polymer AR mags other than PMAGS

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kmrinpa

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I recently got a PSA AR...grabbed a few PMAGS for my primary load & stash; now I wanna grab some poly mags (other than PMAGS for range/training/lend out use); being on a tighter budget I wanna avoid the more expensive stuff like Lancer, Daniels Defense, etc;

the brands that are in my area in the $10-12 range are Amend2 mod 2, MFT mod 2 & extreme duty, and one place has Rock River Armory poly mags (supposedly same as IMI Defense mod 2); anyone got experience/feedback with the ones I named?
 
I think I might be missing something. I see Gen 2 PMAGs (without window) for $10 each or less in lots of 10 pretty routinely. Gen 3s are around $12 if i recall correctly. At that price, why not stick with the Magpuls? If you want to separate your range/lend mags from the go to war ones, mark them with paint on the base.
I apologize for not being able to answer your question, not having had any experience with the alternate mags you list.
 
Lancer AWM are fantastic. I've got a couple Hexmags as well that are good. I also have a couple Amend2Mags that are decent. The Lancers are definitely legit but you also pay for them.
 
Frankly I've not had the best experience with anything but PMAGs. I had some other brands but gave them away.

I don't use metal mags for 5.56 because I exclusively use metal mags for 6.8SPC so no mix ups.
 
Astro14 said:
That is a really good deal!
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Not as good as the $7/pmag deals of a couple years ago but nothing is as good a deal as a few years ago at this point. But yeah, if you don’t want metal mags, this is the next best thing.
 
well...thanks for the replies, I guess; asked for non pmag recommendations & I get pmag recommendations; primary reason was to try other stuff as secondary choices if we have another insane run on mags & ammo...pmags would get gobbled up in a hurry! just to let y'all know...I grabbed another Rock River Arms (same as IMI Defense gen 2) for a total of 2; my budget for buying tons of mags & ammo is limited so buying multiples in bulk on line that push up total price (still gotta pay shipping) is not feasible at this time; thanks & c'ya 😎
 
Magpul gen 3 is the finest mag you can find anywhere. If you were going to war you would want Magpul gen 3 mags in your gun. Period.

Don’t even bother buying those other brands.

DO buy GI aluminum and stock up on them. They will last 75 years and you can pass them down to your kids. The best GI brand is Okay and they just discontinued the brand so I’d buy a bunch of those quick before they are sold out and gone forever. Okay has not said if they will sell the machinery to another magazine maker or just idle the machines forever. These are the same machines that have been making GI mags since the Vietnam days under many names.

So conclusion…. NOW is the time to stock up on Okay aluminum mags. Buy gen 3 PMAGS for defensive use. Buy gen 2 PMAGS for range use. Avoid all other polymer mags. Don’t even bother.
 
So, you wanted to know if the other brands work, but you implied that it was because of price, because you wanted to avoid the more expensive stuff...right?

Now you say that you wanted different mags?

You got links for Magpul mags below your target price for the off brands, and you're disappointed in the answer?

Buy Magpul when they're cheap, and sleep well. No performance uncertainties. No high expense.

The time to buy anything, guns, ammo, magazines, or equities, is when they are cheap, like right now. Don't obsess over "what if prices go up, what will I buy then?"

Buy the things you need now, while they're cheap and you won't have to worry about the next run up in price.
 
fine...I'm a basket case with AR mags! too many choices & I'm frustrated; with other platform choices you 1 or 2 choices & it's easier to put a working system together (examples: ruger mini-14... you buy ruger mags; beretta cx4...you buy beretta or mecgar mags); with ar's...the choices amidst polymer, aluminum, and even steel mags is astronomical & I don't know which way to go! currently I have 4 x pmag gen 2 30rd's, 2 x pmag gen 3 20rd's, and 2 x rock river arms stamped poly 30rd's (lite research shows they are imi defense gen 2 mags); the rra's will be range/training...the pmags will be load & stash (with annual function checks); I'm still not sure if I want to trial aluminum or steel mags...

i go crawl under my rock now...
 
kmrinpa said:
fine...I'm a basket case with AR mags! too many choices & I'm frustrated; with other platform choices you 1 or 2 choices & it's easier to put a working system together (examples: ruger mini-14... you buy ruger mags; beretta cx4...you buy beretta or mecgar mags); with ar's...the choices amidst polymer, aluminum, and even steel mags is astronomical & I don't know which way to go! currently I have 4 x pmag gen 2 30rd's, 2 x pmag gen 3 20rd's, and 2 x rock river arms stamped poly 30rd's (lite research shows they are imi defense gen 2 mags); the rra's will be range/training...the pmags will be load & stash (with annual function checks); I'm still not sure if I want to trial aluminum or steel mags...

i go crawl under my rock now...
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Basically just trial and error and/or looking at reviews on sites like AR15.com.
 
