AR-15 magazine question

[socalbeachbum]

owhen loading a full mag into an AR-15 with the bolt closed, should the mag snap in place easily, or if you slam it hard, or not at all?

I have an M&P15 and loaded ASC brand mags will not lock in. I must load with the bolt locked open. Normal or not??

 

[taliv]

it's usually harder but not ridiculously so. that's why a lot of trainers recommend downloading to 28 rounds instead of 30 in the mag. it gets a lot easier

if it's REALLY difficult with 30 in the mag, your receiver is probably out of spec.

 

[tcoz]

If you load a full mag with the bolt closed it'll often be difficult to seat. That's why some people download their mags by one round. I choose to load with the bolt back whenever possible.

 

[rcmodel]

Never load a mag to full capacity.

Down-loading at least one round will enable all mags to seat with the bolt closed.

Some mags won't when loaded to full capacity.

It was a well known fact during the Vietnam war.
And SOP to download one or two rounds.

There were some early 30-round mags that would hold 31 rounds.
And that left NO room for spring compression and further when trying to seat a mag with the bolt closed.
It simply wasn't possible.

rc

 

[9mmepiphany]

A fully loaded magazine will almost never lock in "easily"...it isn't like a handgun

When I took my first Carbine course, they taught us to download by 2 round...that way your first round would be on the same side as a full magazine and you'd be able to check that you'd chambered a round by releasing and looking.

When I took my first Fighting Carbine course, I was taught to always shoot empty and reload from an open bolt. Failing that, they taught us to stabilize the inserted mag with the trigger finger and give the bottom of the mag a stout rap, with the support hand, to seat it.

 

[MistWolf]

Usually, when a fully loaded mag won't lock in place with the bolt closed, it's because the top two rounds are subtly jostled out of place. You can test this for yourself using a 30 round MagPul mag. Load it with 30 rounds. Then, while the bolt is closed, insert it into the mag well. It will lock into place. Hit the mag release and reinsert the mag. Do this a few times and suddenly the mag won't lock into place because the top two rounds will shift just a little. Remove the top two rounds and maybe a couple more, then reload them back into the mag. Usually, the mag will once again easily insert and lock. The top rounds often get jostled of place when the mag gets bumped around. For some reason, downloading the mags often keeps the jostled rounds from being a problem.

When loading fresh mags into the AR, use the push/pull method. Push the mag into place, then try to pull it out. Pull hard. If it's not locked in place, it will pull out. Slapping a mag can cause rounds to pop out, or drive the mag too deep into the well

 

[Tirod]

The question is about how to load the AR the wrong way - against a closed bolt. That isn't the correct procedure.

You open the bolt, lock it back with the bolt hold open, then insert the magazine. That is how the weapon will be loaded when the magazine is empty, too - drop the mag, insert new with the bolt held back, release the bolt WHICH CHARGES THE WEAPON, and continue firing.

It was never intended for anyone to load the magazine against a closed bolt. It's a combat weapon and Stoner - a veteran - understood how that wastes time and creates a potential malfunction when the mag doesn't stay in place and drops out just when you don't need it.

Combat self loading actions have a different perspective. You don't load an AR against a closed bolt, and you don't need to.

 

[DougW]

All my loaded mags have 30 rounds and all of my rifles easily accept fully loaded mags on closed bolts (tactical reload). Never been an issue for me, so.....

 

[USAF_Vet]

All my loaded mags have 30 rounds and all of my rifles easily accept fully loaded mags on closed bolts (tactical reload). Never been an issue for me, so.....

This has been my experience as well. 20 and 30 round mags, Magpul, Aluminum GI and even a few cheap steel CETME-L mags.

 

[socalbeachbum]

and I'm dealing with 10 round mags which may have less latitude in this regard than 20 or 30's. well thanks for the feedback, that it isn't like a handgun and we should not do mag changes until empty. so maybe my mags are not defective. I'll try the downloading by one or 2 but in the past this made no difference and so I got in the habit of loading with bolt open. which then allowed me to never have any issues.

 

[Zerodefect]

Pmags account for this. All of mine hold 30 and seat easy enough. Although, I prefer 20 rounders now (less weight, easier prone)

Old school mags need downloaded sometimes with newer springs and followers.

 

[4thPointOfContact]

Thousands of magazine changes, admin and tactical; fully loaded magazine has never been a problem. (Then again my magazines were never abused like the ones in Vietnam).