PMags won't drop free

[Revopop]

I just got some PMags to try in my DPMS Sportical. They're kind of a tight fit into the magwell, and they don't drop free. They appear to cycle OK and lock back the bolt on empty. I've heard of this happening with the earliest ones, but not lately. Is there anything wrong with my PMags or my lower? Is there any way to trim a little off the mag body to make it work a little better?

It's not really a big deal, at the range it doesn't really matter, and the one rifle match I've shot in my life had stages with less than 30 rounds, but if I ever shoot a rifle match where I need to speed reload it'd be nice to not have to do it AK style.

[recon215]

Same issue here with an Eagle Arms lower. The lower is tighter in the mag area and I cant use pmags in it. Hadnt heard this about dpms lowers as of yet. Guess maybe we can add another lower to the list of "Can not use pmags in" lowers.

[HoMiE]

I have 2 EA lowers and then work just fine. No problems in the other Colt and Sabre I have.

[jobob]

Pmags are my favorite mag in both of my DPMS lowers. They drop free just fine. I haven't heard of any problems, but I suppose Magpul may have shipped an out-of-spec lot. It happens.

[mpeltier]

Try it in someone elses lower to see if it drops free, and have you tried GI mags? do they drop free? Is it binding in the reciever or stuck by the mag catch?

[Derek45]

PMAGS don't activate the bolt stop on my SABRE lower.

when the mag goes empty, the bolt gets stuck halfway up the follower.

[Chuck Anderson]

They work fine in my RRA, Sabre, DPMS, Colt, Bushmaster and JP lowers. Check the date stamp on the side of the mag. There should be a little clock looking thing with 12 number in a circle and the year stamped in the middle. Figure out when they were made. If they were pre July 07 they need to be warrantied by Magpul. If after that, call Magpul anyway, they will probably fix it. They are awesome at servicing these.

[Patrick Sweeney]

Ever see how they cut the mag well? Once forged, the mag well area has a pair of large holes drilled all the way through it. Then it gets broached. The broach bears a remarkable resemblance to an eight-foot bastard file. It has stepped cutting edges that start out just small enough to fit through the holes drilled, and the last steps are the full-size profile of the mag well.

The broach gets pulled through the lower in one, 3-4 second operation. As broaches wear, they lose size, and have to be re-sharpened. (which makes them smaller still.)

If your mag well is tight, it may well have been the last one broached before the maker ditched that broach for a new one. If it passed their QC, and works with their test mags, it gets shipped.

You got a tight mag well? Sort your mags for those that fit, and sell/trade the others away.

[45shooter]

easy solution is to but the new L5 Lancer mags. They work great in all my dpms lowers, and my buddies oley and colt. The pmags run good but don't seem to drop free in all lowers.

[ken hebert]

If the Lancer mags are in spec and his lower is not quite, I don't see how that's going to help things.

[GentlemanJim]

Find where the wear mark is on the P mag..you should see a mark where it drags.

Use a sharp knife and scrape off a little at a time until it drops free...dont try to cut it...just scrape the material off.

Jim

[Revopop]

Thanks for the help, guys. GI mags that came with the gun (D&H) drop free smartly. I think I'm going to play around with them a little as Jim suggested and see what I can find, maybe contact MagPul as well. I'm convinced that PMags are a better mousetrap, and I'll still probably use them even if I can't get them to drop free. I'll look at the date stamp and see what it says.

[JWS]

Thanks for the help, guys. GI mags that came with the gun (D&H) drop free smartly. I think I'm going to play around with them a little as Jim suggested and see what I can find, maybe contact MagPul as well. I'm convinced that PMags are a better mousetrap, and I'll still probably use them even if I can't get them to drop free. I'll look at the date stamp and see what it says.

Hello, I also had drop-free problems with my P-Mags even though the date code showed that they where later versions than the ones that they list on their website as having this problem. I E-Mailed Mag-Pul about this and never received a response... They would not drop free from my Oly lower or my POF lower. I was in the middle of changing out the Oly for the POF and went ahead and opened up my POF mag well a little at a time Front and Rear since that is where the binding seemed to be occuring. This helped a little, then I started sanding on the P-Mags and finally all is well and they run great and Drop-Free... I think they are great mags I just would have thought that Mag-Pul would have responded to my E-Mail but maybe it fell through the proverbial "Crack"...

Good Luck,

Jeff