Interesting design for an easy-loading AR-15 magazine - it slides apart!.
- Thread starter jlbraun
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Fast Frank
Member
While that sure enough looks like an innovative way to load the mag, I gotta say no.
My AR15 is first and foremost a combat rifle.
Yes, it's also a range toy, but I won't put anything on it that doesn't improve it's combat readiness.
That mag has more moving parts, and therefore introduces new possibilities for failure.
Maybe after these things have been well proven I'll give them a chance, but for now I'll let the Tacticool guys play with them for a while.
My AR15 is first and foremost a combat rifle.
Yes, it's also a range toy, but I won't put anything on it that doesn't improve it's combat readiness.
That mag has more moving parts, and therefore introduces new possibilities for failure.
Maybe after these things have been well proven I'll give them a chance, but for now I'll let the Tacticool guys play with them for a while.
W.E.G.
Member
Solution to a problem that does not exist.
GigaBuist
Member
These were introduced at the 2007 SHOT Show and the owner of the company had a booth at the Grand Rapids, MI gun show back in October 2007. I checked them out there.
They felt pretty darned sturdy to me and I liked the idea of having an all-steel follower in it. I tried to make the follower bind up in the magazine but it wasn't going to happen.
Yeah, it's a solution to a problem that doesn't exist, but I like the idea of being able to count how many rounds are in the mag quickly. It's pretty easy to lose track of how many you've stuck in there when loading from a case of loose ammo.
I'd have probably bought one to tinker with if they were only $25 (instead of $40) or if I hadn't already fallen in love with the $14.95 Magpul PMAGs that I've got.
They felt pretty darned sturdy to me and I liked the idea of having an all-steel follower in it. I tried to make the follower bind up in the magazine but it wasn't going to happen.
Yeah, it's a solution to a problem that doesn't exist, but I like the idea of being able to count how many rounds are in the mag quickly. It's pretty easy to lose track of how many you've stuck in there when loading from a case of loose ammo.
I'd have probably bought one to tinker with if they were only $25 (instead of $40) or if I hadn't already fallen in love with the $14.95 Magpul PMAGs that I've got.
jrfoxx
Member
I've seen those advertised.I personally think it's a very clever idea.Will I buy one? No, I have 6 USGI mags already, and I'm a cheap bastard. Would I use one as a combat/hd magazine? Only after VERY extensive testing, and even then, probly not.just 1 more moving part that could possibly fail.Would I get 1 to use for plinking at the range (if I werent a cheap bastard)? Sure.you could cut down on weight/space by only taking the 1 mag, but not have to spend lots of time reloading instead of shooting, as i'll bet you can do that one in a few seconds compared to a standard one (not that they take long either, but you know what I'm saying).
BattleChimp Potemkin
Member
I bought one on a larf, broke it in 5 minutes. The front slide would not stay up (slide up) and upon dropping it onto my bed from the rifle to see if it drop free, it threw rounds all over my room. It was prompty thrown into the recycling bin. 
TexasRifleman
Moderator Emeritus
One word.
LULA
Problem solved.
Magpuls PMAG with the window solves this in a VERY nice magazine, much better if you want to buy something than standard GI style.
LULA
Problem solved.
Magpuls PMAG with the window solves this in a VERY nice magazine, much better if you want to buy something than standard GI style.
Double Naught Spy
Sus Venator
Then that probably goes for stripper clips, LULAs, Beta mag loaders, and the like as well, no?
Actually, for a person with Dequervain's Syndrome (which finally became a problem at a 5 day Thunder Ranch class as a result of loading mags), it might be a good solution to a real problem.
I sort of found it interesting that they sell dust covers for mags, but demo that their mag can work even if has been filled with sand.
IndianaBoy
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I didn't know AR mags were hard to load.
Did I miss something???? Maybe I have gorilla thumbs or something....
Did I miss something???? Maybe I have gorilla thumbs or something....
Darthbauer
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Cool but not for $40!
kBob
Member
Just looks like a way to trade reliability for concenience.
Reloading magazines was more frequent in my unit than many in peace time and it always seemed a chore, mainly because of all the whinning like little girlie-girls. Because of our mission we shot ball ammo alot and cycled "ready ammo" It was frequently a work detail sort of a thing overseen by a junior NCO or Acting Jack (ain't got the stipes or the pay but doing the job) that understood that if one of the gus messed up a magazine it might end up in his pouch next time he needed a reload. I would have preferred geing handed my own bandoleers and loading my own magazines, but I did not make the rules. I had the detail at one point and had a couple of "Newbees" though we as often called them somthing less polite and a guy serving Article 15 "extra duty" and someone that had just caught the Plattoon Sargent's eye.
