AR Sponsor
Posted: 5/19/2014 11:26:58 AM EDT
|
If you buy a 458 SOCOM or .50 Beowulf upper it does not come with any magazines. If you buy a whole rifle, it comes with only one magazine.
Which magazines are compatible with which cartridges? I have not found any definitive info on magazine compatibility and am having a tough time finding big bore magazines listed for sale, at all. Can I buy magazines stamped with "458 SOCOM" or "50 BEOWULF" stamped on the baseplate (to differentiate them from a high cap 223 magazine)? Who sells them? Do either of these use conventional 20 or 30 round AR magazines, such that I can use my existing, legally owned high capacity magazines with them (with associated round capacity reduction)? |
|
Quoted:
If you buy a 458 SOCOM or .50 Beowulf upper it does not come with any magazines. If you buy a whole rifle, it comes with only one magazine. Which magazines are compatible with which cartridges? I have not found any definitive info on magazine compatibility and am having a tough time finding big bore magazines listed for sale, at all. Can I buy magazines stamped with "458 SOCOM" or "50 BEOWULF" stamped on the baseplate (to differentiate them from a high cap 223 magazine)? Who sells them? Do either of these use conventional 20 or 30 round AR magazines, such that I can use my existing, legally owned high capacity magazines with them (with associated round capacity reduction)? .458" SOCOM is supposed to use standard AR magazines, @ roughly 30% capacity - ie, a 30 round AR magazine will hold 10 rnds of .458" SOCOM. Rather convenient, that. 
.50" Beowulf & .450" Bushmaster may require tweaking of the feed lips, or you can buy proprietary magazines from Bushmaster or Alexander Arms. |
|
Yes the 458 SOCOM uses standard AR15/556 magazines. I can fit 11 in my 30 rounders. I got some 15 round mags that fit 5 perfectly. Use them for hunting and removed the double stack ridges on the follower so only the socom rounds will fit. Did this because I can only have 5 rounds in a semi auto for hunting. This way there is no confusion as I cannot put 556 rounds in them anymore for that stickler warden out there. Would love to see his face though if he tried to chamber a 556.
This was the deciding factor with the 458 for me. It was designed from the ground up to be able to use standard lower and magazines. Plus for the reloaders it head spaces off the shoulder rather than the case mouth. Easier to trim and can do a better crimp if desired. |
|
Quoted:
Yes the 458 SOCOM uses standard AR15/556 magazines. I can fit 11 in my 30 rounders. I got some 15 round mags that fit 5 perfectly. Use them for hunting and removed the double stack ridges on the follower so only the socom rounds will fit. Did this because I can only have 5 rounds in a semi auto for hunting. This way there is no confusion as I cannot put 556 rounds in them anymore for that stickler warden out there. Would love to see his face though if he tried to chamber a 556. This was the deciding factor with the 458 for me. It was designed from the ground up to be able to use standard lower and magazines. Plus for the reloaders it head spaces off the shoulder rather than the case mouth. Easier to trim and can do a better crimp if desired. Okay, there you go, it uses standard magazines but you can tweak them to make them unambiguously, and uniquely, 458 SOCOM magazines. Excellent. I mean, if you can only have 10 rounds, best to make them count. |
|
Quoted:
But the point is it comes with only ONE. Where do I get more? Quoted:
Quoted:
If you buy a .50 Beowulf it should come with the magazine. But the point is it comes with only ONE. Where do I get more? Alexander Arms. A proprietary magazine for a proprietary cartridge. Or you could get a .458" SOCOM & use ordinary GI mags. 
In the big bore forums, there are guides to tweak regular mags for .50" & .450 Bushmaster. I think Magpuls have to be tweaked for the .458" SOCOM - some tab @ the front of the mag has to be taken out. |
|
Quoted:
Alexander Arms. A proprietary magazine for a proprietary cartridge. Or you could get a .458" SOCOM & use ordinary GI mags.
In the big bore forums, there are guides to tweak regular mags for .50" & .450 Bushmaster. I think Magpuls have to be tweaked for the .458" SOCOM - some tab @ the front of the mag has to be taken out. Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
If you buy a .50 Beowulf it should come with the magazine. But the point is it comes with only ONE. Where do I get more? Alexander Arms. A proprietary magazine for a proprietary cartridge. Or you could get a .458" SOCOM & use ordinary GI mags.
In the big bore forums, there are guides to tweak regular mags for .50" & .450 Bushmaster. I think Magpuls have to be tweaked for the .458" SOCOM - some tab @ the front of the mag has to be taken out. Thank you for the referral and for the info. |
AR Sponsor