I'm buying whatever is cheap, both PMags and USGI mags have proven to be reliable in my guns...I think one of the posters nailed it above, mags are disposable items, use 'em until they don't work any more, toss them, and switch to something else.

Mags are consumables...folks put way, way too much effort into worrying about them lasting for eons.

There are several engineering and materials science problems for polymer mags.

Longevity when exposed to high dust environments is bad, to the point that a very reliably magazine will suddenly become sluggish, due to the accumulation of microscopic particles embedded inside the mag body.

Coefficient of friction changes dramatically at one point, so this is why periodic replacement is an important protocol to enforce.

The other problem is with the new M855A1 projectiles, which have unusually sharp, steel meplats.

With recoil, the meplats will start to form indentations inside the front wall of the magazine, making intermittent ruts that cause sluggish feeding and column nose-dives.

This is also true with metal magazines though, and was experienced in a certain program with the MP5 with a coalition partner.

Aluminum can dent, and poly can crack.

Either are good choices.  I'll stick with USGI.  I have cracked WAY more feed lips than I have dented mags, when dropping on concrete surfaces in competitions.  

If you aren't abusive, either will serve just as well.


Once thing history has already taught me - aluminum USGI mags will still work fine 60 years down the road.

Will plastic mags last as long?

Nobody knows.

GI mags with Magpul followers describes most of my mags. Most of them stay loaded, too.

GI mags are made out of aluminium not steel.

I think this is truly one of those topics where the correct answer is 'get both'.

Neither is realistic.

This. Too many guys go all Silence of The Lambs on their mags. (You know, big pit in the basement that is full of mags, lowering a bucket with lotion to them while dancing around naked to Depeche Mode...)

We are talking AR15 / m16 family guns, right?
What GI mags are steel ?

Metal on glass sound like a good way to scratch the glass.

When people say stupid shit like that, it is all you need to know about them.  

Elander makes some, for one.  Not govt issue, but the same pattern.

I have had a rifle that would not run with Gen3 Pmags.  The feed lips created too much friction with the bottom of the carrier.

This was a competition rig and I needed the 40 round pmags, so I replaced the carrier with a JP and the issue was gone.  But yes, some rifles will have issues with pmags, in my direct experience.

USGI, have seen way too many issues with plastic mags over the years. Feedlips sheering off, splits, cracks, etc., polymer mags are overrated.

That would be true if we didn't have to worry about said consumable becoming impossible to legally obtain in the future?

My supply of toilet paper would be a lot different if there was a very real possibility of me not being able to obtain more whenever I wanted to with relative ease.

Elander does not make USGI mags.

In NY we have these things called 10 round mags.  My metal ones have all worked good.  A few of the PMags had issues initially but work fine now after a little TLC.   Quite frankly I have worked too hard for my money to do things like 30 round mag dumps and then say;  "Wow!  The bet $10 I ever spent."   In the past I rarely used anything more than 20 round mags.  Those were the most reliable ones I owned.

Get both.


Let the kids have the plastic, and the old men have their metal.

Lancer is the answer!

I like both. Metal mags fit into the usgi mag bandoliers without modifying.

I've got 6 bandoliers in a milk crate I can grab

I doubt many of those mags get dropped on concrete/ground when empty. If they did then the advantage swings back to PMAGs. For pure feeding and firing cycles without drops then sure the metal probably wins there.

All my loaded shtf mags are Lancers. All my range mags are Gen2 Pmags (less noise than USGI, easier to grasp, easier to know when they've gone bad, less wear on the magwell from multiple reloads).
However, if the only mags I could own were USGI, I wouldn't lose sleep at night.

Tomac

I've heard the metal mags feed 300 blk subs better than the pmags.

That was a while back though.

As others have mentioned that magazines are ultimately consumable if you're lucky enough to run them for a while.

I'll quote the great sadly missed Pat Rogers, "Don't fall in love with your magazines."  And he was 100% right.

then Elander does NOT make some. He said GI, not GI pattern.

I hope not!  I have about 100 metal mags and not a single polymer one.  All mine work fine!

I like both, but the LULA slides off the Pmags very easily.

I like my old thermold 20 rounders as much as metal 20s or pmag 20s
For 30s I don't care as long as they feed. If they don't feed they get tossed.
I like my metal 40s a lot though. Don't have any plastic 40s.

