US GI AR-15 steel mags

The H&K steel mags I've seen had issues with the feed lips getting bent. As for GI magazines, the regular aluminum issue ones work pretty well till they don't. I've had a bunch that looked OK, but wouldn't work. Problem was/is that a visual inspection doesn't always show you the problem, only during live fire do the problems show up.

PMAGs are my favorites and I have yet to have any failures with the 30 round ones in the 3 years I've been using them. I've seen some issues with the older 20 round PMAGs.

I have ~30 pre-ban 20 and 30 round USGI aluminum mags. All of the my mags have new springs and the 30 round mags also have magpul gen 3 followers installed. All of my mags are 100% reliable. As far as I'm concerned they are good to go.

USGI aluminum mags are fine and work well until they break...just like anything else...

HK steel mags are overrated and overweight...

PMAGS good mags but can't say they are that much better than USGI ones..lets see how they are holding up after 10years of service in the troops hands...

I have been using the standard steel 20 round mags for 30 years...never had one that worked suddenly have problems, they either always worked or never worked until the feed lips were tweaked. Last bunch of Stoners (a dozen of them) I bought all worked perfectly and most have about 00 rounds through them now.

I do avoid 30 round mags of all types...too long to take a proper prone position for me.

I have read some threads that surplus or US or GI AR15 steel mags

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What is commonly called a USGI magazine for the AR platform is made of aluminum and not steel. There are steel mags in use (HK, mostly) but they are not as common and are fairly spendy.

Are you interested in learning about issues with USGI mags, or steel (HK) mags?

The ones I was issued broke when dropped easily with even just a few rounds in them. Some suffered from easily bending lips too. I traded them to others who thought they were "cool" for some of the old faithfull green follower GI's. They are also heavier by a noticeable amount too. THat makes a difference when you add up 7-12 (my usual load out) full of ammo and all the other crap for a dismounted patrol.

For civilian use they should be ok, but I won't trust them.

Nothing wrong with USGI mags....they have been working fine for over 40 years now.......

PMAGs are nice but don't have a long track record ....yet....I don't know how they will last longterm....

You can't go wrong with either one but if it comes to you needing mags just buy the USGI Aluminums...

I've never seen a steel GI-issue AR or M-16 magazine.
Denis

DPris said:

I've never seen a steel GI-issue AR or M-16 magazine.
Denis

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He is talking about the steel HK mags...

Fusil magazines are a one-piece steel magazine welded at the seam. I have some and like them quite a bit.

I have had problems with issued mags since 1993. Replacing the followers and springs helps a lot, but right now I have seven pmag 30-rounders on my vest. They are now issuing them to the guys in Afghanistan.

As for asking how they hold up over the long-term, that sounds just like asking how a Glock holds up over the long term because it's made of plastic. I already know that G.I. mags DON'T. If they get dropped on the lips once it can ruin them.

I have six USGI magazines that are at least 15 years old. I swapped out the factory followers with Magpul ones and installed Magpul ranger plates. Not a single problem.

I have a 20 rounder with Colt on it which I picked up back in 1973 never had a bit of trouble with it and it has the metal follower.

P-mags often won't fit in guns like the FN-2000 that "take AR" mags. I've had no issues with them in guns they fit and lock into.

I've GI mags that are 30+ years old, look like crap (maybe 10% original finish) weren't new when I got them and still work 100% in all my guns.

Mags are pretty much binary in function either they work or not. If a mag gives me problems I'll try a quick spring and/or follower replacement and if that is not the cure, into the trash it goes.

I have a lot more confidence in mags I've been using that any new one fresh out of the wrapper.

Steel H&K mags I'm aware of, just didn't know they were ever issued to our armed forces & don't consider them "US GI".
Denis

Steel H&K mags I'm aware of, just didn't know they were ever issued to our armed forces & don't consider them "US GI".

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Yes, they were adopted by SOCOM and (might be wrong on this part) the USMC also issued them.

And they're junk. SOCOM ditched them most ricky-tick. In the SOF unit I was in we had magazine-induced stoppages from day one when we got them to the range. Mostly bent feed lips, but also HK's "anti-tilt" follower tilting and binding. All around great work by the trolls from Oberndorf.

P-mags often won't fit in guns like the FN-2000 that "take AR" mags. I've had no issues with them in guns they fit and lock into.

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Magpul introduced the EMag for those weapons that don't like PMags. The Brits just bought a mountain of them for their L85s (allowing them to also ditch their H-und-K wunder-maggens). I'd say check them out if you're an FN-2000 shooter (they also work just fine in ARs).

(Sadly, for the USMC, they bought the new H-und-K IAR which won't take PMags or EMags . . . apparently the trolls figured out that if you can't sell a substandard product to the military, you can always engineer related products to be incompatible with your competition.)

HorseSoldier...
The USMC didn't issue them on any sort of widespread scale...if a unit wanted them they could order them but early in '07 that magazine was put on hold and could not be requisitioned due to some unknown "issues" (at least thats what the Supply guys said.....)

LOL I have a few shot them a few times and not really impressed..they are heavier. In the end I went back to my same personal Colt 30 rounders that I had been using most of my career....including one 1969 contract 1st run mag with the darkgreen follower and part number on it...after 40 years it was still running strong...

USGI aluminums are so cheap..if one quits working..toss it and get a new one for about $9... THATS a no brainer...IMHO....

IME, GI mags work fine for normal shooting, but drop it once on a hard surface loaded and I won't trust my life to it. My personal rifle at home sees p-mags, gi, thermold, even orlite, but in the sandbox or in competition give me a p-mag. Slap a GI mag against a hard surface on the spine to seat the rounds to many times and the spot welds can let go, bump the feed lips wrong and you have issues.

I'd avoid the steel mags, they are costly, heavy, and have the same problems as the Al. magazines and in some ways are worse. Genuine USGI aluminum magazines (NHMTG, Brownells, Adventureline, LaBelle, et cetera) are pretty good, but I prefer the modern polymer magazines today. Personally I feel that the Lancer L-5s are the best, but PMags are great as well.

I'm not a real big black gun shooter, I have two, but never really spend much time with them.

I have experienced some feed problems with used USGI mags, but only after they were dropped loaded. I used a brass rod to straighten the lips, seemed to work, but they are now retired except for plinking.

One problem that I have seen, with almost disastrous results, was overloading a magazine, seems as many USGI will accept more than 20 rounds, 21 or 22 rounds. A good friend and former partner got involved in a shooting with an overloaded mag and it jammed him up 1st round. Fortunately he was able to grab his partners AR and continue on. BTW, they won.. He never carried ball on the street again either!

20rd USGI Colt mags with the metal follower are my favorite. I have three 30rd GI mags, and they work fine, but the 20's are what go to the range, and are what would be in my shorty were I to grab it for HD.

Thanks, was not aware the H&Ks had ever been issued to our military.
Denis