Pmags VS GI Mags

[Vendetta]

I only have Pmags because my LGS stocks em, and I can buy them and walk out. Plus they work. If they had GI mags for the same deal Id have them. As long as a mag feeds its good to me.

 

[bobzilla]

I picked up some aluminum GI style mags with the anti-tilt followers for $7 each at the January gun show. Need to get a few more (read: a crap ton more).

 

[The Bubba Effect]

AR15 Magazines

 

[bamtime]

Hard to go wrong with pmags, especially with current prices.

 

[rhino]

Shows how stupid I am, I only run PMAG's and just assumed all AR mags could be loaded 30+1 like I load my PMAG's now.

I've had GI mags that would hold more than 30 rounds, but I've also had trouble reloading with GI mags loaded to 30 rounds with the bolt forward. During the pull after the push, they would come out way too often. It happened to me far less frequently after I started loading 28 in each. Some people load 30 in GI mags and never ever have a problem, but I wasn't among them.

Then I got Pmags and learned I could load them to 30 and still seat the mags easier than a GI, even if it's downloaded to 28. I was sold.

I've also crushed a few things by stepping on them in my day, including more than one metal magazine. Not an issue with Pmags.

 

[JollyMon]

I've had GI mags that would hold more than 30 rounds, but I've also had trouble reloading with GI mags loaded to 30 rounds with the bolt forward. During the pull after the push, they would come out way too often. It happened to me far less frequently after I started loading 28 in each. Some people load 30 in GI mags and never ever have a problem, but I wasn't among them.

Then I got Pmags and learned I could load them to 30 and still seat the mags easier than a GI, even if it's downloaded to 28. I was sold.

I've also crushed a few things by stepping on them in my day, including more than one metal magazine. Not an issue with Pmags.

I still only load 28 in my pmags. Not sure if it just my rifles or not (have had it happen on at least 3 ARs), but I have a hard time getting 30+1 or sometimes 30 in on a closed bolt. After having that happen to me many times in class during some reloading drills, I never went back to 30.

 

[rhino]

Shows how stupid I am, I only run PMAG's and just assumed all AR mags could be loaded 30+1 like I load my PMAG's now.

I still only load 28 in my pmags. Not sure if it just my rifles or not (have had it happen on at least 3 ARs), but I have a hard time getting 30+1 or sometimes 30 in on a closed bolt. After having that happen to me many times in class during some reloading drills, I never went back to 30.

I think it's a function of tolerance stacking. If you have a relatively "high" mag catch in your rifle, it's going to be harder to seat magazines fully. Pmags are a little more tolerant of that because they have more space inside, but it's not going to work always. Learning that you need to load 28 in your mags with your rifle is a good thing.

 

[davedolli]

I have and use both. I changed the followers to the non tilt type in the USGI mags. When I see either at a good price I get a few.

Dave

 

[Roadie]

Post them up here..... I'll give you $5.00 each .....

I said, sell, not, give.

AR15 Magazines

New ones for $8.95.. hmm, you sure $5 is giving them away?

 

[SMiller]

I still only load 28 in my pmags. Not sure if it just my rifles or not (have had it happen on at least 3 ARs), but I have a hard time getting 30+1 or sometimes 30 in on a closed bolt. After having that happen to me many times in class during some reloading drills, I never went back to 30.

I have only used Colt LE6920's and every single one was stored/used 30+1 using PMAG's, when I got my first AR I didn't think anything of it and loaded it up like I do anything else.

I always hear stories of guys down loading their mags and I just don't get it.

 

[1775usmarine]

I have only used Colt LE6920's and every single one was stored/used 30+1 using PMAG's, when I got my first AR I didn't think anything of it and loaded it up like I do anything else.

I always hear stories of guys down loading their mags and I just don't get it.

While overseas we loaded ours 29 because they said due to the spring compression. All I know my mags were loaded for 7 months and still fired fine before we turned in the mags. The GI mags I have all have the upgraded tan follower and have run fine so far. I'm for nostalgia so I prefer the GI mags.

 

[Robjps]

I have only used Colt LE6920's and every single one was stored/used 30+1 using PMAG's, when I got my first AR I didn't think anything of it and loaded it up like I do anything else.

I always hear stories of guys down loading their mags and I just don't get it.

As the person said it lets you load on a closed bolt easy. PMAG's actually hold 31-32 rounds so putting 30 in is already down loading them.

 

[The Bubba Effect]

I don't count my rounds when I 'm loading mags. I just fill them up until another round won't fit, then I shove the rounds down with my thumb. If they don't go down far enough (kind of an arbitrary judgement on my part, but about 80% of a round's worth of travel or so, then I pop one round out and try it again.

I want to leave enough travel in the mag so it loads fine against a closed bolt, but there's no way I am going to count to 30 over and over and over again when I'm loading a bunch of mags. Especially if I'm topping off mags, what am I going to do, unload them, then count 30/28/29 back in?

Do you guys actually count your rounds? If so, what do you do when you're topping off partially used AR mags?

 

[SMiller]

Yes I count every round I put in a mag, as for topping off I just finish the mag off...

 

[AmmoManAaron]

I use aluminum USGI mags with either the green or the (supposedly better) tan anti-tilt followers and have never had a problem with them. I do have 3 brand new steel "USGI pattern" IWI mags, but haven't tried them out yet. I don't remember where I got them, but they're really heavy and I only kept them out of curiosity. I prefer the USGI mags for the same reasons already mentioned by the other posters, but another one for me is sometimes the ammo I buy comes on stripper clips and the polymer mags I have seen don't work with USGI stripper clip guides. That's sort of a deal breaker right there for the polymer mags because good stripper clips really do make your life better if you know how to use them.

 

[mammynun]

sometimes the ammo I buy comes on stripper clips and the polymer mags I have seen don't work with USGI stripper clip guides.

I've found that some of the "spoons"/guides I have work better with PMags, and some work better with USGI mags. I just mark them ("P" or "G") and use them with the appropriate mags. I agree that using stripper clips is the way to go, I pay the kids to load loose ammo onto them so Ican reuse them.