Some great replacement followers and springs for AR15 magazines.

[Onmilo]

I have been trying some replacement followers and springs here of late and am so pleased with them I thought I might share.

These products come from CMMG and consist of a stainless steel anti tilt follower and a braided wire ceramic coated magazine spring.


Now everybody has heard the wild and positive reviews for the wonderful and expensive H&K M16 magazines.
Guess what? These products are in the same league of quality and function.
I have been happily abusing several magazines of various manufacture, some being to the point of already abused, and with these products installed I have had only one issue.
With MagPul Ranger floorplates installed I can only load 29 rounds in the magazines, big deal, I can live with that.
I have had NO malfunctions yet using these magazines, zero, zip, nada.
Not even a bolt failing to lock open after the last round heads downrange and this is after several cases of ammunition have been run through.

I am suspecting that is you install these in something like, Oh, the CProducts stainless steel magazine bodies, you will own magazines that outlast your rifle, these items appear to be that good.
I am not an advertiser and I am not getting free stuff to make this testimonial and I still recommend you get a couple or three of these items and try them out, I think you will be as pleased as I am.

One point I should mention.
If you use these followers with the CMMG braided wire springs you must install the spring on the follower upside down from the way a spring is installed on a green or black follower.
The large loop is inserted on the retainer loop of the follower and the small loop goes to the bottom.
If you use the followers with standard stainless steel or chrome silicone springs they are installed as usual.
As a bonus the followers are much easier to insert into the magazine body than the USGI green anti tilt follower.
No wrestling here, they pretty well drop in.
This should help avoid some frustration as these items come with no instructions and I had to go to the CMMG website to get it all sorted out.

 

[jagdpanzer347]

Thanks for the review,Onmilo. I might have to put a few sets of these in stock for future magazine refurbishment.

-jagd

 

[Onmilo]

You can find these at places starting with Br Mi and of course, the manufacturers home page.

 

[jagdpanzer347]

Onmilo, I realize you just acquired these parts, but how would you rank them compared to USGI/Magpul followers and springs?

-jagd

 

[Onmilo]

Almost all my non cmmg stuff installed magazines run chrome silicone springs.
I don't have any issues with stainless steel springs, I just like the chrome silicone springs a little better.

MagPul followers are decent and the only way to go if you use MagPul Ranger baseplates and want to load all 30 rounds in the magazine.
I am getting to like these CMMG stainless steel followers better than any others on the market right now.

 

[MIL-DOT]

" One point I should mention."

one point i woulda thought you'd have mentioned...uh...PRICE ?

 

[Jeremy2171]

Why replace spring in mags that don't need them 99% of the time?

These are nothing more than nice to haves but not really needed things that cost money for minimal (if any) advantages.

 

[Onmilo]

Eight bucks for a spring and follower.
I put these in magazines I paid four bucks a piece for that had already been well rode and put away wet more than once.
That makes for a twelve dollar magazine.
Is that interesting enough for the
'I gotta buy it cheap or I ain't interested' crowd?

Put these in a brand new Brownells magazine body and add a standard floorplate you will have an eighteen dollar magazine.

Put these in a stainless steel CProducts magazine body and add a floorplate you will have a twenty three dollar magazine.

Price a 416 magazine from H&K and you will understand my enthusiasm.

 

[Jeremy2171]

I mean hey do what you want as it's a free country..but you could just buy brand new USGI mags for ~10-15$ and then use them for 30+ years with no issues..... just a thought.....

 

[Onmilo]

Jeremy, guys like you make The High Road, the low road.
I am so glad you took the time to contribute your negativity to an informational thread.
I, and nobody else, needs you to tell me to do what I want and I am betting you will go out of your way to find some of those thirty year old, just as good as this, magazines to prove your point.

Some of the magazines I used these replacements on are over twenty years old and USGI and they definately needed some upgrading, but hey, thanks for contributing,
Stay safe in the sandbox.

 

[Jeremy2171]

Glad I could put a little sanity check on your view of reality. My whole point in posting is to let people know that "in most cases" high speed followers and mag springs are a waste of time.

I don't have to go out of my way to find any of the "thirty year old, just as good as this, magazines to prove your point." They are right here in my gear running just as fine as they were when they were made.

My whole point is that magazines are "consumable" items ....when they break or quit working correctly you get new ones. Of course if we are talking about Valmet mags or Jap T96/T99 LMG mags of course you do what you can to keep them working. But when you are talking about 10-15$ M16 mags...just buy new ones. If you buy new mags just to add "newer" followers and springs just to make them "better" then hey thats all on you and have fun doing it.

As for the overrated HK mags you can have them....the Marines are no longer buying them as they are junk and no better than regular GI mags. And the real kicker is you can buy 4-5 GI mags for the cost of one HK mag.

Sorry I brought this down to the "low road" (in your opinion) I just happen to have plenty of experience with unmessed with USGI mags and they work fine with no need to "upgrade" them. Thought it might save some people an unneccesary expense.....but if you are made of gold...have it....

 

[SomeKid]

On,

Jeremy was slightly OT, not low road. You made a thread offering your idea for making a good mag better. Jeremy tossed his opinion out there that it is good enough as is, and if people want to save money, just use and toss. Don't attack a guy for putting a contrary opinion out there when done politely.