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“Magazines are perishable items.” Remember this if you’re in a state that bans regular mags and your fudd buddies get exited because the state says they’ll “grandfather in” currently owned mags. *Those mags will not last forever* It’s still a ban.
@@darrinray550 yup! And folks should take one thing away from this: buy as many standard capacity mags as you can afford Now, as well as the appropriate amount of ammo, and practice with a few designated magazines until failure. Be prepared to take those known & trusted magazines to a fight if/when we need to. That time looks like it's coming faster than any of us imagined. Let's make sure they're scared to fuck with us any further. If not...just go ahead and turn 'em in now. We may need all able-hands on deck. Halfway Heroes should stay home anyway.
@@wsieber89-The PSA mags are D&H magazines, which used to be LaBelle. When D&H bought LaBelle, they bought all of the old LaBelle machinery. D&H magazines are still made on the old LaBelle machinery to this very day.
One thing missing here, metal magazines dent. I have had issued steel HK mags, every so often we would find one of our mags be unreliable due to dented feed lips or dented sides disturbing the feed. Pmags will never dent, and either work or they dont. The most dangerous fault is an intermittent one.
@@alexkyte4093 except they dont. plastic mags can take insane abuse compared to metal mags. what would give a steel mag a dent wouldnt do shit to a pmag.
@@ravener96 mags are supposed to be disposable in a sense, also you can gut damaged mags to make better mags. Dents are much easier to fix on a metal magazine than patching a shattered PMag.
@@linzmcgeorge pmags are great mags. However GI mags and Lancer mags have their advantages too. GI mags store better. They stack flatter and are much lighter than Magpul pmags. They also don't require feed lip covers to avoid spreading over time. Also they are less susceptible to heat. I've seen gen 3 AR10 pmags swell to the point where they cause serious malfunctions. In theory the same thing as possible with AR-15 magazines but I haven't seen it personally. That's the reason the game wardens in my area, who mostly carry AR10s to deal with dangerous game, use Lancer mags.
This is min-maxing. You're also comparing the advantages of two different materials (steel and aluminum) to the lowest common denominator polymer magazine. Aluminum mags are soft, bendy, and shitty. Steel mags thick enough to be durable are quite heavy. A glass-filled polymer beats both overall. All mags have service lives. And still, I have glass fiber-reinforced phenolic resin mags that are older than you and still function like new.
I bought ten of these(aluminum) based on this video’s recommendation. I brought them along with some pmags, lancers, brownells metal mags, and some Daniel defenses to fighting rifle at tactical response last weekend. One of the duramags failed about 2 hours into the class. It could not be removed from the rifle without really bearing down on it and ripping it out. I didn’t use that one for the rest of the class. I tried cleaning it and reinserting once I got home but it had spread to the point that it could not be inserted into the gun without pounding it in. I think their seam that holds the 2 magazine halves together failed. The duramags that survived were also the sketchiest performers out of the whole group. The Camden mud really fucked them up and I had several instances when loading where the follower would stick at certain points. I didn’t experience any failures with those but they were definitely on their way there. The other mags I mentioned earlier all performed flawlessly and they had been dropped in the same mud all day long. I’m very disappointed in the duramags.
Thats because USGI mags are NOT the best. Pmags are. Thats why our military is switching from aluminum to polymer pmags. Except the army but they'll come around eventually. Aluminum is NOT the way to go.
@@rebd00mer93 pmags aren't the best either. They're an improvement, but still cheap. The military doesn't pick things because they're the best. The military picks things because they're the cheapest thing that will effectively perform the task at hand.
@@BlackHawk2029 key words you used yourself “effectively perform” bad parts don’t “effectively perform”…so the being cheap argument is irrelevant I didn’t realize Acog scopes with an rmr on top were the cheapest option..
Just found out about them. They didn’t feed right at first but I disassembled it and ran a light layer of lubricant on the inside. Now it runs flawlessly. Will buy more when I find them locally.
I was wondering the same thing when he said, "try that with a polymer magazine". I thought."yes, please try that with a polymer magazine!" But he did not.
Magpul has a video running over several brands of magazines with a truck. The PMAGs did great. The USGIs broke at the welds. It's still on their channel.
The reduction of bulk on metal mags is a genuine benefit. I like having grab and go mag bandoliers. It's super easy with the cloth USA bandos, once the bottom thread is pulled to stick two metal mags in each pouch. It's not so easy with poly mags. 8x30 = 240 rounds of ammo ready to go over the shoulder at a moments notice. And in today's ammo pricing that's basically a down payment for a car.
ive been using metal mags since I was 15. I'm 55 now and used so many mags in my 22 years in the Infantry(USMC/US Army) only had a few problems but it was mainly due to a bad spring
One of the most comprehensive durability tests that was logged was by Machine Gun Tours in Vegas.. Conclusively standard AR metal magazines were the most durable and reliable. When I did OSUT we had magazines in circulation that were older then many of the recruits. They just keep going...
I've used both metal and plastic and I'd use either today, though I've always had a preference for old GI mags over anything else because of how much smoother they are going in and out of the gun. That being said, the metal ones rattle around a bit, which I don't like. I've been issued very old and worn weapons, and rattling can be a sign of a problem. PMAGs have more texture, which makes them hard to get out of gear, makes seating them in, or having them fall free from the gun a bit less positive. That being said, it still works find, and it doesn't rattle. My favorite magazine in terms of design is a Glock mag. Metal core with smooth plastic exterior. Well built and they just run.
It’s very difficult to wear out an aluminum mag. Really the only things that you would have to change out would be the followers and the springs. There are still millions of USGI magazines that were made in the 1970’s and they still haven’t been worn out. They have been upgraded with new springs and Magpul followers, but the magazine body and floorplate still function perfectly.
I have steel and aluminum mags. I’ve had more problems with the steel ones, and they’re much heavier, so even though they feel flimsier, I prefer aluminum. They can also be purchased cheap from Brownells for about $10/ea in bulk. Living in the Upper Midwest, polymer mags freak me out a bit because I know what plastics do in sub-zero conditions: shatter like glass. Modern polymers are probably have a good amount of resistance to arctic temps, but better than aluminum? Cheap, light, and reliable. Aluminum all the way for me.
The AR15 magazine where invited to be disposable technically. I have Surefeed mags and PMAGS. They're advantages to both polymer mags are definitely dent resistant but the feed lips flex when loaded for long periods of time.
While I don’t have an argument with you, I’ve also had PMAGS that have lasted 10 years being used monthly, dropped on concrete etc. that have never caused me malfunctions 🤷🏼♂️ I like both Duramag and PMAGs. There’s a reason the Marine Corps started issuing PMAGs, they work.
Well shit. Bought a hand full of OKAY mags and forgot all about the polymer mags I have. Now I can put into words why I'm running the AL mags and storing the polymers for zombies or communist aliens or some other shit. Keep up the great work and thanks.
Communist aliens 😆 good one. However I do believe there is an off world entity trying to take power to destroy humans once and for all! Kidding, kidding... But seriously
I still have my beat-up crusty old aluminum mags that I was issued in the Army a decade ago. Even though they've been shot thousands of times before I even got them, they still work to this day! I've had plans to buy new Magpul mag's for a few years now, but every time I find the money for some, I realize they're not necessary because my old Army mag's still work just fine. Maybe I'll have a look at the DuraMag's instead.
I have several mags. My absolute favorite are Okay Ind. Surefeed. I believe they are aluminum..maybe stainless. My go-to polymers are Amend2 and ETS. You couldn't give me a Magpul mag. But the metal Surefeeds are my all around go-to
Build enough ARs and you will find one that the ets will not fully seat on the mag catch, I love the coupling ones but sold them all after finding this out.
@@RTTGunsGear no you haven’t lol. You should actually shoot them and look at torture test and malfunction rates on them. By far I wouldn’t touch those trash mages with a 30 foot pole. One of the reviews I just watched couldn’t even make it through a full amend 2 mag and they are flimsy as hell with airsoft quality thin plastic. Ets are junk after a range day as the inside scuffs up and the follower jams up and they are just garbage throw away range mags. Cant even insert or drop them properly as they always get stuck in any of my gons I’ve tried them in. And the springs like to bind up in ets
@@RTTGunsGear your are much better off with magpul any day over those garbage bin bargain mags. Magpul was literally tested by the marines pretty full proof and they did so well they are switching from gi mags. Lancers aren’t far off from magpul having the steel feed lips and just as strong construction.
I live in maryland so I get any mags I can when I'm out of state. I cant be picky. We can own them we just cant have them shipped here. Its ridiculous.
@@ipreferfreedom7752 MD has a very active community . The bad thing for us is the population base is in the cities and Montgomery county, where everyone is communist . The rest of the state, especially the western counties and eastern shore are really conservative .
Very good info. I got a couple of Magpul mags,they’re good and light. I’m a Soldier, there’s a whole bunch of military surplus stores close to where I’m stationed. Bought about 70 aluminum mags for dirt cheap before all the craziness started in 2020.
