Steel vs Polymer mags /k/ Why is polymer so popular now ? Is

>>29477411

It's Cheap and Available.

>>29477439
I found unissued surplus Colt steel mags for 11 bucks, would you say it's price competitive with similar quality polymer ones ?

>>29477469

pmags are a great and plentiful standard. There are some very dubious aluminum mags on the market so people stay away from most of them. I have some steel HK AR mags that are quite literally almost twice the weight of a loaded pmag.

Other than weight, I like the plastic because it rattles less, doesn't make annoying noises when they scrape up against each other, and generally are more fun to toss around.

>>29477411

I have mountains of GI mags, Pmags, and even a few Israeli steel magazines. They all work great. I never really beat on my stuff though and the worst any of it ever sees is a cold day at the range.

>>29477469
>I found
Now do that every day for 5 years or go pluck those off the shelf at Walmart.
Different story then.

I could have bought a Sako TRG-42 for less than $1200 around 2010, but that was a one time deal

>>29477411
Well, there are steel mags but that pictured USGI mag is aluminum. Those mags don't have anti-tilt followers in them which can lead to malfunctions.

They also get a bad reputation in the military because they are used far past their lifespan and not properly checked. If you are buying used surplus, you always need to have and eye towards the feedlips to make sure they aren't fracked or bent- a small deviation can make a mag useless.

That's why Pmags are so popular. They can be bought new, ensuring there is no wear and that there is anti-tilt functionality.

There are polymer mags with metal lips making for higher quality, but they are priced higher. There are also H&K steel mags with anti-tilt, but those are surprisingly heavy and expensive.

Pmags hit the sweet spot of quality and price.

>>29478325
Does H&K make 20rd steel mags with a straight profile?

>>29478345
No idea. If you want 20 round USGI mags, by all means get some- you just have to make sure the feedlips are not bent or cracked and that the body doesn't have any dents enough to impede the follower.

>>29478362
I've heard of people putting Magpul springs and followers in GI mags, does this work?

>>29477411
>go online or out to gun shop
>pmags are ~15 bux
>steel mags are 30-40 bux

Because I'm not Mister Moneybags.

>>29478424
Totally doable.

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>>29478325
It says anti tilt though

>>29478325
>Well, there are steel mags but that pictured USGI mag is aluminum.
>Those mags don't have anti-tilt followers in them which can lead to malfunctions.

I'm calling bullshit on that. A couple of years ago I bought some USGI aluminum mags with orange anti-tilt followers from C-Products.

>>29478503

Link:
http://www.zib-militaria.de/epages/61431412.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/61431412/Products/230357

>>29478503
They have notional anti-tilt arms, but they most certainly do tilt. A lot. The Pmag followers have no tilt at all to them.

Also, black followers are the oldest design and not even supposed to be used by the military anymore. Everybody is supposed to have switched to tan generation followers or better.

>>29478514
Those are aftermarket. I was talking about USGI as GI issued (that's black, green, or tan followers).

>>29478530
so 11 bucks for that is no bueno ?

>>29478543
different anon but just get pmags. If you can find a deal on windowed pmags for like 11-12 bucks you'll be a lot more happy. They dont tilt at all and they just run flawlessly, the follower slides like silk.

>>29478231
wut?

>>29477411
Steel/aluminum is best. Go see bullet locking when slamming a PMAG home. Theres quite a few videos on youtube.

Brownells has decent mags as well. Made by a company that couldnt outbid OKAY to make USGI contract mags.

Buying used mags for a few bucks less defeats the purpose. Names dont mean shit, follow the CAGE code stamped into the body. Tan followers use a different mag spring, so dont think you can buy a bunch of green follower mags and just swap out the green for tans.

FN Steel mags are user serviceable from what I hear, HK MR556 mags are not. Regardless of the manuf, ALL mags must be tested to work in your rifle for at least 120rds each without a single failure. If one has a failure (FTEjects dont count), scratch a big line into its sides and chuck the bitch out or, if youre a piece of shit, resell it.

>>29478503
>>29478516
>black follower
This is the second follower they ever came out with. Its shit. 70ish era shit. also, ZibMil wont ship to the US. You are better off buying BCM or Brownells branded mags for ~$7 each when the go on sale.

