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US Military troops, most police officers, and thousands of firearm enthusiasts carry and shoot with 30 round magazines on a regular basis, but have you ever thought about what magazine you are using, and why? The answer might be as simple as, "its what I'm issued", but it never hurts to know what else is out there. In the world of 30 round M16 magazines, there are some new developments that have taken place in the past few years.
Here's a look at 6 popular mags you should know about.
[singlepic id=858 w=500 h= float=]Lets start with the USGI 30 round aluminum magazine. This is the same basic magazine that has been in service since the late 60s or early 70s (depending on who was issuing your mags). Aside from changing out the follower from black to green, and extending the legs on the follower, this magazine has stayed the same. This magazine fits in just every 30 round magazine pouch, has slick sides, and most guys have figured out that the feedlips are a weak point. They are cheap, easy to find from most gun stores or your favorite online retailer, and cost right in the area of $10-15.
[singlepic id=856 w=500 h= float=]The Cammenga Easymag 30 round magazine stands out from its peers. This magazine body, follower, and baseplate are made of 1050 spring steel, and finished with and anti-friction coating. The front of the magazine pulls down, and allows for dropping rounds in, or dumping them out. The front locks firmly into place, and isn't going to open on accident. The metal edges can be sharp, so you won't want to slap the bottom to push the open front piece into place, but when locked in place, it handles like a regular USGI magazine and fits in any of the same pouches. This magazine is much heavier than the aluminum versions, but its feedlips are much more resistant to damage. The sheet metal follower is of the "anti-tilt" type. The Cammenga 30 round magazine has a suggested retail of $34.95, but generally can be found for $29.95.
[singlepic id=857 w=500] The Heckler and Koch High Reliability 30 Round Steel Magazine is well known, and came out as a more durable alternative to the aluminum USGI magazine. The chromed follower is anti-tilt, and as slick as it gets. The magazine body is steel, and is heavier, though more durable than its aluminum counterpart. These magazine first caught on with tier 1 units, but became much more mainstream as supply caught up with the demand. The increased weight of the stainless steel in a full loadout has made a few people rethink using these. While they are more damage resistant than the aluminum issue mags, a Senior NCO commented to me that under heavy use these break down like everything else. These are a little taller than standard issue aluminum 30 round magazines, but fit in most magazine pouches. While original pricing at stores and online dealers was often bouncing over $75, these are currently available for $66.99, though older generation models can be found cheaper.
[singlepic id=860 w=500]The Magpul EMAG, is designated as a Export MAGazine according to Nick Booras (Military sales director at Magpul). These polymer 30 round magazines are in current use by teams and individuals using the HK 416 and SA80 weapon systems. While these magazines will function without problem in the M4/ M16 system, they were developed for weapon systems that have a slightly different magazine well geometry. With both a slick side, and a windowed side, these magazines look unlike any other, but fit almost any magazine pouch. The polymer follower is slick, and is 4 way anti-tilt. They have suggested price of $22.95, and sell online for $21.80. The EMAG is shown below with the optional Magpul Ranger Plate, and comes with a feed lip cover standard.
[singlepic id=859 w=500]The Tango Down ARC 30 round magazine is a two piece design that is chemically bonded during its manufacturing process. This magazine does not come apart like all of the other magazines shown here. The baseplate is a part of the magazine body itself, and does not remove. Jeff Cahill of Tango Down told me that this is an intentional part of the design to prevent contaminants from entering the magazine. Generous cutouts in the anti-tilt follower allow for the magazine to be washed out, with the follower acting as a drain point. Readers may notice that there is a gasket that goes around the portion of the magazine that locks into the magwell. While this may cause interference in some magazine pouches, it provides a tight seal in the weapon. Another version of the magazine should be available that does not have the gasket, and should be more magpouch friendly. The ARC is ribbed for added grip in other than desirable conditions, and is made of a very rigid polymer that gives no flex in my hand. The Tango Down ARC magazine MSRP is at $18.50, and can be found selling for $17.58.
[singlepic id=861 w=500]The Magpul PMAG took the weapon scene by storm a few years ago by introducing a 30 round polymer magazine that was very durable, as was viewed by thousands of youtube viewers when it became known that you could run over a fully loaded PMAG with heavy equipment, and not cause damage. Obviously this isn't something that Magpul, or anyone else in their right mind would recommend for a duty or combat load, but I admit that I'm one of those people that ran it over with my assigned police cruiser. Not to be outdone, a friend did the same thing while doing convoys in Iraq with an armored 18 wheeler without damaging the magazine.
The magazine has a small amount of give when pressing in hard on the sides, perhaps this is what allows it to survive harsh abuse such as the above vehicular desecration. The Magpul PMAG is ribbed for enhanced grip, but the current generation uses slightly smaller ribs than early models due to user requests to allow use in current magazine pouches. Magpul made this change while making the magazine even stronger. It must have worked as the PMAG recently received a NSN. The PMAG, much like the EMAG comes standard with a feed lip cover which latches onto the bottom of the magazine when not in use (not shown). It also shares the same 4 way anti-tilt follower. The PMAG lists at $14.95, and sells for $14.20 in many places.
