NEW Dept of Defense AR Mag Follower to be issued

[TRguy]

NEW Dept of Defense AR Mag Follower to be issued

http://www.defencetalk.com/improved-magazine-increases-weapons-reliability-23413/



The Army has begun fielding a new 5.56mm 30-round "improved magazine" that delivers a significant increase in reliability for M-16 and M-4 weapons.

Bolstering the already high reliability ratings of the M-16 and M-4, the improved magazine reduces the risk of magazine-related stoppages by more than 50 percent compared to the older magazine variants.....

 

[HoosierQ]

Looks like maybe it has two more of those little legs that keep the follower in the proper position. Look up by the bullet end. You will see two little pieces of tan plastic on either side right about where the bullet meets the case neck. You don't see that on the green ones.

Kinda neat.

Oh boy, everybody will want tan followers now!!!

 

[Uncle Mike]

Oh boy, everybody will want tan followers now!!!

And this is why this is happening..... inside traders!

 

[Z-Michigan]

This was announced on the Firearms Blog several days ago. One commenter noted that the tan follower could be confused with brass and someone might think a mag is loaded when empty or vice versa.

I don't see why DOD could not have simply purchased the Magpul anti-tilt followers that have been around for close to a decade. This looks like an independent design and I can't see that it does anything better. The announcement seems really proud of a new follower and spring for the antiquated aluminum box that dates to the 1960's. I don't see why one of the newer overall design magazines (Pmag, TangoDown ARC, Lancer L5) was not adopted instead. (Oh, wait, I do: DOD procurement stupidity.)

 

[Uncle Mike]

Do you really think 'everything' DOD does is for the good of the military?

Somebody has a friend, who has a friend, who has a friend, who.....

 

[Avenger29]

I don't see why DOD could not have simply purchased the Magpul anti-tilt followers that have been around for close to a decade. This looks like an independent design and I can't see that it does anything better. The announcement seems really proud of a new follower and spring for the antiquated aluminum box that dates to the 1960's. I don't see why one of the newer overall design magazines (Pmag, TangoDown ARC, Lancer L5) was not adopted instead. (Oh, wait, I do: DOD procurement stupidity.)

I work for the .gov. They spend most of their time either reinventing the wheel or fixing what isn't broken, ignoring COTS solutions and innovations that other people have come up with.

 

[kwelz]

STUPID STUPID STUPID.
They could have resupplied amost every mag in theater with Magpul followers for the cost of the study I am sure they did on this.

 

[Avenger29]

STUPID STUPID STUPID.
They could have resupplied amost every mag in theater with Magpul followers for the cost of the study I am sure they did on this.

I'm betting they could have replaced every mag with a PMAG for the cost of developing this new follower...

 

[kwelz]

I stand corrected.

Oh and FYI there was something a short time ago about replacing all mags. But of course they developed their own and it is inferior to the pMag.

 

[jn1965]

I work for the .gov. They spend most of their time either reinventing the wheel or fixing what isn't broken, ignoring COTS solutions and innovations that other people have come up with.

You forgot backstabbing, infighting, and waiting for your pension. I know I work for the feds too..

 

[kanook]

notice the stagger is different.

 

[Z-Michigan]

notice the stagger is different.

Yes, it is. Can anyone see a benefit to that?

 

[Girodin]

Oh, wait, I do: DOD procurement stupidity

DoD Procurement and most other govt. spending is motivated not by what the best idea is but by where the money will go. I had some experience in these fields and it astonished me to learn how political and money driven it all was.

 

[mljdeckard]

New DOD mags? Of course. If by new you mean the ten Pmags I take with me when I deploy.

 

[Quentin]

Well if this causes a glut of older USGI mags on the market I'm buying! 'Course they're already cheap now, even after you put in Gen3 followers.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

I like the included feed lip gauge for armorers. It was about time they started addressing the issue. That will make it easier to keep bad magazines out of circulation.

On the other hand, they could just buy PMAGS which would give a nice visible indicator (a crack) when the feedlips are out of spec and already have an improved anti-tilt follower.

On the one hand, I'm glad they are addressing these problems. On the other, a little depressing to think about how much time and money was spent to duplicate a capability that civilian users already had and have been enjoying for several years.

 

[mljdeckard]

^^exactly.