I put 28 rounds in the magazine but I don’t put a round in the chamber until it’s time to shoot. Was trained to not have a round in the chamber long term.
I think doing a Back to Basics series is a great idea! There's a lot of people joining the gun community everyday, and they need this kind of fundamental info
Getting refreshers about fundamentals is important for those of us who are familiar with firearms, too. It’s easy to develop bad habits that could get you into a jam, or even killed. Videos like this one are good for everyone.
The difference in this argument is that people don't realize what tolerances are. Not every Ar is identical to the next. Machining tolerances create slight inconsistencies in the distance in the parts combinations. A lot of Ar rifles can seat a 30 round magazine on a closed bolt without fail. Some are magazine dependent (mags have different tolerances too). Some Ar rifles can't take a fully loaded mag on a closed boat at all. You find out by practicing. You'll figure out which mags are reliable in your specific rifle. You'll figure out what your rifle likes. That's how you know.
@@Cmoth040 I agree. My primary AR doesn’t like pmags. After a couple of rounds, it just drops the mag. I only run duramags in that rifle. Yet to have an issue since. Imagine If I hadn’t figured that out and got into a situation where my life was on the line. I guess I’d better make those first two rounds count.
This guy is clear, concise and an amazing communicator! Fieldcraft did well to hire this guy! A lot of gun educators are not well suited to communicating with people. And tend to like to hear themselves talk. It takes a fair amount of commitment and concentration, paying attention to instruction. And learning. This guy does not just know his stuff. He is excellent at conveying that information in a clear and concise manner. That keeps you focused on what he is teaching. Just the information you need. No fluff. No needless banter. But still entertaining. And most of all clear and concise. I say we need to see much more of this guy. I just learned more about mags in 13 minutes than I ever knew. I did not once lose interest in what he was saying. Good job!
That was one of the most unbiased and best explanations I've heard in quite a while. We also taught the even count. So after chambering a round, the 'press check' was simply removing the mag and noticing it now being 'odd round' ensuring a round was chambered without taking the gun out of battery...thus avoiding a possible jam.
This is the best explanation of AR mags and PMags I have seen. Very refreshing to see someone finally telling it like it is regarding the relatively minor issues with the Gen 1 PMags. Worked for a large agency that purchased a lot of Gen 1's and discovered they started to crack in the top-rear between the lips when left loaded for long periods of time (contributing to the "don't load to 30" mentality). Magpul reps got involved. Long story short, that stupid dust cover that everyone chucks in the garbage is actually functional. when used properly, the dust cover pushes down slightly on the top round to simulate the bottom of the BCG when a mag is inserted in a rifle. Without the spring tension being relieved from the top of the mag, the pressure on the lips pushed outward caused cracking at the back of the mag (Gen 1). Magpul now ships their mags with the dust cover. Earned a Sub!
They, not too long ago, determined the covers don't actually serve a purpose. Did a bunch of research on it as I bought some newer Gen 3 300blk mags that didn't have them any more and wanted to know why
Huh. Back in the 70's I always loaded 30 rounds in magazines - no one ever told me not to - and never had a ftf or other malfunction. I still have some of those USGI 30-rd magazines, the followers are neither black nor green nor tan but gray, the same gray steel as the magazines themselves. I still load them with 30 and have no issues.
Old retired Army 11H/11BB4 here (1983-2009), we used to make mag pull out loops out of gutted 550 chord then cut it in 6” lengths, tie each one into a loop using a square knot then take the magazine bottom plate off and carefully slide the loop onto the bottom plate then lock the bottom plate back into position, this will leave you an inch and a half loop that you can use to pull the mag out of the pouch. This is another Ranger idea all Grunts adopted since it was a damn good idea. Another thing I used to do is carry a couple mags of all tracer, this was to be used for directing fire or CAS coordination if we didn’t have any other way to mark a target. In retired life, I’m sticking with USGI mags with improved followers (no tilt) since they’ll fit in all M-16 mag pouches made while Magpul mags often won’t fit.