>>29478345
Brownells is most costeffective 20rd straight mag. If you decide to get one for looks, get a vietnam Colt mag with a chrome metal follower.

>>29478626
Where does a metal follower fall into the lineup?

>>29478608
Confirming brownells are the tits. I should've bought more at $8.99 a piece, godamn.

>>29478608
>Go see bullet locking when slamming a PMAG home. Theres quite a few videos on youtube.
Why don't you make another thread about that again.

PSA has good aluminum mags with Magpul followers for around $7-8 onsale.
Just have to find them in stock.

Kinda off topic, but this thread made me think of the time a few years back, when people were paying $50-$60 a pop for any kind of AR mag, no matter how good, or how shitty.

Now we're debating whether $11 is too much to pay for a mag.

God I hope we don't go back to that time.

>>29478424

Magpul specifically makes an antitilt follower for USGI 30rd mags, they work great. All my 30rd aluminum mags have magpul followers. But it's important NOT to put antitilt followers in straight 20rd USGI mags. The followers on straight 20rd mags are designed to tilt slightly because 5.56 is slightly tapered.

>>29478829

2012-2013 was fucking crazy, I decided to stock up after prices normalized so I don't have to deal with that shit ever again. Ended up buying around a hundred mags, mix of pmags, lancers, and USGIs, so I think I'm covered for the rest of my life.

>>29478706
I aint even that guy to whom you are referring. I didnt believe it myself until I saw it first hand.

>>29478782
Fuck PSA and their factory seconds.

>>29478832
They cost roughly ~$3 a piece just for the follower. And yes, they will work with the old springs that come in green follower mags.

Cheapest I ever saw them was a 3 pak for $5+shipping, and the guy only had 2 in stock.

Not cost effective. And to help OP id these followers, they are a darker OD green.

>>29478890
Then spoiler alert; it's barely an issue and scores of posters in those threads could not replicate it no matter how hard they tried.

>>29477411
>Are there any upsides to polymer mags besides weight ?

Metal mags dent and stay dented. This prevents the follower from moving through the mag sometimes. It can also prevent insertion into the magwell. It also means that the feedlips are fucked (you may be able to bend them back into spec, if you have a gauge).

This is not a problem for polymer mags. They spring back to their original shape when dropped, stepped on, or ran over. They will split on their spines if heavily abused, but if you insert them into the magwell, it'll hold the halves together.

Exception:
Lancer mags get away with metal feedlips by using hardened steel. They can take drops of about 6' without damage. The rest of the mag is polymer.

Another advantage is weight.

Yet another advantage is that there are transparent polymers, so you can see your rounds.

Also, polymer is cheaper.

>>29477469
You can find pmags, and occasionally troy battle mags for $8-10 online brand new.

I think I paid $10 for a 10-rounder pmag a month ago online

>>29478900
After watching that video I tried with every type of AR mag with several types of ammo in each, using a billet lower, a forged lower and even my .308.
What I found was that every mag will do it if you try, and if you don't, none of them do. Shocking. The only one I couldn't get to do it was my Armalite 10rnd steel mag with 110gr .308's.
It was easiest to do with Troy battlemags.
Moral of the story; don't actively try to fuck up when loading and you probably won't.

>>29478543
The only time I'll pay 11 bucks for surplus mags is for the military or law enforcement use only rollmark on the mag. I got a bunch from Palmetto State for 7 bucks new and they come with the Magpull anti-tilt followers.

http://gunmagwarehouse.com

This is where I get my mags from, I have yet to find a place that does better deals on AR mags. Enjoy, komrades.

>>29478890
The mags PSA is selling are brand new and not factory seconds. I have 3 at the moment and they work flawlessly.
Just giving out more info since it seems people care more about price then anything else.

I paid $20 for a Vietnam 20 rounder

>>29478829
>Not having an unopened box of 100 aluminum mags with magpul followers for the eventual re-happening.
I've never been one to gouge, but I'll hide behind 78 proxies and gouge every dumb ass willing to pay those stupid prices again. Wait a year and invest in a bunch of cool gun shit when people realize they were retarded.

>>29478900
>it's barely an issue and scores of posters in those threads could not replicate it no matter how hard they tried.
prolly because they have arms the thickness of the turds they shit out.