All I can say is that my polymer mags that have been loaded for a couple of years have expanded and fail to drop when the mag release is pressed, with the exception of Lancer. However, all of my steel mags are still good.
@Libertarian 4 Life Unless the military received it and inspected it to confirm it adheres to milspec, it's not milspec. Or at least, it's "Schrödinger's Milspec".
@@ChucksSEADnDEAD Yeah I've seen lowers that are too tight to fit a mil-spec magwell gauge. An yes those do exist. Check out School of the American Rifle. I live pretty close to him and have had buddies who've taken his classes. Long story short mil-spec is a range and many parts that are listed as mil-spec don't fall within it. Also stacking tolerances are a thing. Even if everything is technically mil-spec depending on how the tolerances stack it could still cause problems.
@Nra.Morris G well this old Marine disagrees with you, been using stainless steel mags since the 1980's and have never had any fail ever, whereas someone gave me some pmags a few years ago brand new in the plastic wraps , after a weekend of rough shoot n scoot training,all the pmags were damaged but none of the metal mags were besides a scratch or two but nothing that made the metal mags inoperable, whereas the pmags had to be torn down, cleaned and some of the components replaced, after that I decided no poly mags for me..
@@ChucksSEADnDEAD um. That is totally wrong, I manufacturer items for the military to military specification, "as promulgated by the US military" and that makes it milspec. So don't know what you are talking about. If it's specified by the military to military drawings, what do you call it?
The issue is the feed lips. A dropped metal mag can bend the feed lips and it will become unreliable. A polimer magazine's lips will bounce back to their molded shape.
With aluminum mags you can bend them back. The only foreseeable reason to buy magpuls, is that you can use current issued us military ammunition with no issues.
I love my Lancer mags too. I have a few dozen for my ARs and in 7.62 NATO for my Tavor 7. However the mags I typically stock up on in bulk are quality aluminum magazines. Good quality aluminum magazines tend to be around the same price as, or less than, Gen 3 Magpul pmags. They are also great for long term storage.
@@FrancisoDonconabecause it is ancient traditions to get bored and see what John and Billy's Ford can run over. We used to park are trucks on our wallets. Because we all got that one friend... point is. Few beers and a afternoon of quiet relaxing will make a man do some random shit
Wait a few more years, you'll hear the same about PMAG. The military doesn't treat magazines as expendable items and soldiers treat stuff roughly. This results in old, beat up mags with worn springs and ancient followers staying in circulation long after they they should be retired. These mags get issued and soldiers complain they don't work. When I deployed to Iraq in 2003, some of the mags I was issued had black followers, meaning they were at least 20 years old. Read here for more. This guy is on point. www.breachbangclear.com/perpetuating-bullshit-magazine-malfunctions-self-leveling-followers-and-pigeon-religion/#:~:text=Issued%20mags%20with%20black%20followers,the%20way%20they%20are%20treated.
@@jimvac77 I didn't even need to check the bottom of the article but I did anyway, and I was correct. He shows how he outright shot a malfunctioning magazine just so that it couldn't be reintroduced into his rotation by mistake. I think there will be less stories about Pmags because they'll crack and split and be taken out of inventory, while aluminum mags meant for disposal kept getting issued.
my first mag were pmags. when they were new i could easily insert them easily with 30rds on close bolt. ifter 1 year of being loaded, i need to tap it really hard....now i only buy aluminum or stainless....but i admit, pmags feel better to grab than aluminums
Loved the video. I think the stress tests were the best, specially throwing the mag at a boulder. I use a mixture of mags but the VAST majority of mine are steel mags. I have no issue with Pmags or Hexmags or whoever you're using just don't get mad when plastic does what plastic does. I haven't broken one yet in 10 years..... but its a matter of when not if :)
I like the aluminum magazines because they're inexpensive. You can get a lot of these and once you have a lot of these, get the plastic ones if you really want them. I have both plastic and metal. I like them all.
Polymer feed lips will crack if they're dropped, but I've had metal mags get deformed from dropping as well. At least with the polymer mags you can see when they're broken, but good luck trying to pick out a slightly bent feed lip on an aluminum mag. If I had to leave them loaded for years I would definitely do with aluminum mags, but for training I would go for Pmags and keep them unloaded so the sides don't bulge. Or stick with steel mags for training mags. And for the record I have both types and use both types and I've had more malfunctions with my C Products mags than my Pmags.
I came here to say exactly this. Polymer has no memory (to a certain degree) and the fact that I can clearly identify a jacked up polymer mag is invaluable. Additionally, PMAGs are the indisputable, irrefutable go to magazine for more hard pipe hitting dudes. That doesnt mean everything, but it certainly means something.
@Greg Walker Your anecdote vs the collective experience of thousands of highly trained professionals that points to Pmags malfunctioning less than any other magazine. SOCOM (or crane, cant remember) has also done empirical studies regarding magazine reliability, and pmags won over all others.
@Greg Walker Based on anecdotal evidence vs the experience of people who know way more than you, plus the objective evidence provided by large scale testing...
I am in Fort Worth, Texas. And my local FFL that I use for Gun transfers stole my mags from my Glock 21 that I purchased as a refurbished firearm, and when I asked them about it, they just ignored it even after I called the company I bought the firearm from And it was shown in the inventory list that’s what was with the firearm three magazines instead of one they said that mistake on their end and there’s nothing they could do about it
Always fascinating. I find that the defensive/competition firearms and other equipment are a game of numbers. “What has the minimal risk for failure or malfunction?” Are your tests a more abuse test? Yes. But that’s the point.
I have a bunch of pmags and a bunch of D&H mags that I bought from PSA. I get a lot of crap from people, but I leave all the metal mags loaded, and the pmags empty in storage. The reason I do that is because over time, those feed polymer feed lips and mag body walls will deform under pressure, where the metal mags tend not to. The pmags are plenty reliable, but they just have a shorter life under hard abuse than the metal mags do. There's not really anything wrong with that, so long as you acknowledge it and are prepared to deal with it.
You can run over Pmags if there empty. However if you loaded then they will split open. Aluminium mags are the opposite. If their empty they will break. But if there loaded they won't. Not every magazine has a plastic follower. The HK steel magazines have a steel follower. I personally recommend a mixture of aluminium, polymer and steel magazines. That way you don't have to worry about which one will last longest.
I have a handful of usgi mags I got from my grandpa and they run great. The only thing I had to really do was change out the old followers out for anti-tilt ones.
I have only owned 3 plastic AR mags (Gen 2 PMAGS) and none could hold rounds and caused bolt override. This video could not be more true. Good job sir.
@@heavilyarmedhippie75 Bolt override is an extremely rare malfunction. I shoot at the bare minimum once a month and have taken many 4 day rifle classes and haven't seen one in person. Maybe polymer mags cause bolt override easier but even so it is very are. As for his mags not holding round...I call bull. I love my metal mags but this is just not real life. I have ran gi mags, all sorts of aluminum mags, steel mags, pmags gen2-3, and lancers and they have all been great. Only have had issues with some gi mags having some bulging issues but I beat those to hell for years and I guess they finally bit the dust.
@@Masta_E I never claimed anything other than 40 round pmags being able to perform to the same or better standard than steel or aluminum mags. In my mind, if you're having those kind of malfunctions or breaking mags under any conditions, it's more likely than not user induced
@@heavilyarmedhippie75 sorry if my comment wasn't very clear, I was agreeing with you and saying the comment we both responded to seems like fake news lol. I agree
I use aluminum magazines. Mostly military surplus Okay Industries that I bought decades ago. They developed their original 30 round M16 magazine in conjunction with the U.S. military, in 1973. They were always the best metal G.I. mags. Now they go by the name SureFeed Magazines. They still make the original style, with all the little improvements that came along over the last 49 years. But they also came out with a SureFeed E2 30-round mag, so I bought some of those too. They have textured side panels so you can get a better grip on them. There's a new, low-friction, patented feed lip design. There's a Foliage Green four-way, anti-tilt, self-lubricating, non-hygroscopic resin follower, and and high-performance Mil-Spec stainless steel spring. They’re hard-coat anodized and finished in your choice of Mil-Spec Dry Film Lube Grey, Desert Tan or Tactical Black. They're 100% made in the U.S.A, with all-American components. Each and every mag is hand-inspected then tested with proprietary electronic gages, which mars the finish, but it doesn’t mar performance. I'm not a salesman of any kind. I just think the people who invented the 30-round aluminum mag, and have been making them for half a century, really know what they're doing.
@@FinalLugiaGuardian Shortly after I posted that last year, Okay was trying to find a buyer for all of the machinery and rights to produce the magazines. They got out of the mag business back then, and concentrated their efforts on making medical equipment, and doing other precision manufacturing, if I recall correctly. I recently bought 3 OD green 10-round Amend 2 mags and a 3-pack of minus-5 limiters, so they're legal to hunt with. I also bought a pair of carbon smoke ETS 30-round mags with built-in couplers from Advanced Tactical. The sale price was too good to pass them up. I like the tool-less disassembly they have. Too bad I have to uncouple them to fit my ALICE gear mag pouches, and use both hands to force the pouch shut. Instead of barely forcing 2 mags into a pouch, I can drop 3 aluminum mags in and snap the pouch shut one-handed. If I have the ETS mags in the rifle for a fast reload, I don't have a pouch big enough to put them in when I need to reload again. I could just toss them on the ground and use the 12 aluminum mags that in my 4 G.I. mag pouches. I haven't shot any of the new mags in my rifles yet.
