What makes a better AR mag?

[Jimb]

I am new to the AR platform....just got my first one recently....after peppering a fellow INGo member with endless questions about the endless options. Thanks again Bud for the help!
I understand that Pmag & Gi mags seem to be the universally agreed upon best mags out there, but I am wondering what are the issues with cheaper mags such as the Thermo type mags I received with the purchase? Is it just cheap/weak springs, or are there other issues out there?

 

[BogWalker]

Weak springs and followers that tilt and bind causing misfeeds and failures to feed. Look for "anti-tilt" followers, but I'm not sure if I've seen a mag for sale recently that wasn't anti-tilt.

 

[vwfred69]

thermold have bad rep for breaking. best cheap mags I know of are palmettos D&H. lancer are the Cadillacs of polymer

 

[genXer]

USGI mags are cheap, so are magpul anti tilt followers... I've never had a problem with that combo

 

[Tula47]

I run Troy, USGI and Pmags, Troy works well in my aks with AR mag adapters the other two.. not so much. So I have a ton of Troy mags because they work in everything I own. I also have probably 20 MSAR mags that I like, but they haven't been tested to the extremes like the others have

 

[sgreen3]

The Thermold mags I gave you in the trade are good for range use and just plinking. For mags to stock up on GI mags, Pmags are some of the best due to the low cost and high quality you get from them. Some issue you can get with the metal mags is denting the mag body can cause them not to function and I've heard of the polymer mags cracking (although have never personaly seen any of it) Myself personally I really like the Lancer Polymer mags. They combine the best of both worlds so to speak with a strong polymer body with steel feed lips incorporated into the mag for added durability and strength all while keeping the mag relatively light weight. They are a little more money that the others mentioned but well worth it.

 

[Jimb]

thermold have bad rep for breaking. best cheap mags I know of are palmettos D&H. lancer are the Cadillacs of polymer

Great info. Thanks. Think I will give GI, Pmag, and Palmetto test drives.

 

[NyleRN]

Don't hold back. Buy the Lancer warfighters for $3 more per mag.

 

[tacticalmaster45]

Surefire!!!

Let the haters hate...

 

[Jimb]

Don't hold back. Buy the Lancer warfighters for $3 more per mag.

They are all cheap, price wise, now compared to just a few years ago in a few of the older posts I was reading earlier. Will have to check out the Lancer as well.

 

[223 Gunner]

Don't hold back. Buy the Lancer warfighters for $3 more per mag.

^^THIS^^

 

[maansmit]

You can pick up Lancer mags for $12.76/each from Botach if you buy 5 or more. I have stocked up on quite a few of the Lancers recently.

 

[Jimb]

Just picked up a 10pk of Pmags w/ 1000 rnds at PSA.....pretty good deal if anyone is interested. The ammo for basically $250 or the mags for 3 bucks ea.....however ya want to look at it. These AR's are worse money pits than Harleys......I have to NOT look at any gun site for atleast a month now! lol

 

[Sniper 79]

Plastic mags open up and flex when stored loaded for long periods. I sold my Pmags off and went with D&H regular GI mags with Magpul anti tilt followers.

I also had trouble with Pmags in 300 BLK. They wouldn't hold the rounds in. Give the mag a shake and the rounds would fall out.

Can't beat regular GI mags. Cheap too!

 

[canterbc]

Just picked up a 10pk of Pmags w/ 1000 rnds at PSA.....pretty good deal if anyone is interested. The ammo for basically $250 or the mags for 3 bucks ea.....however ya want to look at it. These AR's are worse money pits than Harleys......I have to NOT look at any gun site for atleast a month now! lol

PSA has been running some crazy deals on ammo/mag combos here recently.

 

[canterbc]

Plastic mags open up and flex when stored loaded for long periods. I sold my Pmags off and went with D&H regular GI mags with Magpul anti tilt followers.

I also had trouble with Pmags in 300 BLK. They wouldn't hold the rounds in. Give the mag a shake and the rounds would fall out.

Can't beat regular GI mags. Cheap too!

Aren't the Gen 3 Pmags supposed to work better with .300 BLK? I have started to buy the D&H mags from PSA. They are about as cheap as you can get and should last a long, long time.

 

[warthog]

I prefer the GI metal mags myself. They are a lot cheaper, bought a case of them awhile back of both 20 an 30 round mags for less than 200 dollars, I have sold off a few and don't remember how many I started with either. Hundreds. Traded a few for Hex Mags, and the other plastic ones and I was sent a bunch of Gen 1 Pmagst as well as a bunch of no tilt followers for the GI mags way back when I was someone people listened to on the various interweb forums because apparently as a smith who also owned more than 2500 firearms I suppose people thought I knew what I was talking about. I use what works well mostly and really don't know much of anything beyond that. I also like the Lancer mags for a change.

 

[Greyson]

PMAG's ship with new Ruger rifles. I tend to trust them because Ruger does, so I bought 10 for $100 at the last gun show.
I can get used aluminum magazines for the same price at a local Mil. Surplus shop. Since the aluminum ones were designed to be throw-aways, I am much happier with the Pmag's

 

[Greyson]

Oh, I have heard that mag springs wear out from repeated loading and unloading.
Therefore, i see no reason to store unloaded magazines. Just fill them one or two rounds short of being full so they insert easily.

 

[warthog]

Oh, I have heard that mag springs wear out from repeated loading and unloading.
Therefore, i see no reason to store unloaded magazines. Just fill them one or two rounds short of being full so they insert easily.

This is correct, metal in general "wears out" from constant flexing. I store loaded mags as well. Both loaded and unloaded., I load them and fire them and rarely just unload the magazines because I didn't get to shoot all of them empty. I leave them until next time and empty them then.

Some of my aluminum magazines are older than me, at least the bodies. I also keep springs, followers and base plates since the body of the mag rarely wears out from use, it can be crushed, bent,spindled or mutilated though. If this happens I take it apart and save the guts for replacements.

Pretty sure I have most if not all of the various different magazines made for the platform and use all of them. I suppose because I have been around longer than the plastic stuff,like many others here, I stick most with the tried and true GI mags. I like steel AK mags,Steel G3mags and pretty much most metal magazines. Like cars, I prefer metal since it tends to be easier to kill plastic. There are many plastics that are stronger than many metals and I can't deny this either but metal just feels right to me.