I posted this in the 'fancy mags' thread but figured it had run its course by the time I posted so decided
to make a new thread for people to see.

I just tested a variety of different AR mags for Shotgun News and the article is currently on the shelves.
Included PMAG, Tango Down, CProducts SS, Brownells, Bravo Company, Lancer, MSAR and Tapco.

Testing covered
initial impressions
follower tilt and ease of stripping
Stripper clip and LULA mag loader compatibility
Drop Free test
Existing pouch fit
Function check (210 rounds)
Heat test (160 degrees for 4 hours)
Cold test (0 degrees for 48 hours)
Exposure to Bleach solution
Exposure to Diesel, gasoline and CLP
8.5 foot drop test
47 inch impact on side of magazine (155 pounds)
6x6 rollover test, loaded on dirt, loaded on concrete and unloaded on concrete

Regarding videos of magazines being run over, after testing them myself, I don't think they prove anything, but
they do look cool.

For example, I used an M35A2 cargo truck to run over all the different magazines.


This is a 13,000+ pound 6x6
truck. Magazines were run over loaded on dirt, loaded on cement and unloaded on cement.


ALL the magazines, including the aluminum mags from Brownells and Bravo Company, still functioned.
ETA after the second run over the Brownells aluminum mag only fired 29 rounds due to a small dent and the Bravo Co
aluminum magazine would no longer drop free.



Much harder was an 8.5 foot drop test. This was done standing in the bed of the Deuce, from shoulder
height, onto cement. Loaded mags were dropped down a chute to ensure they hit on the feed lips.

Left to Right
Tango Down, PMAG, TAPCO



The Tango Down, PMAG and TAPCO all split down the spine.

Here's a close-up of the very rugged feeling Tango Down

The CProducts Stainless steel mag also died on impact with flattened feedlips.

The aluminum mags still functioned and the Lancer and MSAR suffered little or no damage (but both needed to be reloaded to function)
Two aluminum mags and Lancer


Many more tests than these were performed. For the full write-up check out the Shotgun News article.
My thoughts:
PMAGs are very good, but not as indestructible as some think.
Aluminum mags are not as bad as some think.
You should consider checking out Lancer's mag.....they surprised me.
If MSARs mag dropped free they would be an interesting option.
Dropping mags onto cement is A LOT tougher on them then running them over with a SUV....
but all those videos, from various mag manufacturers, sure did work wonders for advertising didn't they.....

There must be some mistake!

This is the big selling point with the Pmag fan boys here!

but but pmags are indestructable.


when that fad rolled thru I thought why reinvent the wheel

Good info, thanks!

A little epoxy and a clamp and that split Pmag will be back in business!! (I have a number of Pmags in my small collection, so I'm trying to make myself feel better).

Pmags are the 3 wolf shirt of magazines.

I hate Pmags and always have.

But wait I sold all my GI mags for mega tactical P mags! Dammit I carried GI Mags in Iraq for two tours and they never failed but they werent cool looking!

I saw a test a while back where they were running AR magazines over with a F150 or F250 or Chevy/Dodge/equivalent and all the mags smushed. I guess I should say that they ran them over with the truck when it was doing about twenty miles per hour. They also put the front tire on the magazine and turned the wheel back and forth, which was interesting, though extremely destructive to magazines. The torsional forces tore them up.

When you mowed them did you just basically drive the truck on the magazine then off, or run them over at speed? When I read the article I was wondering this. Although the drop test was very destructive and standardized, I've rarely seen many mags get dropped while the vehicle is stopped. More often then not the vehicle is moving. I watched a guy in the sandbox drop a loaded one off a truck while going twenty five and it was totally irreparable. Granted it was a regular .Gov mag, but the thing was garbage after that.

Ok then.........no running over mag with a deuce,got it!

Should be that hard

Nice, I really enjoyed the full article in SGN.

The "Concrete Slab-O-Truth"!  

Nice test David, as always good reading.

Good work!

Since I have a lot of the SS Cproduct mags, are they junk?

P-mag bash fest!

 


Why didn't you  test any Promag or USA's?  

Each mag was run over three times. Once loaded on dirt, once loaded on cement and once unloaded on cement.
The first time, on dirt, the tire was rolled up on them, the truck truck sat for a few seconds and then it was gunned off.
The second time, loaded on cement, the whistler turbo was spooled up and they were run over at about 8 mph.
The third time, unloaded empty, they were rolled onto, the steering where cranked back and forth and clutch dropped.
The Brownells aluminum mag had the truck sitting on it for a couple minutes though as I got out to take the pics.

I read that article for the most part, good article, thorough test.

