What's the word on AR-15 magazines?

[shaftbass]

I ordered a Bushmaster A3 M4 today, and of course the one magazine supplied isn't enough. I hope to slowly build my magazine store to 15-20 mags picking them up here and there, but what do I need to look for? I know that there are probably more than a few manufacturers out there, and I want to know what brands/characteristics I should be looking for.

Thanks.

[TGO David]

My recommendation is C-Products mags with Magpul no-tilt followers. I recently bought five of them from www.wideners.com and paid about $12 each. Mine were coated with the black Mar-Lube finish and had chrome steel springs.

[Guest Shay VanVlymen]

USGI aluminum magazines with green followers are fine. The MagPul enhanced followers are good if you want to get them.

I'd stay away from steel mags. The HK mags aren't worth the excessive price.

[GaryXD]

The new Magpul PMAGs will be out in a couple of weeks.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=124&t=309747

[SkWaShDeM]

I use Colt magazines in my Bushmaster M4. I prefer them, but the relatively inexpensive aluminum USGI's that Wideners sells for about $12 each work fine. I have some of those too.

[James Yeager]

The new Magpul PMAGs will be out in a couple of weeks.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=124&t=309747

Don't be the first guy to buy those.

[shaftbass]

Definitely not.

Thanks for the replies. I'll try a couple of the Wideners mags.

[shaftbass]

What is the advantage in using the magpul followers?

[James Yeager]

They are less prone to tilting. Green followers work fine but if you have some old black follower mags the MagPul upgrade is recommended.

[Guest DEIMOS]

I have read that 20rnd mags are better/more reliable than 30rnd mags. Is this factual, or is it just an opinion?

[molonlabetn]

A quality G.I. or MagPul 30rd mag is just as reliable as a 20rd mag... Likewise, a cheap steel, black-follower 20rd mag can be just as un-reliable as a 30rd of the same quality.

The curved 20rd mags feed better than the straight ones (IMHO), and they are nice for shooting from a prone position... cheap too.

[stick1]

Go to Ar15.com and dig around a little, you will find a lot of info on mags.

[Donnie]

I've heard that Magpul is going to start producing a polymer magazine that is just about industructable. Some friends went to the shot show and talked with them. The price is right on them as well at about $15 and they are supposed to start making them in the very near future.

[Guest drewi]

USGI magazines are what you need. I won't get into the followera since that's been covered.

Brownells has begun making USGI spec magazines and from what I hear they're performing well.

Make sure you get new magazines. And don't buy Orilites, Thermolds, or the steel SA80 magazines. If it's plastic or steel run away. This doesn't include the Magpul mags because they're not out yet so we don't know how they'll perform.

[shaftbass]

I ordered some C-products USGI aluminum mags, grey moly, chrome silicon springs, grey Magpul followers. I ordered 10 from Wideners and it was $127.50, tax and shipping included. I'll post back about how they perform after I shoot this weekend.