I "think" this is a magpul's generation 3 follower. I have this NHMTG magazine with a 2013 date code. I was originally thinking this was some generic follower. Then i took the mag apart today and here are pics below. It says on the inside "USGI-09 MAGPUL CORP PAT PEND 1LX50".

I have never seen a gen 3 Tan colored follower, only OD Green followers. Is this a "real" tan gen 3 made for the Okay/Colt/NHMTG magazines? It has the same rounded edges in the back, sides are slim like the OD Green gen 3 follower. I was emailing magpul yesterday before i took it apart to get the markings on the inside. They originally thought it was a gen 2 but it didn't have inclined feed ramp and the magpul logo on top. Plus the shape is a mirror image of gen 3.

I have another magazine that has a magpul gen 3 green follower and it does not bind up no matter how i press on the magazine. This "tan" follower will bind up if i press on the front tip and press down. If this is the magpul gen 3 tan follower, did these have issues? I really can't find any info out there on them. Would upgrading these to the green gen 3 followers help? Im wondering if its just the mag body as this is plain flat gray phosphate coating and not like the D&H mags that are black teflon coated.

What is the difference between the green and the yellow gen 3 followers?


Thank you for your time arfcom!









Here is an image showing differences in their generations.

Probably came from DSG in Texas.  Rhey have Magpul make them tan followers.

These are NHMTG Magazines which i believe is Colt/Okay. I emailed magpul again with the new images to see if these were just another color made for a short period of time or if these were specific for the NHMTG magazines. Im hoping for solid info vs vague info.

If anyone here know's more, please let me know.

2013 NHMTG mags should have came with green  Magpul followers, but someone along the way swapped 'em out with those tan ones for some reason.

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These were meant for gun stores to use for demonstration/sales iirc, they work as well as all my Magpul followers

That follower looks identical to the one I got at a show, also installed in an NHMTG magazine. I posted a photo comparison of it here. It's a Gen 3 Magpul follower, but in a non-standard color. I'm guessing that at some point, Okay / NHMTG had Magpul produce a batch of followers for them that were installed and sold in their factory mags.

I'll repost the info and image from that old thread:

I came across this odd beige / yellowish brown color Gen 3 follower a few years ago (to the right of the orange, with foliage green and DSG’s FDE on its right). It was installed in an NHMTG mag that I bought at a show. Not sure if it was part of a special run that Magpul did for someone or what. I’ve never seen another like it.

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This is what magpul replied to me by email.

“Good morning! Yeah, that is one of ours. Not Gen 3 though, probably early Gen 2. We did not supply them to Colt so someone else put those in there.”

Looking at the above posters image and based on other images I see, I do not think it is an early gen 2 like the guy at magpul said. It is shaped 100% exactly like a gen 3 just a different color.

I know I could buy a new set of gen 3 green’s but If this is made exactly the same but in a different color then there would be no need to change.

Magpul says they did not supply colt with any followers. If that is true then I’m curious how this dealer had 5000 of them on hand in huge factory style boxes. The mistake I made was only buying 10 at $3 each. I should have bought atleast 100 and I can’t go back because the shop closed down a few years ago. I’ve had these sitting around ever since.

Shame on you.

Magpul and patent info embossed into the follower.


Confirmed by Magpul as theirs already.

Sorry, I missed this part of your original post when I replied previously. This is just speculation, but it could be the magazine itself that is causing the binding. I bought three new NHMTG magazines about 8 or 9 years ago, and the channel inside the rear spine was pretty tight. I think it was a combination of the coating being new and the formed metal spine also being on the narrow side of spec. I installed Magpul Ranger plates in them, and the locking plates got a bit stuck in the rear spine when I inserted them. I don't recall the followers themselves having any issues - I think it came with a foliage green follower from the factory.

You might try just temporarily swapping it out for another follower to see if it still sticks. It will probably work itself out after a few cycles at the range. I wouldn't be concerned about it, personally. I think despite what Magpul said, these were just a batch of Gen 3 followers that they made in a different color for some reason, and Okay used in a production run of NHMTG followers. I think the rep was just thrown off by you asking about Colt, since Colt doesn't make magazines, and they probably just immediately thought, "we never sold any followers to Colt."

I'm glad you posted this, because I wasn't sure why that one magazine I picked up at the show had that unusual color follower.

Are those an Orange or Red color?

Appear orange?

I ended up with a handful and thought mine were fakes.  Darker than most web pics.

Definitely red

I got these from my buddys gun shop, first guy selling Magpul in the area at the time.

Damn camera always throws colors off!
I have one that is a darker orange too.

That's cool!

Unfortunately reds/oranges seem to look different from person to person also.

I have some Orange Gen2 followers stashed away.
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FYI, the problem is the mag body. It has to be the phosphate coating. I took my gen 3 follower from my d&h magazines and got the same sticking follower.

These tan color followers worked 100% in my d&h Mags perfectly. I don’t think it will be an issue as when I load a mag up, I can hand cycle the rifle and they all feed and eject.

The tan follower in the nhmtg mags are shaped 100% exactly the same as the green followers. Magpul was mistaken as these are truly gen 3, just a different color.

Mags are anodized not phosphated.

I'd shit can the offending mag and trek on personally.  

Well the mil spec dry film gray coating is absolute junk. They were brand new when I got them. I hesitated when I bought them thinking they were used at first even though it was many years ago. The finish is essentially battlefield pickup.

However it’s not just 1 magazine. It’s all 10 are this way. Plus they do cycle fine. Maybe I’m just being picky but the D&H mags don’t have an issue with their coating on the inside. You just can’t make them bind up at all. These I can make it bind up but the reality is that no magazine is out under pressure at the very front point as the bullets float over that area and never touch the follower. All the pressure is from the back to the middle until the bullet casing is fed into the firearm.

In that case actually shooting with them is my suggestion.

The mil-spec finish is fine.  Teflon is not mil-spec for a reason.  

You have a bad mag body.  Toss it.

I had an entire case of bad Okays a few years ago.  It happens.

Just an update. I ran all 10 mags twice. Barrel was smoking hot but the short story is they all function perfectly.

Also what’s neat is the guy who used to work for that store that sold the mags to me now works for a different shop. I talked to him and he said the mags were contract overrun for the military. They were never meant for retail sales. He said you won’t ever find them on the market ever again with that color follower.