From experience, and what’s currently in my safe, or stockpiled for future price disruptions* I can recommend:

Magpul, D&H aluminum, Lancer, Daniel Defense, for AR. I would recommend just getting a few extra now, while they’re cheap.


*We’ve been through a couple price shocks in the past decade. The worst was 2012-2104. Ammo, magazines, even firearms, have skyrocketed in price, only to return to normal a few years later.

In early 2013, PMAGs were selling for $100. You read that correctly; $100 each in the beginning of the price shock.

In 2015, when magazines returned to normal prices, I bought what I thought I needed. And then, in 2016, I bought some more. Then, in 2017, I thought, “At these prices, I should get some magazines!”. Then, when I saw a sale a few weeks ago, I, uh, bought some magazines…

Point is; they’re cheap now. Buy what you think you might need, for personal use, for range use, for helping out a buddy who failed to plan for price shocks.

As an example: the Wife of a good friend got into shooting during the pandemic. She bought a Daniel Defense rifle. She couldn’t find magazines. I gave her a couple. Daniel Defense. I had extras. She couldn’t find ammo, at least, not under a $1.25/round for 5.56, so, I sold her a case of 500 rounds, mil-spec M193, for what I paid for it, $169. Sticker was still on it.
 
kmrinpa said:
I recently got a PSA AR...grabbed a few PMAGS for my primary load & stash; now I wanna grab some poly mags (other than PMAGS for range/training/lend out use); being on a tighter budget I wanna avoid the more expensive stuff like Lancer, Daniels Defense, etc;

the brands that are in my area in the $10-12 range are Amend2 mod 2, MFT mod 2 & extreme duty, and one place has Rock River Armory poly mags (supposedly same as IMI Defense mod 2); anyone got experience/feedback with the ones I named?
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Nothing is as good as the Gen 3 PMAG. Stick with it.
 
Genuinely curious, what makes Magpul's Pmags so good that no one else has been able to replicate? I don't shoot AR's so I have no horse in this race, just wondering how/why Magpul has the market cornered on polymer AR mags.
 
Bottom_Feeder said:
Genuinely curious, what makes Magpul's Pmags so good that no one else has been able to replicate? I don't shoot AR's so I have no horse in this race, just wondering how/why Magpul has the market cornered on polymer AR mags.
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Testing, R&D, using quality components/polymer, first ones to market on a grand scale, and getting government/military contracts, etc. Everyone else is playing catch up to Magpul, who had a 5-10 year head start. And people are able to replicate the success...Lancer AWM being that.

If they'd have been available in 2005 when we went to Iraq, I would have used them. As it stood, I used HK's Maritime steel mags that I got my supply guy to order for me since they had NSN's in the system. :geek:😇😇😇
 
Bottom_Feeder said:
Genuinely curious, what makes Magpul's Pmags so good that no one else has been able to replicate? I don't shoot AR's so I have no horse in this race, just wondering how/why Magpul has the market cornered on polymer AR mags.
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Very tough polymer.
Excellent molds, perfect fit in sub $500 AR-15's to $3000+ARs
Great alloy springs and followers. Despite all the crazy experts out there, I have shot loaded Gen2 Mags from at least 5 years ago - spring thing is a myth anyway.
Price and quality. Reliability.

Seems like the competition is not better and the prices are higher.
 
kmrinpa said:
I recently got a PSA AR...grabbed a few PMAGS for my primary load & stash; now I wanna grab some poly mags (other than PMAGS for range/training/lend out use); being on a tighter budget I wanna avoid the more expensive stuff like Lancer, Daniels Defense, etc;

the brands that are in my area in the $10-12 range are Amend2 mod 2, MFT mod 2 & extreme duty, and one place has Rock River Armory poly mags (supposedly same as IMI Defense mod 2); anyone got experience/feedback with the ones I named?
Click to expand...
in what caliber?
 
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