>>29478909
>This is not a problem for polymer mags. They spring back to their original shape when dropped, stepped on, or ran over.
until Glock starts to make mags for the AR15, this is a load of shit. PMags will spill their load if you drop them on their feedlips onto concrete.

Lancer makes a good poly mag, but I dont like that they snap together at the middle and are not user serviceable.

The only true steel mags are FN SCAR16 mags and HK MR556 mags. Both cost a pretty penny.

>>29478966
thats because your taco tits were getting in the way of you arm motion, fr8co...

>>29478988
whats the cage code stamped into its side?

>Just giving out more info since it seems people care more about price then anything else.
dont lie, nigger phil.....you mean youre paid by the post.

>>29479035
>fr8co
I have not laughed this hard from a comment in at least a year. Fuck.

>>29479035
>Lancer makes a good poly mag, but I dont like that they snap together at the middle and are not user serviceable.

Nigga what?...you're thinking of tangodown mags, not lancers. Lancers are servicable just like pmags or USGI, just pop the floorplate off.

>>29477411
no rusting. easy to obtain material.

>>29479035
Did you even read my post?
I said every magazine could do it with one very rare exception.
But its such a weird way to load I don't see it being a problem.

Some steel 30rders
https://www.natchezss.com/c-products-defense-magazines-aluminum.html

Some Lancer 30rders
https://www.natchezss.com/lancer-l5-advanced-warfighter-30rd-magazine-opaque-black.html

Some PMAG Gen2 here.
http://gunmagwarehouse.com/magpul-pmags

OP, I think that you can find whatever tickles your fancy at a reasonable price. I've got some GI aluminum and a few PMAG G2, and never had any problems with either them.

>>29479100
>some steel mags
>defense-magazines-aluminum.html

>>29478980
>http://gunmagwarehouse.com

DSG Arms does good deals on pmags every once in a while. You can get pmag gen 2 for 9 bucks a pop shipped if you wait.

>>29479062
hmmm. another juxtapositioned memory.

you rite.

>>29479066
>I said every magazine could do it with one very rare exception.
never seen that problem with a metal mag. and how is smacking a magazine home such "a weird way to load"? Oh right, you only shoot at the range, slowfire, no more than 2 shots per 3 seconds.

>>29479100

good looking out on those lancers. $12 a pop is a pretty good deal.

>>29479191
>dey not smoke/translucent
>more than $10 each
worthless.

>>29479205

lancers are better than pmags so I'd be willing to spend a little more on a better product.

>>29479178
My HK steel mags do it more frequently than gen 2 window pmags, which are about tied with Lancers, unless I use 77gr, then they all do it pretty frequently.
And your years of combat experience has led you to believe pmags are shit? The rifle has to be at a downward angle and you have to slam it fucking hard with a bit of a forward push, its much easier to just not beercan like a normal person.

>Have a bunch of old basic-training-tier aluminum GI mags I ended up with after ETS
>Replaced the followers in most of them with some generic grey follower from a rebuild kit I found online
>It was only to make myself feel better, they all ran just fine before & after modification
>painted up a bunch of them to look better and match my tacticool rifle

All you GI mag haters fuck off, magazine is fine

>Inna gunstore
>buying C-Products steel mag "parts kits"
>employee is disassembling mags
>literally putting a screwdriver in the hole of the base plate and prying them off

I actually got mad at him and yelled at him for damaging my base plates. The fucker acted like he'd never taken apart a GI pattern mag before. When I do it I just use the pliers on my leatherman to pull the base plates straight out, keeps them from getting all bent and fucked up.

>ruining the customer's product before they even pay for it
Absolute shame.

>>29479046
I wish I got paid for this. I am not that lucky. Website says Q4TQ4

>>29479308

k

>>29479035
>PMags will spill their load if you drop them on their feedlips onto concrete.

Wrong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQxYXTYohPI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVobY9KdeHc

http://modernserviceweapons.com/?p=1072

Anyone own any of these? Reviews are good on them, and when I did a shipping estimate it came up as 0. pretty good deal I think, I have a Lancer and I really like it but they are so hard to find in stock

>>29479502
Forgot my link, of course

https://www.botach.com/ets-ar15-m4-translucent-5-56mm-30rd-magazines/

>>29479502
They're pretty solid. Botach is always free shipping. If they ever ship it. I did order 8 more a few days ago and they shipped next day. Get them while they're in stock

>>29477411
polymer>steel, for stanag mags

You can't accidentally dent a polymer mag either by stepping on it or going prone quickly or etc, so it won't be physically stuck

>>29479502

good mags. their polymer has slightly more give to it than a pmag but seem to be just as tough.

