Weird Magazine Issue NHMTG

AR/M4 AR Technical Discussion
1

I checked my HD rifle today, gave it a once over.

Dropped the mag, ejected the round. Broke the rifle open and checked the barrel. Added a little bit of lube the the bolt rails, cam pin, and gas rings.

I took the mag that was in the rifle, with a locked open bolt and seated the mag. The next round in the mag was on the right side. When I sent the mag home, the round on the right side popped out of the mag. WTF?

Dropped the mag, reloaded the round, same procedures, seated the mag and the round popped out. Ok, maybe it’s the round? Dropped the mag, cleared the loose round and then seated the mag back in to the rifle, this time the next round was on the left side. It didn’t pop out.

Ok, weird, but I can figure this out. Removed the round on the left so the next round to present would be on the right. Seated the mag and the round popped out of the mag.

I did this for the remainder of the round in the mag. All the rounds on the right side of the mag popped out, none of the rounds on the left side did this.

I’ve put close to 200 rounds through this particular magazine. Upgraded it with a yellow magpul anti-tilt follower and it stays loaded at 28 rounds.

I do not have a magazine feed lip gauge (will be buying one from brownells. However, comparing this magazine to a brand new, never used magazine, there is no discernible difference in the feedlips. As of rights no, it’s been placed in the training box.

Any ideas as to to why this is only happening with the right side round?

2

Sounds as though that feed lip may have spread/opened up.

3

Did you disassemble the mag and inspect the interior mag body?

What about comparing the possibly faulty follower to known GTG followers?

Any dents in the mag body?

Is the mag out of square slightly, ever stepped on this mag?

4

I would try swapping in a follower from another mag, then test it again.

5

Mags are disposable.
Why mess with one on your HD gun?

6

That mag is trash.

I’ve seen that issue with more Okay/NHMTG/Colt mags than any other. Feedlips gage good, but they’ll spit a round out like that at times.

Gen M3 Pmags will fix that.

7

Go with the PMAGs and drive on.

8

I’ve got a good stash of those as well. I’ve never experienced this before. I have a pelican case that is setup as my training travel box. I’ve got the same NHTMG mags in there from the same 100 round box I ordered back when they were still around. Those training mags probably have thousands of rounds through them, been dropped and beat up and still work.

Oh well……it’s been replaced with a new mag. I’ll strip the follower and floor plate.

9

No disassembly, only unloaded and checked follower for binding.

I have all the same followers in my metal mags, yellow magpul anti tilt. I didn’t see any difference in the HD mag with a brand new mag, visually.

No dents or dings. This mag was specifically used for HD rifle. Taken to the range, used for a couple hundred rounds, stripped, cleaned, and then loaded.

Comparing a brand new mag with this mag, everything looks good visually, feedlips look like the new mag. But again, everything is being done with MK1 MOD0 eyeballs.

Thanks for all the posts everyone.

10

If you slap the bottom of the magazine by itself outside the gun does a round pop out, or does this only happen within the magazine well?

11

Just got done doing this now. I loaded up with 19 rounds (Thanks IMI for the 19 rounds in the 20 round box).

I slapped the shit out of the bottom of the mag and nothing happened. I then took the make and loaded it into a rifle like I normally would, just with a little extra beans. Nothing.

I downloaded a few rounds, loaded back into the rifle the same way, nothing.

Then I slapped the bottom of the mag and out popped the right round. Downloaded 1 round, repeated the slap for the left round and nothing. Pretty sure my palm will be bruised tomorrow.

Downloaded a couple more rounds, reloaded into the rifle and nothing. Dropped the mag, slapped the bottom and the right round went flying out. Downloaded mag again with only 2 rounds, slapped the bottom, right round went flying. No matter how hard I slapped the mag on the last round, it wouldn’t pop out.

12

Weak spring?

13

It’s possible. This magazine was tested with maybe 200 rounds to ensure function, cleaned and then placed in the HD role.

It’s all good, I’ve just never had this failure before with a magazine. I’m in the process of ordering some new springs. I’ve got around 40 mags that have been loaded for roughly 13 years. They’re stored in a can with a reload on stripper clips and desiccant.

14

If I repeatedly slam on the bottom of my mags, I can start walking a round out, but not by loading on an open bolt. Been using dozens of Colt/ NHTMG mags with green followers and SAW red springs for decades. Some stay loaded till I think about rotating them out, which might be awhile, others may look rough but are clean and GTG.

15

I’m deciding between the SAW red springs and the SAW standard Colt springs.

16

Win, win, I use many of both, the red springs are loaded in what matters to me most…BUTTT, Colt has never failed me. I’m a SAW fanboy so take it for what it’s worth.
Edit; The red can be tough at first to load on a closed bolt, even with the recommended 28, but will get a little easier the more you use them…Open bolt, slam and go.