If you had squared away drill instructor, this was basic info. If you had a squared away trainer, this was basic info. If you were unfortunate to not have those, this is basic info that needs to be known, great video, fundamentals is where it’s at and also overlooked and convoluted with all the wiz bang kids on social media
I admire the heck out of how you teach, and what you share. No filler, right on point, and insightful. Thanks a bunch. I will remember not to load pop tarts into my mag. I learned something new.
The only difference between this mag vid and the other 10k of them out there, is the fine details explained. Great delivery of those finer details some of us didn't know, or forget. thumbs up!
One of the most useful videos I’ve ever viewed. I’ll always remember these tips and it will save me countless future jams. I went through all my mags and several were loaded at 29 (not purposely), one at 31, and 3 didn’t have anti-tilt followers. Thank you sir!
Very basic...still very well done. For those who have not carried much, or those that are just misinformed by so-called experts, this will REALLY help them. Will watch for more of your stuff...
In the early 90s- Mid 2000s the Suck used OKay and AR Stoner Mags. We always loaded with 28 rounds. I continue to used the AR Stoner mags as they're metal and I can leave charged without the lips splayed out. Great video brother.
The overinsertion stop that Magpul added also stopped the cracking of the feed lips on the older generation of mags. We tested the old mags with dryfire speed reloads and they all developed cracked feed lips after 13-15 reps. This was fed back to Magpul. Gen 3 P-Mag solved this problem.
100% true! Refer to my comment above about the Gen 1's cracking when left loaded for long periods. I pretty much ditched all my Gen 1's several years ago. The later gens are good to go, but I still use the dust covers.
The pmags with that lip supposedly don't fit into some lowers, and people have said they have issues getting them in mag pouches for the same reason. I have a shit ton of the gen3's and haven't had either issue, so take it with a grain of salt.
Great vid…thank you!!! Might sound weird but my VTAC Christensen arms AR doesn’t like magpul mags but runs flawlessly on GI mags but now you’ve given me food for thought 👍🏼
Honestly, if I were you I would probably replace all the springs just for GP. You can get them as cheap as 3 bucks each if you buy a pack. Not sure I was trust springs that are almost as old as I am.
From my experience while I was in, I was a 91F, the blue ones are made for blanks. My supply NCO ordered all blue ones… cuz they were cheaper I think. I had kept my older metal mags that had all tan followers and we figured this out one day at the range when our whole company kept having feed malfunctions. The blue ones usually have a spring that doesn’t fill the magazine from front to back. When you put a regular ball round in those mags, the extra weight of the ball ammo tend to make the front dip and then jam. You have to take apart the mag and inspect the spring. If the spring does not touch the front AND back of the metal magazine, it will dip and jam no matter what color the follower is.
Great info, thank you, sir. I didn't know about the bump on the back of the Gen 2 mags. I only seem to have Gen 1 mags so I will be ordering not only Gen 2 mags but I'll be ordering some of those Duramags as well. You may have saved mine or someone else's life if I have to use my rifle in defense of life....thanks again, sir!
Good information! A note on the last magazine he talked about- I have 4 that I got from Cabela’s. Can’t tell you the name without looking, but I had them loaded up and put them in the bottom of the gun cabinet. One evening while we were watching TV, we heard a racket and couldn’t figure out what it was. Then heard it again coming from the gun cabinet. I opened the drawer and the magazines had almost completely unloaded themselves. That was the last time I used them.
Out of boredom and curiosity I took several minuteman classes over the last few years and we were told to load 28. But a lot of guys loaded 29 or 30 and never had any issues. The real problem seemed to be using nonstandard ammo, weird unknown magazines, and not properly lubricating the rifle itself. Also those drums always seem to have issues. I do not recommend them at all. Especially cuz they're a pain to reload. You can load up 3 thirty round box mags much faster than a single 60 round drum.
