyone, I just felt I should share my experiences with the product, which has been real world type, "NOT, soft air or kids sport"
The links below are to a couple of very extreme torture tests involving Magpul vs GI Aluminum mags. if you've never seen them, I suggest watching at least once, they're truly amazing.
hxxp://youtube.com/watch?v=UCFXcOOb4jc
hxxp://youtube.com/watch?v=AfxnNLN2fGo
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