I'm a new ar owner looking to stock up on 20 and 30rd mags. I'm not looking to go broke on each mag but i want something very reliable that I won't have to worry much about. I have a couple thermolds that I probably paid a little too much for but they seem to be alright. Heard good and bad about oralite. Any info on what to buy and where to buy would be great

magfaq.tripod.com/

First of all, I would avoid the 30rd mags. They're a PITA to shoot off of a rest with. Unless you're shooting full auto I have no need for them. A 20rd ammo box fills one mag with no room left over nor any ammo left over.

I buy almost all my mags at gun shows. Mil-surp mags go for about $20-25 each there. Sometimes you get a better deal. Personally I buy nothing but the aluminum mags. I prefer the ones marked "Colt".

My .o2

OK, I'll try to be as brief and to the point as possible. From this point on, buy only USGI mags, i.e. Parsons, Adventureline, Okay, Center Industries, Simmonds, La Belle to name a few. Colt marked mags are fine too (the 20 rounders should have alloy follower and not plastic to be reliable). One mil-spec mag is as good as another, so don't pay a huge amount more for a Colt marked mag as opposed to an Okay or Adventure Line. The only mil-spec mags with reported problems were a few Cooper's, which reportedly had a problem with the welds on it.

I like both 30's and 20's. If you get 30 rounders, be sure to swap out the black plastic follower for the newer green ones. These are designed to help boost feeding and reliability. Just make sure the followers you get are mil spec. There are one or more types of imitation mil-spec followers floating around. You may also want to get a few new springs for the mags you intend for defensive uses if that is a concern of yours. Most of the springs are ok, but a few high use mags might benefit from new ones.

That's basically it. Avoid the Orlites as they are sometimes problematic. The Thermolds are pretty good mags and rank right behind the USGI in quality, Stay with those two types and you should be good to go.

I have a combination of 20s & 30s. When I was shooting DCM, the 30s would monopod on the ground when I'm in the prone position, which a pain because you have raise head that much higher. Of course if you are being shot at, you probably would want your head to be as low as possible. Basically all the parts of the GI type mags are a interchangeable, i.e. floor plates, springs, followers. If you find a bunch of used mags in a bin, they may or may not what the floor plates say they are. What I would do is buy a bunch of mags(new or used), take them to the range and try them for function or non-function.

Definitely consult the mag FAQs. Good guide for buying.

I have both 20 & 30 round USGIs. The 20s are good when shooting prone or off a bench. But I also like the 30s - I keep some loaded w/ 25 rounds and don't worry about spring fatigue.

I upgrade all 30 rounders with green followers and Wolff springs. NIW USGI 30 rounders should go for about 25 bucks.