Always heard to stay away from the steel ones that look like USGI. Ended up with a couple for basically five dollars apiece… I’ve never had a problem with any of them, but I’ve Never considered them anything but Range duty after buying a ton of pmags
I was in Iraq from 2005-2009 with a few months break in there. I went through many rounds, and we had a range day every Sunday from 0600-0900 with cleaning after if we didn't have a mission. I always loaded 30 rounds in my old issued metal mags, and never had a magazine induced malfunction. Now in law enforcement on K9 patrol with reserve SWAT status, I have had several malfunctions with USGI Colt metal mags (old follower) whether it was 6 rounds loaded or 28. I swapped to MagPul P-Mags, and I've had to slap the shit out of it to get it to seat if there were 30 rounds in it. The P-Mags have been reliable, but I don't load more than 28. I'm all about new tech, but I'm going to look at getting new followers for the metal mags to get my 30 rounds per mag reliably.
It sounds like you have a tolerance issue with the lower on your LE rifle or a tolerance stacking issue with the lower/carrier/LPK/magazine if you have to slap a play to get it to seat on a closed bolt. On all 7 of the AR rifles I have owned or used extensively, if loaded with 30, I have never needed more that a firm push/pull to seat a pmag or a stanag. But have seen a PSA lower that would not seat pmags on a closed bolt, and that lower was out of spec.
@@lanceduncan1819 I agree, I tend to think the mag well or bolt carrier is out of spec. I have only seen this once, and it was a Smith M&P 15 that a relative brought to me. That mag well was definitely out of spec. Funny, I've had a lot of experience with Anderson and PSA lowers and never seen one out of spec, but I've seen a few "high end" lowers with issues (not calling S&W high end).
Great video. It's amazing how SPORTS address so many issues with the AR platform in general. Obviously there's some engineering on the back end that helped improve things over time basically where we don't even really need a forward assist anymore. Almost every time I've had a failure with my rifle it was an issue with the magazines. Either cracked lips on a PMAG or alternatively follower snag on a old mags. I got into a habit of always tapping my bullets to the rear since the springs on old mags are just junk. I think it started as a weird ritual because I seen old Soldiers do it in movies and stuff and then I noticed that I would have generally less issues. It's one thing that's interesting about the AR magazine is that there's a little bit of forward and back play on the ammunition and if you have your rounds too far forward you'll have problems
I was skeptical when I read the video title. Usually these days "the basics" with trainers means a double ninja backflip while rope gripping your $7k AR. Your notes are reasonable and true, and boil down to using decent equipment and taking care of it. Something that is lost these days and replaced with color coordinating the gear or how many patches a person has purchased. HA!. Good vid. I'll check out another and see if there is consistency.
This channel is definitely worth a sub. This video is indicative of their content as a whole. They provide worthwhile information about things that matter in a down to earth way.
I’m on the Autism spectrum so, I’ve learned quite a bit about AR mags over the years. This video pointed out some aspects I either didn’t know at all or didn’t consider. Great info presented well. The only point I would add is that the Lancer hybrid mags are just as reliable, arguably more reliable than PMags. They are lightweight high quality polymer with all the same benefits as a PMag, but the top is aluminum so the mag catch “divot” and feed lips are aluminum, which means less wear from the mag catch (very minimal impact) and they do not need anything to prevent the feed lips from flexing and warping from long term fully loaded storage, where the PMags need the little cover to depress the rounds and remove tension from the feed lips. In order of my preference, I like Lancer, Gen M3 PMags, and aluminum or steel mags with upgraded followers. I’m seeing positive things from Hexmags, but have used them long term or hard enough to completely trust or recommend them just yet.
The best learning from this video was about the non-tilt followers and the extra lip that prevents over-insertion of pmags. I'll be checking all of my mags, now.
Thank you so much for this video. I wasn't even looking for answers, but this video helped me figure out why I was having so many malfunctions this past range day. For some reason I had loaded 31 rounds into most of my mags and I have not done that before.
