I have started a new youtube series on my channel called "Man vs Magazine".  My testing protocol does not include running over the magazines with a truck.  I don't see that as being realistic.  What damages magazines is being dropped on the feedlips (while fully loaded) just like it would if you flubbed a reload and dropped the mag just as soon as it cleared your chest rig.  I chose a 5'6" drop since that is the height of the top of the chest rig of one of my giant friends (he is 6'4").  I use a downspout (from Home Depot) as it is the perfect size to drop an AR mag through.  

At first I discuss the pro/cons of the design of mag with how that relates to getting in and out of mag pouches, etc. then I go into the testing.

Stage 1
I drop each magazine (fully loaded with 30 rounds) on compacted dirt 25 times. I have an empty ammo crate with a couple inches of dirt/rocks that I compact with a cement block before each drop. If the magazine survives this - it goes on to stage 2.

Stage 2
I drop each magazine (fully loaded with 30 rounds) onto a cement block 25 times OR until the magazine deforms, cracks or breaks.  As soon as I witness any perminant damage to the feed lips, I stop the cement testing at that point. That mag then goes onto Stage 3.

Stage 3
This stage is type 3 malfunction clearance drills, as these are hard on feedlips too.  The bullet must be pulled out of the mag instead of stripping forward.  I set up a type 3 and yank/pull the magazine out of the well 25 times. Then I unload the magazine and check the lips for wear.

Stage 4
The last stage is firing the magazine fully loaded with 30 rounds.  I fire the first 8 with the magazine pointing at 3 o'clock, 8 rounds with magazine pointing at 12 o'clock, 8 rounds with the magazine facing the 9 o'clock and the final 6 rounds with the magazine facing 6 o'clock.

The video series can be found here, and I suggest you start with the video titled EXPLANATION first:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLG8devH8mcitaSUuK1yxSrkvTnfUPnmcU

I am keeping a spreadsheet of the results on my blog, located here: http://www.tireironblog.com/man-vs-magazine-series/  Click on the word SPREADSHEET in red font.

Hope you enjoy the series, and yes I plan on testing more magazines.  Coming up next will be ELander, Magpul Gen 3 (black), Magpul Gen 3 Sand, Tapco and others. Let me know if there is something else you would like to see.

Additionally I do plan on running AK47 and AK74 mags through the same test.

cheers

tire iron

Very interesting videos, thanks for sharing.

Here, let me help you with that.

I wish you would have tested the brownell's tan follower USGI magazines as those are a lot more durable than the others in my experience.  

Also, I wouldn't do the drop tests with dummy rounds as you're loosing weight from the powder charge.  Other that that, great tests, though!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5yC1X05K9E&index=4&list=PLG8devH8mcitaSUuK1yxSrkvTnfUPnmcU


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsJDzbPRXnc&index=3&list=PLG8devH8mcitaSUuK1yxSrkvTnfUPnmcU


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrafdHocKTE&index=2&list=PLG8devH8mcitaSUuK1yxSrkvTnfUPnmcU


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nm7uNy4QwK4&index=6&list=PLG8devH8mcitaSUuK1yxSrkvTnfUPnmcU


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df9gzkaShxc&index=5&list=PLG8devH8mcitaSUuK1yxSrkvTnfUPnmcU


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri1xCHtfxHs&index=1&list=PLG8devH8mcitaSUuK1yxSrkvTnfUPnmcU

Thank you TacticalComputing!

cheers

tire iron

Thank you Blain!!  I will add the Brownell's tan follower mag to the list of what to test.  I have heard good things about that mag too.  Regarding the powder charge, only the last (top) ten are dummies, the rest are live ammo.  The dummies - were they live - would only add 1/2 of one ounce in powder - so I considered that to be too small to worry about.  Thoughts?

Again - thank you for hotlinking those!!

cheers

tire iron

Semper Fi Devil Dog - I am a vetern US Marine also.  The only time I witnessed USGI mags being ruined when stepped on was when they were empty.  The scope of my little tests was for full magazines.  Running over mags with a truck is very cool - but I think it is too theatrical and not very realistic.  I never, ever saw or heard of a magazine getting run over by a truck.  And, as I state in my video, even if my magazine did get run over by a truck, it would go into my dump pouch - no matter who made the magazine.  The fact that everyone else posts video's of mags being run over by trucks speaks about Magpul's position as the leader of the pack when it comes to polymer mags. Imitation is the best form a flattery.

