I may be late to this news, but I did not see it being talked about anywhere else.  I just watched the video on the "Day 4 SHOT Shot Videos" about the long-awaited, new Magpul AK magazine with metal reinforcements.  I can't believe my ears.  Did he actually say that they have decided NOT to metal-reinforce the feed lips?



I understand that I am not in the business of making rifle magazines.  But this sounds ludicrous.  I mean... the whole point was to reproduce the Circle 10 mags and be able to sell them less than $35 - $45 a piece due to their decreasing availability.  Sure the metal locking-lug is great... but why would you deliberately NOT give the consumer what they want... especially if it meant selling the product???!!!!  He said something about "their testing shows that it works better without the metal."  OOOKKKAAAYYY... that just sounds like they aren't as good at engineering magazines as Bulgaria was decades ago.  Or, that was just an excuse not to put more money into the manufacturing process because they knew they wouldn't be able to sell them for a much higher price.

Am I missing something?

I've never had a problem with mine after heavy use.

Magpul has said they are still testing the difference between metal feed lips and not. They've also stated their opinion/findings regarding metal-lined lips.

I don't ever recall them from saying the whole point was to reproduce the Circle 10 mags. That would have been relatively easy. They have always intended to produce two types of AK mags - MOEs and metal-reinforced. How Magpul does it is up to them.

While I like my Circle 10s I'm looking forward to seeing & using the Magpuls' variation on the theme of a metal-reinforced AK mag.

I actually think this might result in lower Circle 10 prices. Arsenal hasn't has any reason to drop their prices for this type of mag due to the lack of competition.

We'll see how this second new Magpul AK mag turns out & if Arsenal wants to retain market share.  

Users will have the choice between traditional Circle 10s at ~$45 ea. or Magpul MRs at ~$20-26 ea. if they want that type of mag.

Okay... sorry for the rant.  I misunderstood.  Thinking back... I simply read discussions on other forums that mentioned the connection with the Circle 10 mags plus the actual scuttlebutt I heard in person at my local gun shops, range, gun-friends, etc.  Again... sorry for the rant.  I am certainly not the type that usually goes off on a tirade on a forum, randomly.  I just saw the video and reacted before getting my facts straight.

That's the information i've seen as well, and since i've now seen reps trying to do damage control and convince people that metal lined feedlips are not necessary, i'm guessing the final product will NOT have them.

And at an MSRP of 27 bucks to boot.

Probably why the MSRP is $27, they don't have metal feed lips.
Oh well, guess I'll keep buying bakelite at $35 per mag if I want something lighter than steel milsurp.

It's not damage control if they're right. 30 year old polymer requires metal reinforcement, Magpul says their modern polymer doesn't. One way or the other we'll have our answer when these start hating the streets.

OK big mistake just like Russia pulling aluminum mags for being to soft at the feed lips. So why would plastic hold up any better? Just put the metal in quit screwing around and get it done right.

Some of you guys would whine if they gave them away.


If you want Circle 10 mags, buy Circle 10 mags.

I've run the standard AK Pmag pretty hard with no problems and I've absolutely abused a Tapco and it's flawless.

I'll be more than satisfied with a reinforced Pmag

Damn, didn't know we had so many accomplished engineers on this forum.

From a design/function/engineering standpoint, I can't say whether they truly need steel feed lips or not. I'd guess that Magpul knows a bunch more about magazine construction than I do.

From a marketing/business standpoint, I can say with pretty good certainty that if they offered an AK mag with metal feed lips, they'd sell a metric crap-ton of them.


{eta - If they don't offer a steel-lip version, and if the non-steel-lip versions keep getting good reviews, I'll probably eventually still try them; just out of curiosity if nothing else. I confess I don't get all the depth of feeling on these threads though. There's enough going on in the world right now that I'm not going to get all emotional about when or whether a new-&-improved AK magazine hits the market.}

There are actually a LOT of engineers on this forum.

And experience in the end, is more important, you can design all kinds of crazy shit on a computer, doesn't mean it's going to work well in the real world. And there are a LOT of guys on this forum with a LOT of experience using various kinds of mags.

I talked with the Magpul guys at SHOT - and they told me they did extensive testing, and he emphasised extensive, on these mags.  He told me they had miles of high-speed footage while dropping these in various conditions and that metal feedlips in Magpul mags are not needed.  He said they put metal where it was needed, and not where it wasn't needed.

Ultimately - time will tell.  However, no one could argue that Magpul doesn't know how make (and test) magazines.

cheers

tire iron

The only real issue with no reinforcing of the feed lips is probably long term storage of loaded mags. Will the feed lips deform after 20 years, and I'll be needing my spectacles to see where my ammo has flown to. As to puttin steel on target while protecting the innocent, I see no problem.

The failure point on modern plastic mags has never been the feedlips.

Hell, look at the Tapco.  That's a great AK mag with a point of weakness at the locking lug.

Steel lips don't seem to be a necessity.

If you won't buy anything that isn't commie spec, just buy commie spec stuff and be happy.

Annnnd ya lost me with that one bro.



Carry on. Stop with the google eyed smileys, this is a technical forum. Don't imply an insult with a smiley. dryflash3

They work great.



The purpose of magazines is to feed ammo to the rifle.



I understand that for some the purpose of magazines is to stockpile a pallet of cosmoline soaked "preps" that aren't now, and never will be used, but that is not the designed purpose of rifle magazines.



The Tapco mags run like a top, and with the exception of potential breakage at the lug, they are a great magazine.