20 Round M16 AR Magazines

[HoosierQ]

My buddy just got himself a DPMS Sportical as a plinker. He loves it.

Another buddy just traded him for 5 GI 20-Round M16 mags. They have the original aluminum followers with the little bullet shaped thing on there.

Is there any advantage to getting the new green followers into these 20-rounders? Or is that for the 30-rounders only?

 

[Darthbauer]

Always better off getting some anti-tilt followers. Check out magpul.

 

[rcmodel]

Is there any advantage

None whatsoever.

The old GI straight 20-round mags work perfectly as long as they are not wore out.
There was never a known problem with them.

The green anti-tilt follower was a design fix for the orginial GI 30-round mags.
(30-round mags are curved, 20-round GI mags are not.)
The old follower would sometimes tilt and cause jams during full-auto fire while transversing the curved section of the mag.

To use a green follower in a 20 round mag, you have to cut the anti-tilt legs off to make it fit anyway.

I have noticed recently that some of the after-market 20-round mags now have the same curved lower section as the 30's. Apparently, some bean-counter decided to make both mags in the same forming die.
They might need green followers. I don't know, because I wouldn't buy one on a bet!

rc

 

[HoosierQ]

RC

Thanks. These look very good...not new but very...little wear. They are the original straight 20-rounders.

Thanks man.

QB

 

[rcmodel]

I do recommend you take them apart, clean them, and lube inside with Remington Dry-Lube spray, or a light dusting of silicone spray.

Don't use oil or oil based lubricant as it will only attract more dirt.

Many GI mags have been rode hard & put away wet.

The last few nice ones I picked up at a yard sale included some good old Ft. Benning red clay & pine needles inside them!

rc

 

[DBR]

On a 20 rd straight body milspec mag the follower has to tilt to accommodate the taper of the casings.

 

[trigga]

i want some 20 round straight mags but no one has them around here. they make it easier bench shooting. good to know.

 

[RyanM]

i want some 20 round straight mags but no one has them around here. they make it easier bench shooting. good to know.

You could try ordering some 20-round Pmags and waiting. Those are straight, and have the base angled so that it rests flat on the magazine when the stock pistol grip touches the ground.

 

[trigga]

yeah i like the polymer but i don't like how the pmags look. i'm waiting to buy a batch of ten 30 rounders and a like two or three 20 rounders, but again it's hard to find them in stock. i have found a few private owners that are willing to sell at a pretty good price.

 

[Destructo6]

The old GI straight 20-round mags work perfectly as long as they are not wore out.
There was never a known problem with them.

Actually, there is a very well known problem with them. Namely, the feed lips are very flimsy. They were intended to be disposable, so that wasn't considered important.

When the 30-rnd versions were designed, and designed to be reuseable, they reinforced the rear of the feed lips.

Do a comparison.

 

[Nhsport]

I agree that the straight 20's with the old school alloy followers are a fine example of not needing to fix what isn't broken!

Now I only shoot on one way ranges but personally never thought the extra 10 rounds in a 30 were worth the size and trouble . I own some 30s but they sit and the 20's are the only mags that ever get used

50% greater capicity in a mag that is twice as big ,hangs out of the gun 3X more never seemed like a good deal to me.

Any of the big mag dealers have 20's and straight 20s . I used 44mag.com a couple of weeks back and then Palmetto state armory had a sale right after I placed my order! If it weren't for bad timeing I would have none at all !


Ironic that I live in central CT less than 15 mi from where most of the AR mags are made (CP,OKay,NHMG ect) but the only guys with good prices,shipping,and availability are in Florida or Oregon .

 

[rcmodel]

Actually, there is a very well known problem with them. Namely, the feed lips are very flimsy.

What I meant was there was no known follower tipping problem.

I thought I covered the feed lip cracking with "as long as they are not worn out" part.

rc

 

[Kurt_D]

yeah i like the polymer but i don't like how the pmags look. i'm waiting to buy a batch of ten 30 rounders and a like two or three 20 rounders, but again it's hard to find them in stock. i have found a few private owners that are willing to sell at a pretty good price.

http://www.44mag.com/prodinfo.asp?number=NH20

 

[trigga]

they have the newer curved 20 rounders here for around $20. i don't like how they look. wow $13 each, i think i will buy a few. thanks.

 

[Cannonball888]

CProd mags have performed the best for me. I can tilt a green follower but not these.

http://www.44mag.com/prodinfo.asp?number=CPS20BO

 

[Jeff White]

Actually, there is a very well known problem with them. Namely, the feed lips are very flimsy. They were intended to be disposable, so that wasn't considered important.

No, they weren't designed to be disposable. There were several types of plastic magazines designed to meet an Army proposal for a disposable magazine for the XM16E1. However Colt's Inc. who owned the technical data package for the rifle refused to provide the necessary drawings to the Army and the magazines that were developed were the result of reverse engineering from a sample of 50-100 rifles.

The Black Rifle M16 Retrospective by R. Blake Stevens and Edward C Ezell Collector Grade Publications 1987 pp 280

Photos of some of the never adopted prototypes of disposable magazines can be found on page 379 of the same publication.

Armalite originally developed a straight 25 round magazine for the AR15. Colt originally provided a steel 20 round magazine that looked much the same as the later aluminum 20 magazine except that it had a waffle type pattern to the indentations with 3 indentations in the horizontal plain. This magazine was dropped and the aluminum 20 round magazine you see today was adopted. It has served well and I have some that are 40 years old and still function fine. The big danger is dropping them on the feed lips.

Remember magazines are an expendable item to the military. Don't get too attached to yours. When it wears out, get a new one.