AR magazines

RunningOnMT · 08-13-2012, 04:49 PM

What brand 30 rd mags do you use? Does anyone have experience with the commonly available mags with the green plastic followers? Any problems with them?

Last week I was shooting my AR and came across one mag that wouldn't feed. I dropped the mag and discovered the rounds at the top were loose. Then I found that I could turn the mag upside down and dump all the rounds out. The follower was stuck all the way down at the bottom of the mag. It got cocked somehow. Now I'm thinking this would not be good in any kind of tactical situation. The thing is, I have fired thousands of rounds though an M16 and never had a mag malfunction in this way.

So what do you AR owners think? Are these mags sub par? Do you think taking them apart and lubing them with a little SBGO would help? These are essentially brand new and have never even been apart.

jlloyd73 · 08-13-2012, 05:19 PM

I primarily use Pmags.........I also use the common aluminum mags that are military surplus (green followers). I have not had any issues with any of them.

Make sure the mag is clean (I use a little SBGO inside mine)....... if it continues......switch to the anti-tilt followers.

lonewolf204 · 08-13-2012, 05:21 PM

I don't know the answer to you question, But I would like to know more about the AR mags. I need to buy a couple. I've been using Bushmaster mags without a problem. But would like to know if there is better ones available!

zkovach · 08-13-2012, 05:53 PM

Surplus mags and pmags are work well.

Tmergen24 · 08-13-2012, 06:00 PM

Idk i recommend pmags and the spring might be going bad

Tmergen24 · 08-13-2012, 06:02 PM

Or the Mag might be cracked or slightly bent causing the follower to stick

USMCSpeedy · 08-13-2012, 06:10 PM

I've used most of the AR mag brands out there. When I have a mag that does what yours did, I just change out the follower with a good anti-tilt one and a new spring. It's done wonders for the ones I've had problems with. Here is the follower I prefer
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/231...r-package-of-3
and here is the spring
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/239...d-braided-wire
I have had to cut a coil or two of the spring on some mags to be able to load all 30 rounds.

GunHugger · 08-13-2012, 06:13 PM

P-Mags or military surplus mags with Magpul anti-tilt followers is all I use and never have a problem.

My only complaint with the P-Mag is they are wider and don't work well in some mag pouches. A lot of pouches made for two or three regular mags will only fit one less P-mag. But they are great for everything else.

Those old green followers are not very good, replace them with the Magpul followers and you will have a good mag.

They sell them everywhere, here's one place.
http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/Magpu...20follower.htm

RunningOnMT · 08-13-2012, 07:35 PM

Thanks speedy and hugger. I'll order some of these followers. I don't think the springs are the problem as they are brand new. In fact some of them haven"t been out of the pkg yet as I usually only take 4 or 5 to the range. I guess I really should load them all up to check their function.

Here's the add for these mags. As you can see, they didn't cost very much compared to some mags. I just wanted to make sure they aren't cheap junk. The customer reviews are good anyway.

http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/AR-15...0dh%20gt30.htm

cycloneman · 08-13-2012, 07:42 PM

p mags period

Snakedriver · 08-13-2012, 07:44 PM

I use these from DSG Arms in Ft. Worth, TX They are flawless. I have several dozen of them and have never had a failure. Can't beat the $9.25 /Ea. price either. DSG has very low shipping too.

http://dsgarms.com/ProductInfo/MA-02DSGB.aspx

Features:

30 round capacity
Black teflon coated, aluminum construction with a hard anodized finish
Flat Dark Earth, Gen III, anti-tilt follower from MAGPUL Industries
HK 416 and M27 IAR Compatible
SCAR Compatible
Corrosion resistant, stainless steel spring
Removeable steel floorplate
Lightweight (approx 4oz)
Fits in standard magazine pouches
Cost effective
Corrosion resistant
U.S. Manufactured.

aa1911 · 08-13-2012, 07:48 PM

P mags for me now. Standard GI issue with green followers are decent but get dented easily. HK mags are way too heavy. Pmags work and won't dent, never jam.