Jerry Miculek said that he has had the malfunction you’re taking about one time in his entire history of shooting. Once. He uses all kinds of mags. One time.
Great video. Awesome presentation. I was already sold before you chucked that mag at the boulder and then shot a hole through it at the end, but those final demonstrations killed the polymer mag as a choice for me. Thank you!
Something you forgot to mention is that Metal mags are better heat sinks than plastic mags (aluminum is the best common mag material for a heat sink). So with a fixed mag build or a rig you plan on putting a lot of rounds through quickly an aluminum mag will suck more heat out of the lower. Plastic on the other hand is an insulator.
I've recently switched to running aluminum a lot more these days. Idk, I just love the metal mags for some reason and a lot of it has to do with everything thats pointed out in this video. Especially the dropping free. I do a lot of shooting in a dirt pit in the middle if the woods. So my rifles and mags especially get a little gritty from hitting the dirt and such. The magpuls do tend to hang up a lot more and I have to remove them myself where as my metal ones always drop no matter what.
I have had polymer magazines work well, and I’ve had polymer mags fail. Metal mags may be easier to dent, but if you avoid stomping them or running over them, and they were made to spec, they will keep working. Just avoid cheapo mags.
Yeah, I said the same thing about Glock when they first came out, back in 1988 (34 years ago). They're collector pieces now. For a mere $2000 you can add one to your collection.
I mean technically speaking since aluminum doesn't have an endurance limit they will inevitably fail by fatigue. It may take several hundred years of years of use but hey, technicalities are technicalities.
I bought an import police/military trade in of a pistol that was basically a copy of the 1911 design, and they were all sent here to the US with 2 magazines, but when we got the package, the importer took the second magazine out and are charging extra for them!
I don't like polymer because they deform over time. I had a whole batch of 10+ Gen2 Pmags split right along the seam in the back after just sitting and being loaded for ~2 years. Also had Gen3 40 round pmags that I left loaded that had over time deformed the feed lips and pushed them outwards so that the rounds would just squirt out of it if you shook it at all. I still have a bunch of pmags, but will only store them with the "dust covers" on to hold the feed lips in place and keep them from deforming. I've bought nothing but aluminum and steel USGI type mags for the past several years along with some Lancers. Interestingly I had 3 out of like 40 D&H aluminum USGI style mags that I had left loaded since about 2015 have their feed lips deform and little stress cracks formed on the back of them at the base of the feed lips. The rounds had pushed the feed lips apart enough that the magazines wouldn't fit in an AR mag well anymore. So I basically downloaded all of them to 28 rounds. Only buying steel from now on.
That’s why pmags come with the feed lip protectors (aka PMAG Impact & Dust Cartridge-Protecting Cover) which you are supposed to use if you are going to store them loaded to prevent the problems you mentioned.
Aluminum mags were originally meant to be used only once and discarded. Metal mags also have a “memory” effect which leads to double feeds etc. It can happen slowly over time, it can happen quickly. The exception to this is the HK ultra reliability magazine, but is extremely expensive and weighs more than double a standard GI mag. I’ve found Lancer and M3 PMAG’s to be the most reliable magazines for the AR platform in my experience
@@MrChuckwagon55 I have a dozen coming in the mail. As well as a few different Gen 3 PMAG's. I've seen a lot of people say the thickness of PMAG's varies between models. Windowed/Non, Black/MCT.
You should add: metal mags can bend and crack feed lips too. And near impossible to bend back to correct shape. And a pmag, depending on how bad it is cracked will still hold and feed. Both will fail the same ways. Point really should be, be kind to your mags. And keep a reserve of new.
Watching this had me scratching my head. throwing a pmag at a rock will cause rounds to pop out and then it can be picked up and used... because the bottom locks on. shooting a polymer mag requires no rebending of the body (IV8888 did this in a torture test). I'll tell you what, drop a loaded metal mag on its feed lips then shoot it and repeat with a pmag. In my experience the pmag will function fine. then leave a steel and pmag loaded in the elements for an extended period of time. from what I know the pmag will work fine (I've done it) different types have their uses polymer mags are more durable short term while metal is better long term. so buy a 100 pack of pmag and replace the ones you use every couple years problem solved.
They look like great mags. And I know Kurt only recommends the best. Was on my way to buy a few and then found out one of their VP's was a BLM supporter. I'm out! Okay Industries it is.
I've seen guys in Iraq that have gotten their metal magazines dented causing them to stick. But if it dented the aluminum one it would probably have cracked a pmag
Metal mags also work in other weapons that use STANAG (USGI metal mags) unlike PMAGs. Some other weapons like the Daewoo K2 will use PMAGS, but others like F2000 will not. You can put XP springs in them, Anti tilt followers, and the fancy ranger plates on them just like PMAGS. A little esoteric information, but that is why I like the GI mags over PMAGS. Now if I had a lot of money to use Bad ass cool guy AR mags it would be the Lancers since they have steel inserts in the feed lips.
it's easy. aluminum mags are more likely to have bent feed lips you don't detect until you start getting feeding issues. chipped polymer mag is easy to visually detect. polymer is better under pressure loads like a truck running over them than aluminum. Polymer will last as long as the aluminum sitting in storage somewhere (long term ir testing needs to be done however). Polymer mags drop free with an in-spec ar lower just like aluminum mags. etc etc
I bought some pro mags years ago, and found out why they're so cheap. But then I took them and used like 1000 grit sandpaper and sanded the top that inserts into the well. I didn't force to remove too much, just to smooth them up better. After sanding, it was obvious by the way the polymer looked, so I rubbed lithium grease back into the polymer and they looked new again. I also greased the spring and follower, now they work just as good as pmags.
Ngl when we bought Polymer mags i told my dad who was the one that bragged about being right vs my mother who was a Literal veteran who said No to polymer, we took the poly's to a range and i burnt through a whole 90 rnds with it with 5.56, I looked at my dad with a smile and Dropped out the mag to show that the Chamber chipped and scraped off the Lips that were to hold the bullets into its double state to single feed self, and it spewed all of the bullets out with the spring, so now we have G.I Stanag mags and holy shit do these things take a beating and still work
Dura mags are garbage out of speck tin mags. Stick with okay/ surefeed or d&h if you want metal mags lol. Why go cheep when you can pick up some of the best on the market for a few bucks more
Usually pmags eventually wear out at the overtravel stop. Which makes the mag almost useless. Way before the feedlips or spring or anything else at least in my experience
This is great and all, but I've had a round pop out of a metal mag after dropping it. One metal mag I dropped has never recovered and it causes issues every time. WITH THAT BEING SAID; The alumi-mags I bought were all cheap DH mags. I won't be buying any more DH mags, I'm switching to Okay Surefeeds, Duramag, and ASC. I'll test them out to find the best one and go from there. I have ETS, Lancer, and DH mags for those wondering (DH is the least reliable out of all).
I’m not saying you’re wrong at all in the slightest but would you do a video comparing them to some polymer mags such as pmags and lancers doing the same test
I do own mostly polymer magazines, but not all of them, and only own 3 polymer pistols and one AR lower in polymer, everything else is all metal. I got the polymer lower because that was all that was available during the big gun panic a while back, and it makes my light weight 16" AR-15 feel like a toy, seriously so light it does not feel real, but I know the buffer mount is the main weak point and treat it as such so no butt stroking with that one. My other AR-15 has a lower made out of steel plate that was welded together and is as rock solid as they come, but heavy, and I'll be making another to replace the polymer one eventually, perhaps out of brass. Polymer is plastic, and can easily be destroyed either by chemical, ozone, and heat issues, and if left on the dashboard of a car for way too long, the UV will also degrade it so I will mostly be buying and keeping all magazines in the future.
I saw the best catastrophic malfunction with an M-16 while in the army. Back in ‘84 I believe it was we were at a live fire range practicing for our upcoming qualification again. It was a typical hot summer day in North Carolina. We finished firing and lay there in the prone before switching to the next set of targets to begin firing again. One individuals rifle had a cook off while we were waiting. What happened next is speculation but what we think happened was that his BCG didn’t go completely back into battery after the last shot was fired. So when the round cooked off the BCG was forced to the rear. Somehow this caused the upper receiver to split down the middle along the top. The BCG was stuck part way into the buffer tube not allowing the upper and lower receiver to be separated. I never heard what the official answer was as to what happened, or what was replaced after they got the rifle apart. As far as metal mags are concerned, we never had a problem with them as far as I know. We were told to throw all of the ones we had away one time because there was a problem with them and we were issued new ones. I don’t know what the problem was but I wish I had keep some of the ones we threw away.
