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Posted: 8/6/2007 7:06:31 AM EDT
[#1]
D&H work the best for me but getting them at the moment will be hard.
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Posted: 8/6/2007 7:27:26 AM EDT
[#2]
HANDS DOWN HECKLER KOCH (HK) 416 30 ROUND MAGAZINES ! 
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Posted: 8/6/2007 8:30:58 AM EDT
[#3]
Those aren't compatible with my wallet. 
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Posted: 8/6/2007 9:11:10 AM EDT
[#4]
I've had great success with C Products stainless steel magazines and a nunber of aluminum magazines (e.g. D&H).
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Posted: 8/6/2007 9:14:38 AM EDT
[#5]
USGI contract mag, used to kill bad guys all over the World, no mag has a better track record. All are aluminum with pretty boring standard components. People will tell you otherwise but USGI mags have proven themselves for the past 40 yrs. Good enough for the military, should be good enough for most people here except the high speed Rambo types that need better than the average Joe. Some aftermarket might be as good but without the track record.
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Posted: 8/6/2007 9:16:05 AM EDT
[#6]
Ditto, CProducts SS mags, w/ Magpul follwers and Chrome-silicon springs - I own almost ever AR15/M16 mag brand made, with the exception of the high-dollar HKs and have seen no reason to expend the additional funds to aquire any of those since the purchase of Larry's SS mag products.
mike |
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Posted: 8/6/2007 11:03:07 AM EDT
[#7]
It's easy to find D&H again. most of the board vendors have them in stock.
The good mags are HK, but they are 4 to 5 times the cost of USGI aluminum mags. USGI mags are good and cheap ($10 ea) Okay, Center ind, Brownells, I'll also count D&H in this group as well as Cproducts. Cproducts also has some stainless steel mags that folks like. they are a bit more then the USGI. Cproducts has put out some that had issues so you will want ot test them. But that is a good idea on any mag. New to the market and looking very promising is the P-mag from magpul. |
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Posted: 8/6/2007 1:16:56 PM EDT
[#8]
D&H is among the easiest to find out there now (or at least they have been for the last year or so). I like Okay, Center Ind., NHMTG (same as Okay), Labelle and D&H. They are all more or less equivalent. I also like the new Magpul Pmags. |
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Posted: 8/6/2007 1:24:26 PM EDT
[#9]
Best: H&K
Second best: USGI Good enough: D&H |
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Posted: 8/6/2007 1:27:53 PM EDT
[#10]
H&K are $39 at CDNN right now. Please post a source where we can buy USGI magazines for 1/4 that price. I would love to find a source for true USGI mags for under $10 each. But most places they are $12 or above. You can get some USGI type commercial knockoffs for $9.99, but they are neither USGI or 1/4 of HK mags price. |
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Posted: 8/6/2007 1:29:18 PM EDT
[#11]
I hear you. I bought 4 HK's and said "That's enough" tested 'em and set 'em aside for special occasions. |
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Posted: 8/6/2007 1:31:24 PM EDT
[#12]
Pmags
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Posted: 8/6/2007 2:23:35 PM EDT
[#13]
HANDS DOWN HECKLER KOCH (HK) 416 30 ROUND MAGAZINES !hose LMAO^^ ... OKAY mags do it for me 100% also recommend D&H 100% as well. 223SAINT |
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Posted: 8/6/2007 3:32:08 PM EDT
[#14]
P-Mags all the way...just watch the videos on youtube!!
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Posted: 8/6/2007 5:34:55 PM EDT
[#15]
Provided they are 07/07 or newer they are very good exept for some magwell fit issues. My 03/07's were crap and I'm still waiting for the replacements. Once all the bugs are worked out they should be a very good option. |
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Posted: 8/6/2007 5:39:01 PM EDT
[#16]
I have 05/07s that are poifekt functionally. |
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Posted: 8/6/2007 7:06:43 PM EDT
[#17]
Um.... 3.25 times as expensive is still 3 mags + shipping for each HK mag cost... since all ~40 or so of my mags work flawless, being USGI (Okay, 'colt', center ind, etc), d&h, cproducts, and pmags. Do the HK mags give 110%? They must poop ammo or something
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Posted: 8/6/2007 7:17:50 PM EDT
[#18]
The EE. For example here are 13 for $110. Center Industries with the militarty contract number right on the package. http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=7&f=24&t=460175 Always such deals on the EE, I don't think CDNN has had HK's in stock for quite a while, but you can find those on the EE as well. |
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Posted: 8/6/2007 8:51:00 PM EDT
[#19]
.