3/2 STA SS · 08-13-2012, 08:13 PM

Alot of AR shooters forget to clean the magazines too. There is a reason why we did this in the military. I have always used mil spec mags and never had an issue.

gdmoody · 08-13-2012, 09:47 PM

I mostly use Pmags, surplus military, or Bushmaster mags. I bought a couple of "Cheap" off brand metal ones a while back and that happened to both of them. On one of them, I couldn't pry the follower up no matter what I did. They were both deposited very quickly in the "round file"!

aa1911 · 08-13-2012, 09:52 PM

the standard GI ones, whenever they get a dent in them, the standard is to take your helmet or whatever and whack them into oblivion so that they don't get mixed back into your good mags. Take it to the supply guy after that and DX the crappy one for a brand new one. No question in anyone's mind that the mag is toast when it's almost flat!

polishshooter · 08-14-2012, 11:43 PM

I own a bunch of various new and surplus gray mags with the green followers as well as a bunch of plastic Mag-puls and have yet to have my first malfunction with any of them from my Rock River.

That being said, the mag is the WEAKEST link of any firearm, so having learned from my IPSC days with my .45, I scribed a destinctive mark in EVERY mag so I can tell them apart...

When I DO have my first malfunction due to a mag which I know WILL happen someday, I WILL know which one it is, and which one I will have to play with or sell...

The first three quality mags I bought for my .45 I built in 1982 were all factory new colt 7 round mags that I paid as much for as the good competition Wilson and Pachmayer mags I bought in the late 80s...

And I scribed I, II, and III in bottom side of them right before I glued on the erasers for bottom pads...

I and III are STILL in my mag pouches and I would still trust them with my life, but II malfunctioned a couple of times in matches and I still have the body of it floating around in my parts boxes somewhere alongside the one Wilson that failed and a Pachmayer that came apart somewhere along the 150k to 200k rounds I fired through them all...

Bottom line, buy as much quality that you can but don't be afraid to buy used or surplus, just MARK them all BEFORE you use them, and "retire" the ones that fail in practice...

(by the way, the FIRST mag I bought for my .45 when I built it was a $3 no-name "milsurp" mag I bought at a gunshow...which I turned into my "charger" mag when I bought the expensive ones I intended to compete with...

I STILL have that mag, painted up with red letters "CHARGER" on the sides so I would not trust my life or a match on it...

But the darn cheap thing has NEVER malfuntioned...and if I HAD to,

Ok, yeah, I just MIGHT have it in my back pocket as a "spare" when I carry....

RunningOnMT · 08-15-2012, 03:43 AM

What's a "charger" mag, Shooter?

polishshooter · 08-15-2012, 08:16 AM

It's for quickly loading the one "up the spout" without having to carry around loose rounds to fumble with adding one to the carry mag after loading.

I learned about them from watching other shooters in my early IPSC days, some of the A class did it that way and I saw how much easier it was than the way I and every other newbie was doing it.

Just carry an extra loaded mag in your back pocket next to your wallet, load it first, jack the slide, then change to your first full mag and you are set.

Plus in a pinch you have that mag with 5 or 6 rounds left in it if you go through all your other mags on your belt.

I used (use?) that old milsurp one for that, with no bumpers on it so it would conceal better in my back pocket.

Plus I wouldn't hurt any of my "good" mags sitting on them

Snakedriver · 08-15-2012, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by polishshooter

It's for quickly loading the one "up the spout" without having to carry around loose rounds to fumble with adding one to the carry mag after loading.

I learned about them from watching other shooters in my early IPSC days, some of the A class did it that way and I saw how much easier it was than the way I and every other newbie was doing it.

Just carry an extra loaded mag in your back pocket next to your wallet, load it first, jack the slide, then change to your first full mag and you are set.

Plus in a pinch you have that mag with 5 or 6 rounds left in it if you go through all your other mags on your belt.

I used (use?) that old milsurp one for that, with no bumpers on it so it would conceal better in my back pocket.

Plus I wouldn't hurt any of my "good" mags sitting on them

In competition maybe it matters to have 30+1, but in combat I think most experienced combat troopers will be using 29+1 or 28+1. As an old dog, I opt to never fully load my AR mag's to avoid the possibility of a jam, so I use 28+1. It's just an old habit that I trust. The new mag's with the anti-tilt follower in them ARE much more reliable than the older ones. Jamming a mag. with 30 onboard in an AR bolt-closed and one in the tube would have almost certainly resulted in a failure-to-feed with the older mag's.

soundguy · 08-15-2012, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlloyd73

I primarily use Pmags.........I also use the common aluminum mags that are military surplus (green followers). I have not had any issues with any of them.

