Opinions of AR 15 Magazines and Materials they are Made From

[Fallout]

Being that there are a plethora of different AR15 mags to choose from, along with certain models having SEVERAL generations, the choice for a great functioning magazine gets a lil complicated.

My question holds these parameters:

1) Experience over time with the mag
2) Malfunctions from the mag
3) Durability of said mag
4) Material of said mag

Or in shorter terms; what AR 15 mags do you guys think is "the best"?

Obviously there will be different opinions, in which all are welcome.

BTW since my AR build is going to have a detachable magazine, I will be getting 10 rounders.

 

[Uzi]

Metal magazines can get crushed, bend and deform in some situations. Polymer magazines can be stomped on, run over, thrown, and even shot at and still function just fine. They can't corrode either. I think troy mags, hex mags, lancer mags, and some magpul mags have proven what they're capable of pretty well. The simple designs that don't utilize added molded grip patterns that can impede some magwells, are the those that function the best it seems.

 

[stuck in ny]

I don't know about the polymer ones. The mft mag I have is rock solid. On the hexmag, though, the lips splay and bend all over the place

 

[Blimey]

I think most civilians would have said polymer. But now the marines agree, PMAG is their official mag: Marines select Magpul's signature polymer ammunition magazine

 

[dwa12479]

The Magpul Gen 3 PMag is about as solid as they come.

 

[UltraT]

I think the PMags are good, but I've noticed my aluminum mag seems to feed more smoothly. I wonder if it makes a difference in the long term.

 

[Deplorable Me]

My favorites use to be stainless steel (FUAC). I have played w/P-Mags at my sister's in Michigan, they have certainly evolved.

Remember Orlite plastic mags? Canadian origins I think?

 

[GOYABEAN]

My favorites use to be stainless steel (FUAC). I have played w/P-Mags at my sister's in Michigan, they have certainly evolved.

Remember Orlite plastic mags? Canadian origins I think?

I bought some from @Gunner57 still work

 

[freddy]

My research has yielded the following:

plastic (with steel feed lips): Lancer L5 AWM
aluminum (with magpul enhanced follower) will need to add 10 round block: Bravo company​

I would like steel mags myself.

 

[gqllc007]

I have used over 100+ old colt 20 rounders in M16 A2 for years and years. Most of the mags had original springs and metal followers. They typically run flawless. They have the old metal silver/chrome follower. Otherwise I use Magpul

 

[STS556]

I've been using P-Mags forever and never had a problem with them. I also don't use them in harsh conditions. The range and hunting is as harsh as it gets.

 

[stuck in ny]

To me, the plastic ones feel faster to insert in a hurry, or maby its just psycological (not wanting to beat up the finish on the lower with a metal mag.)

 

[Podmonkey]

Other than steel being heavier than necessary I think the are all fine. Good poly mags are tough and resisitant to rough use, Aluminium are light and cheap and you dont have to worry about feed lip deformation after long term loaded storage. Steel is very tough and strong but heavy and expensive. I voted other to represent the hybrid Lancer mags which I am liking well enough so far. Good balance of characteristics.

 

[Eddie Gunks]

I love lancer mags.

I know that i use 40+ year old metal/aluminum mags. They function perfect.

I wont be alive and using 40+ year old pmags but i always question plastic that is super old.

My go to mags are aluminum and lancer then magpul. All work perfect.

 

[Podmonkey]

I love lancer mags.

I know that i use 40+ year old metal/aluminum mags. They function perfect.

I wont be alive and using 40+ year old pmags but i always question plastic that is super old.

My go to mags are aluminum and lancer then magpul. All work perfect.

I think you are right, Magpuls are bound to degrade overtime. But in the short term the are much tougher than the aluminum mags. I figure having a full loadouts worth of polys for current use and a good supply of aluminums for stashing. Right now I have 10 Magpuls, 11 Lancers, 10 MFTs, 10 aluminums and a single Daniel Defense mag which I got for free when the factory sent it along with the rifle after service.

 

[tapper3]

I have used over 100+ old colt 20 rounders in M16 A2 for years and years. Most of the mags had original springs and metal followers. They typically run flawless. They have the old metal silver/chrome follower. Otherwise I use Magpul

My experience with the old GI mags is the same. Clean them up and they will work just fine. And I find they give a smoother reload than any kind of 30 rounders due to their straight design.

To me an AR is just a big pistol with a longer reach. When it runs dry keep the gun shouldered, hit the mag release with the trigger finger while reaching with the support hand for a 20 round mag on the belt, grasp & slide the new mag straight in just as you would a pistol mag, hit the bolt release with the support hand thumb, slide the support hand forward to the hand guard and resume banging away.