I purchased a blue label Glock 21 chambered in 45 ACP from Kentucky Gun Co and I had it shipped to my local FFL and I was supposed to have three mags in there and when I picked up the firearm from the FFL dealer there was only one mag and the clerk Act like I did not know what I was talking about but it was clearly in my inventory receipt or invoice I should say and he said being that it’s a blue label it could come with tin mags or one mag. This one came with one and it was not on his invoice sheet that I had three magazines in it.
A lot of people say I’m a liar for this or I made it up but I’ve had Gen2 pmags fully loaded for months and a few of them the feed lips start to flex outward which causes them to be out of spec and stick in the mag well and/or cause feeding issues. Why do you think magpul started to include a plastic cover that clips onto the newer gen3 mags? Part of it was to alleviate the tension of the top edges of the polymer where they are weakest. I’ve had cheap milspec mags with magpul followers loaded up for years and never had this problem. Granted I still like magpul I’m not knocking their products I have a lot of each kind of magazine but for the ones I leave loaded up in an ammo box ready to rock they are all metal. The range ones are magpul. I can drop them on the dirt and rocks and they don’t get dented. Either way, I started down-loading my magazines to 28 rounds now hopefully that helps a bit over the long term.
Same. I had literally 10 gen2 pmags split along the seam on the back after ~1 year storing loaded. Also had gen3 feed lips deform. I store all my remaining pmags with those 'dust covers' installed.
My reason for not adopting polymer mags? Took a few rounds in the PC a long time ago... steel magazine still functioned perfectly. Lost the window on a gen 2 PMAG... wouldn't even feed a single round reliably. I still have polymer mags... I trade them to my friends for their "shitty" steel mags. They're happy, I'm happy, nobody complains.
I really like c products mags. That said, i really like my lancers and Pmags too. Also no matter how broken in they get, the c products mags will never feed as smoothly as the others.
You can get old military metal mags for super cheap at like any gun show, just replace the follower and brand new. Plus the patina makes it look super dope
Here is what I’m curious about, Steel magazines or aluminum? I have a PTR91 and I have 2 of each. The Aluminum are super light because they were originally intended for Paratroopers, but the Steel ones I’ve been told are more durable. The steel mags are however significantly heavier of course. All of them are from the 1960’s my newest magazine is a paratrooper magazine from 1966 in really good condition considering it’s age.
I like my pmags but my aluminum gi mags are actually lighter. If youre concerned about damaging them buy those rubber ranger plates from magpul it adds weight and a cushion to the bottom of the mag so it will land more softly on the bottom plate helping to prevent them from denting and stuff. Like i said tho for me i just prefer the pmags but metal mags have a place and i have a bunch of em
After 8 years as an Infantryman, with 3 combat deployments, the worst magazines i have seen have been metal, we had issues all the time with metal magazines. When we switched to Gen 3 PMAGS all of our issues basically went away, to include with blanks. Theres a reason the Army and Marines Infantry switched to Gen 3 PMAGS
yeah this makes alot of sense. aluminum mags often fail silently, being slightly bent out of spec or slightly dented etc. if a pmag is broken you're going to see plastic missing. i think aluminum mags make more sense for civilians, you're the one who owns them, you're going to be able to notice a problematic magazine. the weight and space savings are pretty significant to you as an individual. but for the military, logistically, having a slightly heavier/bigger magazine that is both more reliably and fails visibly is way easier.
For those who stockpiled the PSA D&H mags that were $6.99 a few years back without checking the reliability the front lip was too high to feed correctly with metal cased ammo. File them down or bend them forward.
@@09cjonescj Front of the magazine was too high and would snag on metal cased ammo , i said metal because i would use magpul polymer dummy rounds to cycle check the magazines when i bought them and never experienced a problem because its a flexible material. I can't link but check PSA's D&H aluminum AR mags lowest review scores theres a fellow who posted a photo of the problem its a simple fix with a file.
The Magpul mags were a game changer with the AR-15 series of rifles. Dura mags are good mags but I can not over estimate the game changer Magpul mags were. Yes, I'm an old fart who was issued a M-16A1 back in the 70's...I hated the alum mags we had back in the day and I do have a prejudice against them..Most malfunctions back then could be attributed to those crappy mags..If your Magpul mags won't drop free it is because your magwell is out of spec..
Your videos never pop up on my feed it’s been so long since I’ve watched ur channel. UA-cam is shitty
I need your help to pass the videos around to combat this
Are you sure you're actually in your subscription feed, or just looking at your home page? The sub feed shows everything, but its all chronological so you might have to dig a little.
@@ExplosiveFetus subscription feed sucks
@@Danefrak how? The sub feed shows every video that's been uploaded by the channels you're subscribed to, in chronological order.
🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂🤮🤣😂🤣😂😅
The best magazines are the ones Rambo uses. They stick out no further than a 30 rounder but hold 800 rounds.
that's a secret mag that they don't sell to the public.
"Hold my donut" 🍩😂😂😂😂😂
😂😂😂😂😂😂
Maybe it's like the bb gun mags with the gear at the bottom that reloads the clip without taking it out.
lol on semi how fast do you dump a 30 round mag? then on movies it’s full auto 1 magazine and they are shooting for 5+ mins.
“Magazines are perishable items.” Remember this if you’re in a state that bans regular mags and your fudd buddies get exited because the state says they’ll “grandfather in” currently owned mags.
*Those mags will not last forever*
It’s still a ban.
Yarp. When they start doing funky sh*t throw ‘em in the trash and get a new one no matter what they’re made of.
No ita not. Free men dont ask permission. Get together and do whats necessary OR HAND IN ALL YOUR GUNS BECAUSE YOU WILL NEVER USE THEM!
@@Future-Preps35 Can be brazed (if aluminum) or epoxied in a pinch :)
@@darrinray550 yup! And folks should take one thing away from this: buy as many standard capacity mags as you can afford Now, as well as the appropriate amount of ammo, and practice with a few designated magazines until failure. Be prepared to take those known & trusted magazines to a fight if/when we need to. That time looks like it's coming faster than any of us imagined. Let's make sure they're scared to fuck with us any further. If not...just go ahead and turn 'em in now. We may need all able-hands on deck. Halfway Heroes should stay home anyway.
Just get a Lancer mag
That mag would not sit on that table for 100 years sir. Because thats a free mag. Whos gonna pass that up? 😂
SureFeed mags by Okay Industries
I have the NHMTG mags. They are only some of the mag types that I own. They are also made by Okay Industries.
I’ve had a great experience with the palmetto state armory mags.
@@wsieber89-The PSA mags are D&H magazines, which used to be LaBelle. When D&H bought LaBelle, they bought all of the old LaBelle machinery. D&H magazines are still made on the old LaBelle machinery to this very day.
@@brianunderwood7437 oh I didn’t know that. Thanks Brian.
@@wsieber89-You’re welcome. Just a little history that I thought you may be interested in.
One thing missing here, metal magazines dent. I have had issued steel HK mags, every so often we would find one of our mags be unreliable due to dented feed lips or dented sides disturbing the feed. Pmags will never dent, and either work or they dont. The most dangerous fault is an intermittent one.
Yeah magpuls won't dent...... they'll just fucking snap in half.
@@alexkyte4093 except they dont. plastic mags can take insane abuse compared to metal mags. what would give a steel mag a dent wouldnt do shit to a pmag.
@@alexkyte4093 that's false my man
@@ravener96 facts
@@ravener96 mags are supposed to be disposable in a sense, also you can gut damaged mags to make better mags. Dents are much easier to fix on a metal magazine than patching a shattered PMag.
metal mags are actually lighter than pmags
Truth
Indeed
They also fit in most pouches better.
But not stronger than Magpul.
@@linzmcgeorge pmags are great mags. However GI mags and Lancer mags have their advantages too. GI mags store better. They stack flatter and are much lighter than Magpul pmags. They also don't require feed lip covers to avoid spreading over time. Also they are less susceptible to heat. I've seen gen 3 AR10 pmags swell to the point where they cause serious malfunctions. In theory the same thing as possible with AR-15 magazines but I haven't seen it personally. That's the reason the game wardens in my area, who mostly carry AR10s to deal with dangerous game, use Lancer mags.
This is min-maxing.
You're also comparing the advantages of two different materials (steel and aluminum) to the lowest common denominator polymer magazine.
Aluminum mags are soft, bendy, and shitty. Steel mags thick enough to be durable are quite heavy. A glass-filled polymer beats both overall. All mags have service lives. And still, I have glass fiber-reinforced phenolic resin mags that are older than you and still function like new.
Bakelite rocks!!
Pmags aren't phenolic.
@Connor Hoskins What is this material you speak of, "phenolic resin bozo"?
FACTS!!!
Are they using Zylon
I bought ten of these(aluminum) based on this video’s recommendation. I brought them along with some pmags, lancers, brownells metal mags, and some Daniel defenses to fighting rifle at tactical response last weekend. One of the duramags failed about 2 hours into the class. It could not be removed from the rifle without really bearing down on it and ripping it out. I didn’t use that one for the rest of the class. I tried cleaning it and reinserting once I got home but it had spread to the point that it could not be inserted into the gun without pounding it in. I think their seam that holds the 2 magazine halves together failed.