Make sure the mag is clean (I use a little SBGO inside mine)....... if it continues......switch to the anti-tilt followers.

i'm sure my gun is considered a toy by real ar owners.. it's a keltec su-16c.. but I like it.

I use the surp mags with green followers.. never have an issue. must have 15 of them. have never had a feed issue.. ever...

polishshooter · 08-15-2012, 09:05 AM

Snake, you are right, most guys since Vietnam never load up completely. However, I usually do load up completely with my Rock RIver, and although I only have range time and P'dog hunting with it, I have yet to have my frirst malfunction with either the gray metal ones or the MagPuls.

I was referring to the "one up the spout" to my .45.

But I treat my AR mags just like I did with all my .45 mags, that is marking them so I can tell them apart, so if and when I have problems with one I know exactly which one gave me the trouble so I can pull it out of service until I have the time to fix it and test it again in practice before I put it back into "serious" service.

Snakedriver · 08-15-2012, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by polishshooter

Snake, you are right, most guys since Vietnam never load up completely. However, I usually do load up completely with my Rock RIver, and although I only have range time and P'dog hunting with it, I have yet to have my frirst malfunction with either the gray metal ones or the MagPuls.

I was referring to the "one up the spout" to my .45.

But I treat my AR mags just like I did with all my .45 mags, that is marking them so I can tell them apart, so if and when I have problems with one I know exactly which one gave me the trouble so I can pull it out of service until I have the time to fix it and test it again in practice before I put it back into "serious" service.

My AR is a Rock River too!

Never had any kind of failure in it. I should do some testing I guess, as all my 30's are the modern metal ones with the Magpul Gen 3 follower. I've heard they are much less likely to jam with a full load. Old habits just die hard for the old dogs!

aa1911 · 08-15-2012, 04:49 PM

I also load 29 in my M4 mags; HK states to only put 29 in there's so I asked "why do you sell a 30 round magazine that only is supposed to hold 29 rounds???" They should call it a 29 round magazine then. But it's a good enough rule, one round difference in 30 is nothing.

I do 3 green tip, two or three tracers, 9-10 green tip, 2 tracers and topped off with green tip. First tracer I see i know i have at least a half mag, when I start seeing tracers past that I know to finish it/dump it quick and reload.

I also tape around the bottom of the mag (not the floorplate but the body) to keep the noise to a minimum in their pouches and still do a loop of 550 also on the bottom.

Snakedriver · 08-15-2012, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aa1911

I also load 29 in my M4 mags; HK states to only put 29 in there's so I asked "why do you sell a 30 round magazine that only is supposed to hold 29 rounds???" They should call it a 29 round magazine then. But it's a good enough rule, one round difference in 30 is nothing.

I do 3 green tip, two or three tracers, 9-10 green tip, 2 tracers and topped off with green tip. First tracer I see i know i have at least a half mag, when I start seeing tracers past that I know to finish it/dump it quick and reload.

I also tape around the bottom of the mag (not the floorplate but the body) to keep the noise to a minimum in their pouches and still do a loop of 550 also on the bottom.

AA, that all sounds like really good practice. I especially like the tracers at the bottom of the mag. to help clue you in that you're about to run dry.

It sounds like you've got some field experience.

ETA: Care to post a pic of the 550 loop & how it is attached to the bottom of the mag.? I like the idea of it.

aa1911 · 08-15-2012, 05:11 PM

5 trips and counting to the land of big sandbox! Sounds like you've got some good experience also Snakedriver from reading a bunch of your posts on here

I used to carry 2 full mags of nothing but tracers when I was an AG on a M240 team; I would use it to show targets to the gunner in certain cases; really little need for me to shoot then though as primary job is feeding ammo.

Some guys use different combos of tracers, like last 5 are tracer but I want as much green tip as possible in my mag so I use the above method. Even at extreme close range they are visible (usually), even in daylight, as they will stay lit no matter what. even on steel, they will ricochet into the ground or up in the air and keep burning.