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Posted: 8/6/2007 10:35:25 PM EDT
[#20]
Tag
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Posted: 8/7/2007 6:11:42 AM EDT
[#21]
USGI....Just watch the nightly news and you will see them in magwells of US forces all over the world.
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Posted: 8/7/2007 6:14:06 AM EDT
[#22]
I've never had any trouble out of USGIs.
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Posted: 8/7/2007 6:55:22 AM EDT
[#23]
USGI....Just watch the nightly news and you will see them in magwells of US forces all over the world.
With all due respect, just how do you know who's magazine is in that magwell? It could be D&H, C Products, Brownells, Center or OKay. You still refuse to believe that not all magazines used by our Armed Forces are supplied under a US contract. That magazine can be one of the 5 companies mentioned above. Are you going to argue that a D&H magazine does not meet the dimensional specifications of a "USGI" because they do not currently have a contract? Or C Products? D&H used to be under contract. Because they are not currently does that mean their magazine is inferior to a magazine that is under contract? Its the same tooling. I am not picking on you, this is for everyone with the "USGI" mentality. Unless you know exactly what it takes to be under contract for magazines, dimensions, tests, etc,etc you can't make the statement that a "USGI" magazine is superior to any other. Price alone could determine if you get a contract. Does that mean if the magazine meets all the specifications and because a company decides it will not sell magazines at the government pricing that it is an inferior magazine to a "USGI" magazine? I mean no disrespect to those companies under contract, they do a really great job manufacturing their product. My point is they are not the end all in manufacturing magazines. C Products and D&H are on the same level. Call magazines what you want but the title "USGI" does not make them better. Larry C Products |
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Posted: 8/7/2007 8:23:45 AM EDT
[#24]
D&H
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Posted: 8/7/2007 8:29:22 AM EDT
[#25]
-caution suck up to follow Larry, you will notice in my first post I lumped you and D&H in the USGI group 
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Posted: 8/7/2007 8:34:10 AM EDT
[#26]
Actually D&H has never had a (successful) USGI contract...The tooling they used was formerly used for a USGI contract which may have ended in "pain", at least for some. IMO, there is a difference between commercial and real USGI. Official USGI mags are built to a proprietary (licensed) TDP and undergo verified, systematic testing/inspection which is scrutinized by independent engineering and quality monitoring systems. Won't sell them at USGI contract price??? Well, if it's reliability/performance for the dollar? .....that's one I'll bet my own money on a new USGI contract mag vs. all others. Hotgun |
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Posted: 8/7/2007 9:04:06 AM EDT
[#27]
IMO, there is a difference between commercial and real USGI.
Official USGI mags are built to a proprietary (licensed) TDP and undergo verified, systematic testing/inspection which is scrutinized by independent engineering and quality monitoring systems. You seem to be in the know......so how many deviations does Center and OKay have from the TDP? How many checked dimensions are there? What is the testing proceedure? Who monitors it? Larry C Products |
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Posted: 8/7/2007 6:52:21 PM EDT
[#28]
I see your point. But I would say that there is a greater than 99% chance it is an issued "USGI" mag. Sure other brands might be as good as or better than USGI and probably more are worse. There is a certain amount of bragging rights that goes with being a supplier to the military, like it or not. Just ask Bushmaster...... |
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Posted: 8/7/2007 7:03:13 PM EDT
[#29]
At least with USGI contract mags you know the manufacturer is held to a minimum acceptable standard. the commercial knock-offs are not held to any standard. |
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Posted: 8/7/2007 7:04:15 PM EDT
[#30]
USGI just means lowest bidder on that contract run. It is whatever the supply sergeant throws at you when you sign into the unit. After 22+ years in the Army I've used all kinds of mags in my M16s. I'm looking at a couple old Sanchez mags that rode in the bottom of my duffle bag, right now. They're good mags despite some of the negative comments I've seen about them on this forum.