The duramags that survived were also the sketchiest performers out of the whole group. The Camden mud really fucked them up and I had several instances when loading where the follower would stick at certain points. I didn’t experience any failures with those but they were definitely on their way there. The other mags I mentioned earlier all performed flawlessly and they had been dropped in the same mud all day long. I’m very disappointed in the duramags.
BUT...! Did you try running over them with a car? For sure they can take that :)
Try the D&H mags. They've been great for me.
Thats because USGI mags are NOT the best. Pmags are. Thats why our military is switching from aluminum to polymer pmags. Except the army but they'll come around eventually. Aluminum is NOT the way to go.
@@rebd00mer93 pmags aren't the best either. They're an improvement, but still cheap. The military doesn't pick things because they're the best. The military picks things because they're the cheapest thing that will effectively perform the task at hand.
@@BlackHawk2029 key words you used yourself “effectively perform” bad parts don’t “effectively perform”…so the being cheap argument is irrelevant I didn’t realize Acog scopes with an rmr on top were the cheapest option..
Grungi like metal. Grungi hit metal on rock, rock break. Grunki hit plast tick on rock, plast tick break!
LMAO! That's awesome.
Strong like bull, smart like tractor.
Just found out about them. They didn’t feed right at first but I disassembled it and ran a light layer of lubricant on the inside. Now it runs flawlessly. Will buy more when I find them locally.
I would have liked to see you test P Mags as well to see if they failed from the same treatment.
Probably would not have failed, that’s why he didn’t do that.
I was wondering the same thing when he said, "try that with a polymer magazine". I thought."yes, please try that with a polymer magazine!" But he did not.
Magpul has a video running over several brands of magazines with a truck. The PMAGs did great. The USGIs broke at the welds. It's still on their channel.
The reduction of bulk on metal mags is a genuine benefit. I like having grab and go mag bandoliers. It's super easy with the cloth USA bandos, once the bottom thread is pulled to stick two metal mags in each pouch. It's not so easy with poly mags. 8x30 = 240 rounds of ammo ready to go over the shoulder at a moments notice. And in today's ammo pricing that's basically a down payment for a car.
ive been using metal mags since I was 15. I'm 55 now and used so many mags in my 22 years in the Infantry(USMC/US Army) only had a few problems but it was mainly due to a bad spring
One of the most comprehensive durability tests that was logged was by Machine Gun Tours in Vegas.. Conclusively standard AR metal magazines were the most durable and reliable. When I did OSUT we had magazines in circulation that were older then many of the recruits. They just keep going...
I like aluminum mags too. My favorite polymer is by far the Lancers
Why is that? METAL FEED LIPS!
Not just metal, steel feed lips. I have a cuple of aluminum mags, and the resistance is so much higher than lancer mags
You can run over pmags on chunky concrete all day, I’ve done it.
Love my pmags 👊🏼
That takes real determination.😁
I've used both metal and plastic and I'd use either today, though I've always had a preference for old GI mags over anything else because of how much smoother they are going in and out of the gun. That being said, the metal ones rattle around a bit, which I don't like. I've been issued very old and worn weapons, and rattling can be a sign of a problem. PMAGs have more texture, which makes them hard to get out of gear, makes seating them in, or having them fall free from the gun a bit less positive. That being said, it still works find, and it doesn't rattle.
My favorite magazine in terms of design is a Glock mag. Metal core with smooth plastic exterior. Well built and they just run.
odd that Glock hasn't made an AR-15 mag like that.
It’s very difficult to wear out an aluminum mag. Really the only things that you would have to change out would be the followers and the springs. There are still millions of USGI magazines that were made in the 1970’s and they still haven’t been worn out. They have been upgraded with new springs and Magpul followers, but the magazine body and floorplate still function perfectly.
@@thinkharder9332-The problem is that people will not take care of their magazines. They are just like anything else. They have to be taken care of.
come on man, feed lips?
I have steel and aluminum mags. I’ve had more problems with the steel ones, and they’re much heavier, so even though they feel flimsier, I prefer aluminum. They can also be purchased cheap from Brownells for about $10/ea in bulk.
Living in the Upper Midwest, polymer mags freak me out a bit because I know what plastics do in sub-zero conditions: shatter like glass. Modern polymers are probably have a good amount of resistance to arctic temps, but better than aluminum?
Cheap, light, and reliable. Aluminum all the way for me.
The AR15 magazine where invited to be disposable technically. I have Surefeed mags and PMAGS. They're advantages to both polymer mags are definitely dent resistant but the feed lips flex when loaded for long periods of time.
it's amazing this myth is still around after all the independent testing done on loaded pmags.
No they don't lol
@@kingqp yes they do that's why magpul gave those covers for there gen 1 and 2 mags. Even magpul will tell you that.
@@mossydog34 yep, my m2 all have bent lips and my m3 with the covers are fine
@@kingqp yes they do I have about 6 with loose feed lips out of about 15. I like metal GI mags personally.
While I don’t have an argument with you, I’ve also had PMAGS that have lasted 10 years being used monthly, dropped on concrete etc. that have never caused me malfunctions 🤷🏼♂️
I like both Duramag and PMAGs. There’s a reason the Marine Corps started issuing PMAGs, they work.
FACTS
Most law enforcement also
Aluminum is old fashion now. Pmags are where its at.
Well shit. Bought a hand full of OKAY mags and forgot all about the polymer mags I have. Now I can put into words why I'm running the AL mags and storing the polymers for zombies or communist aliens or some other shit. Keep up the great work and thanks.
Communist aliens 😆 good one. However I do believe there is an off world entity trying to take power to destroy humans once and for all! Kidding, kidding... But seriously
So this election you'll need all of em lol
Plus, I like to think my beer cans have come full circle back to me.
I still have my beat-up crusty old aluminum mags that I was issued in the Army a decade ago. Even though they've been shot thousands of times before I even got them, they still work to this day! I've had plans to buy new Magpul mag's for a few years now, but every time I find the money for some, I realize they're not necessary because my old Army mag's still work just fine. Maybe I'll have a look at the DuraMag's instead.
You do realize that there are tons and tons of PMAGs in military use around the world right now?
@@echofoxtrotwhiskey1595 Yes I'm aware, they were banned in my unit because they broke all the time.
@@chzzyg2698 That’s strange considering they’re standard issue now for a lot of other units.
@@chzzyg2698 Maybe an older Gen mag?
@@echofoxtrotwhiskey1595 They were Gen 2s. I like Magpul, I just trust the track record of aluminum more. Duramag got my money.
I have several mags. My absolute favorite are Okay Ind. Surefeed. I believe they are aluminum..maybe stainless. My go-to polymers are Amend2 and ETS. You couldn't give me a Magpul mag. But the metal Surefeeds are my all around go-to
Build enough ARs and you will find one that the ets will not fully seat on the mag catch, I love the coupling ones but sold them all after finding this out.
Amend and ets are by far some of the worst polymer mags on the market. Sorry.
@@HatsuneM1ku01 Care to elaborate? I have many thousands of rounds through about 10 of each and they've run near flawlessly. Sorry.
@@RTTGunsGear no you haven’t lol. You should actually shoot them and look at torture test and malfunction rates on them. By far I wouldn’t touch those trash mages with a 30 foot pole. One of the reviews I just watched couldn’t even make it through a full amend 2 mag and they are flimsy as hell with airsoft quality thin plastic. Ets are junk after a range day as the inside scuffs up and the follower jams up and they are just garbage throw away range mags. Cant even insert or drop them properly as they always get stuck in any of my gons I’ve tried them in. And the springs like to bind up in ets
@@RTTGunsGear your are much better off with magpul any day over those garbage bin bargain mags. Magpul was literally tested by the marines pretty full proof and they did so well they are switching from gi mags. Lancers aren’t far off from magpul having the steel feed lips and just as strong construction.
I live in maryland so I get any mags I can when I'm out of state. I cant be picky. We can own them we just cant have them shipped here. Its ridiculous.
Get out and vote the tyrants out of office.👍🏻🇺🇸
@@ipreferfreedom7752 I always do. Unfortunately being this close to DC we have a horde of liberals living here.
It’s tough in MD , I’m in NC now and buying all the mags I can before I head home .
@@ipreferfreedom7752 MD has a very active community . The bad thing for us is the population base is in the cities and Montgomery county, where everyone is communist . The rest of the state, especially the western counties and eastern shore are really conservative .
Are you actually allowed to bring them in? Or do you have to act like you bought them before the ban?
Very good info. I got a couple of Magpul mags,they’re good and light. I’m a Soldier, there’s a whole bunch of military surplus stores close to where I’m stationed. Bought about 70 aluminum mags for dirt cheap before all the craziness started in 2020.
Disagree with the "every single AR mag" comment on the plastic follower. Pretty sure myy 20 rounders from the 60's have aluminum followers as well.
