Ar15 mag wont set when full

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last trip out, my buddy, a newb to ARs also, asked me what the forward assist did. thats what you call the little pushy thing that sticks out next to the charging handle right? ididnt know what to tell him exactly, ive never used it- do you bang on it to make sure your bolt is fully closed?
 
i actually do forget this sometimes and want to pussyfoot around with my guns like im going to break something
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Get a Mosin Nagant and you'll break yourself of that habit after a single range trip. :D

Back on topic, I also never have problems loading full mags with an open bolt. I don't remember having any problems with a closed bolt, either, but that's a more unusual occurrence. At the range, I quite often have the bolt locked back from the get go for the safety check.

I'm uncomfortable with the idea of intentionally underloading magazines. If I wanted a 28 round magazine, I'd have bought a 28 round magazine.

ETA: yes, that's what the forward assist is for.
 
Tater, a quick way to make sure your loaded magazine will seat on a closed bolt is to press the top cartridge down with your thumb. Just make sure you have about a half inch of "play" or space when you press down
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is that as your sliding it into the firearm, that seems hardish? or just sometime before, give it a good push down?
 
oh i gotcha now Al. your just saying make sure their is some space...my bad..posted before thinking.
 
It is very easy to load a 30 round PMAG on a closed bolt AR, for me at least. However on USGI or steel magazines I would either have to pop out one to 29 or load the mag into an open bolt. I try to avoid loading an AR into a closed bolt as it just feels too awkward for me. Darn military brainwash training...
 
Potatohead said:
last trip out, my buddy, a newb to ARs also, asked me what the forward assist did. thats what you call the little pushy thing that sticks out next to the charging handle right? ididnt know what to tell him exactly, ive never used it- do you bang on it to make sure your bolt is fully closed?
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It is something the military insisted on that usually makes a jam even worse (the idea was to allow a bent or our of spec long case to chamber or allow a round to chamber in a very dirty chamber). Stoner first put a thumb recess on the bolt itself as a forward assist but the military did not like it and then he reluctantly added the button. The thumb recess allowed for the cover (which came afterward) and still serves the purpose of pushing the cover open when the bolt moves. It is probably not a good idea to use it in that manner when the gun is hot :D

Early AR-15 prototypes were much more sleek than the final design:
d03653fb-9142-d464.jpg

Mike

PS. back to your original issue, I suspect you might have a bent mag lip. Are these polymer mags kept loaded, by any chance? The plastic suffers creep over time. I only keep Magpuls loaded with "dust covers" that actually push the top round down lightly and take all the force off the lips.
 
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It is common to have difficulty inserting a 30 round magazine loaded to 30 rounds on a closed bolt. PMAGs do not have this problem. However, you have to pay attention because you can cram 31 rounds into a PMAG, which can really give you seating issues (it may be straight impossible). USGI mags are often very difficult to seat with 30. I load all of mine to 28 rounds, that way seating is straight up 'easy'. I don't think I will ever need the 1-2 rounds that are 'missing'. I'd probably even use 20 round mags a lot of the time if not for a desire to use the mag as a monopod while prone. And, well more ammo is not exactly a bad thing.
 
i see everyone talking about pmags. is this a brand or what? if not, how do you tell if you have pmag or not, other than when you buy it
 
I am of the opinion that if you have to smack it, you are better off downloading by 1-2 rounds. Smacking the mag adds a movement to the reload, which adds time. It also requires taking your hand off of a fully loaded magazine that is not secured within the rifle, which can very easily lead to the magazine falling/dropping the mag.

I want to be able to fully set my mags, even on a closed bolt, by simply inserting them into the magwell with the 'beer can' grip I use to retrieve them.
 
Magazines really aren't rocket science as long as you are comfortable with downloading them. Yes, 30 rounds in a GI aluminum magazine will fit in on a closed bolt. But usually you have to smack the crap out of them, or otherwise give them some extra umph. I want my magazine changes to be 100% repeatable, every time, with every magazine in my basic load (I'm a soldier, I should hope I know a thing or two about magazines). So, I download by two. Doesn't matter what kind of magazine it is, or what the rated capacity is. The max number that will fit in the magazine, minus two. For GI mags, that means 28. For PMAGS, that means 29. Every magazine change consists of a beer can grip and forceful push, and then a pull to ensure the magazine is latched. It works every single time. Too many times I see guys put a magazine in (filled to capacity), and take a few steps or pull the charging handle only to have the mag hit the ground. It's just not worth the extra one or two rounds in each magazine to get yourself inconsistent reloads. In a gunfight, you won't know the difference between 28 and 30 rounds. You will sure as hell appreciate the difference in a consistent reload versus an inconsistent reload.
 
Potatohead, regarding the forward assist:

Yeah, that's the round button on the side. At the end of that button is a pawl that can be used to engage the teeth on side of the bolt carrier. The intent is that you can push the forward assist to help close the bolt. To me, they serve one purpose, and one purpose only:

Closing the bolt in a situation where you want to be as quiet as possible (i.e., in a deer stand, etc.).