550 cord is for hooking them onto a caribeaner/steel oval or whatever on your kit if you don't have a dump bag. or just to help organize them in your tuff box.

and like someone else said on here I think, gotta clean 'em once in a while! I do keep the same springs with their respective mags as well as the followers. Shouldn't really matter but I don't leave it to chance. Soap and water and some brushes does the trick.

08-13-2012, 04:49 PM	#1
RunningOnMT Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Akron, Ohio Contributor Posts: 4,720	AR magazines What brand 30 rd mags do you use? Does anyone have experience with the commonly available mags with the green plastic followers? Any problems with them? Last week I was shooting my AR and came across one mag that wouldn't feed. I dropped the mag and discovered the rounds at the top were loose. Then I found that I could turn the mag upside down and dump all the rounds out. The follower was stuck all the way down at the bottom of the mag. It got cocked somehow. Now I'm thinking this would not be good in any kind of tactical situation. The thing is, I have fired thousands of rounds though an M16 and never had a mag malfunction in this way. So what do you AR owners think? Are these mags sub par? Do you think taking them apart and lubing them with a little SBGO would help? These are essentially brand new and have never even been apart. __________________ "Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!" -->

08-13-2012, 05:19 PM	#2
jlloyd73 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Contributor Posts: 1,931	Re: AR magazines I primarily use Pmags.........I also use the common aluminum mags that are military surplus (green followers). I have not had any issues with any of them. Make sure the mag is clean (I use a little SBGO inside mine)....... if it continues......switch to the anti-tilt followers. __________________ --------------------------------------------------- The only thing better than good family is good friends. J and D Lloyd Get ready...it's getting "real" and really fast!

08-13-2012, 05:21 PM	#3
lonewolf204 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Oklahoma Contributor Posts: 784	Re: AR magazines I don't know the answer to you question, But I would like to know more about the AR mags. I need to buy a couple. I've been using Bushmaster mags without a problem. But would like to know if there is better ones available! __________________ Fear is only a word in the mind of the weak!

08-13-2012, 05:53 PM	#4
zkovach Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,005	Re: AR magazines Surplus mags and pmags are work well. __________________ Liberalism: Poverty for ALL!!

08-13-2012, 06:00 PM	#5
Tmergen24 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Wisconsin Contributor Posts: 103	Re: AR magazines Idk i recommend pmags and the spring might be going bad

08-13-2012, 06:02 PM	#6
Tmergen24 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Wisconsin Contributor Posts: 103	Re: AR magazines Or the Mag might be cracked or slightly bent causing the follower to stick

08-13-2012, 06:10 PM	#7
USMCSpeedy Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Minnesota Posts: 627	Re: AR magazines I've used most of the AR mag brands out there. When I have a mag that does what yours did, I just change out the follower with a good anti-tilt one and a new spring. It's done wonders for the ones I've had problems with. Here is the follower I prefer http://www.midwayusa.com/product/231...r-package-of-3 and here is the spring http://www.midwayusa.com/product/239...d-braided-wire I have had to cut a coil or two of the spring on some mags to be able to load all 30 rounds. __________________ If all else fails, VOTE FROM THE ROOFTOPS Trying to reform a liberal is like trying to pick up a turd from the clean end. What this country needs is more family trees that will produce more lumber and fewer nuts!

08-13-2012, 06:13 PM	#8
GunHugger Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: SW PA Posts: 1,159	Re: AR magazines P-Mags or military surplus mags with Magpul anti-tilt followers is all I use and never have a problem. My only complaint with the P-Mag is they are wider and don't work well in some mag pouches. A lot of pouches made for two or three regular mags will only fit one less P-mag. But they are great for everything else. Those old green followers are not very good, replace them with the Magpul followers and you will have a good mag. They sell them everywhere, here's one place. http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/Magpu...20follower.htm __________________ . “There will be a revolution in this country!” “I don’t believe people should to be able to own guns.” ~Barack Obama "Stand your ground. Don't fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war let it begin here." ~Captain John Parker, to his Minute Men on Lexington Green, April 19, 1775.

08-13-2012, 07:35 PM	#9
RunningOnMT Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Akron, Ohio Contributor Posts: 4,720	Re: AR magazines Thanks speedy and hugger. I'll order some of these followers. I don't think the springs are the problem as they are brand new. In fact some of them haven"t been out of the pkg yet as I usually only take 4 or 5 to the range. I guess I really should load them all up to check their function. Here's the add for these mags. As you can see, they didn't cost very much compared to some mags. I just wanted to make sure they aren't cheap junk. The customer reviews are good anyway. http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/AR-15...0dh%20gt30.htm __________________ "Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!"