This was very informative, Ty! I have an AR15 and enjoy shooting it, but don't know much about it or shoot it very often. I think shooting my EDC at a local indoor range is more convenient, less expensive, less time - consuming, and more practical (I think a CCW encounter is more likely than a home invasion, but I have no intel to back this up.) You've convinced me to revisit my AR15... and check my Pmags for the stop and all of my magazines for anti-tilt followers.
Why do people like Lancers...two piece thin gauge metal I shaped lips on a less rigid flexy polymer doesn't seem ideal. The form factor is very close to USGI so there is that. Can anyone point to tests that say they are "better" than Pmags?
@@jak4032 I wouldn't say they are better or worse than Pmags. Having said that, I loaded two old Lancer mags and three pmags back in 2012 and found them last year in an ammo can. The Lancers still cycled perfectly, but two of the Pmags were bulging and were difficult to load into the magazine well and more difficult to remove. Those were Gen 1 Pmags, so take that with a grain of salt. I think more than anything, it just comes down to personal preference. The two things that bothers me the most with the old Lancers were how loud they are when empty and the thin plastic walls, but so far, I've never had an issue with them. I carry one Pmag on my kit and a Lancer in the rifle in my patrol car. That should tell you that I think both are good.
@@jak4032 They're just a good magazine. Benefits would really only be: metal feed lips, smaller form factor than PMAGs, and they're lighter by an ounce or two. Nothing world shattering, but they're solid magazines. They also have a nice texture to them. There was a recent test (I can't think of the channel as I'm not subbed) where the metal lips helped keep rounds in the magazine while they dragged a bunch of modern magazines behind an ATV...that's about the only difference between them and PMAGs, and other fancy polymer magazines. Is that a real concern? I'd imagine not too often for the average person.
I load 30 rounds, when you buy 5.56mm NATO they come in a little cardboard box with 10 rounds per strip clip & 3 strips clip per box which is 30 rounds. Good information, a ton of people don't know this, I since run the old G.I. mags with anti-tilt. Thanks for spreading this information.
This fella is a great communicator. It seems like he has experience in Negotiations and I feel obligated to listen to him and really learn something. I never knew about Magpul's Gen 1 magazines issue. I still use ALUMINUM GI magazines and installed anti-tilt followers with Wolf magazine springs just to replace them because I bought some used at yard sales and gun shows.
As a former Paratrooper of the 82nd, we treated our mags as an integral part of the weapon system. Very important part. Disassemble and maintain. DX if a fail.
Almost all of my 223/556/300 mags are Lancer AWM5 polymer with steel tops. Different colors for 223/556 & 300. All translucent. Good information. I'm definitely sharing this. Never seen anyone bump a mag from the rear and the rounds jump out
@AlexJonesWasRight1776 I think he explains it pretty well though. He demonstrates that PMAGs and some other polymer magazines can take 31 rounds on occasion...and your average person may not be counting (I know I load from a pelican case of loose ammo, etc.). So I can absolutely see people at the range loading until it stops, etc. Particularly normal citizen gun owners who bought a 30-round magazine and 'assume' that's all it holds, etc. I don't think this is instructional for military, law enforcement, competition shooters, etc.
Glad I ran across this. Subbed and thank you. Pretty darn cool learning something new about something you never expected to learn something new about 😂
Outstanding. Most people fail to realize that mags are a consumable item. They have a shorter service life than the weapon itself, and also require maintenance. This goes for unit armorers in some cases. I've had to go as far as have my wife mail me some of my personal mags while in Iraq to square away the soldiers in my section of a unit I was attached to. Most malfunctions are magazine based.
The reason I load 29 is because most of my mags don’t seat properly or are extremely hard to seat with 30. Especially in GI mags but I’ve seen it in magpul and other modern brands. This is because of a design flaw where there’s not enough room for the spring to compress further when fully loaded, and the spring needs to compress fully to seat the mag.
I’m loving the good black steel South Korean mags got a whole case last year for 8.99 each and they are flawless. Have pmags too but these are numerous, plentiful, and solid kit.
