Just got my first AR, but now have a question

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Just got my first AR, but now have a question

Posted: 4/1/2002 4:41:30 PM EDT

This past weekend, I picked up my first AR....an Armalite M15A2. I haven't had a chance to fire it, but it looks great!

Now I have a question on the magazine side of things. The Armalite came with a 10-rounder STEEL magazine. My dealer says he can get me pre-ban 20-rounders NEW for $17. I've been looking around though for the last year, and it appears all the USGI are aluminum. Should I purchase used USGI's for $20 or so, or should I buy these new steel ones for $17? I'm a little concerned about putting a steel magazine into an aluminum receiver.....

Thanks!

Posted: 4/1/2002 5:29:52 PM EDT

[#1]

USGI USGI USGI........

Posted: 4/1/2002 7:47:20 PM EDT

[#2]

Steel=bad
Alluminum=good

Posted: 4/1/2002 8:32:26 PM EDT

[#3]

No Contest... USGI!!!!

Bravo5-2

Posted: 4/2/2002 4:28:58 AM EDT

[#4]

Thanks to all!

Posted: 4/2/2002 7:16:57 AM EDT

[#5]

Unless you are a law enforcement officer, you CAN NOT legally possess "new" hi-cap magazines.

You can only buy hi-cap mags made before the ban..and that is why USGI used mags are more expensive. Dealers will sell new hi-cap mags to anyone because they want to make money, even though the public are not allowed to own them.

Also, stick with 20 and 30 round mags as many people have reliability problems with the 40s...and they are too long for most shooting purposes anyway.

Posted: 4/2/2002 8:47:12 AM EDT

[#6]

NMR,

Definately go with aluminum USGI mags - it's not even a close call. However, make sure, unless you're a cop, that the mags you buy either don't have a date stamp on them or, if they do, that they're dated BEFORE 9/94. If it's after 9/94, or if it says "military/law enforcement only" or something similar, it's a post-ban mag and you can't possess it.

Posted: 4/2/2002 10:01:17 AM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
NMR,

Definately go with aluminum USGI mags - it's not even a close call. However, make sure, unless you're a cop, that the mags you buy either don't have a date stamp on them or, if they do, that they're dated BEFORE 9/94. If it's after 9/94, or if it says "military/law enforcement only" or something similar, it's a post-ban mag and you can't possess it.

O come on man. That's the most PC advise I've ever heard. If it doesn't have a date on it, who cares. If it says LEO/Military on it, well you MIGHT not want to buy it, but that's your call.

Posted: 4/2/2002 10:04:59 AM EDT

[#8]

Read my post, dude. It says make sure they don't have a date on them. You know they're pre-ban if there's no date. As for buying them even if you know they're post-ban, I'm not about to advise a newbie to do that.

I'm not trying to be pc, I'm just trying to let NMR know some things to look for.

Posted: 4/2/2002 10:25:06 AM EDT

[#9]

O well that makes more sense then!
My bad, I thought it said make sure they had a date on then. Laterz

Posted: 4/2/2002 12:40:30 PM EDT

[#10]

First of all, the magazines he can get are all pre-ban...he's a good guy, and will not break the law!

I agree with all of you that aluminum is much better than steel. My problem is why would Armalite send out STEEL magazines with their weapons??? Do all the manufacturers give out steel mags, or is it just Armalite. Plus, the magazine that came with my AR does not have ANY stamps on it saying who it was manufactured by. It is obviously brand new (this is a 10-rounder BTW), but steel....

Does this seem wrong, or is it just me!

Posted: 4/3/2002 8:56:41 AM EDT

[#11]

The problem isn't the fact that the pre-ban hi-cap mags are made out of steel (steel mags won't hurt your reciever). The problem is that almost all of the pre-ban hi-cap mags on the market are made of soft steel that is not case-hardened. This leads to feeding problems since the feed lips deform easily and probably weren't dimensioned right in the first place (or so has been my experience). The USGI mags are made of aluminum (very soft aluminum) and then hard-coat anodized for strength and durability. Undamaged USGI mags almost always work. Get the USGI mags!

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Just got my first AR, but now have a question

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