All posts tagged 10rd Pmags

Magazines and Magazines with windows

I learned a very long time ago to be careful what you say when you are in the middle of a fight.  I’m no combat veteran but it was good that I learned my lesson a paintball course and not on the battlefield.  When you are running low on ammunition the last thing you do is announce it in the middle of an engagement.   A long time ago I, along with a friend of mine were in the middle of a paintball engagement and it was the last battle of the day.  We were both running low on paintball ammunition and the odds were against us.  The teams were 14 vs 15 and the two of us had 9 of the 15 players coming towards us.  We both had less than 40rds left and none of our fellow team members were around to back us up.

As we were engaged and almost cornered my friend retreated to my position and yelled “i’m almost out of ammo, I only have about 20 paintballs left” I announced ” I only have 20 paintballs left. Meanwhile It hit me like a ton of bricks that that was the last thing I should have annouced to 75% of the team, after that I learned to keep my mouth shut, but having magpul pmags  with the windows was something I thought about after that day.  Knowing approximately how many rounds of ammuntion you have left before you move forward in an engagement is a good thing.  Under stress it’s real hard to tell if you put 8rds off or 15rds.  Knowing you are half full rather than finding out you made a forward advance with 3rds left in the magazine.

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Firepower vs balance

There are many things that in theory are nice but in reality just don’t work.   I remember the first time I fired a Glock 45acp which was 13rds + 1 for a total of 14rds and the thing just seemed too heavy.  If I wore that in a leg holster or thigh rig it would be too much.  There are so many arguments in the handgun world that I just don’t engage in because the truth of the situation that usually ends the caliber debates is ” get a Carbine” and forget about  your 9mm vs 45acp  or .357 Sig debates.

For home defense I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t want a carbine or shotgun with a light on it vs a handgun.  Ballistics test show us time and time again that loading up your  magpul pmags with 30rds and frangible ammuntion is a better thing to use in a modern home than a 38 special or 9mm handgun.  A better thing would be the 20rd magpul pmags which give you a stronger magazine but better balance and easier maneuverability than a larger protruding magazine.   After all, what firearm has 20rds and has the balance of an M4 Carbine?

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$13-$15 magazines where to put your money?

Sometimes it really bothers me when people want to argue about everything without really making conclusions about what gear is better.  Yes, I know there are plenty of debates out there about which firearms may be more reliable than others, and there is an answer to that depending on the conditions they operated in, but there is absolutely such a thing as stronger and more durable.  Some people have the lack of critical thinking where discussion about t-shirts preventing bullets from expanding falls into the same argument about how Second Chance body armor is junk, either way your screwed because your bullets won’t expand in one situation and you’re bullet proof vest is going to fail when you get shot.

Well here’s the reality about AR15 magazines….. The M16 is the highest maintenance firearm that has been put into Military Service, but the guns reliability has been dramatically improved by Mapgul Pmags.   There is not argument unless you are total moron, that the Magpul design is stronger and feeds more reliable than any USGI magazine.   USGI magazines are meant to be thrown away and throwing things like that away all the time is a waste of production and resources.   If you can run  your magazines over with your car and then defend your life with them, they are better.

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Gunfighting stress and round counts

One thing that is stressed in firearms training is that you have to constantly be active and practice your firearm skills or you will most likely loose your edge.   Just remembering the feel of recoil, gun grip and knowing how loud your gun will be if you don’t have hearing protection on is something that is easily lost.   There have been times where I fired guns so much that I practiced training without hearing protection on open ranges and the sound of the gun really didn’t cause me to flinch, but there were times where I’ve fired guns in indoor ranges and the guy standing next to me made me flinch every time his firearm discharged because even with hearing protection, the blast was so loud in an indoor environment.

If you practice with something like an AR15 enough, you will be able know the difference in the cycling of a firearm and when the last round has gone off and the bolt has locked back, but one thing that needs to be thrown into the mix is will  you know this under stress?   The short answer is probable not.   The Magpul pmags with the windows will give you some point of a reference if you are under stress that a simple tilting of the firearm can tell you if yo have 30% or less of your ammunition left.  There’s no reason to drop a mag and have to shake it or waste a partially loaded magazine with a another fully loaded.   If you’ve got 8rds of 5.56 ammuntion you aren’t out of the game and a simple magazine window is an asset.

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Don’t think magazine capacity is the only thing that wins the race

It’s really also a contest about speed.   There seems to be an addiction to 30rd magazines with AR15 owners but all you have to do is roll the clock back 20yrs and most of the gun magazines for M14s, FALs and G3s were 20rds.   Why were they 20rd magazines…because the guns were far too clumsy and bulky with 30rd.   There is still some truth to that with 30rd 5.56 magazines.   The AK47 is a firearm that is very clumsy do to it’s contour when being fired from the ground and would also be better balanced with 20rd magazines.