FWIW, I’ve owned a variety of different types of mag over the years to include copious P-mags, a few Hex Mags, some Mission First Tactical and an assortment of unknown brand GI mags. Most stay loaded with 30 rounds continuously and quite a few have been constantly loaded for approaching 10 years. The only polymer mag I’ve experienced a problem with is Amend 2. They all had extremely weak fed lips and mag dumped their contents in my range bag. All of them. I understand later versions have addressed this flaw, but I’ll likely never give them another chance.
I have also had trouble with the Amend 2 mags. 30 rounds made the sides bulge made them hard to insert and stick in the gun. 28 and they shoot out in my bag or chest carrier. I occasionally use them for practice still but not often
@SuperOtter13 I picked up some a2 mags from the gun shop I worked at for super cheap, there was a reason they were so cheap. Literally the worst mags I've ever seen
I picked up an amend 2 transparent because it was cheap and I've ran about a hundred or so rounds through it thus far with no issues. When did you start experiencing your problems? Just so I know maybe what to expect
@@meeep9099you should take it out of rotation except for a range mag. Gen 2 or 3 pmags are so cheap it's not worth saving the money as you can get them for less than 15 dollars!!!
Fantastic video. We need more of the basics. Especially for guys like me who have had to find their own education because we weren't given even a crude level of training in the service. Speaking to that, I was taught the 28 thing in the AF, my Army and Marine friends say 30. My only concern is the reliability. If it runs at 30, cool. Then that's what I'll do.
I was an army infantryman from 1983-1988. We loaded 28 in a 30 and 18 in a 20. Never had an issue….we had M16A1 rifles….they worked well. We kept them clean and lubed….used them in the DMZ …a real world mission…tho nothing note worthy
I'm not much of an AR guy but I tell you what I learned a lot off of that and this burned into my memory even though I'm 74 years old I will not forget that and I will check some of the AR mags that I've got I got some old GI styles and I've got some of those new polymers I'll check them out see what happens excellent video
To me, consistency is more important than how many you load. Consistently load the same amount in each of your magazines and know how many you load. If you want 30, load them all with 30, and the same if you another amount.
awesome video. i didn't know magpul mags will accept 31 rounds. thank you. thank you very much. i typically speed load off stripper clips so its never been an issue, however i have to say that there is a lot i never really knew before and i am ex military. weapons weren't my main thing and i don't pretend to be an expert. this is a great video. many thanks for bringing me up to speed on newer equipment. in my day we didn't have polymer magazines or at least i sure as hell never had one. i still have my reservations about them. i went half and half. half my mags are polymer and half are metal. all of my magazines have the magpul anti-tilt follower. my metal mags are brownells. i've heard they are good magazines. i haven't had any issues with them yet
Good stuff, learthat Pmag has the update. See a lot of gen2 for sale often, now understand. Thought the gen 3 only advantage was the window. Now know the tab to prevent over insertion. Also, did not know troy mags have less strong lips, now see why they are also on sale. Agreed, god training equipment.
I usually load my mags to full capacity and strip two off. Great information!! Sadly, I've seen a lot of spine cracked Amend 2 AR magazines so I avoid them like the plague. Pmags and ETS steel lipped AR mags are the kings.
I loaded a brand new, out the bag 30 rd mag with a green follower from 2011. We just got issued updated ones at the time and supply was handing them out. I loaded one and threw it in my closet. 6 years later I mag dumped it. All 30 rds. Was surprised, but it sure did work. Wouldn't trust my life on it tho. I run all mags G.I issue updated followers no issues ever.
We were doing annual rifle quals a couple weekends ago. My unit is a reserve unit and for a lot of these guys, it’s the only time they touch a gun during the year. We made the switch to everyone getting pmags last year and this year they told everyone these mags will hold 31 rounds but only load 30. To make sure it’s on the right side or it won’t chamber. At some point I ended up with 31 rounds in a mag and didn’t notice until a round wouldn’t chamber. I racked it back a few times then pulled the mag and saw the top round was on the left side.
