NEW Dept of Defense AR Mag Follower to be issued

TRguy · 12-23-2009, 07:44

NEW Dept of Defense AR Mag Follower to be issued

http://www.defencetalk.com/improved-...ability-23413/

The Army has begun fielding a new 5.56mm 30-round "improved magazine" that delivers a significant increase in reliability for M-16 and M-4 weapons.

Bolstering the already high reliability ratings of the M-16 and M-4, the improved magazine reduces the risk of magazine-related stoppages by more than 50 percent compared to the older magazine variants.....

smokin762 · 12-23-2009, 07:52

I see the hump is now on the left side of the mag.

Brucev · 12-23-2009, 08:16

"The Army has begun fielding a new 5.56mm 30-round "improved magazine" that delivers a significant increase in reliability for M-16 and M-4 weapons.

Bolstering the already high reliability ratings of the M-16 and M-4, the improved magazine reduces the risk of magazine-related stoppages by more than 50 percent compared to the older magazine variants....."

Experience trumps theory every time. Given the history of the M-16/M-4 series, it will take a lot more than just a press statement to persuade any reasonable person that a mere magazine modification will make this series as currently developed and issued anything more than suspect beyond the rifle range. Hopefully this magic little bit of "magic" will work. Time and experience will tell. Everything else is just theory and press releases. Sincerely. Brucev.

**NeverMore1701** · 12-23-2009, 12:02

Gotta go grab some popcorn for this one!

***faawrenchbndr*** · 12-23-2009, 12:12

This kills me,.......

My Son-in-Law is currently in Afganistan. He and many others carry P-Mags.

**NeverMore1701** · 12-23-2009, 14:32

Looking at them on my computer instead of my iPhone, it looks like the bullet hump (to use the technical term) is much longer and and more defined on the new one, which I can see being somewhat beneficial.

Onmilo · 12-23-2009, 14:40

"Tan is the plan, green-start to lean, black-take it back."

What wit the planners have.

I am curious to the shift in first round feed, am wondering if this allows fully loaded magazines to seat better under closed bolts???

***RMTactical*** · 12-23-2009, 15:40

Why not just start buying PMAG's??

thunderbat · 12-23-2009, 17:06

Good grief, more than a 50% increase in reliability?!?! Were the 'old' ones really that bad?????

***faawrenchbndr*** · 12-23-2009, 17:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by thunderbat

Good grief, more than a 50% increase in reliability?!?! Were the 'old' ones really that bad?????

Not if they were clean,.....

thunderbat · 12-23-2009, 17:26

My point exactly, nothing wrong with them as they were...

Blitzer · 12-23-2009, 21:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by smokin762

I see the hump is now on the left side of the mag.

Dr. Frankenstein (Gene Wilder): "You know, I don't mean to embarrass you, but I'm, ah, rather brilliant surgeon. Perhaps I could help you with that hump."
Igor (Marty Feldman): "What hump?"

Glocks&Ducs · 12-23-2009, 22:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Onmilo

"Tan is the plan, green-start to lean, black-take it back."

What wit the planners have.

I am curious to the shift in first round feed, am wondering if this allows fully loaded magazines to seat better under closed bolts???

How and or why would shifting from one side to the other make the magazine seat better? No mattery which way you do it, the rounds are still the same distance below the feed lips. And I was not aware there was ever a problem seating full AR mags.

Glocks&Ducs · 12-23-2009, 22:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by NeverMore1701

Looking at them on my computer instead of my iPhone, it looks like the bullet hump (to use the technical term) is much longer and and more defined on the new one, which I can see being somewhat beneficial.

If you look closer, the molded placer isn't really longer, it is placed further up, or more forward if you will.

21 shooter · 12-23-2009, 22:28

I guess just ordering some followers from Magpul was just way to simple for them.

smokin762 · 12-23-2009, 23:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blitzer

Dr. Frankenstein (Gene Wilder): "You know, I don't mean to embarrass you, but I'm, ah, rather brilliant surgeon. Perhaps I could help you with that hump."
Igor (Marty Feldman): "What hump?"

Sorry, I was never a Gene Wilder fan and I never liked the movie The Bride of Frankenstein either.

**kirgi08** · 12-24-2009, 00:04

Why try ta fix it if'n it ain't broke.'08.

RM · 12-24-2009, 03:33

Current mags give about 90 percent of the failures you see in the weapon system.

COLOSHOOTR · 12-24-2009, 12:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glocks&Ducs

How and or why would shifting from one side to the other make the magazine seat better? No mattery which way you do it, the rounds are still the same distance below the feed lips. And I was not aware there was ever a problem seating full AR mags.

Well we download our 30rd mags to 28rds for a reason. Under stress when you end up with worthless monkey paws and no fine motor skills there is a tendency to not fully seat a full 30rd mag on a closed bolt (tactical reload). A full USGI spec mag takes a good hard slap to actually seat and on some rifles a full 30rd mag will not seat at all on a closed bolt.

Onmilo · 12-24-2009, 13:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glocks&Ducs

How and or why would shifting from one side to the other make the magazine seat better? No mattery which way you do it, the rounds are still the same distance below the feed lips. And I was not aware there was ever a problem seating full AR mags.

I don't know why it might help, it is speculation.
Many feed issues occur in the last few rounds loaded into the magazine so switching from left, right, left, right, feed to right,left, right,left feed may reduce the bolt over base stoppages, I really don't know, that is why I am asking.

And there has definately been issues with seating fully loaded magazines on closed bolts in M16 type rifles, both military and commercial versions.
If the top cartridge cams into the left side of the bolt carrier instead of the right side it may allow the magazine to cant to the right instead of the left in the magazine well which could allow the magazine catch to latch more efficiently since the magazine is leaning away from the catch instead of bearing against it.

These are the reasonings I can come up with.

Mnukedude · 01-03-2010, 22:07

The only benefit I see from these right away is that maybe the troops who load 'em with 28 can now load 29.

Magpul followers would have been a more solid solution.

***RMTactical*** · 01-03-2010, 23:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mnukedude

The only benefit I see from these right away is that maybe the troops who load 'em with 28 can now load 29.

Magpul followers would have been a more solid solution.

Isn't that essentially what these are? A Magpul follower knockoff?

Mnukedude · 01-04-2010, 08:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by RMTactical

Isn't that essentially what these are? A Magpul follower knockoff?

Honestly, I guess I would have to see one pulled out of the magazine to say for sure. With that said, at best a knockoff is what they are. The top surface of the follower in any event is more consistent with the old GI followers than it is the Magpuls, but if the design is based on Magpuls, it still seems they owe the Magpul people something for that, and I sure hope they delivered--but I doubt it.

***RMTactical*** · 01-04-2010, 13:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mnukedude

Honestly, I guess I would have to see one pulled out of the magazine to say for sure. With that said, at best a knockoff is what they are. The top surface of the follower in any event is more consistent with the old GI followers than it is the Magpuls, but if the design is based on Magpuls, it still seems they owe the Magpul people something for that, and I sure hope they delivered--but I doubt it.

Well, I doubt there is any patent infringement, but from reading the article it seems to state that the new followers are even less likely to tilt than the green ones. That kind of leads me to believe they may have used concepts from the magpul follower in this new design.

sgtlmj · 01-04-2010, 13:46

All of the GI mags I've had to TU on me have been from little dents here and there. The PMAG seems to eliminate this issue. Moving the starting round to the left is going to screw up folks who count on even numbered rounds being on the right.