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>>29477411
>cheap
>lightweight
>durable

I have a good number of dented AK magazines that you can only load up to a certain amount because of a dent.

I have some H&K mags, besides being fuckall expensive they are fuck all heavy. Something you'll notice if you're carrying more than 5 of them. E-Landers are cheap but they fucked up early on and are damn near impossible to seat on a closed bolt.

>>29479573
>ak mag
>dent
>can't load past certain spot

No you don't unless you've been running over then in a apc

>>29479526
exactly. the polymer just fucking breaks instead

that's the point. plastic is cheap and easy to replace.

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>>29479595
>you don't know me

>>29478688
I have 20 and another 30 sealed and put up for future use. I just bought three 20rd mags, and feel fucking bad only getting 3. I'll be buying about 20 more here in the next few weeks. For some reason I love the 20rd straight mags.

>>29479607
Stop posting

>>29479035
>Arms the thickness of the turds they shit out.
Maybe you should try reloading like a normal fucking human being instead of ramming the magazine home, chad McDudebro.

>>29479636

I wish magpul still made the straight 20rnd pmags. I have only one and I love it at the range.

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>>29479639
NO U!

>>29479595
Umm, I also have an AK mag that had that issue. They are made of steel, not magic.

>>29479515
Even on ammo?

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>>29479639
>being this mad
plastic is shit. enjoy your broken feed lips every time
metal just needs a magpul follower to be tippy top

Since SHTF wannabe retards have started deciding that they need to carry roughly double the standard US combat load of ammunition on plate carriers they only put on to take selfies, they have become more weight conscious and favour the lighter plastic mags.


Yes, it's bizarre.

Yes, they're retarded for thinking they need 8 30 rnd mags on their chest and another four on the belt.


/thread

>>29479910
no anon, you are the retards

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>>29479903
>thinking stamped aluminum is stronger than modern polymer

>>29479910
The reason US troops don't carry more ammo is because

A) They have great logistics support
and
B) They have overwhelming fire support on call

Average Joe Militiaman has little to no logistics and little to no fire support. His ammo is his life, and if he runs out in a bad spot he probably dies. For the civilian gunfighter, carrying more ammo is objectively a safer bet.

>>29479947
what's he going to do with all this ammo, but no fire support? Have a stand up line battle with forces that do have fire support?

>>29479595
I have like 6 like that.. none hold more than 17 rounds. I use them as bottle openers.

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>>29479502
>>29479507
>>29479515
>>29479566

just ordered 5

you can get colored inserts from manufacturer in case you want to keep track of different loads/caliber

they seem 'mushier' than pmags and others....which is actually the advantage because hard hits and smashes will cause the mag to bend back into shape instead of crack aka hardened polymers

iv8888 has a few videos about how reliable they are

>>29479988
How do you feel about the couplers? I was going to get standard ones but the coupler mite b cool

>>29478588
Just because anon found a good deal, doesnt mean that the good deal is repeatable. Pmags and other poly mags are everywhere all the time.

>>29480001

just get 2 coupled versions and then between 1-infinity standard/non coupled.

it is a great integrated idea, no add on or extra widgets to spend money and worry about losing/breaking. they are simple to use and made of the same sturdy, resilient flex polymer as the mags. also some think they look cool

If you need alot of ammo, SHTF, or you want to show off and be tacticool bring the coupled ones.

>>29480031

till 9 months from now. stack deep goyim :^

>>29477411
resistance to deformation

GI mags are aluminum, feed lips get deformed and are hard to bend back into exactly the perfect shape.

PMAGs are awesome.

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>>29480001
>>29480048

>>29479987
you can fill them with water and freeze them

should pop the dents out

>>29480001

also, if you buy 4 or more any ETS mags from botach (glock mags are out of stock currently so only AR mags) they are $14 each. compared to ANY other mags I think thats the best deal out there currently:

fully translucent
made in usa
30 round or ca compliant
anti tilt
highest durability of any magazine
enlarged rubber pad on the bottom so no need for hooks or loops add on ($$)
disassemble same as magpul
can get multi colored inserts for more tacticool oper8ing

>>29480072
Really? I suppose, cause water expands. I bought 10 of the dented AK mags from SGammo for $5 apiece, 4 of them worked fine but the others are just sitting around.