My suggestion is to try some at a price you're willing to pay. Test them and see if they perform like you'd want them to if your life depended on them. If they do you're good to go with what ever you choose. If they don't, send them back and try others till you find the ones you'd bet your life on. Too many "Chairborne Rangers" get hung up on brand names, finishes, and spring types. That shit don't matter on a 2 way range. Good luck with your search. You've read some of the better brands to start looking at. |
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Posted: 8/7/2007 7:06:15 PM EDT
[#31]
Marlube does not meet USGI specs. Teflon does not meet USGI specs. Magpul followers do not meet USGI specs. CS springs do not meet USGI specs. Mags with some or all of those features may be as good or even better than a USGI magazine. but it is ignorant to call any mag with those features a USGI magazine. |
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Posted: 8/7/2007 7:17:05 PM EDT
[#32]
I said "I lumped them in with USGI". You have attacked two of my posts in this thread and you were wrong both times. have I done something on another forum to offend you? |
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Posted: 8/7/2007 7:25:47 PM EDT
[#33]
No. Ignorance does not offend me. I am ignorant about many things. Things like aircraft design and the spanish language. But i'm not ignorant about magazine pricing or the design features of a USGI magazine. |
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Posted: 8/8/2007 3:30:01 AM EDT
[#34]
Quoted:
USGI just means lowest bidder on that contract run...... Sorry, that's wrong. Center Industries has sort of a "lock" on magazine production, as the production of mags is a NIB/NISH setaside. All mags have to come from them, with exception of mags supplied by the weapon manufacturer. Of course, when Center doesn't meet the Gov't. needs, they allow competion, second/third sources...as has been seen of late..but NIB/NISH even have to "OK" this (pun unintended )Yes, I am "in the know"..well, to some extent But I don't answer Q's that may violate License agreements, etc....yes, I've actuallty seen the data, along with some others in this thread Larry should know the answer most of his own Q's.Hotgun |
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Posted: 8/8/2007 5:28:34 AM EDT
[#35]
Sorry, that's wrong. Center Industries has sort of a "lock" on magazine production, as the production of mags is a NIB/NISH setaside. All mags have to come from them, with exception of mags supplied by the weapon manufacturer. Of course, when Center doesn't meet the Gov't. needs, they allow competion, second/third sources...as has been seen of late..but NIB/NISH even have to "OK" this (pun unintended )
Yes, I am "in the know"..well, to some extent But I don't answer Q's that may violate License agreements, etc....yes, I've actuallty seen the data, along with some others in this thread Larry should know the answer most of his own Q's. Hotgun Yes I do know the answers, the question was do you? To your statement of Center has a lock on the contract...How long and how many magazines has OKay Ind supplied under contract? OKay has not been a supplier as of late, they go back to Vietnam. The weapon suppliers are FN and Colts and the only magazines they supply with the weapons are OKay. Brownells was given a contract because the other 2 suppliers could not keep up with the demand. To your point of "commercial" and "USGI". What exactly is a commercial magazine? Are you saying that if you buy an Okay magazine as a civilian it is manufactured as a commercial magazine? Each manufacturer has a "commercial" magazine and a "USGI" magazine? Please explain that to me and everyone reading this thread. I find that very interesting. Larry C Products |
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Posted: 8/8/2007 7:14:58 PM EDT
[#36]
The scoop on who makes Gov't mags, whys, & etc. are all public info & can be found on the various buisness announcement sites and solocotation pages. Many ARFcom members have dedicated unbeliveable amounts of time to these and can probably verse it better than I.