Just like reloading a pistol. When standard capacity mags could be used any competition I ever shot I would start with a 30 in the gun but all reloads were with 20's. It's just faster and smoother for me. YMMV

 

[meketrefe]

I think the PMags are good, but I've noticed my aluminum mag seems to feed more smoothly. I wonder if it makes a difference in the long term.

GI aluminum mags with the new magpul follower are hard to beat in terms of reliablity.
I read a long article from a rental gun range in las vegas and this was their conclusion too and they
shoot almost 5 million rounds every year so they know a thing or two about reliability.
Pmags are awesome magazines but the classic GI aluminum ones with modern followers are not something to be overlooked.
I had very good luck with PRI and ASC made of stailness steel but more important for max COAL than any other advantage.
Not sure what value the survey might add to this. There are magazines that might be more suitable for specific reasons.
One thing I can say about magazines is stay away from SGM (cheap plastic) and 308 dpms (horrible followers).

 

[Podmonkey]

The one thing about the aluminum magazines is that they do dent fairly easily and a deep enough dent that impedes the follower ruins the mag. This is not likely to happen with quality polymer mags.

 

[meketrefe]

I agree they can dent but I would not say easily and they can be taken down and fixed.
The polymer can also burn and if they break they need to go into the trash.

 

[Podmonkey]

I agree they can dent but I would not say easily and they can be taken down and fixed.
The polymer can also burn and if they break they need to go into the trash.

Drop an aluminum mag and clutzly step on it and there is a good chance its got a function inhibiting dent in it. Maybe if I weren't so fat.......

 

[meketrefe]

Drop an aluminum mag and clutzly step on it and there is a good chance its got a function inhibiting dent in it. Maybe if I weren't so fat.......

A preban colt mag for example?
They drop all the time everywhere empty or full. You see them everywhere from military to 3 gun matches, etc...
Now, if you drop them from a 10 story building that might be a different story.

 

[Podmonkey]

A preban colt mag for example?
They drop all the time everywhere empty or full. You see them everywhere from military to 3 gun matches, etc...
Now, if you drop them from a 10 story building that might be a different story.

I've done in a few, but then I'm kind of a klutz. I probably also have some lingering predjudice from my Army days, the mags we were issued didn't have the fancy updated anti tilt followers and they pretty much sucked. And they wouldn't let us stomp flat the problem mags either like the infantry guys got to.

 

[freddy]

I had very good luck with PRI and ASC made of stailness steel but more important for max COAL than any other advantage.

Will you please explain what this means?

 

[Podmonkey]

Will you please explain what this means?

It means I'm not the only one that posts from his cellphone

 

[meketrefe]

Will you please explain what this means?

PRI brand magazines are stamped with a waffle style and hardened.
They give additional COAL (Cartrige overal length) up to 2.31" in some cases that is great for longer than usual custom match loads
in 223 and and alternative calibers like the 223AI, 6x45, 6mm TCU and many other long cartriges that use the 223 case.

PRI Magazine

ASC is the other magazine (not waffle stamped) but also very rigid and work great as well.
Can get as long as the PRI magazines but not as consistent in COAL but they work great, are very hard too and
they are way cheaper.
Both are great for 10 rounds magazines for NY and for anything one needs 223, 6.8, 6.5grendel, 7.62x39, etc...

ASC magazine stainless steel...

they also make for other brands like Stoner (midway) .. or at least they used to....

 

[freddy]

PRI brand magazines are stamped with a waffle style and hardened.
They give additional COAL (Cartrige overal length) up to 2.31" in some cases that is great for longer than usual custom match loads
in 223 and and alternative calibers like the 223AI, 6x45, 6mm TCU and many other long cartriges that use the 223 case.

PRI Magazine

ASC is the other magazine (not waffle stamped) but also very rigid and work great as well.
Can get as long as the PRI magazines but not as consistent in COAL but they work great, are very hard too and
they are way cheaper.
Both are great for 10 rounds magazines for NY and for anything one needs 223, 6.8, 6.5grendel, 7.62x39, etc...

ASC magazine stainless steel...

they also make for other brands like Stoner (midway) .. or at least they used to....

Great! Thank you. Now on a scale of 1-to-10 how do PRI and ASC mags rate in functional reliabilty? A '10' being zero malfunctions in your experience.

 

[meketrefe]

Great! Thank you. Now on a scale of 1-to-10 how do PRI and ASC mags rate in functional reliabilty? A '10' being zero malfunctions in your experience.

'10' for 223, 6.8 and 7.62x39.
'8' for 6.5 grendel but it has more to do with the geometry of the case than the magazines themselves.
These can be easily resolved by rounding the edge of the lip a bit with the stone.

Of course, every magazine on most firearms work best after some conditioning and/or simple use.

Sometimes feeding problems are attributed to magazines when in fact something else might be going on.