Is there a guide on how to do it? It sounds like a dumb question but how do you keep water from coming out the bottom of the mag?

>>29480154
Sweet, I was hesitant to do it a while back when I first saw them but they sounds like great mags.

>>29479910
If "SHTF wannabe retards" could radio for a chopper to resupply them I'm sure they would carry less ammo. The mentality is that if a civilian needs to actually fight, then whatever ammo you have on you is all there is until you are killed.

>>29479959
gun fights usually wind up as potshots at each other at the edge of effective range.

there is never enough ammo.

>>29479910

GI mags are lighter than polymer mags you chucklefuck, your stupid ass explanation doesn't even make any sense.

>/threading your own post

Drink bleach.

>>29479959
You're right, all anyone needs is one round to blow his brains out at the slightest difficulty.

That's some serious fudd logic right there.

>>29480263
If you're a guerilla force, or whatever like in the average prepper's fantasy, then sitting around taking potshots is a poor idea. The longer you take to break contact, the closer that F-16/ helicopter/ drone gets
as we learned from the Afghannies, the best approach to not dying is to plant IEDs (without being seen or blowing yourself up) and make other, more desperate people do your shooting for a few hundred dollars.

>>29479161
Nice. The website I linked has deals now and then that are really good. $8 battle mags mang

>>29479894

They don't carry ammo.

Either get ammo from the armory or sportsmans guide if you want free shipping on ammo

>>29479910
8 mags is standard loadout for mil...

>>29479934 9you0

>>29480485

Uh, no.

6 + 1 in the rifle for a load of 210.

>>29480784
...standard load...

I have heard of many instances of soldiers simply voluntarily packing more ammo than that.

>>29479573
>>29479595
>>29479820

I got a 20rd Hungarian ak magazine once that was dented right or of the box. It's teeny so it wouldn't load hardly anything. I called CS from wherever I ordered it, and they sent another one free without having me return the dented one, so that was nice.

>>29478325
I was concerned about anti-tilt followers until I found somewhere that they cause some sort of jam once every like 3000 rounds. Not an issue for anyone who just uses them for target shooting.

>>29482393
Shouldn't be a problem for anyone really, people who train to fight with a rifle should be able to reflexively deal with jams whenever they might occur...

Steel mags will outlive you abd your expectations. Polymer mags will crack and shit the bed.

>>29483051
>meme memes willl outmeme meme meme memes

Come again?

>>29482308

That's not how it works.

It's not just a free for all where you roll up to the clerk and say "I'd like a few extra mags / 200 rounds of ammunition boss".

It's the military, not a video game

>>29483051
Pretty sure the spring will wear out long before the polymer starts to break apart unless you hit your mags with a sledgehammer for fun

>>29479988
I always wondered how these ones are. They seem gimmicky which is why i avoided them

If you stroke your mags gently sure the spring will wear out first. But if you use mags like you aren't an asshat you need metal mags.

>>29483154
that is excactly how it works.
you tell the platoon staff guy you need X ammount of boxes of ammo, and he'll order it for you. at least how its done in norway. I ran with 8+1 mags. the only people that care if you carry a little more ammo is miles behind the lines anyways. individual grunts doesnt order ammo anyways, they tell their nco how much ammo they need. To get 2 extra mags, you just tell the depot people that you lost 2 on an excercise.

HK mags are sturdy as fuck. but as people have said they are twice the weight of GI mags. and you will feel the difference. if you carry alot of them

>>29480049
You know it. Zero downside to hoarding mags and receivers, no matter what year

>>29483558

compare the military size difference to norway and a country that's pretty much a military for hire and try again

>>29484689
>thinking NCOs don't have better shit to do with their time than micromanage how many mags are on your kit

Getting spare mags in the Army isn't remotely hard in garrison, much less deployment. As for ammo, it comes in a can, and guess who loads it into mags? Yeah, soldiers. They are tightwads about ammo in garrison but they ease up in deployment once it becomes something you are carrying just about all the time.

>>29479595
>muh magic AK!