AR 15 mags

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C Products are good enough for me. I have seen PMags as low as $12 at some of the gun shows.
 
Get Pmags, Lancer L5, or USGI mags from either D&H or Brownell's. All those work reliably.

C-Products is inconsistent. Some of their mags work well, some fail constantly, some only fail a little bit. Back when they were a lot cheaper they made more sense. Right now they aren't significantly cheaper than real USGI mags from D&H or Brownell's, both of which are made better.
 
I have two C-Products magazines. One is fine and has been 100% reliable. The other had a weld split on the back just below the feed lips, rendering it a 9 on my "Is it safe" scale (a pool noodle is a 1, a block of C4 and a stun gun is a 10).

I have seven PMAGs. No trouble with them at all, and they were actually less expensive.
 
Thanks folks;

What are the advantages and disadvantages of metal/plastic?
 
I don't know the advantages to metal (I dislike mine), but the advantages to the Pmags is it has a dust cover, is pretty tough, and isn't unusable if you bend it in (run over, step on it wrong, etc.). My only beef with Pmags is I can't stick my 30 rounders in on a closed bolt if loaded with thirty?
 
It's funny how the AR with a BOLT HOLD OPEN can't be loaded to suit some users. The procedure I used was to charge the bolt, hold it open, load magazine, push the bolt release and let it slam home. Simple and quick enough on the first magazine. It what I was taught and is still taught.

After that, it automatically holds open for the next mag change - unless you're doing tac mag changes or in some competitive range event. The Army has an answer to that too, load them down two rounds. That directive came out in 1968.

The answer has been around almost as long as the M16. If you're loading full mags against the bolt, it's an arbitrary decision. You don't have to.

GI mags are aluminum, which will bend the feed lips if dropped fully loaded on them. Bad magazines are often surplused out of the military and show up at gun shows, buyer beware. Steel mags are often aftermarket, quality may be spotty, most new ones have a nice return policy. Just keep mailing them back until all of them are gtg.

PMags don't bend the feed lips, although when really stressed, they may crack. It probably would have ruined a metal mag with that much stress. Some lowers are broached a bit tight in the magwell, a Pmag can be lightly sanded and relieved, although most new ones don't have the problem. It's something found and fixed years ago.

As for loading a full 30 rounder against a closed bolt, that's mandatory with the AK. Just don't do it with the AR, it's very cooperative, and a significant reason for it's superior ergos and sustaining higher firepower.
 
Well, I haven't had very many problems with GI mags over the years...maybe one or two out of several dozen.

This must have been a bad batch of Pmags:
 

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Inspecting the PMAG that was sitting 3' away from me, it looks like the ones you have are from an older design. The notch about 1/2" down from the top on yours was changed to a shallower, double notch (like this: - -) on more recent models, for one.

The first AR I ever owned, I had one Master Molder 20rd magazine :barf: and three USGI mags that looked beat to &%$#, but were 100% reliable and cost like $9.00 each. Kinda funny when the magazine looks like it's been through four separate wars and the rifle is brand-spanking-new.
 
PMAGS tested in cold conditions

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2009/01/09/pmags-tested-in-cold-conditions/

So to the drop test. I wanted to see what they could do in the cold. I dropped it from the same table (3′ high) I have dropped metal mags from on the range. If you drop a metal mag on concrete from the same height it will damage the feed lips as to be unuseable-but you can bend them back. I was planning on dropping them on all sides but it broke before I could try it. From the table, fully loaded, no cover, both feed lips shattered when they hit the concrete. I expected it to break/crack but these things shot off and rounds went everywhere. I stopped the test right there as didn’t want to try it with any others on the other sides. You can see in the AK HTF that if empty they do fine in the cold.

So what does this mean.

IF you drop ANY mag loaded on the feed lips it will be useless. The Pmags might survive during the summer but all metal mags will bent hot/or cold. The metal mags can be bent back.

The plastic shatters when cold (duh) it doesn’t just crack.

I finally got a answer as to what these can do.

This test was dropping on concrete in cold weather. I had to clean off a spot to get down to the concrete. If the mags are dropped in the snow vs just concrete they do just fine. So the possibility of hitting on the feed lips in cold weather on a hard surface-very unlikely

The covers are great to keep out the snow – huge plus.

Overall they do just fine. I was surprised at the complete breaking vs. cracking buts that’s what cold can do.
 
That test was done a year and a half ago--I think MagPul may have modified them to be more resistant to damage in cold environments, too. Not sure, though.
 
I don't like the C-Products steel mags. My LULA doesn't work well with them. I do have a mess of P-Mags and haven't had any problems inserting them on a close bolt. If fact, with mine, if I don't watch it, I can fairly easily put 31 into a mag, so there's plenty of room to insert it on a closed bolt.

Check out 44mag.com. They have good prices on P-Mags and mil spec aluminum mags. I like the mil spec aluminum mags too. Never had any problems with those either. I do believe that you are less likely to have compatibility issues with the aluminum mil spec mags. Although I really like the P-Mags because they don't get bent up, no matter how I throw them into the ammo box, they are more bulky than aluminum mags are.
 
C Products makes good aluminum and stainless mags. PMags are good quality overall but have proven themselves to be troublesome in some lowers. My Superior Arms lower will not drop an empty PMag. I've worked and worked on one, sanding here, carving there to try to get it to drop to no avail.

I agree with the suggestion to buy one each of several brands until you find the ones that work for you.
 
After that, it automatically holds open for the next mag change - unless you're doing tac mag changes or in some competitive range event. The Army has an answer to that too, load them down two rounds. That directive came out in 1968.
Click to expand...

Or just use your man hands on them. That fixes almost any difficulty seating a magazine on a closed bolt.
 
Magpul P mags are the best mags I've ever used.

I'm looking to build a .308 AR, and actually won't look at a Armalite or DPMS because they don't accept the big .308 Pmags like LMT, KAC etc.
 
The answer has been around almost as long as the M16. If you're loading full mags against the bolt, it's an arbitrary decision. You don't have to.
Click to expand...

Not true.

Apparently you have never participated in the "board matches" at Camp Perry or any Excellence in Competition match.

See http://www.odcmp.com/Competitions/Rulebook.pdf

Rule 8.1.5(2) Loading and Reloading Rifles
Rapid-Fire Loading. After the command ON THE FIRING LINE STAND…
WITH BOLTS CLOSED ON EMPTY CHAMBERS…LOAD, competitors
with M16/M14 type rifles must close the actions on their rifles and insert
a magazine loaded with two rounds... When the
targets rise or the command TARGETS is given, competitors must drop
down into position and then cycle the bolt to chamber the first round.

Hope you'll give it a try some time,... but leave the P-MAGS at home unless you feel like dealing with bolt-over-base malfunctions.
 
Cproduct Mags are not viewed well by many people. I have a few that have been fine at the range but they stay home when I attend class. Magpul is the only way to go honestly. Yes some had that cracking issue however they also still functioned just fine, crack or no crack. There is also a video out there of a frozen pmag being abused and not breaking.
 
Unless it's a two round magazine, it's not full.
Click to expand...

You misunderstand my point, and my concern.

I'm saying the P-MAG's cause a bolt-over-base malfunction when the bolt is cycled on a magazine containing just two rounds.

I honestly don't know whether the same malfunction would occur with a completely full mag, or a mag loaded with some other number of rounds than the amount required by the rules for EIC matches.
 
Mine works fine. 6920 with Pmags. And a BCM Mk12 Mod3x with Pmags.

Closed bolt, insert Pmag with 2 rounds loaded, charged, shoot.

Is that what you mean??? Mine works fine at this. I usually test a new rifle with only two rounds in the mag in case it busts and goes FA. Every time I make a change in tune, 2 rounds only.

i'm not sure what a bolt over base malf is?
 
I'm looking to build a .308 AR, and actually won't look at a Armalite or DPMS because they don't accept the big .308 Pmags like LMT, KAC etc.
Click to expand...

The DPMS does accept PMAGs
 
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