I like your product.  Even though the Magpul mag broke on the fourth drop - I will still continue to use, buy and recommend PMags (as well as others).  My personal view is that quality AR mags are like investments - diversify!  Dont put all your eggs in the same basket, or dont buy all the same brand.  They each seem to have pluses and minuses.  Granted, some do have more pluses than others. I am looking forward to testing your Gen 3 mag (black) and especially your Gen 3 Sand.

I really appreciate you taking the time to post in my thread - it makes me like Magpul as a company even more - as you are very "in touch" with your customer base.  

cheers

tire iron

So now we have a third test where a Lancer magazine couldn't be broken(Fortier's, The one on this forum, and now this You Tube test).  I'm starting to notice a serious trend here.............

Not so fast....  you know that some brands of USGI magazines are not as good as others.  Was it Cooper's  or Sanchez that inspired the design of the green follower?  Among people that still build and shoot M14s and M1As in Service Rifle matches it is fairly universally believed that TRW parts (particularly bolts) are the best, Winchester is perhaps to hard and tight, Springfield Armory is average and H&R is least favored.  It may all be wives tales but there is no doubt that TRW parts are worth more money because of it.

That's exactly right, I explained this to them before giving the exact same M14 USGI example, but they keep giving me the same response.  Center has a reputation as having lower quality USGI mags, but they also had a recent contract.  Just like some bad pmags make it out there, there is definitely a quality difference between different contractors.  

The current USGI mags have much stronger bodies than the old which were incredibly fragile.  I am not sure if this is due to the type of aluminum used, the thickness, the heat treat, or all the above.  However, no way will you crush a new one just by stepping on it.

I can notice a huge difference in strength.  Who says the government has to release the full TDP?  Isn't it proprietary info?  The follower / spring change was the largest most important change and was being hyped, so obviously you heard about it.  

If you compare a USGI tan follower brownells mag to a USGI mag from the 90s or earlier, you can see and feel the difference!  One will get destroyed from a drop test, the other usually won't be phased.  

I didn't mention PMags in my post, but if you insist...............

I have to admit, I have not read your design philosophy or anyone elses design philosophy, that stuff is simply boring, and totally self serving.  Larry Panka/Cproducts  probably had a "design philosophy" as well as an ISO 900 certification and I wouldn't use one of his magazines to shim up a wobbly toilet seat.

Looking at the videos in question the Pmag broke on the forth drop while the Lancer and the ETS didn't break with 25 drops.  There is absolutely no way you will convince me or I'm sure others here with a brain that somehow a magazine that breaks when dropped is equal to or even better than one that doesn't break.  Back when your first truck video came out and the USGI magazine broke and yours didn't you had a much simpler philosophy: ours didn't break so it is better, you didn't seem too concerned with "sample size" back then either.

I hope for your sake you are correct, if not you would have to go back and correct a lot of your previous statements

What is the difference between a "contract" and a "non contract" GI magazine?

If it is truly "government issued" there is a contract.  A lot of people and sponsors here have tried to confuse the issue so they can try to lump all the bad aftermarket aluminum M16 magazines as "USGI" and others have tried to say their favorite magazine is "USGI" because it has an NSN or whatever.

I'd be interested in your test with black Pmags.

I am sure this is even more un-scientific.... but I have cracked more FDE PMAGs and very few black ones over the years.

The easymag has a NSN???  How??  Why??

Their mag open feature is a bit of a gimmick, but those were some tough sturdy mags.

Didn't C products have an NSN????  I have pens with NSNs and that doesn't mean a damn thing except they have an NSN.  Speaking of Cproducts, I came across an old thread where they were claiming that their 40 round SS magazine was being evaluated by the US military

Why the change??  I specifically remember you saying a few years ago that there are "many types of USGI magazines built to different specifications" or something to that effect.  I have a good memory.............

I pointed that out way back then but my post got deleted.  

To people not familiar with the terms it is confusing.  USGI should mean only "USGI"  You don't call a Ford a "Chevy" although it has 4 wheels and a seat...........Maybe all polymer magazines should be called "Thermolds".....