I will comment, IMO, that a contract supplied mag must meet all contract requirements including compliance with the TDP, QAPs, and supplemental testing. Nearly every dimension/feature is considered major and routinely inspected. A commercail mag offered by OKay, Colt or anyone else simply is not required to meet those same standards. Are they inferior? not necessarily, but if there are inadequacies that THEY believe are acceptable for the civilian marketplace, they are the judge of whther it flies. Not so for contract deliveries. Okay was mentioned, so I'll comment on them....A manufacturer such as Okay obviously has a long legacy of producing excellent mags, but I do wonder about them selling them under a different name. Not sure if this is due to some personal sentiments of the kids now runnin their Dad's business, licensing agreements with Colt or something else. Anyway, I can't say I have any problem with their company. They step up to the plate and deliver good stuff for our soldiers when asked. Of course everyone knows they have a tight relationship with Colt, who sells Okay mags under their name & logo. If/When there is a better magazine, Colt may break down and sell them, too. My first pick for a mag would in fact be a new Okay or Colt marked mag, but then I would have no hesitation to use a Center mag, either. I don't need to test-fire them to have high confidence. Again this is all just my personal opinion. Hotgun back to the shadows. |
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Posted: 8/8/2007 7:18:21 PM EDT
[#37]
Sorry, missed that the first time........gee, If I had to guess...and of course this is merely a guess....I'd guess exactly ZERO. Hotgun |
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Posted: 8/8/2007 7:42:38 PM EDT
[#38]
Wow, you nearly have me speechless. You have nearly 27-thousands posts. Are they all this helpful? You attacked me twice, I showed you were wrong both times and you come back and call me ignorant. I wonder if you even own an AR15. I see that you are a "member" which means you are not paying anything to be here. Folk who pay are "team member" like it says by my name. I checked your ID in the feedback section. In all of your posts you have never purchased anything or sold anything on this board! nothing! zip! zilch! I am putting you on my list of BS'ers. edit- never mind, you were already there |
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Posted: 8/8/2007 8:03:28 PM EDT
[#39]
Not that EE history has anything to do with a discussion on Magazines. But I've bought and sold dozens of things there. My current feedback rating is "AR15fan + 37 Do i even own an AR? Here is my most recent build.  Here is one of the bushmaster Tax time uppers i took advantage of. the shorty upper its pictured with has over 6,000 documented rounds through it.  I just had the brl turned down by Randall on this one.  My Home defense gun.  My CMMG build.  L to R: My wifes carbine, my training carbine and another board members AK type carbine.  Have several others I have never bothered to photograph. But again, that has nothing to do with a discussion of magazines. |
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Posted: 8/9/2007 4:51:26 AM EDT
[#40]
Wow, you nearly have me speechless. You have nearly 27-thousands posts. Are they all this helpful? You attacked me twice, I showed you were wrong both times and you come back and call me ignorant. I wonder if you even own an AR15. I see that you are a "member" which means you are not paying anything to be here. Folk who pay are "team member" like it says by my name. I checked your ID in the feedback section. In all of your posts you have never purchased anything or sold anything on this board! nothing! zip! zilch! I am putting you on my list of BS'ers.
edit- never mind, you were already there This will probably be my last post on this topic. First of all, the biggest problem with e-mails and posts is that the intent of the message can be lost and misunderstood. Then the attacking starts and the thread goes to sh.. I know AR15fan and he buys and uses our product. He's a royal pain in the ass but rightfully so. He wants what he pays for and he wants it right. And he knows when he gets a good magazine and when it is bad. I got into this thread because I do not believe that a "USGI" magazine is better in any way then the C Products magazine or D&H. C Products takes a beating here on AR15 any time someone gets a bad magazine and I can live with that, if they are right. The problem is this, if you believe that every Center, OKay, and Brownells "USGI" magazines shipped are good to go, you are living in a fantasy world. It is not a negative or disrespect for them, it is just a fact. Bad "USGI" magazines get shipped, its just not posted here and I am sure never will. I live in the magazine manufacturing world and I know what goes on. All magazines are inspected to an AQL level. That means a certain number are inspected each lot and statistically if they are good then the whole lot is. If you are really honest with yourself and understand manufacturing especially the magazine business then you know that is pure 100% BS. Unless you inspect each magazine, bad mags get shipped. The above is my opinion, but it is also based on fact. Also a passion for my company. We can beat this subject up forever, but I have said my piece. I respect the posts on this thread, and the guys posting. Some of it is factual, but much cannot be posted due to legal problems that can be created. Some day the American people need to know the whole truth. Larry C Products |
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Posted: 8/9/2007 5:08:12 AM EDT
[#41]
FWIW to all, I own I think 37 AR mags. Everything from P mags to C products, to Bushy, to USGI. Out of my 30 rounders my C products are more reliable than my USGI mags. They are equal to my Pmags, which are perfect. The only issues I've ever had were on 2 occaisons when I had C products 20 round mags in my 65 degree house and ran outside to shoot something in 100+ degree heat. C products mags are metal and when you change from that cool to that hot, that quick, things happen. I'm sure my Bushy 20 rounder woulda done the same thing. My 30's don't do it. NONE of my 10 CP 30 rounders have ever had a malfunction. So I don't care what standards they have or haven't met according the US Govt. They work perfect for me, those are MY standards. |
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Posted: 8/9/2007 8:02:14 PM EDT
[#42]
Now i gotta buy a team membership just so i can have that as my sig line Yes, Larry and the guys at Cproducts have put up with my own stubborn insistance that every mag i buy works for me in my weapons. They have always do so quickly and without complaint. But I've never returned anything for strictly cosmetic reasons or because they "failed" some arguably meaningless test like sticking a ruler in the magazine. I use them and have sent Larry the pictures from expensive training classess to prove it. Their customer service is excellent and their quality is constantly improving. they are also innovators in the marketplace offering a variety unmatched by any other manufacturer of AR pattern magazines. and yes I've returned Brownells USGI contract mags occasionally too. This thread has gone off track. The original question was who makes the best mags? Its tough to really say. There are many considerations such as cost, availability, capacity...aluminum, plastic, steel, stainless steel....spring type, follower type, ect to consider. The smart thing to do is buy a few from a manufacturer or seller that has a good reputation and stands behind his product or the products he sold. Test them in your weapons and if they work for you, buy more. If they dont work for you return them and buy something else. Magpul, 44Mag.com, Brownells and Cproducts all have excellent return policies. you can get more than one type of mag from most of those places and do your own comparisons. With any of those companies you are not going to get stuck with something that doesnt work for you so try a few and decide what works best for you in your weapons. |
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Posted: 8/9/2007 8:15:36 PM EDT
[#43]
The magazine that came with my factory LMT complete rifle was manufactured by Okay. |
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Posted: 8/10/2007 11:27:41 AM EDT
[#44]
get nhmtg they currently make mags for colt and there cheap great all around
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Posted: 8/11/2007 2:11:34 AM EDT
[#45]
I love these threads...
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Posted: 8/11/2007 8:31:47 AM EDT
[#46]
Sorry but that is not really much of a recommendation. I been using USGI mags for 30 years… the 30 rounders ain’t all that great a mag, I have had many that were problems they are a weak point in the M-16/AR-15 platform. Anybody that says they don’t have some problems with them IMO is not pushing them. I far prefer USGI 20 round mags and IMO they are far more reliable than the USGI 30 round because the 20 is not a design after thought as the 30 round was. The USGI 30 round mag is a compromise design and not a very good one, straight to curve… the PMAG is attempts to address the compromise made in the USGI 30 round mag and hopeful will prove out. |
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Posted: 8/11/2007 8:29:14 PM EDT
[#47]
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Posted: 8/11/2007 10:19:06 PM EDT
[#48]
Frankly, in general AR mags are the worst mags available. Almost anything else is better. AK and G3 mags are good examples of how a mag should be built. Reliable and not an afterthought. But that's outside the scope of this discussion. One theory I heard is that the reason AR mags are semi-disposable is because the US supply system runs so well. You can throw the mag away, and it doesn't matter, because you will have a new one shortly. Whether that's true or BS -- I don't know.
I see a lot of positive developments have been going on. Better springs, better followers, better finish. Interestingly, I've never had a single malfuction with the cheapest, used, beaten up mags from a wide array of makers. The #!^ that sells at gun shows for $8 each. FYI, 30-round HK "reliability" mags are noticeably bigger (longer) than USGI-spec mags. All-in-all they feel like a very solid product. I could believe that they are the best 30-round mag possible. Despite the fact they are vulnerable to rust, apparently. They are also noticeably heavier. Would be interesting to see the weight difference between 10 HK mags and 10 USGI mags. They will also leave your wallet much lighter. You can roughly get 3 other nice, likely equally reliable mags for the price of 1 HK mag. |
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Posted: 8/11/2007 10:40:19 PM EDT
[#49]
I have a pretty big stack of Center Ind., LaBelle, and OKay USGI mags with green/orange followers.
They all work great. They were all relatively cheap. What's not to like? I also have 5 Bushmaster mags. They have a really neat slick almost olive green finish and look even more high dollar than they are. I just have them because I run across one or two every once in a while at a decent price and they function great as well. Judging by comments I see weekly(daily) on this site about other company's products I will never own anything other than what I have listed above. Why fix it if it isn't broke? |
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Posted: 8/12/2007 6:35:59 AM EDT
[#50]
I have mags from just about every brand (except H&K). they all work well and I am a 500+ round shooter when I go to the range.
buy mag shoot with mag if it works it is a keeper if it does not work I shoot the thing and buy a different brand. you guy make too much hay over names. |
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