30 rounds in an M16 magazine? Urban Legend?

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Crazy Uncle Al Gore

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So lately I've been hearing word go around in my platoon that if you put a full 30 rounds in an M16 magazine it will cause your rifle to jam. To prevent jamming they say that you should put 28 or 29 rounds instead of a full 30. Now I don't necessarily believe everything that is said in the squad bay, especially this because I know I've fired thousands of rounds with full 30 round mags and I haven't had many problems with double feeds or any other malfunction. Has anyone heard this before?
 
With 30 rounds loaded in a USGI magazine it can be hard to lock the magazine in the mag well when the bolt is closed (as in a tactical reload, etc.). Downloading by a couple rounds helps with this. I've personally never had problems with running 30 rounds through a good condition USGI magazine when loading from an open bolt.
 
I haven't any experience with the phenomena detailed above...but it makes it difficult (or in some cases impossible) to insert a fully loaded mag on a closed bolt. A non-issue for me, b/c that is why they made a BHO after the last round. :)
 
I can't confirm this on a M16, but I have a Colt .380 Government model that will jam like clockwork if I fill the magazine with hollow points. Great little gun, but it will jam each and every time under those circumstances. Not the same as the M16, and I have no proof as it's never happened to me on any other weapon, but I think it's plausible that others have experienced this type of failure. As a result of the issues with the Colt, I typically load all my magazines one or two of rounds shy of capacity.
 
With 30 rounds loaded in a USGI magazine it can be hard to lock the magazine in the mag well when the bolt is closed (as in a tactical reload, etc.). Downloading by a couple rounds helps with this. I've personally never had problems with running 30 rounds through a good condition USGI magazine when loading from an open bolt.
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You hit the nail on the head from what I have heard. We are told to load 28 rounds in a 30 round mag and 18 in a 20 for that exact reason. However, I have never personally talked to anyone who had had that problem. But, somehow it seems that everyone knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who has had that problem.
 
I seem to remeber something about this years ago. Apparently on the older 30rd mags the plastic follower would somehow get canted on the way up when fully loaded and you would have to smack it to get it unstuck. I have not heard about it for a long time so apparently it got fixed.
 
Another myth I have heard about the 30 round mags, is that you cannot use them as a rest if you are shooting from the prone position or it could cause the firearm to jam. I have shot several hundred rounds prone using the mag as a rest and have never had a problem. I guess try and learn from the wisdom of other but, if the wisdom does not come from a trusted source, just do what works for you.
 
I had a bad (and clean) mag that would usually give me problems on the 2nd round. I was finally able to trade it out, and the problem went away.

Only that mag, and never happened when loaded with less than 28. Mag went away, problem went away. The spring was a little bit longer than my other ones, like someone it used to be issued to tried to stretch it out.

However, it was only that one mag, in the probably couple hundred different ones I have used.
 
Ive been hearing this rumor for lots of years. Just to be safe, I always down load ALL magazines (for semi auto firearms) by 1 round. This is probally not needed for reliability, but it makes me feel better. YMMV.
 
I have verified that all my mags will function in all my AR's with 30 rounds. I had to modify the follower in the SA80 Brit steel mags, but they all function.
 
Another myth I have heard about the 30 round mags, is that you cannot use them as a rest if you are shooting from the prone position or it could cause the firearm to jam.
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The Army finally has realized it's error and now teaches that, yes, using your mag as a monopod is ok. I think that one came about because some folks considered it "cheating" at the range and never considerd that in a fight we take any advantage we can get.
 
I have only had problems with the older mags that I got form the armory but once I got some better condition mags they do just fine. If you can swing it my personal openion is get colt mags. They come six mags with every new M4
 
I think that rumor started a long time ago. Not sure when it started, but never had a problem with the issue.
As far as using a mag as a monopod, I wouldn't recomend it.
 
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I've had it happen to me several times while we were doing live fire training. The solution was to go with 27 rounds and we figured it was either the follower or the spring. I have had a few that will take a full 30 rounds but they are a PITA to lock into the mag well.



Kris
 
AR-15 Rep said:
I think that rumor started a long time ago. Not sure when it started, but never had a problem with the issue.
As far as using a mag as a monopod, I wouldn't recomend it.
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I concur.... I have never down loaded any magazine I have ever owned, including many many AR-15 magazines (read thousands of rounds), and I have never had a problem....

You should all understand that I am firing a modern (A2) rifle, with modern magazines.... there have been some changes over the years.... I think that rumor is from the waffle magazine era (long gone), and may have had more validity back then....

By all means, you should test your set up the way you intend to use it first.... if you have an issue, change something....

Not sure what magazines you use as a mono pod, but I wouldn't with any magazines of mine...
 
I have no problems having 30rds in a mag with my M4. Also, my weapon is on "amber" status (mag in weapon bolt forward no round chambered) 24/7, not a problem but you will have to slap the bottom to lock it in place.

2-28IN
Babil Iraq
 
Perhaps the root of the 28 rounds in a 30 round magazine came from Nam. We had only the 20 round magazine and were told to load 18. Our environment in the Cental Highlands was very dirty. I still like the 20 round magazine in an AR and load 20 rounds in it and these function well. I was 20 in 1968.I wasn't going to be the one to prove that 20 would work. Byron
 
Actually, the round count isn't important, it's letting the top cartridge have about 1/2 inch of room. If your loading on a closed bolt, not having that space makes it tough to seat the magazine. The way to check is pretty simple - just depress the top most round. If you can push it down so that the round gives you a bit of a gap between the feed lips and the fat part of the cartridge, your good to go. :)

I have had this as an issue doing tac reloads. Obviously, speed reloads shouldn't be an issue.

Running an AR with the magazine as a mono-pod works great. Very stable and helps with the hits. The recent SWAT magazine issue had a nice article on that very subject. Most of the shooting schools are teaching that now. :p
 
Hey Irked,

You're right up the road from me ...... CSC Scania here.

Glad to see someone else from in theater on here :D




Kris
 
I think the "Download by two" thing comes from two sources:

1. USGI magazines are often used past their intended lifespan instead of being removed from service when they start to go bad. On marginal magazines, downloading can help make the weak, tired springs function more reliably. Government stuff typically doesn't get used gently or briefly. :D With your own mags though, I would replace either the magazine or spring rather than download.

2. The difficulty with seating a full magazine on a closed bolt - note that the PMAG-M and HK mags are both longer in the mag body to allow a full 30 rounds and still be able to seat the magazine.

Using the magazine as a monopod works just fine, I've fired hundreds, if not thousands, of rounds that way as I used to use it a great deal prior to getting a Grippod. The only issue I noticed was that the gun would recoil against the mag catch and wear the mag catch on the magazine faster. However, I was never able to wear a mag catch to the point that it caused a problem.
 
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