One of the newbees whinned that he had seen someone slice up their fingers in Basic using stripperclips and the other nodded vigerously.
"Look at me. Look at the old boys. Where are your gloves?"
We also sometimes had to do showdowns to prove our magazines were loaded and then it was necesarry to unload a mag and count the ammunition while reloading it a single round at a time. THe occassional pinch as a round got pushed in was a bother and once in a great while someone would git a boo-boo like a small cut or blood blister usually while not paying attention to what they were doing. THe thing I did not like about showdowns was one on occassion found that ammo that was traded between multiple folks over a few weeks some times turned into sections of ball point pins, chunks pencils or a wooden stick as folks built up their own little cache of ammo. Some times simply two round or four were missing so the visual inspection of which side the top round was on would not reveal if an odd number were removed.
I personally thought that folks that did the ammo stealing should have been flogged and ..... let's not go there.
No doubt this new magazine would have made it easier to check for theives and vandals (idiots! that mag might be in their rifle when they need it!) but I wonder if it would even be as reliable as dumb trust. BTW I got made fun of more than once for pulling every mag issued to me and reloading it, but it kept ball point pen barrels out of my rifle chamber.
I have to agree this convertable top magazine looks like an answer to an un asked question, except.....
It likely looks very good to folk that would rather pay $40 for the ability to not load magazines in a more traditional way or who just like gimmics. Those people will pay the prices and makers while make the profits and that is what the market is about.
Around 1983 or so some one was making a plastic magazine that consisted of a two piece magazine body and one piece telescoped into the other. the supposed idea was that Joe Survivalist or Joe Security Guy that stored magazines loaded could do so with out the magazine springs being under full tension. When the lower section was extended it was very easy to load the magazine with single rounds, they were also advertised qas being usable as like 45 round magazines with the lower section exteneded (Oh boy an intentionally weak mag spring with 50 percent more ammo piled on it.)
I don't see them around any more and the last time I recall seeing one it had been epoxied "shut" for use as a normal magazine.
I think Ram-line mad a clear/translucent 3 in 1 magazine that would work in all guns taking standard M-16 mags, Mini-14s, and the old style AR-180 (Guess they could be used in the AR-180B because of that first) I dashed out a bought a couple and found out they did that by building a magazine that did not realy fit any of those rifles. It was either two tight or too sloppy in every one of them. I will say that they did work for a while and they recently worked in a Mini Ranch Rifle. hey did bad things in an AR-180 and AR015 though. The application to this discussion though was that one could simpy see the loaded rounds through the magazine and the mag body even had indicator marks to show the number of rounds. I seem to recall they have twistied wire "constant tension" type springs which are weak sisters and did not always have the umph to look bolts back, but were easy on the fingers to load.
The new magazines are an AR accessory and as we all know, whether it makes sence or even offers any advantages if you build it they will buy it.
-Bob Hollingsworth
Reloading magazines was more frequent in my unit than many in peace time and it always seemed a chore, mainly because of all the whinning like little girlie-girls. Because of our mission we shot ball ammo alot and cycled "ready ammo" It was frequently a work detail sort of a thing overseen by a junior NCO or Acting Jack (ain't got the stipes or the pay but doing the job) that understood that if one of the gus messed up a magazine it might end up in his pouch next time he needed a reload. I would have preferred geing handed my own bandoleers and loading my own magazines, but I did not make the rules. I had the detail at one point and had a couple of "Newbees" though we as often called them somthing less polite and a guy serving Article 15 "extra duty" and someone that had just caught the Plattoon Sargent's eye.
One of the newbees whinned that he had seen someone slice up their fingers in Basic using stripperclips and the other nodded vigerously.
"Look at me. Look at the old boys. Where are your gloves?"
We also sometimes had to do showdowns to prove our magazines were loaded and then it was necesarry to unload a mag and count the ammunition while reloading it a single round at a time. THe occassional pinch as a round got pushed in was a bother and once in a great while someone would git a boo-boo like a small cut or blood blister usually while not paying attention to what they were doing. THe thing I did not like about showdowns was one on occassion found that ammo that was traded between multiple folks over a few weeks some times turned into sections of ball point pins, chunks pencils or a wooden stick as folks built up their own little cache of ammo. Some times simply two round or four were missing so the visual inspection of which side the top round was on would not reveal if an odd number were removed.
