Does anyone know anything about 30 rd teflon mags marked with "DPMS" and a panther head on the floorplate?  It is just the initials (DPMS) not spelled out (Defense Procurement Manufacturing Services).  What's up with these?

Here's a thread.

[url]http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=17&t=142922&w=searchPop[/url]

Here's another.

[url]http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=17&t=143180&w=searchPop[/url]

Not sure if those links answered any questions or not.

LaBelle used to make teflon coated 30rd. mags, as well as other varieties. Black or grey teflon. Sold them to other distributers with various floorplates. Bushmaster, Defense Procurement Manufacturing services, blank floorplates, maybe other variations.

The Bushmaster and Defense Procurement varients are pretty popular and go for $35-$45 NIW if you find them.

I have several black and grey teflons. The plastic wrappers on the grey Defense Procurement mags clearly say LaBelle on the bag, with a date of '87. The black ones (also Defense Procurement) are in barcoded bags similar to any NIW G.I. mags, but do not list a manufacturer. They all have black followers.

The mags with Panther floorplates are being sold by Rguns currently, as you see in the links above. The best guess is that they are Labelle mags that started life with blank floorplates. Not sure if the green followers were installed at the factory or later. At some point they have been unwrapped, new floorplates installed, and repackaged.

Their history is a little cloudy due to being altered and repackaged, so they are not commanding the higher price that the Defense Procurement marked mags bring. No manufacturer markings on the bags, so who knows for sure?

Hope this helps.

I've seen some better guesses than that. I think Kevin has the best guess.

I was kind of curious about this as well.  I have NIW blacks and grays exactly as you describe here.  When I first got them I expected the wrappers to be identical, but it looks like this is how the original ones were.

I have some new gray teflon mags that are in blank wrap. Is this original or rewraped? Are all dmps spelled out floor plates teflons?

I have 3 of the Labell teflon mags with blank floor plates that are grey and in the bar coded wrapper without the Labell name on the wrapper. I have never seen a true Labelle teflon new in the wrapper with a green follower.
I believe these were later added to mags and re packaged.
These may be true factory teflon mags but who knows for sure?

 Mark

I don't know the answer to either of those questions Ark. Not a mag expert, mostly know what I have learned here.

I have not seen any blank clear plastic bags with NIW mags from any of the major government contract fulfilling manufacturers. The only thing I know for sure is that for every known fact regarding mag characteristics and lineage, there seems to be an exeption that pops up.

I have read the quote you referred to New-arguy. I don't doubt it's veracity, just didn't want to say it.

Merry Christmas!

This is a little brutal, but I don't give a rat's ars if the R Guns mags are real LaBelle or not, all I want to know is are they truly descent quality milspec mags?  At $25, it's a good value if they are since they appear new, tefloned, and with green followers - provided they are milspec.  I say this because I bought a couple of lots from R Guns.  Not trying to collect LaBelle, just want some nice mags.  Anyone try them out yet?  Know if they are milspec?  [>:/]

Like I said in the other post over in Gen AR Disc. No teflon mag is milspec. Im sure you'll see it there, but I will post it here for others. Milspec calls for a different finish, the teflon coating on these mags keeps them from being milspec. Other than the finish, they should be in spec.

To be clear however, in this case, not being milspec is not a bad thing. In fact, this same teflon coating which keeps them from being milspec is actually what makes them better.

As to milspec - I just meant in the general construction and material, not the finish or refinish.  Obviously teflon is not milspec, I just want them to physically work.  I am talking metal, welding, feed lips, heat treatment if applicable, and so on.  If I take a milspec mag, and then refinish it in Teflon, I am happier with that...

Troy,

Thanks much, that alleviated a lot of anxiety for me.  I was sweating it because I already bought a lot of these, but as usual, haven't used them yet.   [:P]

Sharkman,

I got four of these mags as a gift from a friend, who purchased them from Rguns. 60 rounds thru each so far without a hitch in my bushie.

I like them so far....

ordered 15 of the teflon mags from Rguns.  Blank floorplate.  Finish looked new and recent.  Welds on the front and rear did NOT look like the welds on my USGI mags.  The welds were bigger, and seemed to push the metal out, so the edge of the overlap was not straight.

Had touble with 3 of the first 5 mags I opened.  Failures to feed, especially in the first 5 rounds or so.  Called Roger, and he gave me full credit when I returned them all.  We both agreed it could have been a compatiblilty issue with my rifle (Gov't carbine lower, new Colt M4 upper).  I subsequently used my credit to purchase an Eotech 552.  I was VERY happy with Roger's service.     GH

AK Mike-I am like you-I don't give a rat's fat ass about who made the mags, or by what process  they became mags, or what coating, floorplate, etc.  I just care if they work-and these SOB's WORK, and work great!!  I have several, and they work perfectly in all of my AR's.  Also, they practically shoot of the magwell when released!!

AZsherman were you mag welds the same as descrbed by Geohans?  Your review sounds stellar and Geohans' sounds like he got fatory rejects which had to be returned.