If you are in the business of having to suppress targets, than higher capacity magazines are for you, but for moving with speed and agility, try the 20rd magpul pmags for sale.   There are several new Magpul accessories that are giving better balance back to the AR15, especially the M4 design which was really getting out of control with protruding fore grips ect.   The magpul angled fore grip is something that brings you closer to the tradition gun hold but gives you the ability to grip your firearm better.

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Ranger Floor Plates and the Original Magpuls

I first found out about Magpul Industries when I was using a Mini 14 and a no name brand tactical vest.   When Woolrich Elite first came on the line, I started using their 4903 vest and this was about as tactical as I had gotten at that point.   The Mini 14 is a great gun for varmint, plinking or home defense, but not something that can handle a real gun fight.   Engaging in a shootout of more than a couple hundred rounds is going to heat the gun up and real damage is going to take place.

There are lots of gun accessories that you put on firearms that will make them look tactical but it doesn’t mean the gun is something you are going to want to be deployed with to Iraq.   Magpul Pmags have gone through several changes over the years and they pretty much got things right.   One thing that is still an accessory to the magazines are the ranger floor plates.   These are an easy swap out, but this will give you more bulk and snagging.   I recommend only doing this for magazines that are going to be put in a vest, but keep your range mags the same.

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Did they take your Legos away from you too?

I have noticed for a very long time that there is a strong correlation between the guys that can’t stop accessorizing their M4 Carbines or AR15s and there previous childhood hobby of playing with Legos.  One thing that I always consider when putting something on a firearm is knowing if it is combat worthy or not.   There are a lot of things that are sold at gun shops and gun shows that are just downright trash, and others will hold up if you mount them properly.  Now that everyone has a rail or A3 model, you need to buy rails to protect them when not in use.

Now that you need new rail skins or rail covers, you have to pick out the pretty colors you, do you want Field Green, Dark Earth, OD Green,  Black or Tan on your M4 Carbine?   Magpul Pmags also come in many colors and sometimes people can get pretty particular about which colors they want.   I guess you want your gun to look nice when it’s pointing at someone.   I admit that it does get a little messy when you have mismatched color firearms parts and accessories, but as long as you don’t have rainbow colors on them it won’t be the end of the world.

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Have you considered using 20rd mags instead?

I guess it’s from all of the years of reloading and bench shooting that I find 30rd magazines to be annoying to shoot from the bench with.  I consider myself to be a pretty good shot, but you do have to learn how to get into different shooting positions if you really want to get good with a rifle.  I stared out shooting SKS rifles and could get 3-4 inch groups on a good day, but when I tried shooting groups with an AK, I felt like a was standing on a unicycle.   Sometimes having higher capacity magazines means more bulk and drag.

I’ve had my share of owning 75rd drum magazines, but the amount of work that goes into loading those really takes away the fun of shooting them.  It’s kind of like when you were a kid sledding down a big hill, after the 2nd or 3rd time you were so worn out from walking up when the ride down only took 20 seconds.  The gun magazines are magpul pmags in my opinion and I would even consider picking up 10rd pmags for DMR work or bench shooting and 20rd mags for fighting.   I don’t think there is a difference in reliability with any of the various magazine capacities, but getting down on the ground and putting accurate shots on paper with a 30rd can become awkward.  There are positions you can try, but they aren’t for anyone not in good shape.

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Keeping a Carbine running

There are a lot of really good sources of information about maintaining an AR15 and now that there are so many variations of AR15’s out there you really have to pay attention to the type of gun you have.   I’ve found that one of the best sources of information is SWAT Magazine because the writers they get have a long track record of knowing the products that our out there and  what the real world use is like.    Issues like over cleaning firearms is something you rarely hear about it goes on a lot more than you realize.   Especially when it comes to bolt carrier groups.  I was amazed at the number of Instructors that weren’t cleaning their Carbines and were only dropping lube in the guns as maintenance.

Now that piston driven guns are becoming so prevalent, there are areas that don’t need as much lubrication as other AR15 variants.  One thing that hasn’t changed over years, but has only continued to grow are the use of Magpul Pmags.   They are everywhere and although there have been some minor issues with dimensions and materials, they still beat USGI mags in just about everything except for weight.  One thing you still need to keep in mind when operating a Carbine and keeping it running is you still need to clean magazines out.   Pay attention to how many rounds you are putting through your magazines and inspect them.   Magazines get dirty at some point and they will cause malfunctions.

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