I personally thought that folks that did the ammo stealing should have been flogged and ..... let's not go there.
No doubt this new magazine would have made it easier to check for theives and vandals (idiots! that mag might be in their rifle when they need it!) but I wonder if it would even be as reliable as dumb trust. BTW I got made fun of more than once for pulling every mag issued to me and reloading it, but it kept ball point pen barrels out of my rifle chamber.
I have to agree this convertable top magazine looks like an answer to an un asked question, except.....
It likely looks very good to folk that would rather pay $40 for the ability to not load magazines in a more traditional way or who just like gimmics. Those people will pay the prices and makers while make the profits and that is what the market is about.
Around 1983 or so some one was making a plastic magazine that consisted of a two piece magazine body and one piece telescoped into the other. the supposed idea was that Joe Survivalist or Joe Security Guy that stored magazines loaded could do so with out the magazine springs being under full tension. When the lower section was extended it was very easy to load the magazine with single rounds, they were also advertised qas being usable as like 45 round magazines with the lower section exteneded (Oh boy an intentionally weak mag spring with 50 percent more ammo piled on it.)
I don't see them around any more and the last time I recall seeing one it had been epoxied "shut" for use as a normal magazine.
I think Ram-line mad a clear/translucent 3 in 1 magazine that would work in all guns taking standard M-16 mags, Mini-14s, and the old style AR-180 (Guess they could be used in the AR-180B because of that first) I dashed out a bought a couple and found out they did that by building a magazine that did not realy fit any of those rifles. It was either two tight or too sloppy in every one of them. I will say that they did work for a while and they recently worked in a Mini Ranch Rifle. hey did bad things in an AR-180 and AR015 though. The application to this discussion though was that one could simpy see the loaded rounds through the magazine and the mag body even had indicator marks to show the number of rounds. I seem to recall they have twistied wire "constant tension" type springs which are weak sisters and did not always have the umph to look bolts back, but were easy on the fingers to load.
The new magazines are an AR accessory and as we all know, whether it makes sence or even offers any advantages if you build it they will buy it.
-Bob Hollingsworth
MaterDei
Member
Ditto.
Anteater1717
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I like using stripper clips, they're cheaper and probably more reliable.
Zundfolge
Member
For what those fancy mags cost, you could buy a whole mess of used GI issue mags and a LULA (or better yet an Easyloader) and load up a big stack of mags the night before while watching TV.
You can find quality AR mags for $8-$10/ea when you buy them by the dozen.
You can find quality AR mags for $8-$10/ea when you buy them by the dozen.
IronSightRot671
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- Dec 1, 2006
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- 221
What would they think up next? lol
PercyShelley
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If we ever get nationally reduced to attaching high-capacity magazines to rifles permanently, like it is in CA, this will be just the ticket.
Double Naught Spy
Sus Venator
I don't know that the video proves anything. What they are not showing you are all the takes where things didn't work as planned.
Yep, the mag held up to bird shot where the standard aluminum mag did not. That means the new mag is probably steel and much heavier than the aluminum mag.
Also, the made loading the look really fast because they got their ammo and first loaded it into the tray, bullets up, so that they could then pick it out of the tray and insert it into the mag in a quick, organized manner. I don't know about you, but my bullets don't come loose in a tray like that. So the loading time they showed would likely be doubled or to account for the first loading of the tray so that they could then load the mags.
Yep, the mag held up to bird shot where the standard aluminum mag did not. That means the new mag is probably steel and much heavier than the aluminum mag.
Also, the made loading the look really fast because they got their ammo and first loaded it into the tray, bullets up, so that they could then pick it out of the tray and insert it into the mag in a quick, organized manner. I don't know about you, but my bullets don't come loose in a tray like that. So the loading time they showed would likely be doubled or to account for the first loading of the tray so that they could then load the mags.
Monkeybear
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I might get one of those for my fiance' to use at the range. Save her thumbs some hurt. It might also keep me from being the one who reloads all the magazines whenever I take people with me to the range.
I noticed that when he crushed the other magazines his mag was loaded. I wonder if it would have crushed so eaisly were it loaded as well.
I noticed that when he crushed the other magazines his mag was loaded. I wonder if it would have crushed so eaisly were it loaded as well.
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