I usually buy PMags for my Ruger, since that was what it came with and others have been satisfactory. The Academy store had only a few PMags - and in 10-round - but a whole rack of dozens of 20-round MFTs for $11.95. I'm more concerned about how they work than the low price, but that certainly doesn't hurt. I bought one and tried cycling rounds manually. It locked into place, fed and shucked all of them and locked the bolt back when empty, but that of course doesn't tell how it will work in actual shooting. That at least did better than a cheap no-name (for a ten-spot I'll take a chance) that didn't even feed the first round. If these mags are worth a shit, I'll get some more.

0/1 IME. Sample size of one.

I bought 3 at a gun store last summer on sale for 10 dollars each. Tried them at my range and all three failed to lock the bolt back on the last round. Tried with 3 different AR's with the same result.The followers weren't long enough to engage the bolt catch. I emailed the company and they sent me 3 new followers which did solve the problem. No other problems with the mags since. They stand behind their product, but from now on I'll pay a few dollars more
for Pmags.

A waste of money in my view. Why bother. PMAGs online are $10-14 each … you can buy dozens or hundreds of the best designed mag there is…

quote:

Originally posted by bubbatime:
A waste of money in my view. Why bother. PMAGs online are $10-14 each … you can buy dozens or hundreds of the best designed mag there is…

My MFT mags failed the first time out in several rifles.
I'm not sure I agree with PMags being the best design there is, especially when you keep them loaded long term and the feedlips crack, but there are way better options out there than MFT mags.

quote:

Originally posted by Mettlepig:
the feedlips crack

As I recall, this has been disputed by the manufacturer.
Do you have links establishing that it's been demonstrated?

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:

quote:

Originally posted by Mettlepig:
the feedlips crack

As I recall, this has been disputed by the manufacturer.
Do you have links establishing that it's been demonstrated?

I need a link to my first hand experience with these Mags failing? Maybe it was poor wording on my part, the mags cracked, because they expanded around the feedlips, some cracked at the top of the spine, some the feed lips. Here is your link: "I have had Magpul Mags fail after long term storage"
I spent 20+ years active.
The manufacturer can dispute whatever they want, it doesn't make them right.
I also disassembled about 20 mags when they were first introduced to return the mag bodies for a recall.
I have GI aluminum mags that have failed as well, after long term storage, the front welds separated.

quote:

Originally posted by Mettlepig:
I need a link to my first hand experience with these Mags failing? Maybe it was poor wording on my part ....

Well, you didn't say it was based on first hand experience. My first hand experience thus far has not been that despite having had PMags fully loaded for several years now, so that's why I asked. I would ask for further details of your experience, but I gather that you don't like being asked such questions. Thanks in any event.

To the original OP, not a chance one should buy 'off brand' AR mags when you can get the real deal GI ones for less money than those. If somehow I found something different for like $3/mag ok I might try it for fun or range duty (as AR mags generally hate being tossed on the ground). my long term storage mags are GI. I have never had one fail despite mettlepig experience. This in both serious volume and time. And I frankly have never seen a serious discussion of that specific issue on long term storage online either. I have vietnam era GI mags that have been loaded since that time without issue, which I would call a pretty good run. I happen to like some of the plastic mags like the Lancers for various reasons, but I don't consider them serious mags given the lack of long term history.
YMMV of course.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: hrcjon,

The gen 3 PMAG is the finest AR15 mag you can buy. Period. That's my conclusion after firing tens of thousands down range. The old gen 2 MOE was pretty good mag, but the Gen 3 PMAG is it.

If you look at the mag, there is a small circle with a number in it. This is the mag revision. The last PMAG window I picked up had a 23 in it I believe, which tends to indicate that this mag has been revised 23 times since its inception... I pick up older mags in my collection and they have a 18 or 19 in this circle... Magpul is constantly refining these mags. They find a problem, they go back to the drawing boards, and they, over the years, have made very small incremental changes, to improve the product.

Pick up some late model (new) PMAG gen 3 mags and I am 100% confident that you will be well served with them.

Yes long term, we dont know if they will still be working in 20 years. We can only assume and guess that they will be. We know that 50 year old Vietnam era mags are still perfectly good mags, so yes, long term, you should have some aluminum GI mags in your storage too....

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:

quote:

Originally posted by Mettlepig:
I need a link to my first hand experience with these Mags failing? Maybe it was poor wording on my part ....

Well, you didn't say it was based on first hand experience. My first hand experience thus far has not been that despite having had PMags fully loaded for several years now, so that's why I asked. I would ask for further details of your experience, but I gather that you don't like being asked such questions. Thanks in any event.

My appologies if I came out wrong, maybe I was having a bad day yesterday and my grumpiness got the best of me.
I will see if I can dig up some of the mags I haven't used to check the dates and revision on them.

quote:

the feedlips crack

Something must be wrong with all my Pmags then. I've got some that have been loaded for over a decade with no issues...

Coworker bought a few of these as it was all the local store [Academy] had in stock at the time, he just bought his first AR.
Will advise him to keep an eye out for these issues as they get used.

USGI mags at a lower price and PMAGS at same price...go with whats been proven to work

quote:

Pick up some late model (new) PMAG gen 3 mags and I am 100% confident that you will be well served with them.

I think it is time I do that, the ones I have in my personal collection of mags all appear to be Gen-1 with black followers and dust covers.

I'll go ahead and keep this one, but will keep an eye out for more PMags. I found one Gen 3 20-round in the Academy store today. The LGSs here, if they have them, want too much money. I do see them available on Academy's site and can have them sent to the store for pickup, but I'd really rather pay cash.

One of the item that has not been in short supply and marked up beyond belief in this mess is AR mags. Why wouldn't you just go online and order as many as you need? Pretty cheap at the moment in 100rd packs, but any amount you want is available?