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Posted: 4/21/2010 12:52:18 PM EDT
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A couple of months ago I purchased two Magpul Pmag 30s at a local gun show. I have a DPMS Panther Lite 16. I've put about 500 rounds through the Lite 16 using the two metal magazines that came with the rifle without a single problem. The metal mags slip in and when you push the mag release, drop out.
When I got the Pmags home I didn't even bother to fit them into the Lite 16. I assumed they would fit just fine from all the good press these mags have gotten. I just loaded them with 30 rounds of Remington FMJ and snapped the top cover on the magazine to keep pressure off the lips. Two to three months later (yesterday) I took the rifle and mags to the range. The metal mags worked flawlessly. When I tried to insert the Pmags, they were a very tight fit into the mag well. Once inserted they did NOT drop out with the mag release. They had to be pulled hard to get them out. With the Pmags inserted, after two or three rounds the rifle would jam. The round didn't feed and the bolt struck the side of the case leaving a large dent (gouge) in it. When the charging handle was pulled back, the dented round could be shaken out of the rifle. The same undented rounds were then put into the metal magazines and they feed flawlessly. By leaving the magazine loaded for three months, did I bulge the magazine plastic sides? Are they now ruined? The magazine states 5.56x45, has an "M6" on it, has an "09" in a circle, and appears to have been made in April of 2009. I never expected to have problems with these mags. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. |
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Quoted: A couple of months ago I purchased two Magpul Pmag 30s at a local gun show. I have a DPMS Panther Lite 16. I've put about 500 rounds through the Lite 16 using the two metal magazines that came with the rifle without a single problem. The metal mags slip in and when you push the mag release, drop out. When I got the Pmags home I didn't even bother to fit them into the Lite 16. I assumed they would fit just fine from all the good press these mags have gotten. I just loaded them with 30 rounds of Remington FMJ and snapped the top cover on the magazine to keep pressure off the lips. Two to three months later (yesterday) I took the rifle and mags to the range. The metal mags worked flawlessly. When I tried to insert the Pmags, they were a very tight fit into the mag well. Once inserted they did NOT drop out with the mag release. They had to be pulled hard to get them out. With the Pmags inserted, after two or three rounds the rifle would jam. The round didn't feed and the bolt struck the side of the case leaving a large dent (gouge) in it. When the charging handle was pulled back, the dented round could be shaken out of the rifle. The same undented rounds were then put into the metal magazines and they feed flawlessly. By leaving the magazine loaded for three months, did I bulge the magazine plastic sides? Are they now ruined? The magazine states 5.56x45, has an "M6" on it, has an "09" in a circle, and appears to have been made in April of 2009. I never expected to have problems with these mags. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. I never had any problems with Pmags in my DPMS, but I have seen a few posts lately in the AR15 discussion forum about Pmags not fitting or dropping free from DPMS lowers. Sounds like some of the new lowers have a magwell that isn't in spec. Do you have access to another lower to test fit the Pmags? |
| I've got a DPMS and 2 Pmag30's and 1 Pmag20. I had to take some fine grit sandpaper and knock down the front and rear of the Pmags a little bit. Haven't had a single problem since I did that, maybe 140 rounds or so of cheap Federal UMC 55 grain. Just a little tug to get the mags out, they don't drop free but then again I don't really want them to (they'll wear in eventually). |
| This is not a flame, but why is it when a lower accepts and drops GI mil-spec mags just fine but not pmags, that the lower is always deemed out of spec by everyone on here? Could it be that the pmag is not in spec? Considering that the lower accepts mil-spec parts but not aftermarket I find this a somewhat amusing knee-jerk response. If I went to the dealership to have my oil changed, and they came back saying that their aftermarket oil filter wouldn't fit, I wouldn't blame the car as being out of spec. Just sayin'. |
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This is not a flame, but why is it when a lower accepts and drops GI mil-spec mags just fine but not pmags, that the lower is always deemed out of spec by everyone on here? Could it be that the pmag is not in spec? Considering that the lower accepts mil-spec parts but not aftermarket I find this a somewhat amusing knee-jerk response. If I went to the dealership to have my oil changed, and they came back saying that their aftermarket oil filter wouldn't fit, I wouldn't blame the car as being out of spec. Just sayin'. I would imagine that lowers are manufactured with magwell tolerances meant to accept the traditional USGI mag & not catered to the aftermarket Pmags. That's not to say that there are not rare occasions when some lowers don't even accept USGI mags but that is an extreme example. Everyone knows that each "maufacturer" has differenct specs but what lower was spec'd to fit the Pmag when they were being developed? It's possible that the DPMS is out of spec given some of the garbage they put out but I'll concur with what some of armednhappy stated as well. |
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its the magwell, not the mags. if they're that new, the problem was already fixed (not that there was a problem with the mags in the first place.). some older guns (i had a colt that comes to mind) just don't have much room in the magwell. i've had some that take pmags and some that don't.