Other than that one scenario, the thing is a waste of space. If you have a malfunction so bad that the bolt won't go into battery then you need to fix it, not mash on the bolt and make it worse.
 
Agreed on the forward assist being not the best idea.

What the Army teaches as a malfunction drill (or at least used to teach) is SPORTS:
Slap (the magazine to make sure it is seated correctly)
Pull (the charging handle back)
Observe (look for an obstruction in the chamber or a double feed)
Release (the charging handle)
Tap (the forward assist - and by tap they mean smack the hell out of it with the heel of your hand)
Squeeze (the trigger to try to fire again)
 
in my experience, 'slapping' is just not as effective as push/pull. i mean, in a common situation where you ram it up in the mag well and it didn't catch but isn't falling out, striking it from the bottom often won't make it catch, where a strong push will.

regarding SPORTS, it's ok for n00bs but the higher-skilled guys who train regularly are better off with the "tap rack bang" immediate action.
 
Agreed on "SPORTS".

S - Has merit. A lot of malfunctions are user induced by way of the magazine, and can be corrected with a slap/tap/push-pull. This is the "tap" of "tap, rack, bang".

P - Yeah, you kinda have to do this one.

O - Complete waste of time. If the malfunction can be corrected with immediate action, and only happens once then you don't really need to see what caused it or watch for a case or round to come out. If it happens repeatedly or requires remedial action, then you need to observe what's going on.

R - Goes with the P, and the two of them together make the "rack" of "tap, rack, bang".

T - No matter what, don't do this. If your problem can be corrected with immediate action, a hit to the forward assist isn't doing anything for you but wasting time. If your problem wasn't corrected by immediate action, thus requiring remedial action, a whack to the forward assist may just make it worse.

S - No kidding, get back to shooting at people. Or, more correctly, reassess the threat and determine if it still needs shooting or can be shot at. Ideally, you are doing immediate action from behind cover, not standing up like a doofus. This is the "bang" of "tap, rack, bang".
 
taliv said:
in my experience, 'slapping' is just not as effective as push/pull. i mean, in a common situation where you ram it up in the mag well and it didn't catch but isn't falling out, striking it from the bottom often won't make it catch, where a strong push will.

regarding SPORTS, it's ok for n00bs but the higher-skilled guys who train regularly are better off with the "tap rack bang" immediate action.
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That's how I do it. (beer can push with pull verification)

Malfunction: Very similar to a semi automatic pistol.

Default is a Phase I malfunction clearance drill. Tap, Rack, Re-asses.

Still no work? Or you had cause to believe phase I wouldn't cut it?

Phase II drill. Remove mag, work actions, visually check chamber/action for blockage (spent case, extra round, whatever), insert (preferably new) mag, re-assess


I know some guys, such as Costa, train/teach to roll the gun over a bit and check the ejection port/chamber before action, using what you observe to decide what action to take. And not just for a malfunction, for a "the rifle stopped firing/didn't fire". Even for what is probably an empty mag, theory being under stress you can't necessarily rely on knowing the rifle's feel, and you may not really know how many rounds you have fired (even close), so checking the port/chamber visually really quick can tell you something you may have otherwise missed and help get you to the proper corrective action without wasting time on something that won't work.
 
Google probably could have answered this for you, but Magpul PMAGs are PMAGs
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true. my bad. i guess i was also meaning, are these the ones you wanna get? higher quality?
 
MrCleanOK said:
Potatohead, regarding the forward assist:

Yeah, that's the round button on the side. At the end of that button is a pawl that can be used to engage the teeth on side of the bolt carrier. The intent is that you can push the forward assist to help close the bolt. To me, they serve one purpose, and one purpose only:

Closing the bolt in a situation where you want to be as quiet as possible (i.e., in a deer stand, etc.).

Other than that one scenario, the thing is a waste of space. If you have a malfunction so bad that the bolt won't go into battery then you need to fix it, not mash on the bolt and make it worse.
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ahh. good info
 
Potatohead said:
true. my bad. i guess i was also meaning, are these the ones you wanna get? higher quality?
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They are. The Magpul PMAG is the gold standard of AR magazines. Personally I would avoid the 20 round 2nd gen mags, but all the rest (all 30 rounders) are good to go.

Lancer L5 AWM magazines are also excellent (may even be better...).

Troy Battlemags are easy to find and are supposed to be pretty good.

Legit USGI aluminum mags like NHMTG, LaBelle, Colt, D&H, etc, are also good. Especially the NHMTG 20 rounders. Also the 30 rounders are slightly improved with magpul followers.

I hear HK mags are great but have never used or bought one because they are ridiculously expensive.
 
'slapping' is just not as effective as push/pull. i mean, in a common situation where you ram it up in the mag well and it didn't catch but isn't falling out, striking it from the bottom often won't make it catch, where a strong push will.
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i was kinda thinkin this. if it aint catchin, theres probably a reason i would think
 
thx warp. i think i may avoid the "clear bag with the price written on it w magic marker" brand at my LGS in the future lol
 
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