Regarding the current crop of surplus G3 mags on the market, I’ve seen both steel and aluminum variants. Are they similar as far as overall reliability/durability?
I run both.
They’re military mags and GTG.
Obviously a steel mag is more durable… and 4x heavier… and costs more.
The cheap aluminum surplus mags are actually in pretty good shape.
Have a number of the surplus aluminum mags. Some have small dings, maybe some surface tarnish, most are going to be marked H&K though I do have some Rhinemetall. Year spread seem to be between 68-95 or there abouts. Other than that, all seem to be in more than acceptable condition and function just fine. I know some favor the steel mags, but considering I can buy something like 18 surplus aluminum mags for one steel mag(at least at the prices I have seen, if you know cheaper please let me know I’d like a couple just because) I will continue to stockpile the aluminum ones.
I see lots of aluminum mags in pics from places like Nigeria and Pakistan. Either they actually are durable or those guys have metric tons of the things. Or both.
H
I bought 25 cheap when I purchased my PTR. Of those, one was dented and didn’t work, several of the others were in good to brand new in the paper condition. The mags are at least as durable as USGI M16/M4/AR mags, and far cheaper.
I haven’t had any issues with the aluminum magazines. Haven’t ever tried the steel ones. $3 vs $20 is too easy of a choice for me.
The G3 is still one of the Pak Army’s standard issue rifles, so I would guess that they either manufacturer the magazines under license or can still buy them from HK (they use the MG3 also). But they also use and refurbish lots of older equipment, so they may be continuing to use stockpiled magazines, like you suggested.
Dave
Where you see the steel h&k ones for $20? Would be curious since I wouldn’t mind adding a couple for reference and that is cheaper than I have seen elsewhere.
Aluminum mags are good to go, assuming they are not beat up. Steel mags are great, but heavy.
Are these mags drying up?
Two years ago I squirreled away NIW OEM aluminum mags for $7 a pop. Haven’t seen any NIW “surplus” offered from the usual sources in some time.
Steel G3 mags for $10/ea here: http://www.robertrtg.com/store/pc/Mags-and-Pouches-c24.htm
H
http://www.keepshooting.com/h-k-g3-20-round-magazine-aluminum.html Works out to 1.50 each if you buy 100. I did this and I would say 85/100 looked new and then 25 of those were new…still in the original wrap/plastic from the 60s…great deal.
Bought a few steel and aluminum mags recently. The aluminum ones look almost new, and the steel ones are probably VG. Cleaned the steel mags with Break-Free as the outsides were pretty grimy, and does anyone know if the finish is blued, Parkerized, or painted? Kind of hard to tell since some of them are 50 years old.
Buy them cheap and stack them deep. When they truly dry up, short of another huge release of surplus from overseas, they will likely be gone forever. Same goes for UZI mags.
Yep. Been buying G3 mags, and numerous others for platforms that I may have desires for. Even some that I don’t because percentage wise, I think you are going to end up seeing a larger increase in the cost of mags for a platform than anything else. And besides, when you are looking at $3 a mag and the like, what have you got to lose?
Mine have all been parkerized.
H
This has been my philosophy as well. I have mags for guns I don’t even own. When I came across those G3 mags I bought a case of twenty, all sealed NIW from the HK factory dated late 60’s.