All I can say is that my polymer mags that have been loaded for a couple of years have expanded and fail to drop when the mag release is pressed, with the exception of Lancer. However, all of my steel mags are still good.
Libertarian 4 Life lolz
@Libertarian 4 Life Unless the military received it and inspected it to confirm it adheres to milspec, it's not milspec. Or at least, it's "Schrödinger's Milspec".
@@ChucksSEADnDEAD Yeah I've seen lowers that are too tight to fit a mil-spec magwell gauge. An yes those do exist. Check out School of the American Rifle. I live pretty close to him and have had buddies who've taken his classes. Long story short mil-spec is a range and many parts that are listed as mil-spec don't fall within it. Also stacking tolerances are a thing. Even if everything is technically mil-spec depending on how the tolerances stack it could still cause problems.
@Nra.Morris G well this old Marine disagrees with you, been using stainless steel mags since the 1980's and have never had any fail ever, whereas someone gave me some pmags a few years ago brand new in the plastic wraps , after a weekend of rough shoot n scoot training,all the pmags were damaged but none of the metal mags were besides a scratch or two but nothing that made the metal mags inoperable, whereas the pmags had to be torn down, cleaned and some of the components replaced, after that I decided no poly mags for me..
@@ChucksSEADnDEAD um. That is totally wrong, I manufacturer items for the military to military specification, "as promulgated by the US military" and that makes it milspec. So don't know what you are talking about. If it's specified by the military to military drawings, what do you call it?
The issue is the feed lips. A dropped metal mag can bend the feed lips and it will become unreliable. A polimer magazine's lips will bounce back to their molded shape.
Assuming they don't crack
With aluminum mags you can bend them back. The only foreseeable reason to buy magpuls, is that you can use current issued us military ammunition with no issues.
@@TheRosemouth Even cracked they will continue to function. you'd have to have it break off in order for it to have real issues.
@@TheTyrial86 until you can’t and the stress of being bent back a few times will break the lips right off
@@TheRosemouth visibly failing is a feature not a bug.
I like Lancers, but you make valid points.
Same here
I love my Lancer mags too. I have a few dozen for my ARs and in 7.62 NATO for my Tavor 7. However the mags I typically stock up on in bulk are quality aluminum magazines. Good quality aluminum magazines tend to be around the same price as, or less than, Gen 3 Magpul pmags. They are also great for long term storage.
I have both lancer and GI mags. Is like banging 2 females at the same time with different make up. 😁😁😁
@@jguerrero0311 you are my hero.
Yeah i ran a unloaded pmag over 5 times with my pickup and it still works, ran a steel mag over and it pancaked.
Big difference as to what was beneath it, dirt, concrete or gravel. Question is how were you so irresponsible?
Pmag is oddly heavier not that it Makes a fuck but it's surprising
@@FrancisoDonconabecause it is ancient traditions to get bored and see what John and Billy's Ford can run over. We used to park are trucks on our wallets. Because we all got that one friend... point is. Few beers and a afternoon of quiet relaxing will make a man do some random shit
I've heard nothing but bad things with metal mags from guys in the military field and nothing but good with pmags
Wait a few more years, you'll hear the same about PMAG. The military doesn't treat magazines as expendable items and soldiers treat stuff roughly. This results in old, beat up mags with worn springs and ancient followers staying in circulation long after they they should be retired. These mags get issued and soldiers complain they don't work. When I deployed to Iraq in 2003, some of the mags I was issued had black followers, meaning they were at least 20 years old.
Read here for more. This guy is on point.
www.breachbangclear.com/perpetuating-bullshit-magazine-malfunctions-self-leveling-followers-and-pigeon-religion/#:~:text=Issued%20mags%20with%20black%20followers,the%20way%20they%20are%20treated.
@@jimvac77 I didn't even need to check the bottom of the article but I did anyway, and I was correct. He shows how he outright shot a malfunctioning magazine just so that it couldn't be reintroduced into his rotation by mistake.
I think there will be less stories about Pmags because they'll crack and split and be taken out of inventory, while aluminum mags meant for disposal kept getting issued.
my first mag were pmags. when they were new i could easily insert them easily with 30rds on close bolt. ifter 1 year of being loaded, i need to tap it really hard....now i only buy aluminum or stainless....but i admit, pmags feel better to grab than aluminums
Loved the video. I think the stress tests were the best, specially throwing the mag at a boulder. I use a mixture of mags but the VAST majority of mine are steel mags. I have no issue with Pmags or Hexmags or whoever you're using just don't get mad when plastic does what plastic does. I haven't broken one yet in 10 years..... but its a matter of when not if :)
I like the aluminum magazines because they're inexpensive. You can get a lot of these and once you have a lot of these, get the plastic ones if you really want them. I have both plastic and metal. I like them all.
Polymer feed lips will crack if they're dropped, but I've had metal mags get deformed from dropping as well. At least with the polymer mags you can see when they're broken, but good luck trying to pick out a slightly bent feed lip on an aluminum mag. If I had to leave them loaded for years I would definitely do with aluminum mags, but for training I would go for Pmags and keep them unloaded so the sides don't bulge. Or stick with steel mags for training mags. And for the record I have both types and use both types and I've had more malfunctions with my C Products mags than my Pmags.
I came here to say exactly this. Polymer has no memory (to a certain degree) and the fact that I can clearly identify a jacked up polymer mag is invaluable.
Additionally, PMAGs are the indisputable, irrefutable go to magazine for more hard pipe hitting dudes. That doesnt mean everything, but it certainly means something.
@Greg Walker Your anecdote vs the collective experience of thousands of highly trained professionals that points to Pmags malfunctioning less than any other magazine.
SOCOM (or crane, cant remember) has also done empirical studies regarding magazine reliability, and pmags won over all others.
@Greg Walker Based on anecdotal evidence vs the experience of people who know way more than you, plus the objective evidence provided by large scale testing...
I am in Fort Worth, Texas. And my local FFL that I use for Gun transfers stole my mags from my Glock 21 that I purchased as a refurbished firearm, and when I asked them about it, they just ignored it even after I called the company I bought the firearm from And it was shown in the inventory list that’s what was with the firearm three magazines instead of one they said that mistake on their end and there’s nothing they could do about it
This video served more as an advertisement than anything remotely informational. The bias is so clearly shown throughout the whole video
lol
Always fascinating. I find that the defensive/competition firearms and other equipment are a game of numbers. “What has the minimal risk for failure or malfunction?” Are your tests a more abuse test? Yes. But that’s the point.
C-Products mags are OUTSTANDING !!! I have MANY and I also upgraded older mags with their mag rebuild kits. NEVER FAIL !!!!!
I have a bunch of pmags and a bunch of D&H mags that I bought from PSA. I get a lot of crap from people, but I leave all the metal mags loaded, and the pmags empty in storage. The reason I do that is because over time, those feed polymer feed lips and mag body walls will deform under pressure, where the metal mags tend not to. The pmags are plenty reliable, but they just have a shorter life under hard abuse than the metal mags do. There's not really anything wrong with that, so long as you acknowledge it and are prepared to deal with it.
That's what the dust cover that comes with it is for, to take the lode off of the feed lips when stored loaded
@@goldcoin2444 Not all PMAGs come factory with dust covers. Gotta spend that extra $1-3 for the dust cover model.
You can run over Pmags if there empty. However if you loaded then they will split open. Aluminium mags are the opposite. If their empty they will break. But if there loaded they won't. Not every magazine has a plastic follower. The HK steel magazines have a steel follower. I personally recommend a mixture of aluminium, polymer and steel magazines. That way you don't have to worry about which one will last longest.
I have a handful of usgi mags I got from my grandpa and they run great. The only thing I had to really do was change out the old followers out for anti-tilt ones.
I have only owned 3 plastic AR mags (Gen 2 PMAGS) and none could hold rounds and caused bolt override. This video could not be more true. Good job sir.
Have not had this problem with gen 3 40 round mags under hard use
@@heavilyarmedhippie75 Bolt override is an extremely rare malfunction. I shoot at the bare minimum once a month and have taken many 4 day rifle classes and haven't seen one in person. Maybe polymer mags cause bolt override easier but even so it is very are. As for his mags not holding round...I call bull. I love my metal mags but this is just not real life. I have ran gi mags, all sorts of aluminum mags, steel mags, pmags gen2-3, and lancers and they have all been great. Only have had issues with some gi mags having some bulging issues but I beat those to hell for years and I guess they finally bit the dust.
@@Masta_E I never claimed anything other than 40 round pmags being able to perform to the same or better standard than steel or aluminum mags. In my mind, if you're having those kind of malfunctions or breaking mags under any conditions, it's more likely than not user induced
@@heavilyarmedhippie75 sorry if my comment wasn't very clear, I was agreeing with you and saying the comment we both responded to seems like fake news lol.
I agree
@@Masta_E oh ok my b
I use aluminum magazines. Mostly military surplus Okay Industries that I bought decades ago. They developed their original 30 round M16 magazine in conjunction with the U.S. military, in 1973. They were always the best metal G.I. mags. Now they go by the name SureFeed Magazines. They still make the original style, with all the little improvements that came along over the last 49 years. But they also came out with a SureFeed E2 30-round mag, so I bought some of those too. They have textured side panels so you can get a better grip on them. There's a new, low-friction, patented feed lip design. There's a Foliage Green four-way, anti-tilt, self-lubricating, non-hygroscopic resin follower, and and high-performance Mil-Spec stainless steel spring. They’re hard-coat anodized and finished in your choice of Mil-Spec Dry Film Lube Grey, Desert Tan or Tactical Black. They're 100% made in the U.S.A, with all-American components. Each and every mag is hand-inspected then tested with proprietary electronic gages, which mars the finish, but it doesn’t mar performance. I'm not a salesman of any kind. I just think the people who invented the 30-round aluminum mag, and have been making them for half a century, really know what they're doing.
Update: Okay industries is now out of the mag business...
@@FinalLugiaGuardian Shortly after I posted that last year, Okay was trying to find a buyer for all of the machinery and rights to produce the magazines. They got out of the mag business back then, and concentrated their efforts on making medical equipment, and doing other precision manufacturing, if I recall correctly. I recently bought 3 OD green 10-round Amend 2 mags and a 3-pack of minus-5 limiters, so they're legal to hunt with. I also bought a pair of carbon smoke ETS 30-round mags with built-in couplers from Advanced Tactical. The sale price was too good to pass them up. I like the tool-less disassembly they have. Too bad I have to uncouple them to fit my ALICE gear mag pouches, and use both hands to force the pouch shut. Instead of barely forcing 2 mags into a pouch, I can drop 3 aluminum mags in and snap the pouch shut one-handed. If I have the ETS mags in the rifle for a fast reload, I don't have a pouch big enough to put them in when I need to reload again. I could just toss them on the ground and use the 12 aluminum mags that in my 4 G.I. mag pouches. I haven't shot any of the new mags in my rifles yet.
Jerry Miculek said that he has had the malfunction you’re taking about one time in his entire history of shooting. Once. He uses all kinds of mags. One time.
It usually only happens with crappy out of spec magazine feedlips.
Idk if thats a good way to judge them though since he probably always uses brand new mags
I live in Arizona and I support the statement completely heat and plastic. Do not mix.
The (SS) stainless steel Duramags are awesome! I hate the aluminum ones though.
The one downside to the metal mags are the amount of noise they make.
I’m
Gonna buy some. Why SS over aluminum? Thanks
Great video. Awesome presentation.
I was already sold before you chucked that mag at the boulder and then shot a hole through it at the end, but those final demonstrations killed the polymer mag as a choice for me.
Thank you!
Something you forgot to mention is that Metal mags are better heat sinks than plastic mags (aluminum is the best common mag material for a heat sink). So with a fixed mag build or a rig you plan on putting a lot of rounds through quickly an aluminum mag will suck more heat out of the lower. Plastic on the other hand is an insulator.
I've recently switched to running aluminum a lot more these days. Idk, I just love the metal mags for some reason and a lot of it has to do with everything thats pointed out in this video. Especially the dropping free. I do a lot of shooting in a dirt pit in the middle if the woods. So my rifles and mags especially get a little gritty from hitting the dirt and such. The magpuls do tend to hang up a lot more and I have to remove them myself where as my metal ones always drop no matter what.
Well. They are lighter than pmags
I think you’re on to something at the end of the video... using the magazine to vent some of the gas coming back. Brilliant!!
I have had polymer magazines work well, and I’ve had polymer mags fail. Metal mags may be easier to dent, but if you avoid stomping them or running over them, and they were made to spec, they will keep working. Just avoid cheapo mags.
I agree, but if the lips break or another part, I salvage what I can... Spring, follower, floor plate, etc...
Yeah, I said the same thing about Glock when they first came out, back in 1988 (34 years ago). They're collector pieces now. For a mere $2000 you can add one to your collection.
Okay. As in magazines. Yep, aluminum is better...just my experience. Very well done video, thank you.
I mean technically speaking since aluminum doesn't have an endurance limit they will inevitably fail by fatigue. It may take several hundred years of years of use but hey, technicalities are technicalities.
Too bad they fail much sooner.
I bought an import police/military trade in of a pistol that was basically a copy of the 1911 design, and they were all sent here to the US with 2 magazines, but when we got the package, the importer took the second magazine out and are charging extra for them!
I don't like polymer because they deform over time. I had a whole batch of 10+ Gen2 Pmags split right along the seam in the back after just sitting and being loaded for ~2 years. Also had Gen3 40 round pmags that I left loaded that had over time deformed the feed lips and pushed them outwards so that the rounds would just squirt out of it if you shook it at all. I still have a bunch of pmags, but will only store them with the "dust covers" on to hold the feed lips in place and keep them from deforming. I've bought nothing but aluminum and steel USGI type mags for the past several years along with some Lancers. Interestingly I had 3 out of like 40 D&H aluminum USGI style mags that I had left loaded since about 2015 have their feed lips deform and little stress cracks formed on the back of them at the base of the feed lips. The rounds had pushed the feed lips apart enough that the magazines wouldn't fit in an AR mag well anymore. So I basically downloaded all of them to 28 rounds. Only buying steel from now on.
That’s why pmags come with the feed lip protectors (aka PMAG Impact & Dust Cartridge-Protecting Cover) which you are supposed to use if you are going to store them loaded to prevent the problems you mentioned.
best AR mags I have are Brownells Aluminum with anti tilt followers . others work but love those mags ! I might have o try these mags !
Didn't know this stuff. Glad I have both duramag & pmags. Now I want to load them & drop them a few times.
Best outro ever. No words needed.
Aluminum mags were originally meant to be used only once and discarded. Metal mags also have a “memory” effect which leads to double feeds etc. It can happen slowly over time, it can happen quickly. The exception to this is the HK ultra reliability magazine, but is extremely expensive and weighs more than double a standard GI mag. I’ve found Lancer and M3 PMAG’s to be the most reliable magazines for the AR platform in my experience
Unfortunately there are so many out of spec lower receivers that Magpul made the Gen3's thick. So they don't work with my guns.
@@SkintSNIPER262 - Have you tried the Lancers?
@@MrChuckwagon55 I have a dozen coming in the mail. As well as a few different Gen 3 PMAG's. I've seen a lot of people say the thickness of PMAG's varies between models. Windowed/Non, Black/MCT.
Im sorry but the only mag that looks disposable are the plastic magpul mags.
I use stainless steel mags and I’ve never had a problem and I like them a lot
You should add: metal mags can bend and crack feed lips too. And near impossible to bend back to correct shape. And a pmag, depending on how bad it is cracked will still hold and feed. Both will fail the same ways. Point really should be, be kind to your mags. And keep a reserve of new.
Watching this had me scratching my head. throwing a pmag at a rock will cause rounds to pop out and then it can be picked up and used... because the bottom locks on. shooting a polymer mag requires no rebending of the body (IV8888 did this in a torture test).
I'll tell you what, drop a loaded metal mag on its feed lips then shoot it and repeat with a pmag. In my experience the pmag will function fine. then leave a steel and pmag loaded in the elements for an extended period of time. from what I know the pmag will work fine (I've done it)
different types have their uses polymer mags are more durable short term while metal is better long term. so buy a 100 pack of pmag and replace the ones you use every couple years problem solved.
They look like great mags. And I know Kurt only recommends the best. Was on my way to buy a few and then found out one of their VP's was a BLM supporter. I'm out! Okay Industries it is.
I've seen guys in Iraq that have gotten their metal magazines dented causing them to stick. But if it dented the aluminum one it would probably have cracked a pmag
Metal mags also work in other weapons that use STANAG (USGI metal mags) unlike PMAGs. Some other weapons like the Daewoo K2 will use PMAGS, but others like F2000 will not. You can put XP springs in them, Anti tilt followers, and the fancy ranger plates on them just like PMAGS. A little esoteric information, but that is why I like the GI mags over PMAGS. Now if I had a lot of money to use Bad ass cool guy AR mags it would be the Lancers since they have steel inserts in the feed lips.
Lancers are not as reliable as the m3 pmags…
I'dlike to disagree with this but....yeah I got nuthin'. Carry on.
it's easy. aluminum mags are more likely to have bent feed lips you don't detect until you start getting feeding issues. chipped polymer mag is easy to visually detect. polymer is better under pressure loads like a truck running over them than aluminum. Polymer will last as long as the aluminum sitting in storage somewhere (long term ir testing needs to be done however). Polymer mags drop free with an in-spec ar lower just like aluminum mags. etc etc
@@0Asterite0 I bought a bunch of stainless mags from gunmagwarehouse.com
They're doing very well.
@@shrugger1 ok, and? that's just beside the point, and steel (even stainless) will rust eventually
Put a steel mag and a poly mag in the ground for 20 years and tell me the metal one lasts longer, lmfaoooo
I bought some pro mags years ago, and found out why they're so cheap. But then I took them and used like 1000 grit sandpaper and sanded the top that inserts into the well. I didn't force to remove too much, just to smooth them up better. After sanding, it was obvious by the way the polymer looked, so I rubbed lithium grease back into the polymer and they looked new again. I also greased the spring and follower, now they work just as good as pmags.
But I agree, metal are my favorite also.
Galvanic corrosion would eventually occur where the steel spring is touching the aluminum if a GI mag was left outside, esp near ocean.
Ngl when we bought Polymer mags i told my dad who was the one that bragged about being right vs my mother who was a Literal veteran who said No to polymer, we took the poly's to a range and i burnt through a whole 90 rnds with it with 5.56, I looked at my dad with a smile and Dropped out the mag to show that the Chamber chipped and scraped off the Lips that were to hold the bullets into its double state to single feed self, and it spewed all of the bullets out with the spring, so now we have G.I Stanag mags and holy shit do these things take a beating and still work
Dura mags are garbage out of speck tin mags. Stick with okay/ surefeed or d&h if you want metal mags lol. Why go cheep when you can pick up some of the best on the market for a few bucks more
Yup
Usually pmags eventually wear out at the overtravel stop. Which makes the mag almost useless. Way before the feedlips or spring or anything else at least in my experience
This is great and all, but I've had a round pop out of a metal mag after dropping it. One metal mag I dropped has never recovered and it causes issues every time. WITH THAT BEING SAID; The alumi-mags I bought were all cheap DH mags. I won't be buying any more DH mags, I'm switching to Okay Surefeeds, Duramag, and ASC. I'll test them out to find the best one and go from there. I have ETS, Lancer, and DH mags for those wondering (DH is the least reliable out of all).
I’m not saying you’re wrong at all in the slightest but would you do a video comparing them to some polymer mags such as pmags and lancers doing the same test
Im saying hes wrong🤣
I got a free plastic mag. It jammed my rifle immediately. Switching to metal ones. No malfunction.
I do own mostly polymer magazines, but not all of them, and only own 3 polymer pistols and one AR lower in polymer, everything else is all metal.
I got the polymer lower because that was all that was available during the big gun panic a while back, and it makes my light weight 16" AR-15 feel like a toy, seriously so light it does not feel real, but I know the buffer mount is the main weak point and treat it as such so no butt stroking with that one.
My other AR-15 has a lower made out of steel plate that was welded together and is as rock solid as they come, but heavy, and I'll be making another to replace the polymer one eventually, perhaps out of brass.
Polymer is plastic, and can easily be destroyed either by chemical, ozone, and heat issues, and if left on the dashboard of a car for way too long, the UV will also degrade it so I will mostly be buying and keeping all magazines in the future.
I saw the best catastrophic malfunction with an M-16 while in the army. Back in ‘84 I believe it was we were at a live fire range practicing for our upcoming qualification again. It was a typical hot summer day in North Carolina. We finished firing and lay there in the prone before switching to the next set of targets to begin firing again. One individuals rifle had a cook off while we were waiting. What happened next is speculation but what we think happened was that his BCG didn’t go completely back into battery after the last shot was fired. So when the round cooked off the BCG was forced to the rear. Somehow this caused the upper receiver to split down the middle along the top. The BCG was stuck part way into the buffer tube not allowing the upper and lower receiver to be separated. I never heard what the official answer was as to what happened, or what was replaced after they got the rifle apart.
As far as metal mags are concerned, we never had a problem with them as far as I know. We were told to throw all of the ones we had away one time because there was a problem with them and we were issued new ones. I don’t know what the problem was but I wish I had keep some of the ones we threw away.
Government waste is what was wrong with the mags.
“That doesn’t mean that your gun shop didn’t rip you off”
I knew it!
I purchased a blue label Glock 21 chambered in 45 ACP from Kentucky Gun Co and I had it shipped to my local FFL and I was supposed to have three mags in there and when I picked up the firearm from the FFL dealer there was only one mag and the clerk Act like I did not know what I was talking about but it was clearly in my inventory receipt or invoice I should say and he said being that it’s a blue label it could come with tin mags or one mag. This one came with one and it was not on his invoice sheet that I had three magazines in it.
A lot of people say I’m a liar for this or I made it up but I’ve had Gen2 pmags fully loaded for months and a few of them the feed lips start to flex outward which causes them to be out of spec and stick in the mag well and/or cause feeding issues. Why do you think magpul started to include a plastic cover that clips onto the newer gen3 mags? Part of it was to alleviate the tension of the top edges of the polymer where they are weakest. I’ve had cheap milspec mags with magpul followers loaded up for years and never had this problem. Granted I still like magpul I’m not knocking their products I have a lot of each kind of magazine but for the ones I leave loaded up in an ammo box ready to rock they are all metal. The range ones are magpul. I can drop them on the dirt and rocks and they don’t get dented. Either way, I started down-loading my magazines to 28 rounds now hopefully that helps a bit over the long term.
Same. I had literally 10 gen2 pmags split along the seam on the back after ~1 year storing loaded. Also had gen3 feed lips deform. I store all my remaining pmags with those 'dust covers' installed.
My reason for not adopting polymer mags? Took a few rounds in the PC a long time ago... steel magazine still functioned perfectly. Lost the window on a gen 2 PMAG... wouldn't even feed a single round reliably. I still have polymer mags... I trade them to my friends for their "shitty" steel mags. They're happy, I'm happy, nobody complains.
im sorry man but "my magazines in a single anecdotal situation were able to resist bullets" is a silly selling point.
My favorite mags are okay E2s. They are fantastic
I really like c products mags. That said, i really like my lancers and Pmags too. Also no matter how broken in they get, the c products mags will never feed as smoothly as the others.
You can get old military metal mags for super cheap at like any gun show, just replace the follower and brand new. Plus the patina makes it look super dope
Here is what I’m curious about, Steel magazines or aluminum? I have a PTR91 and I have 2 of each. The Aluminum are super light because they were originally intended for Paratroopers, but the Steel ones I’ve been told are more durable. The steel mags are however significantly heavier of course. All of them are from the 1960’s my newest magazine is a paratrooper magazine from 1966 in really good condition considering it’s age.
So I’ve not had a problem with the polymer mag not dropping out I’m glad you shared that
I like my pmags but my aluminum gi mags are actually lighter. If youre concerned about damaging them buy those rubber ranger plates from magpul it adds weight and a cushion to the bottom of the mag so it will land more softly on the bottom plate helping to prevent them from denting and stuff.
Like i said tho for me i just prefer the pmags but metal mags have a place and i have a bunch of em
After 8 years as an Infantryman, with 3 combat deployments, the worst magazines i have seen have been metal, we had issues all the time with metal magazines. When we switched to Gen 3 PMAGS all of our issues basically went away, to include with blanks.
Theres a reason the Army and Marines Infantry switched to Gen 3 PMAGS
yeah this makes alot of sense. aluminum mags often fail silently, being slightly bent out of spec or slightly dented etc.
if a pmag is broken you're going to see plastic missing.
i think aluminum mags make more sense for civilians, you're the one who owns them, you're going to be able to notice a problematic magazine. the weight and space savings are pretty significant to you as an individual.
but for the military, logistically, having a slightly heavier/bigger magazine that is both more reliably and fails visibly is way easier.
For those who stockpiled the PSA D&H mags that were $6.99 a few years back without checking the reliability the front lip was too high to feed correctly with metal cased ammo. File them down or bend them forward.
Do you mean steel case? And can you explain in more detail what you mean about the feed lips being too high?
@@09cjonescj Front of the magazine was too high and would snag on metal cased ammo , i said metal because i would use magpul polymer dummy rounds to cycle check the magazines when i bought them and never experienced a problem because its a flexible material. I can't link but check PSA's D&H aluminum AR mags lowest review scores theres a fellow who posted a photo of the problem its a simple fix with a file.
@@itsallchemical42 thank you, sir. I’ve run them, pretty hard, but when I stripped a round manually I did notice it scraped the case something fierce.
The Magpul mags were a game changer with the AR-15 series of rifles. Dura mags are good mags but I can not over estimate the game changer Magpul mags were. Yes, I'm an old fart who was issued a M-16A1 back in the 70's...I hated the alum mags we had back in the day and I do have a prejudice against them..Most malfunctions back then could be attributed to those crappy mags..If your Magpul mags won't drop free it is because your magwell is out of spec..
I’ve had steel mags cause more malfunctions than anything else. They dent compared to polymer mags
"Polymer" plastic magazines chip and crack
And yet, they still hold their shape unlike metal mags.
@@bronzeguy9839 How can they hold their shape if they're fucking cracked. How smooth is your brain?
Old video but after you shot the mag and it still worked you had me. Yup metal mags for me now.
10:47 "Try to do that with a plastic magazine"
Magpul did this back in 2007. It's still on their channel. The PMAG did better than the USGI.
Very good video, no fluff, just knowledge from raw experience.
Just bought 3 Duramag Stainless Steel, and 3 Lancer AWM. Love them both.
If a pmag cracks, you know its broken. If an aluminum mag gets out of whack it will just cause problems.