I have the opportunity to trade a guy 4 pre ban 32round 9mm factory Colt stick mags for a 72 round drum mag with the AR-9mm tower conversion. Drum looks relatively new, lightly used. I think he said that it was from Vollmer (sp?)

Any thoughts on whether this is a good idea or not? Haven’t used the drum mags in the AR before. I know it is trading 128 rounds for 72, but I have the mags.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

Dave

You gonna be using it in a semi or an MG?

If you have a semi, it's a tossup. If you have an MG and other factory mags, but don't have a drum, I would go for it.

I have both converted drums and stick mags, and use the drums far more often. A full 72 rounds without reloading is great, and a 72-round burst in an SMG is priceless.

A coupla points:

--Some converted Suomis need tuning. I've rebuilt both of mine (and several friends' drums) and they are basic and durable, as long as you have the tension adjusted correctly and they were properly converted.

--Drums are easier to load, and you don't have to worry about them "fountaning" like stick mags will if you bump or drop them.

--Stick mags are faster to load than a drum if you have a good loader like a C3 RapidLoader.

--Drums are MUCH heavier when loaded, and pretty awkward. They definitely affect a gun's handling. Of course, all that weight can actually help you stay on-target! Recoil is minimized.

Hope that helps. Here's my rig, with both types of mags:

[img]http://www.hunt101.com/img/014538.gif[/img]

Thanks for the reply. I just got one drum mag from this guy. Cost was 4 stick mags. He told me that he has a second drum and is willing to trade the same deal.

I have the mags to trade, that isn't a problem.

I'll be using them full auto. I agree that a long burst is more enjoyable that a short stutter. Or is that something else, sorry. The mind wanders!

I guess I'm just wondering as to the availability issue. I doubt that things will change much next September and there are far fewer drum mags out there than stick mags.

Thanks for your input. BTW, where did you get the bags for the drum mags?

Dave