I think so too.  The ammo in the mag costs more than the mag.  Replacing worn and damaged mags isn't an issue.  

I like Pmags for range use.  A little easier to load and you can beat on them.  I keep 40s in my house gun.  For long term stockpiling I buy USGI.  I have 50 year old 20s that work fine so I figure new alumium mags will store and function fine far into the future.  I don't trust plastic as much.

While I have a few Pmags, I have about 50 USGI mags. I prefer the USGI mags and will always buy them over the plastic ones.

USGI FTW, but i will buy poly mags too...

I won't trust my life to plastic.......

My 30 year old thermolds have never failed me. My usgi with both black and green followers have never failed me.  I have no use for pmags. My old 3 spot weld parsons work fine.

Both have their pros and cons.

Polymer is more durable when it comes to outright abuse, but doesn't last as long when left loaded, and becomes brittle after extended UV light exposure. Some people have problems with Pmags feed lips spreading; it seems to be rather random, differing from batch to batch, as I've got Pmags from 20010 that have been loaded since I got 'em, used regularly, and still work perfectly fine. Yet some have Pmags that become totally unreliable after being left loaded only a year or two, since the loose feed lips cause double feed malfunctions. Magpul's official word on this is that Pmag feed lips do not spread from being left loaded.

Hybrid mags like the Lancer AWM and the Bulgarian mags are a mix of polymer and steel. Lancers have a cult following, and they are great mags. Few bucks more than Pmags, but worth it for fully transparent mag bodies, or for storing them loaded for long periods. Bulgarian mags need some fitting, according to people who have them.

USGI mags are the standard. They just work. You can leave 'em loaded and don't have to worry about the feed lips spreading, ever. They are unaffected by extreme temperatures or UV light. They can be dented rather easily, which can cause the follower to bind up. Okay Surefeed and D&H are the most popular. If you are buying mags specifically to store them loaded for an unspecified period of time, go USGI. Cheaper than polymer mags.

Steel USGI-style mags are a mixed bag. Depending on the brand, they can built like tanks and work perfectly, or they can be heavier than aluminum USGI while being no more durable. The HK mags can be great, but you have to swap the spring and follower, since they're junk; complete bullshit for the price they're asking. The steel FNH mags are GTG, but very heavy and expensive, though less so than HK. C-Products stainless mags have been great for me, very durable, but a few people have gotten lemons, so I would say test those before trusting them. Mako mags are a joke; some, from a few select batches, are GTG while most are shit. ASC mags are another mixed bunch, but ASC doesn't care about supporting customers, so I'd avoid them. Overall, either get FNH or C-Products if you want steel.

NHMTG with Magpul followers are my go-to mag.

I too am becoming a 20 round mag whore.  They seem perfect for everything I do.

Have both, like both

I like PMAGs, when one goes bad it's usually broken and very easy to spot do you toss it and get a new one out of the pile. They'll usually run even with a broken spine or cracked feedip so I'm not terribly worried about them leaving me high and dry.

For overall length of service life I have some straight 20s that are easily 20 years old that are still trucking. They're ugly and finish is gone but they still feed. I'd probably get more of them if I was worried about how long they'll last.

LOL, that's how I think (I'm old too)

I've got dozens of PMAG's and I've got HUNDREDS of
Aluminum USGI's.  I know this'll sound goofy to most
here but an AR15 just looks "right" to me with an
anodized aluminum 30 sticking out of it

In my experience the metal mags last longer in terms of shooting, while the poly mags stand up better to most types of poor handling.

I will echo the comments from above about grit getting into plastic mags; after a certain number of suppressed rounds through them, they just never seem to work the same.


Odd stuff like the Lancers don't really fit into either category.  I really like them.

Yep and I'm willing to bet that the springs in those mags are trashed.

Metal mags have thinner bodies and are larger inside and allow for longer COALs when loading.

Still being made under Okay name I thought?  Or they selling off the last of those too?

Had some PMAGs, found out they sucked. Talked to Magpul about it and they admitted "Yeah, we changed our design because those had problems."
Had some AWMs, found out they sucked. Talked to Lancer about it and they admitted "Yeah, we changed our tooling because those had problems."
Bought some D&H USGI mags, found out they're perfect.

Now I only have D&H mags.

Or in freezing cold and then drop it....