Magpul M3s, Daniel Defense & Lancers reliably allow 30 rounds loaded 24/7. This is why Duramag should make 32 round mags so that 30 rounds reliably loaded is an option.
@@rmichaelzachary8574 Yawn. The funny thing he didn't mention in the video is just like the magpuls, a duramag (atleast the steel ones) will also take 31 and behave in an identical manner. Also not played shooters in years, but I bet you've got active accounts on several.
Thanks, learned something new today. I've been buying the Gen.2 Pmags because i heard somewhere the polymer was better never realizing the bump stop was there, may be time to upgrade
Good stuff, ty! Ive asked Magpul about why they made the gen 3. I was told besides the baseplate change , that the over insertion rib was mainly for foreign ar platforms that had a slightly different mag well. But in an American made ar it made no difference. That said, I imagine that thru wear, the rib may offer some protection on US made lowers.
We would say in the Army….When using USGI mags: “If it’s green it leans, if it’s black take it back, if it’s tan it’s the plan!! All referring to the follower”! Duramags SS are awesome!!
Magpul PMAG gen 3 are the only magazine worth getting. Sure I have some Lancer colored magazines for my Honey Badger but I would never use that magazine for self defense. It just looks really cool with the clear coat anodized gun and a grape jelly mag. I call it my PB and J rifle. Great video!
I always load 29 rounds....then I put the 30th in
@@brianlovvorn4150 😂☠️👍
Very based
@@jammer9300 unfathomably based
I put 28 rounds in the magazine but I don’t put a round in the chamber until it’s time to shoot. Was trained to not have a round in the chamber long term.
I don't always pack my mags full so the springs don't fatigue. I'll keep one full and 3 with 5 or 7 rounds. And I rotate the full mag
I think doing a Back to Basics series is a great idea! There's a lot of people joining the gun community everyday, and they need this kind of fundamental info
and to correct all the Fudds out there that have been pushing misinformation for decades
Getting refreshers about fundamentals is important for those of us who are familiar with firearms, too. It’s easy to develop bad habits that could get you into a jam, or even killed. Videos like this one are good for everyone.
I’m a proponent of keeping yourself humble and hitting the basics again.
The difference in this argument is that people don't realize what tolerances are. Not every Ar is identical to the next. Machining tolerances create slight inconsistencies in the distance in the parts combinations. A lot of Ar rifles can seat a 30 round magazine on a closed bolt without fail. Some are magazine dependent (mags have different tolerances too). Some Ar rifles can't take a fully loaded mag on a closed boat at all. You find out by practicing. You'll figure out which mags are reliable in your specific rifle. You'll figure out what your rifle likes. That's how you know.
@@Cmoth040 I agree. My primary AR doesn’t like pmags. After a couple of rounds, it just drops the mag. I only run duramags in that rifle. Yet to have an issue since.
Imagine If I hadn’t figured that out and got into a situation where my life was on the line. I guess I’d better make those first two rounds count.
This guy is clear, concise and an amazing communicator! Fieldcraft did well to hire this guy!
A lot of gun educators are not well suited to communicating with people. And tend to like to hear themselves talk. It takes a fair amount of commitment and concentration, paying attention to instruction. And learning.
This guy does not just know his stuff. He is excellent at conveying that information in a clear and concise manner. That keeps you focused on what he is teaching. Just the information you need. No fluff. No needless banter. But still entertaining. And most of all clear and concise.
I say we need to see much more of this guy. I just learned more about mags in 13 minutes than I ever knew. I did not once lose interest in what he was saying. Good job!
Totally agree. The world needs more teachers like this.
That was one of the most unbiased and best explanations I've heard in quite a while.
We also taught the even count. So after chambering a round, the 'press check' was simply removing the mag and noticing it now being 'odd round' ensuring a round was chambered without taking the gun out of battery...thus avoiding a possible jam.
