Ar15 Mags

[mpeltier]

Are there different Brownell's branded magazines? Did they change manufacturer's recently, new ones are better maybe, or old ones were?

The newest version is the best. 3-4 yrs ago? (I believe prior to datestamping the mag body) There were some issues with welds coming loose (I know as I had several), but I beleive they make them themselves now and the dozen or so I have tested have been 100%. To Brownells credit they replaced the ones that failed immediately.

I have also had failures with early P-mags splitting down the spine in extremely cold weather. Magpul also replaced them. The newest P-mag with the notch that is two little ones where the feedlip protector snaps on have not failed at all.

C-products mags, don't get me started. Maybee they make a good one now, but I had so many problems with them I am hesitant to try any again.

The bottom line is that if you shoot enough you will have a failure of a magazine. Don't fall in love with any one, and always look them over before you use one.

[Charles Bond]

As far as I know the Brownells mags have not changed but they did change the follower a while back.

[mpeltier]

As far as I know the Brownells mags have not changed but they did change the follower a while back.

Something did change. I just pulled out an older Brownells mag to compare to my oldest datestamped Brownells mag and there are clearly some changes. From what I could see the datestamping started around 2006 and also included Brownells name and location stamped into the side of the mag body. The welds, side grooves, feed lips and finish are all a little differant. If you did not hold them side by side they would appear the same but some of the minor changes seemed to make a big differance. I do not know if the changes happened due to starting to manufacture them in house or not, as I have no knowledge of their supply network.

[strangedays]

I always run P-Mags, never had a single issue with them.

[larry weeks]

Mpeltier is correct. If the body has Brownells name and a date stamp, those are the current, and in my opinion, best, mags. We've been making the same body since our first Govt contract in 2006. The follower change mentioned earlier was for the latest Govt contract and that follower (tan color) and its spring are not being sold to the civilian market. You can find the tan follower mags on the internet from time to time when, apparently, cases of them walk out the back gate of some military installation all by themselves and end up for sale. There are currently 3 companies making mags for Uncle Sam: Brownells, Okay Ind., and Center Ind. Civilian mags still use the last update of the "green" follower. Oh yeah, my name is Larry Weeks and I work for Brownells as Public Relations Manager.

[RWF]

okay Larry i have a question. i do believe what you said, but it is only a mag, so what is the big deal about "not for civilian use"

just curious

thanks

[larry weeks]

Uncle Sam doesn't see it as "only a mag", he considers it a proprietary, secret design. The contract we sign to make mags for the Govt prohibits us from using the drawings in the packet to make a product for anyone but the Govt. Theoretically there are only three sets of the drawings for the tan follower out there. If we started selling it, it would be pretty easy for Uncle Sam to identify that we did use the drawings. Our in-house contract administrator wouldn't even let me show a photo of the new follower from the top for fear of giving away too much info. Of course one of the military sites had a whole article on it with detailed photos not long after we started producing them. I don't quite understand how that was allowed. The only way to build a civilian mag, legally, is to back engineer it from an existing one.

[DyNo!]

C-products mags, don't get me started. Maybee they make a good one now, but I had so many problems with them I am hesitant to try any again.

I should add that the testing we did on the last page was at the request of C-Products' where we were asked to torture test their new magazines alongside older ones.

I don't have a copy of the video to reference but, if I recall correctly, we destroyed about 4 old magazines per new magazine when both were subjected to the same test. The stainless steel one made it to the point in the picture on the last page. It is sitting in their factory and it still works.

They've made great steps with their new series of products and if you ever bump into a 3-gunner that looks like my avatar at a match, pull me aside and I'll let you take a look at one.

[mpeltier]

C-products mags, don't get me started. Maybee they make a good one now, but I had so many problems with them I am hesitant to try any again.

I should add that the testing we did on the last page was at the request of C-Products' where we were asked to torture test their new magazines alongside older ones.

I don't have a copy of the video to reference but, if I recall correctly, we destroyed about 4 old magazines per new magazine when both were subjected to the same test. The stainless steel one made it to the point in the picture on the last page. It is sitting in their factory and it still works.

They've made great steps with their new series of products and if you ever bump into a 3-gunner that looks like my avatar at a match, pull me aside and I'll let you take a look at one.

Will do. If you see a guy with the avatar on my posts on the back of his shirt thats me. Looking forward to it.