Legality of .458 SOCOM Magazines, 10 Round

[freddy]

Oh, I see the issue all right, though I am still not sure the .458 mag will feed .223. I guess they have succeeded in a large part of their goal in that gun owners in general are leery of using their AR anywhere in this new age fascist shit hole, no mater the configuration. Yeah, if a cop wants to jack you up for his own amusement, no mater what you got, they can, and where the rubber meets the road, his superiors will back him.
Robin

"As noted above, the cartridge was designed to be 100% compatible with the M4 platform. This included the buffer, buffer spring, GI magazines, many aftermarket .223/5.56 magazines, and magazine well. In .223/5.56 caliber, cartridges stack in a staggered (double stack) fashion. However, with the much larger .458 SOCOM, rounds "single stack" without any modification to the standard GI magazine feed lips or follower, making it the most versatile and cost effective big bore offering in an AR-15 platform."

​

.458 SOCOM magazine = 5.56 AR15 magazine

-and the-​

5.56 AR15 magazine = .458 SOCOM magazine

They are interchangable.
They are one in the same.
Identical.
Verbatim.
100%
No difference.

 

[Robin]

Never had one in my hand just the pictures on the web and they look different to me. I take your information as factual and I would say it is a very well thought out design consideration.
Now that that part is settled, are they, the Ten round .458 mags, illegal(?). Are they sold as ten round .458 mags specifically, and marked so?

Course stamped would be better, but either way would you, could you get pinched? I guess it depends. Depends on whatever your imagination can conjure up.
Robin

 

[Saltwater60]

Why wouldn’t the magazine manufacturer do this if possible. The amount of money they would save Doing this is crazy. I would do it if making mags.

As for the legality I have no clue, but I could see it going wrong.

 

[Apeman]

My buddy just built a 458 socom. He ordered a 10 round 458 mag that has a dedicated 458 follower in it. It's also laser engraved "458 socom". He tried and 223 will not feed using this mag. I'm not a lawyer, but because 223 won't feed I can't see how they could even arrest you for it. I say get the complete 458 mag or install the 458 follower in a 30 round mag and you' all set. FYI from what we've found only the metal GI mags work with the 458 followers.

 

[freddy]

My buddy just built a 458 socom. He ordered a 10 round 458 mag that has a dedicated 458 follower in it. It's also laser engraved "458 socom". He tried and 223 will not feed using this mag. I'm not a lawyer, but because 223 won't feed I can't see how they could even arrest you for it. I say get the complete 458 mag or install the 458 follower in a 30 round mag and you' all set. FYI from what we've found only the metal GI mags work with the 458 followers.

Not saying your statement is false, just pointing out that 223 will in fact feed from a 458 follower at least sometimes....

458 Socom Follower - AR15.COM

 

[Criticalt]

Id say this.
If you have the 458 magazine in you 223 gun, youre screwed.
If you have a 458 magazine in your trunk along with a 223 gun, youre screwed.
If you have a 458 mag in your 458 gun, youre good.
If you have a 458 mag in your trunk along with a 458 gun, your good.
If you have both mags and both guns in your trunk, youre good by default.

 

[freddy]

Id say this.
If you have the 458 magazine in you 223 gun, youre screwed.
If you have a 458 magazine in your trunk along with a 223 gun, youre screwed.
If you have a 458 mag in your 458 gun, youre good.
If you have a 458 mag in your trunk along with a 458 gun, your good.
If you have both mags and both guns in your trunk, youre good by default.

I think this is likely the situation in a nutshell.

BUT, the only thing missing, from a legal standpoint, is whether a ".458 SOCOM" label and/or a .458 follower makes any difference whatsoever. From a functional standpoint, neither the label nor the follower are needed in any way, shape, or form.

 

[Exonautic]

The special .458 followers we're designed as an attempt to specifically alleviate these worries. They're not supposed to be able to feed .223, and without some serious 4 arm finagling it's a bitch to load because the rounds will all just fly out the middle since the follower doesn't impart a natural stagger on it.

 

[Robin]

It sure seems that more that the follower would be different, wouldn't the feed lips be different as well?
Either way I agree with Criticalt.
Robin

 

[freddy]

View attachment 27515 View attachment 27513 It sure seems that more that the follower would be different, wouldn't the feed lips be different as well?
Robin

No. And no.
Though I do understand your skepticism. The .458 SOCOM uses a completely unmodified 5.56 AR mag. The cartridge was specifically designed to do this.

 

[freddy]

The special .458 followers we're designed as an attempt to specifically alleviate these worries. They're not supposed to be able to feed .223, and without some serious 4 arm finagling it's a bitch to load because the rounds will all just fly out the middle since the follower doesn't impart a natural stagger on it.

After the first few rounds of 5.56 the stagger will naturally resume.

 

[Podmonkey]

While the .458 SOCOM was indeed designed to work with standard 5.56 mags it was my understanding that this arrangement did not provide 100% reliable feeding. The .458 SOCOM follower lacks the indexing bump of the 5.56 follower and is concave instead: