Topic: AR15

[RUGER]

hickory you know this weapon system better than i do. 

a few years ago i could not find any ammo except fer shotshells/slugs. now yer sol fer most everything and priced gouged if you do. a 223/556 round should be had fer around 35-40 cents.

RUGER

[Hickory Nut]

I agree with the overpriced ammo. Most people on GunBroker are people trying to take advantage of the Country's situation. Granted the outlook is not good, but we have all lived through tougher times.

Who in their right mind would pay $1.00 a round for .223/556 FMJ or 9mm? Those that are afraid of what's to come? If you are just starting hoarding ammo you are too late to the party. 

I do love the AR Platform though. It is the Logo of the Gun World or at least was at one time before you couldn't get parts!

[Gnarly4X]

I want to buy 2 or 3  30 round mags for a DPMS AR-15 (DPMS RFA2-C16L Tactical 30+1 .223 REM/5.56 NATO 16")

I am also looking at mag pouches:  https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2238118579

I will appreciate any suggestions or recommendations for the best quality and reliability.

Thanks,

Gnarls.

[RUGER]

i like p-mags. avoid promag

RUGER

[toyodaaddict]

I want to buy 2 or 3  30 round mags for a DPMS AR-15 (DPMS RFA2-C16L Tactical 30+1 .223 REM/5.56 NATO 16")

I am also looking at mag pouches:  https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2238118579

I will appreciate any suggestions or recommendations for the best quality and reliability.

Thanks,

Gnarls.

https://esstac.com/5-56-single-kywi-midlength/
 
Magpul Pmags and okay surefeed. Both are beyond proven. Buy more than 3 mags.
https://botach.com/okay-surefeed-5-56mm-30rd-magazines-gray/

[Gnarly4X]

Is all 556 ammo TUI? 

Gnarls.

[Wainiha [OP]]

What is TUI?

[Gnarly4X]

What is TUI?

Tumbles Upon Impact

[Wainiha [OP]]

does that refer to the shell casing?  Or what happens inside the victim?

[Gnarly4X]

does that refer to the shell casing?  Or what happens inside the victim?

Impact.

[Gnarly4X]

https://esstac.com/5-56-single-kywi-midlength/
 
Magpul Pmags and okay surefeed. Both are beyond proven. Buy more than 3 mags.
https://botach.com/okay-surefeed-5-56mm-30rd-magazines-gray/

Hey t...

Yes.. I like the metal ones.  A 30 round mag loaded with 556 weighs 1 lbs. .6 oz.

How many should I have total, loaded?

Gnarls.

[toyodaaddict]

Hey t...

Yes.. I like the metal ones.  A 30 round mag loaded with 556 weighs 1 lbs. .6 oz.

How many should I have total, loaded?

Gnarls.

Just consider what is going on in the world and the threats to our 2A. Also consider that mags can get damaged, lost,etc. You cant go wrong buying mags at the current price of around $12 ea. Tomorrow, you may not be able to buy them at all. A minimum of 10 mags for your new rifle probably isnt A bad place to start. Maybe buy a couple magpul pmags, a couple okay's and then buy a few more of which ever one you like best. 

 Congratulations on your new rifle by the way

[Gnarly4X]

 Congratulations on your new rifle by the way

Hey toy...

Thank you. 

I've been in a steep learning curve in the past few months.

Since my application is strictly self defense, my evaluation of function and handling has become my focus.

For example, if find that at 8.5 lbs without a 30-round mag, it has a heaviness to it.


The Daniel Defense V7 weighs 6.2 lbs.  The Master of Arms Enyo weighs 3.65 lbs.

I also realize that the type of sights are a critical choice for targeting.

I'm a sponge right now soaking up all the info, data, options, and opinions I can find.

Gnarls.

[Gnarly4X]

My research on the best and most reliable self defense ammo has got me thinking more than I believe it should take! 

Does anyone have a favorite and why? 

Gnarls. 

[Gnarly4X]

Hey...

I'm curious...  Has anyone tried the Lancer translucent 30-round mag? 

https://lancer-systems.com/product/l5awm-30-magazine/

Gnarls. 

[toyodaaddict]

Hey...

I'm curious...  Has anyone tried the Lancer translucent 30-round mag? 

https://lancer-systems.com/product/l5awm-30-magazine/

Gnarls. 

 Lots of people like them. The one that I have hands on experience with wasnt reliable in a colt 6920. Sample of one, so take that for what its worth. Something to note is the metal piece you see wrapped around the feed lips is steel. How that plays out long term being inserted into an aluminum mag well, I dont know.
 I stick to the pmags and okay.

[Wainiha [OP]]

Hey...

I'm curious...  Has anyone tried the Lancer translucent 30-round mag? 

https://lancer-systems.com/product/l5awm-30-magazine/

Gnarls. 

This is interesting.  I like the clear.

[Gnarly4X]

 Lots of people like them. The one that I have hands on experience with wasnt reliable in a colt 6920. Sample of one, so take that for what its worth. Something to note is the metal piece you see wrapped around the feed lips is steel. How that plays out long term being inserted into an aluminum mag well, I dont know.
 I stick to the pmags and okay.

Hey t...

I viewed some video on AR-15 mags.  There is a difference, and one of the videos did a good job of explaining the differences and why it's important for reliability and functionality.

https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=mcafee&ei=UTF-8&p=AR-15+30-round+mags&type=E211US105G0#id=2&vid=50ddbe3a989537af837365d6a59fff2f&action=click

The Brownell aluminum G.I. style mags are about as reliable as you can get apparently.

There of some quality polymer mags available, but some have design issues - especially on the follower- at least to one comparison.

I bought 2 Lancer mags not so much for serious reliability but more for practicing at the range.  I can quickly "see" the rounds in them.

Here's a detailed video on the Lancer mag.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YapSNYYt0RE

According to the video comparison on 4 polymers (Magpul, Hexmag, MFT, Daniel Defense) the follower design is important to reliably feed a round.

Surprisingly, I noticed the Lancer mag's follower does not move up and down squarely.

I'm still learning and doing research.

Gnarls.

[Gnarly4X]

Well....  for anyone out there who may be interested...

After doing more research and really examining the two mags I have, I'm not happy about my Brownells aluminum mag.  First it does have a Magpul follower.  But.. when depressing the follower into case it binds up!  The two I have were donated to me by a friend, and I have no idea how many rounds have gone through them.

Also I'm a little bit puzzled.  In a Gun News Daily "5 Best AR-15 Magazines for your Money (in 2020)"  the author evaluates and describes his top 5 picks.

https://gunnewsdaily.com/best-ar-magazines/#:~:text=The%20Top%205%20Best%20AR%20Magazines.%201%201.,4.%20Daniel%20Defense%20DD32.%205%205.%20Hexmag.%20

In the commentary he says...

"One of the most important pieces of the AR 15 magazine is going to be the follower."

"The best AR 15 magazines are going to feature anti-tilt followers. That’s a very important feature you need to look into. This will ensure the ammo is always presented properly for the bolt to pick it up."

His #1 pick is the Lancer L5 AWM mag.  The Lancer mags that I just bought has a follower design that appears to NOT have the "anti-tilt" follower.  When pressing on the front of the follower it actually binds.

Wow! I am surprised at this inconsistency.    The front of the follower has a longer vertical piece, but the back has a shorter vertical piece and looks like what causes it to bind. 

I'm going to order a new Brownells aluminum mag, a Magpul, and Hexmag.

I still need to do more testing to see how well they fit and release into the mag well of my AR-15.

Ongoing research...

For me, like a head gasket on a 22, the cost is irrelevant.  I don't intend to fire 1000's of rounds through a mag, BUT $10 or $20 either way for a high quality mag is irrelevant when it comes to my safety in a self defense scenario.

Gnarls.

[toyodaaddict]

I think you may be overthinking the magazine thing. Magpul is the standard for polymer AR/M4 mags.  They are proven, they have passed extensive reliability testing by the US military. The same can be said for okay industries, for metal mags. Both magpul and Okay surefeed use anti tilt follower. Both are used by professionals. For reliability you cant go wrong. I dont see any reason to mess with other less proven mags, especially if they may be used for self defense.

These where mentioned in the link you posted. Reliable, see the rounds. https://magpul.com/firearm-accessories/pmag30ar-m4genm3window-5-56x45.html?mp_global_color=118

[Wainiha [OP]]

Good info on the follower. Glad I started this thread.

[Gnarly4X]

 

I think you may be overthinking the magazine thing. Magpul is the standard for polymer AR/M4 mags.  They are proven, they have passed extensive reliability testing by the US military. The same can be said for okay industries, for metal mags. Both magpul and Okay surefeed use anti tilt follower. Both are used by professionals. For reliability you cant go wrong. I dont see any reason to mess with other less proven mags, especially if they may be used for self defense.

These where mentioned in the link you posted. Reliable, see the rounds. https://magpul.com/firearm-accessories/pmag30ar-m4genm3window-5-56x45.html?mp_global_color=118

Hey t…

I appreciate your input! 

I believe if there is something that I definitely should be “overthinking” it IS the magazines!!  My life could depend on my overthinking. Admittedly I do over analyze a lot with many things.

 So far everything I’ve read, viewed in videos, and spoken with other more experienced gun owners – like tires, oil, and head gaskets - there are different experiences and perspectives.

I am not exceptionally knowledgeable on this subject of firearms, so I tend to move more slowly on some aspects of my learning curve.

I have now examined two types of 30-round mags.  Both are highly touted.  And according to the “experts” they both fail to meet the basic design of an anti-tilt follower, or the aluminum ones are worn out. 

Now, do I believe what you say about Magpul and SureFeed?  Yes…. But like with many experiences in my life of 73 years, I don’t always find that my trust in someone’s experiences or opinions is acceptable to me.  I like Reagan's "Trust but verify".

I trusted Todd at engnbldr – who had a 20+ year reputation as a quality supplier to the early Toyota engine community - to sell me a quality rebuild kit and head for my 22RE. What I got instead was, in my unscientific opinion, Chinese junk.

I will evaluate the SureFeed and Magpul mags I just ordered and post what I find.

Gnarls.

[toyodaaddict]

Hey t…

I appreciate your input! 

I believe if there is something that I definitely should be “overthinking” it IS the magazines!!  My life could depend on my overthinking. Admittedly I do over analyze a lot with many things.

 So far everything I’ve read, viewed in videos, and spoken with other more experienced gun owners – like tires, oil, and head gaskets - there are different experiences and perspectives.

I am not exceptionally knowledgeable on this subject of firearms, so I tend to move more slowly on some aspects of my learning curve.

I have now examined two types of 30-round mags.  Both are highly touted.  And according to the “experts” they both fail to meet the basic design of an anti-tilt follower, or the aluminum ones are worn out. 

Now, do I believe what you say about Magpul and SureFeed?  Yes…. But like with many experiences in my life of 73 years, I don’t always find that my trust in someone’s experiences or opinions is acceptable to me.  I like Reagan's "Trust but verify".

I trusted Todd at engnbldr – who had a 20+ year reputation as a quality supplier to the early Toyota engine community - to sell me a quality rebuild kit and head for my 22RE. What I got instead was, in my unscientific opinion, Chinese junk.

I will evaluate the SureFeed and Magpul mags I just ordered and post what I find.

Gnarls.

For your research
http://www.surefeedmagazines.com/heritage.html

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2017/01/08/marines-approve-magpul-s-signature-polymer-ammunition-magazine/

https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/the-marine-corps-has-ordered-leathernecks-to-use-pmags-for-their-rifles/

Something worth knowing and what may be going on with your troublesome aluminum mag. Damaged pmags usually crack. You can see the crack and dispose of the mag.
Damaged metal mags suffer bent feed lips and dents/distortions that can be very hard to see.
Alot of people number there mags, then if there is an issue, individual mags can be easily identified and kept track of.

[Gnarly4X]

Alot of people number there mags, then if there is an issue, individual mags can be easily identified and kept track of.

Very interesting comment!

I find it strange that as I go through my learning curve, I read, heard, or saw nothing about marking or labeling the mags - which makes perfect sense.  Nor did I see on any of the videos that a mag was labeled.

Hexmag has a color-coded baseplate and follower.

It's funny you mentioned it because last night as a lay in bed overthinking, I said to myself "Gnarls, why don't you label the mags, like I do with other things - my AC air filters in my house - so I will know the number of days in use."

Based on my use (probably not a lot of time fun shooting), I don't think I will wear out a mag, although I might drop one, BUT I am going to decide which mag brand or model I will depend on for a self defense situation.

By the way, when viewing these demonstration videos, typically put on by some "expert", I saw one with a young female shooter being coached by her boyfriend expert on techniques for being accurate at sighting a target.  During the demonstration, she released the spent mag from her pistol and let it drop on the ground.  The demonstration was not for self defense, so why would you deliberately risk damage a mag??!!

Gnarls.

[Gnarly4X]

What is YOUR trick to quickly identify a 223 round from a 556 round? 

Gnarls.

[RUGER]

why did she drop her mag. you go back to the level of training. if you pocket every mag when its empty you will do that in a firefight.
there were 2 police officers killed on duty that carried revolvers. after the shooting it came to light that that the officers empty brass was placed in their pouch because thats how they were trained.

RUGER

[Gnarly4X]

why did she drop her mag. you go back to the level of training. if you pocket every mag when its empty you will do that in a firefight.
there were 2 police officers killed on duty that carried revolvers. after the shooting it came to light that that the officers empty brass was placed in their pouch because thats how they were trained.

RUGER

Hey Ruger,

I understand that if you find yourself in a situation where you empty your mag and needs to reload, dropping the mag and jamming another one in the pistol would make sense.  In other words, I would not be worrying about the empty mag.

Now… If I am in a long time fire fight and I need to reload some empty mags then I’d be concerned about where my mags went and where my extra ammo is.

Like I said in this particular video demonstrating it was about ACCURACY AND TARGETING,  not about what you do in a self defense situation where you are firing a weapon.

The weather here is so beautiful!!  I am very eager to sign up for self defense classes for both my rifle and my pistol, including techniques for conceal carry.

I just installed my new Lima365 green laser on my Sig P365XL.... geezzz I love that laser!!!

Gnarls.

[H8PVMNT]

My kid is buying one of those Dickenson arms XXPA shotguns.  Apparently and AR wasn't a scary enough black gun for him so he had to get an AR looking 12 gauge.  Should be a nice alternative to the chain saw for falling trees .

https://www.classicfirearms.com/dickinson-xxpa-12bs-ermox-xxpa-12sb-12ga-185-w-breacher/

[Wainiha [OP]]

OOH that's looks nice.

CSPAN Guns and Restrictions in the news today.

[Gnarly4X]

My kid is buying one of those Dickenson arms XXPA shotguns.  Apparently and AR wasn't a scary enough black gun for him so he had to get an AR looking 12 gauge.  Should be a nice alternative to the chain saw for falling trees .

https://www.classicfirearms.com/dickinson-xxpa-12bs-ermox-xxpa-12sb-12ga-185-w-breacher/

Did you consider this one:

https://www.classicfirearms.com/radikal-arms-mkx3-tactical-shotgun-12-gauge-24-barrel-5-round-black/#tt-reviews-list

Gnarls.