NOT a PMAG bash......the PMAG performed very well. The ONLY place it had issues was the 8.5 foot drop test.
AND, that is a VERY hard test beyond what the military requires.
PMAG is a great mag, just perhaps not the second coming of the 1611 KJV.

I tested every mag I could get my hands on in sufficient quantities.

The Stainless Steel didn't hold up as well as the aluminum in the drop test.
So, just don't drop them from the back of your Deuce.....

BUT BUT BUT...

You forgot to put the cover thingy majiggy over the PMAG's.  Had you of done this, there would be no damage!  

interesting

would you still replace the followers in your aluminum mags with magpul followers?

I still like PMAGs.

Sorry but that is plain stupid.  

And don't spray them with DEET, either.

me too. they may split when dropped at 8 feet, but they are less likely to crush while in my molle going prone or running around, as opposed to the 5-6 GI mags that I have crushed and damaged this way.  I also like the idea that the feedlips will completely break, as opposed to bending enough to not function but to where you have no idea without using it.

I didn't mean you were bashing them Dave.

I had a problem with USA mags many many years ago with my first AR. It's funny how they do not warranty mags sent back to them full of bullet holes.

I enjoyed the article. Thanks for the online version.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

Interesting.

The vast majority of my mags are gi issue and I don't own a single Pmag.


But then look at my threads.  I go with boring logic and what is real vs emotion and hype.

So why did I buy SS if they're not tougher than aluminum?

"Son,  you're doin the Lord's work there".....

Nice job.....real world testing is always illuminating.

I read the entire article at Walmart the other day.  Fair and Comprehensive.  Nice Job!  

Yes, it's a good upgrade.

What I find interesting is that NO ONE is saying ANYTHING about the
other polymer mags failing.

There is no
Oh my, the Tango Down puked its guts out........
or
look at the TAPCO mag.......

I never really understood the novelty of "my mags can withstand getting run over by a truck!!!" claims...



Does that seem to happen a lot in the day-to-day life of tactical operators?  

Thank you for posting this. It's very informative.



I find the drop test to be very telling, and in fact, I'm pretty happy with my decision to buy aluminum Brownell's mags. This report confirms it.




 

Who gets their mags run over repeatedly by trucks?

It's a meaningless stunt anyway, due to the widely distributed force. Getting your bare foot run over by that truck tire is safer than a midsize sedan generally, due to the distributed force. I don't blame the OP for doing it though, it's the popular test du-jour, and what many of the mag makers do to brag etc...

The drop tests are more telling.

And why does no one ever try to do other useful tests, like put the mags inside web gear on a 180 lb dummy and let it fall over on a rock?

Same here.

With that said, I'll offer $4 for people wanting to get rid of their sub-par PMAGS.

Nice job as usual Dave and I must admit that I'm surprised at some of the results; but not the fact that the Lancers fared far better the others of its type.

Why do you think "at speed" would be more destructive?

Read that article today. While I do have a couple of Pmags I bought just to try out, I never bought more. Not because they didn't work or I didn't like them. I did and I do, BUT, at the time I bought them I had a Daewoo MaxII and an FN FS2000, which I still have. The Pmags rocked rather loosely in the Daewoo and they were a complete no go in the FN. The two Pmags have worked great in all my AR rifles, but I have stuck with the GI type just so I can use the same mags in all my rifles of that caliber.

It was an eye opener for me when I read that last week in Shotgun News.

I would like to see you do a similar test between a Gas Piston AR15 vs AK 47.

Well this makes guys like me, who can't buy ANY new mags feel pretty good about my pre-Y2k USGI's.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ggogp67rRU





????????

Thanks for posting the extra pics.  I read the SGN article Monday and though the results were interesting, particularly with the stainless steel and lancer mags.

I'm not too surprised with that though.  I don't see much mention of them on here.  I'm not married to any particular brand, so I'll go pickup the article next time I'm at the store.

Ditto.  As far as I'm concerned, the Pmags are just another passing fad. The GI mags have been around a long time and will continue to do so. At least a pair of pliers can repair a bent aluminum feed lip.

Nobodys gonna fix a plastic mag split up the middle.

The terminal velocity of Pmags.

I bought SN just for the test. David did a nice job comparing the mags he used, but the test was missing some obvious choices.

I would have included some of the D&H (formerly LaBelle) mags, as well as the expensive Heckler & Koch mags.

Interesting read.

Should try and see what happens when you soak an L5 in DEET.

Also, from reading your article its pretty obvious you wanted to show off your M35A2, didn't you.  

The last time I ordered GI mags from Bravo Co. they were D&H with Bravo Co. floor plates.