08-13-2012, 07:42 PM	#10
cycloneman Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Louisiana Posts: 7,397	Re: AR magazines p mags period __________________ Who are you going to serve today?

08-13-2012, 07:44 PM	#11
Snakedriver Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: SW. Florida Posts: 1,219	Re: AR magazines I use these from DSG Arms in Ft. Worth, TX They are flawless. I have several dozen of them and have never had a failure. Can't beat the $9.25 /Ea. price either. DSG has very low shipping too. http://dsgarms.com/ProductInfo/MA-02DSGB.aspx Features: 30 round capacity Black teflon coated, aluminum construction with a hard anodized finish Flat Dark Earth, Gen III, anti-tilt follower from MAGPUL Industries HK 416 and M27 IAR Compatible SCAR Compatible Corrosion resistant, stainless steel spring Removeable steel floorplate Lightweight (approx 4oz) Fits in standard magazine pouches Cost effective Corrosion resistant U.S. Manufactured. __________________ Fear is a reaction..........Courage is a decision

08-13-2012, 07:48 PM	#12
aa1911 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 3,110	Re: AR magazines P mags for me now. Standard GI issue with green followers are decent but get dented easily. HK mags are way too heavy. Pmags work and won't dent, never jam. __________________ "Loud noises don't end gunfights.... well placed shots do."

08-13-2012, 08:13 PM	#13
3/2 STA SS Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Tampa Bay Area, FL Posts: 1,435	Re: AR magazines Alot of AR shooters forget to clean the magazines too. There is a reason why we did this in the military. I have always used mil spec mags and never had an issue. __________________ MORS DE CONTACTUS-DEATH ON CONTACT

08-13-2012, 09:47 PM	#14
gdmoody Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Northeast Georgia Contributor Posts: 6,304	Re: AR magazines I mostly use Pmags, surplus military, or Bushmaster mags. I bought a couple of "Cheap" off brand metal ones a while back and that happened to both of them. On one of them, I couldn't pry the follower up no matter what I did. They were both deposited very quickly in the "round file"! __________________ NRA Endowment Member GeorgiaCarry.Org Member Retired US Army Postal Worker Personally, I carry a gun because I'm too young to die and too old to take an ass whoopin'.....author unknown (but obviously brilliant)

08-13-2012, 09:52 PM	#15
aa1911 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 3,110	Re: AR magazines the standard GI ones, whenever they get a dent in them, the standard is to take your helmet or whatever and whack them into oblivion so that they don't get mixed back into your good mags. Take it to the supply guy after that and DX the crappy one for a brand new one. No question in anyone's mind that the mag is toast when it's almost flat! __________________ "Loud noises don't end gunfights.... well placed shots do."

08-14-2012, 11:43 PM	#16
polishshooter Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Indiana Contributor Posts: 7,859	Re: AR magazines I own a bunch of various new and surplus gray mags with the green followers as well as a bunch of plastic Mag-puls and have yet to have my first malfunction with any of them from my Rock River. That being said, the mag is the WEAKEST link of any firearm, so having learned from my IPSC days with my .45, I scribed a destinctive mark in EVERY mag so I can tell them apart... When I DO have my first malfunction due to a mag which I know WILL happen someday, I WILL know which one it is, and which one I will have to play with or sell... The first three quality mags I bought for my .45 I built in 1982 were all factory new colt 7 round mags that I paid as much for as the good competition Wilson and Pachmayer mags I bought in the late 80s... And I scribed I, II, and III in bottom side of them right before I glued on the erasers for bottom pads... I and III are STILL in my mag pouches and I would still trust them with my life, but II malfunctioned a couple of times in matches and I still have the body of it floating around in my parts boxes somewhere alongside the one Wilson that failed and a Pachmayer that came apart somewhere along the 150k to 200k rounds I fired through them all... Bottom line, buy as much quality that you can but don't be afraid to buy used or surplus, just MARK them all BEFORE you use them, and "retire" the ones that fail in practice... (by the way, the FIRST mag I bought for my .45 when I built it was a $3 no-name "milsurp" mag I bought at a gunshow...which I turned into my "charger" mag when I bought the expensive ones I intended to compete with... I STILL have that mag, painted up with red letters "CHARGER" on the sides so I would not trust my life or a match on it... But the darn cheap thing has NEVER malfuntioned...and if I HAD to, Ok, yeah, I just MIGHT have it in my back pocket as a "spare" when I carry.... __________________ The problems we face today are there because the people who work for a living are outnumbered by those who vote for a living.

