Move back to GI magazines - a journey

[jenrick]

and worthless in the dark

Just like visually looking at the top round to see if it's left or right. Your point? It's a simple thing that could be quickly added and easily used during your pre-mission prep. The only option you have in the dark is a tactile check of the mag, and what side the round is on.

If you can fit more than 31 rounds in your USGI magazine then the spring is completely gone. Overloading is rarely an issue. For normal magazines all you have to do is push down on the top round with your thumb. It will go in a recognizable distance, about the thickness of one round. As long as the rounds push in that distance and the top round is staggered to the correct side, you know your magazine is fully loaded.

Exactly, you have to know the distance the round should push down, and which side it should end up on. All it takes a batch of tan followers getting out and suddenly that no longer works. How exactly do you learn how far down to push the round in the mag, practice and experience. Get it wrong and your either shorting yourself, or risking a serious problem in the field. I don't see the big green Army incorporating training on just exactly how far down you push the rounds in the magazine verify that you have it fully loaded.

In the grand scheme of things does it matter if someone goes out with 27 or 29 rounds? Probably not, however probably is not "No." I think we can all agree that there is much greater potential for bad things to happen if the mag is overloaded to 31 or more. How can we prevent that I think is a question that should be looked at in detail.

-Jenrick

[rob_s]

that extra time is something I like to take advantage of, when ever I can.

Something else on this...

Last December I ran a 300 BLK in Pat's class. I had, IIRC, 4 modified Pmags to use and I chose to use the free BCM D&H mag you get in the goodie bag TD1 as well. This meant reloading magazines between every relay, which SUCKED.

My point? I got so used to simply bringing loaded magazines that it no longer seemed like "extra" time. I have gotten used to having that downtime and those breaks to the point that I've gone from enjoying having the "extra time" to missing it when it's not there.

That experience is part of what solidified this change for me.

FWIW, and for anyone that cares, I'm working on doing the same thing with my Glock magazines for use in pistol classes. I already have a carrier that holds 12 magazines, which in turn holds 200+ rounds (G17 mags). I want to get another, identical, pouch made which I think will allow me to stuff two of these pouches in a single ammo can for a total of 400+ rounds, which should get me through one full training day in just about any handgun class.

I hate jamming pistol mags even more than rifle mags.

[R Moran]

Regarding the new follower:

Could it be that we are getting a little nit picky? Sure, just issuing mag pul followers would've been great, and easy, but they didn't.

Does the new follower work? I've got about 15-20 of the new mags, only ran a few rounds thru them, but didn't see any issues. The follower depresses about the same depth as the old ones. About a thumb nail, is this really that big a deal?
I'm more aggravated, like JSantoro, about the wasted money, effort and energy, put into developing the already developed. lets not waste more energy, bitching about inconsequential crap.

FWIW: When i was Pvt, no one ever said anything about 28rds, what side the round should be on etc. That's shit we figured out for ourselves. Be glad the training has evolved as much as it has.

Also, most will tell you the follower is only an issue in full-auto, and guns w/o M4 feed ramps.
Ken Elmore told me, and green follower with a good spring, will be just fine.

Bob

[Submariner]

I'm more aggravated, like JSantoro, about the wasted money, effort and energy, put into developing the already developed. lets not waste more energy, bitching about inconsequential crap.

Bob

Pat made the same point last weekend at the Boone County COC 2. (He is running TD ARCs these days.) It doesn't matter on which side we find the first round. Night or day, feel the top round. Say "left" or "right" and then insert the mag, cycling the action. Check the mag. If the top round is on the opposite side, re-insert the mag, PUSH/PULL and get back to business. If not, fix it.

Pre-loaded mags for five of my spawn and me, twenty-one apiece. We even off-loaded them to the range house the day before so we weren't man-handling ammo from motel to range on TD1. (You accumulate a few PMAGs over the years, and half as many BCMs, too, when six or seven family members shoot with Pat.)

[Dennis]

My point? I got so used to simply bringing loaded magazines that it no longer seemed like "extra" time. I have gotten used to having that downtime and those breaks to the point that I've gone from enjoying having the "extra time" to missing it when it's not there.

I always liked buying mags and always brought tons of loaded mags to class. My problem was always the opposite, having to download mags for various drills until I finally remembered to bring some empty ones as well!

Dennis.

[superstratjunky]

Do you guys have a minimum mag count that will handle any situation? I'm not as in depth as our M4 geek Rob S , but I'm starting to.

[Pi3]

Given the little bit I see about the new GI followers, it appears that they are considered govt. property and could be considered stolen. Given the other options on the market, I'd rather have green followers than the tan GI just for that reason, or Magpul followers because I believe they are actually better (for me, given the location of the dummy round).

_________________________________________

In other news, I started my log two days ago. magazine number, manufacturer, bought from, purchase price (shipped), date purchased (from invoice) and then columns for body, spring, floorplate, and follower with OEM if it is unchanged and "Ranger Plate" and "Magpul" for the floorplate and follower with the box highlighted to indicate color. Last thing is columns for tracking malfunctions which is obviously empty for now.

I still have to pick up my last 20, and I will buy NHMTG. not because I'm super convinced they are the best, but because I do think they are one of the best and because I already started down the path with the other 30. I'll mothball the D&H and others, and I'm researching how to sell off the pre-bans in a way that gets them to guys that need them, at a price that's fair for both me and them, at a price that indicates to me that someone isn't just buying them to resell/gouge their neighbors, and at a price that allows me to move the lot as a whole as the last thing I want to get into is a pick-n-choose situation.

I'll be tearing down the storage closet shortly so I'll be seeing what else turns up in that melee as well.

Same here. I have 5 or 6 center industries 30 rounders still new in the plastic bags dated 07/92. What do you guys suggest? should I sale them, then turn around and replace with the telfon mags?
http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/AR-15...0dh%20gt30.htm

[Pi3]

Actually, I ment these with the magpul followers-
http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/AR-15...h%20gt30mf.htm

[HES]

Actually, I ment these with the magpul followers-
http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/AR-15...h%20gt30mf.htm

Any comments on these with the gray followers? GTG or avoid?

[chadbag]

Any comments on these with the gray followers? GTG or avoid?

They are Magpul followers. The generation previous to the current generation of Magpul followers came in gray and orange. (Current generation magpul followers, AFAIK, are foliage or yellow)