Big Army says no more polymer mags

[Alaskapopo]

Me too but I've been around thousands of GI mags, and all the ones that malfunctioned were old.

That is the problem with GI mags is you never know when they are bad until they malf. If this decision stands it will go down much like the armys specification for a magazine cut off in the Krag so the soldiers would not waste ammo in combat. Pure stupid.
Pat

[feedramp]

That is the problem with GI mags is you never know when they are bad until they malf.

How is that not true of all magazines? (i.e., you only know they're bad when they fail.)

[Koshinn]

How is that not true of all magazines? (i.e., you only know they're bad when they fail.)

Metal is malleable. Plastic breaks.

[Dave_M]

How is that not true of all magazines? (i.e., you only know they're bad when they fail.)

The singular advantage I'd give to poly mags is that one can visibly see when the feed lips are out of spec (because they ****ing crack first). However, one has to inspect them in the first place to notice it anyhow I suppose.... I'd guess that less than 1 in 10 do this, even in working BN's...

[sboza]

That is the problem with GI mags is you never know when they are bad until they malf. If this decision stands it will go down much like the armys specification for a magazine cut off in the Krag so the soldiers would not waste ammo in combat. Pure stupid.
Pat

This is just a silly argument. The fact that two SME's on this board are advocating usgi mags should be a clue. I personally know several sf dudes who reverted back to or never left usgi mags in the first place and feel the same way.

A regular maintainance schedule and seperation of training mags make usgi mags as reliable as the gun firing them. There are a lot of things that can go bust on an AR but the professional changes out springs, pins, extractors, ejectors, etc ... on a schedule to prevent failures in the field. Magazines are no different. Maintain them and they'll work when you need them to.

P.S. By maintainane on magazines I mean checking them for obvious damage, wiping mud and other crap off, function testing when possible, and relegating to training or the trash can those magazines have been seeing heavy use (preferably prior to failure). I do NOT mean disassembling them.

[Alaskapopo]

How is that not true of all magazines? (i.e., you only know they're bad when they fail.)

As others have said with P mags you can easily tell if its broken not so with a GI mag.
pat

[Alaskapopo]

This is just a silly argument. The fact that two SME's on this board are advocating usgi mags should be a clue. I personally know several sf dudes who reverted back to or never left usgi mags in the first place and feel the same way.

A regular maintainance schedule and seperation of training mags make usgi mags as reliable as the gun firing them. There are a lot of things that can go bust on an AR but the professional changes out springs, pins, extractors, ejectors, etc ... on a schedule to prevent failures in the field. Magazines are no different. Maintain them and they'll work when you need them to.

P.S. By maintainane on magazines I mean checking them for obvious damage, wiping mud and other crap off, function testing when possible, and relegating to training or the trash can those magazines have been seeing heavy use (preferably prior to failure). I do NOT mean disassembling them.

I frankly don't know what basis the two SME's on this board have for their decision. What I do know is based on personal experience from being a shooter, LEO, firearms instructor and competator. P mags have served me better overall than USGI mags have. (not saying USGI mags are junk I own a lot still) Others may disagree. If a SME on the forum tells me something that is contrary to my personal experience I am still going to go with my personal experience. Also I am sure you will find conflicting opinions among SME's as well.
Pat

[a0cake]

Just throwing this out there:

To see if a magazine is good or not as part of a routine preventative maintenance schedule, load 15 rounds and give the magazine a good slap from the bottom. If rounds come out, ditch the magazine. You can also use this gauge:

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=4...FEED-LIP-GAUGE

Staying proactive will make the gradual / not easily noticeable with the naked eye damage to USGI magazines a non-issue.

[sboza]

Just throwing this out there:

To see if a magazine is good or not as part of a routine preventative maintenance schedule, load 15 rounds and give the magazine a good slap from the bottom. If rounds come out, ditch the magazine.

That's a good one, I'm gonna add that to my routine. I usually do a visual inspection or a side by side with a new mag. Thanks brother.

[train of abuses]

I'm not surprised: I've had the feed lips on Pmags crack in cold weather and not just once. I'm not shit canning my Pmags any time soon but my serious-use mags are USGI with the tan followers or Magpul followers.

Thanks for the report. How cold was it when they cracked if you don't mind me asking?