08-15-2012, 03:43 AM	#17
RunningOnMT Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Akron, Ohio Contributor Posts: 4,720	Re: AR magazines What's a "charger" mag, Shooter? __________________ "Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!"

08-15-2012, 08:16 AM	#18
polishshooter Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Indiana Contributor Posts: 7,859	Re: AR magazines It's for quickly loading the one "up the spout" without having to carry around loose rounds to fumble with adding one to the carry mag after loading. I learned about them from watching other shooters in my early IPSC days, some of the A class did it that way and I saw how much easier it was than the way I and every other newbie was doing it. Just carry an extra loaded mag in your back pocket next to your wallet, load it first, jack the slide, then change to your first full mag and you are set. Plus in a pinch you have that mag with 5 or 6 rounds left in it if you go through all your other mags on your belt. I used (use?) that old milsurp one for that, with no bumpers on it so it would conceal better in my back pocket. Plus I wouldn't hurt any of my "good" mags sitting on them __________________ The problems we face today are there because the people who work for a living are outnumbered by those who vote for a living. Last edited by polishshooter; 08-15-2012 at 08:19 AM..

08-15-2012, 09:05 AM	#21
polishshooter Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Indiana Contributor Posts: 7,859	Re: AR magazines Snake, you are right, most guys since Vietnam never load up completely. However, I usually do load up completely with my Rock RIver, and although I only have range time and P'dog hunting with it, I have yet to have my frirst malfunction with either the gray metal ones or the MagPuls. I was referring to the "one up the spout" to my .45. But I treat my AR mags just like I did with all my .45 mags, that is marking them so I can tell them apart, so if and when I have problems with one I know exactly which one gave me the trouble so I can pull it out of service until I have the time to fix it and test it again in practice before I put it back into "serious" service. __________________ The problems we face today are there because the people who work for a living are outnumbered by those who vote for a living.

08-15-2012, 04:49 PM	#23
aa1911 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 3,110	Re: AR magazines I also load 29 in my M4 mags; HK states to only put 29 in there's so I asked "why do you sell a 30 round magazine that only is supposed to hold 29 rounds???" They should call it a 29 round magazine then. But it's a good enough rule, one round difference in 30 is nothing. I do 3 green tip, two or three tracers, 9-10 green tip, 2 tracers and topped off with green tip. First tracer I see i know i have at least a half mag, when I start seeing tracers past that I know to finish it/dump it quick and reload. I also tape around the bottom of the mag (not the floorplate but the body) to keep the noise to a minimum in their pouches and still do a loop of 550 also on the bottom. __________________ "Loud noises don't end gunfights.... well placed shots do."

08-15-2012, 05:11 PM	#25
aa1911 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 3,110	Re: AR magazines 5 trips and counting to the land of big sandbox! Sounds like you've got some good experience also Snakedriver from reading a bunch of your posts on here I used to carry 2 full mags of nothing but tracers when I was an AG on a M240 team; I would use it to show targets to the gunner in certain cases; really little need for me to shoot then though as primary job is feeding ammo. Some guys use different combos of tracers, like last 5 are tracer but I want as much green tip as possible in my mag so I use the above method. Even at extreme close range they are visible (usually), even in daylight, as they will stay lit no matter what. even on steel, they will ricochet into the ground or up in the air and keep burning. 550 cord is for hooking them onto a caribeaner/steel oval or whatever on your kit if you don't have a dump bag. or just to help organize them in your tuff box. and like someone else said on here I think, gotta clean 'em once in a while! I do keep the same springs with their respective mags as well as the followers. Shouldn't really matter but I don't leave it to chance. Soap and water and some brushes does the trick. __________________ "Loud noises don't end gunfights.... well placed shots do."