Hour 0
Hour 1
Hour 8
Before anyone gets on my case about scientific method, or the fact that the Lancer has a warning included with it, or why anyone would ever spray 100% deet on a magazine…
The warning is exactly what led me to this test. I read it, and was curious how the other two magazines on the market would do with deet. I’m intentionally trying to saturate these things to the point of failure. I’ve hosed them off with water, hit them with the compressor, and will be re-soaking them tonight, tomorrow night, and Saturday night and then using them as my first loads and as often as possible over the course of a 3-day class this weekend.
More to follow.
Nice test, I like my Lancers and I would’nt even use DEET myself, I prefer permethrin. But I might just have to do that to one of my Lancers, just because it looks cool. I’ll throw in a Thermold and Orlite. Awesome post! Oh, and it’s nice to see folks put Lancers through the same kind of tests Lancer puts them through. I’m gonna’ do a series this winter on how they perform in the cold and wet.
Interesting test: thanks for going through with it.
For skin application, I’ve switched over to picaridin. It’s safe for plastics and although I don’t spend a lot of time in places that require bug spray, it kept me bite free on a week long trip into the mountains and otherwise hasn’t let me down so far. I can’t vouch that it is just as effective as DEET, but it’s plenty effective for my needs.
me too…allergic to deet and picardin works for me just as well. I use the cutter brand.
cannot tell you how they do on pmags.
I was always curious as to what DEET would actually do to the Lancer mags. Thanks for sharing.
I’d be interested to see the same test repeated with loaded magazines. A load within will impart stress to material that may produce earlier or differential failure.
They will all be getting re-sprayed tonight, wiped off in the morning, and loaded. They will get used tomorrow as much as I can get a chance to load them.
Obviously, the Lancer is out of the test.
FWIW, the windows on the Pmags are already gummy and fogging. The paper towels I used to wipe them off with stuck, and the air hose caused some odd effects.
Cool test, thanks for posting it.
I’d be curious to see the effects of deet on the feed lips while the mags are fully loaded and the springs under compression… I wonder how much quicker the lips on the Lancer would have failed?
Could you do a test of DEET on carboned up bolts? You might be onto to something here!
Nice test.
This is exactly how it happens in the real world of soldiering. You put some extra mags in you pack along with some other personal items. And, at least some of the time you will open your pack to find that something has busted open, leaked, spilled, or melted.
I saw a partially dissolved M18 Claymore that got soaked in hydraulic fluid. If you work with vehicles, diesel fuel is a constant threat. I had a jar of mama’s jam bust open in my pack one time. Melted Powerbars are always a given. Hand cream likes to leak. CLP can be leaky too depending on the type of bottle. And, of course the ever leaky bug juice.
At this point I have developed a keen eye for what will leak and try to double wrap it in a ziplock bag. Of course, there is always some poor bastard who will open his pack at the end of the day to find that something exploded in his ruck.
I can’t wait to see how these mags shoot after that treatment.
Had one of those little plastic containers of gatorade powder AND a hydration bladder bust open in my ruck on a jump… at the beginning of a 7-day JRTX.
I guess that Deet warning Lancer includes is there for a reason. Can’t wait to see how the PMags do.
Wonder how long it would have gone if the mag was full
At least you will not have any bugs in your work bench area for a while.
I was hoping to buy some lancer mags… but this… makes me wana buy just pmags:(
I’ve always thought milspec chemical tests were a bit extreme, but you make a good point. I would not personally choose my magazines based on chemical compatibility alone (DEET or otherwise), but it’s good to know how the materials react to common chemicals they might come in contact with. All else being equal I suppose I’d take whichever product performs best against the bug spray, gasoline, CLP, etc.
I did buy some Lancer’s, then after reading the Deet warning,
decided I did not need a clear mag that bad,
sold them and purchased Pmags.
Another thing I have noticed about Lancer mags is the mag catch recess is a bit shallow for my taste. It won’t reliably hold a Lula Loader.
Interesting experiment/test here. Looking forward to further “developments” after the 3-Day excercise!
Remember that it was the diesel fuel, salt water and heat test that killed Dragonskin.
I would like to know how all of the mags would fair when loaded and added stress is on the lips.
The Russian solution to the problem was to use a sort of steel skeleton.