neither is at fault really. don't blame either. if you're gonna stick with usgi mags, just make sure they have good new springs and magpul followers. |
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Every Pmag from the begining to the new generations worked fine in my Colts, LMT's and DD. Some lowers out there are out of spec...  Well, I have seen newer generation PMAGS that don't drop free from a Colt M4, I would guess that it was in spec but on the lower end of the tolerance. Some of the PMAGS dropped free fine, while others wouldn't. The only double feed I had in a carbine class was a PMAG, all the older USGI, including some with black followers worked fine. PMAG dimensions just don't seem to be very consistent in my opinion. YMMV |
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Quoted: I guess these magical Pmags aren't as good as people used to say they are. There are sure a lot of reports these days of tight-fitting / failure-to-drop PMags. IMHO, plastic and mags should not be spoken in the same breath. If you have a receiver that is out of spec then it will case problems, I'm not quite sure how that is the magazine's fault. The magazines were engineered to Colt magazine well specs, if your rifle is out of spec blame the manufacturer.  |
| I've had a few pmags that would not fit without a little sanding, and this was in more than one rifle and the pmags were out of spec, just a little had to be taken off the front and back, still work great though, and i have also stored ammo in the pmags without a problem. Every company is going to have a few out of spec parts get out. And for specs, most of my ar15 mil mags are around 2.530" front to back, on average my pmags are around 2.540" to 2.546" and the one that was out of spec was around 2.560", not bad considering the number of parts they make. |
| Thanks for the responses guys. My first thought was I did something to the mag by keeping it loaded for a couple of months. Now I'll just get a couple more D & H Industries USGI metal mags. These were what came with the rifle and worked flawlessly from day one. I'll trade the Pmags for some com-block AK mags at the next gun show. Thanks again for the help. |
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Every Pmag from the begining to the new generations worked fine in my Colts, LMT's and DD. Some lowers out there are out of spec... Well, I have seen newer generation PMAGS that don't drop free from a Colt M4, I would guess that it was in spec but on the lower end of the tolerance. Some of the PMAGS dropped free fine, while others wouldn't. The only double feed I had in a carbine class was a PMAG, all the older USGI, including some with black followers worked fine. PMAG dimensions just don't seem to be very consistent in my opinion. YMMV I also had a double feed malfunction using a Pmag but it was not the mag it was me. I was using stripper clips to load my mag and realized the ammo would sometimes bind up when geting to the end of loading up the mag. As for Pmags not dropping from a Colt, Yes I have one of those. This issue is only with my Colt Sporter light weight rifle I purchased in 1991 but my 6920 and 6933 have no issues. |
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I guess these magical Pmags aren't as good as people used to say they are. There are sure a lot of reports these days of tight-fitting / failure-to-drop PMags. IMHO, plastic and mags should not be spoken in the same breath. Tell that to the U.S. military, they must not have gotten your memo... 
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I think the moral of this story is that weapons and the components you put in / on them are unique in and of themselves, and no matter how good (or bad) a company's QC is variances will occur. Test your gear for reliability and function. Tweak your individual weapon systems.
I have nothing against pmags as they are in such constant use around here and have been proven tougher than nails (by others, i've never owned one). I just prefer GI mags. YMMV. ETA I think my experience with ram line mags back in the day ruined me forever 
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I have lots of Pmags in 556 and 308, they ALL work and fit perfectly in all rifles I've tried (including AUG clones) Don't let the plastic fool you, they use a high grade plastic and they hold up better to abuse than aluminum mags. I'll never go back.  By saying Pmags in 308 I am assuming you are meaning "plastic" mags? |
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I have lots of Pmags in 556 and 308, they ALL work and fit perfectly in all rifles I've tried (including AUG clones) Don't let the plastic fool you, they use a high grade plastic and they hold up better to abuse than aluminum mags. I'll never go back. By saying Pmags in 308 I am assuming you are meaning "plastic" mags? 
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