I love this. Good info. No douchieness, no foul language, no visible ego. Might have to sub.
You've been missing out on this channel. All the videos are like this.
I need Benny's energy level.
@@Driveby-Viktum I love the can of (fill in the blank) that identifies as water!
@@woodystube1000 Equity among the beverage community is a social issue for the ages. A beverage shouldn't be ashamed to proudly live its' truth. =P
Ok stiff
This is the best explanation of AR mags and PMags I have seen. Very refreshing to see someone finally telling it like it is regarding the relatively minor issues with the Gen 1 PMags. Worked for a large agency that purchased a lot of Gen 1's and discovered they started to crack in the top-rear between the lips when left loaded for long periods of time (contributing to the "don't load to 30" mentality). Magpul reps got involved. Long story short, that stupid dust cover that everyone chucks in the garbage is actually functional. when used properly, the dust cover pushes down slightly on the top round to simulate the bottom of the BCG when a mag is inserted in a rifle. Without the spring tension being relieved from the top of the mag, the pressure on the lips pushed outward caused cracking at the back of the mag (Gen 1). Magpul now ships their mags with the dust cover.
Earned a Sub!
Well they don't ship with them anymore. Sold separately. Gotta live shrinkflation
@@mghegotagun Well that sucks. Didn’t know that.
@@woodystube1000 ya latest batch of gen 3 magpul mags I got did not come with the dust cover.
They, not too long ago, determined the covers don't actually serve a purpose. Did a bunch of research on it as I bought some newer Gen 3 300blk mags that didn't have them any more and wanted to know why
No they don't...post current information.
For 14 years (7 professionally). And coached for 11 years. Jabs win fights. Single. Time. Basics are the most important. Keep this series up please
This guy is a good teacher!
Huh. Back in the 70's I always loaded 30 rounds in magazines - no one ever told me not to - and never had a ftf or other malfunction. I still have some of those USGI 30-rd magazines, the followers are neither black nor green nor tan but gray, the same gray steel as the magazines themselves. I still load them with 30 and have no issues.
Old retired Army 11H/11BB4 here (1983-2009), we used to make mag pull out loops out of gutted 550 chord then cut it in 6” lengths, tie each one into a loop using a square knot then take the magazine bottom plate off and carefully slide the loop onto the bottom plate then lock the bottom plate back into position, this will leave you an inch and a half loop that you can use to pull the mag out of the pouch. This is another Ranger idea all Grunts adopted since it was a damn good idea. Another thing I used to do is carry a couple mags of all tracer, this was to be used for directing fire or CAS coordination if we didn’t have any other way to mark a target. In retired life, I’m sticking with USGI mags with improved followers (no tilt) since they’ll fit in all M-16 mag pouches made while Magpul mags often won’t fit.
That’s how we did it in the 2000s
THANK-YOU! I stopped the video and checked my AR that is staged with two mags. One of them was the older style P-mag. Much appreciated...
If you had squared away drill instructor, this was basic info.
If you had a squared away trainer, this was basic info.
If you were unfortunate to not have those, this is basic info that needs to be known, great video, fundamentals is where it’s at and also overlooked and convoluted with all the wiz bang kids on social media
I'm sorry but I've always loaded 30 rounds in every mag and never had any issues. Whether in training or deployments in combat.
@arighteousname5882 only guns I've ever seen that wouldn't seat on a 30 rounder was ruger. There's a reason the only ruger I own is a 10/22 lol
Just a civilian love Lancer mags, sent your video to a new shooter...wish i had this years ago...thank you
I admire the heck out of how you teach, and what you share. No filler, right on point, and insightful. Thanks a bunch. I will remember not to load pop tarts into my mag. I learned something new.
The only difference between this mag vid and the other 10k of them out there, is the fine details explained. Great delivery of those finer details some of us didn't know, or forget. thumbs up!
One of the most useful videos I’ve ever viewed. I’ll always remember these tips and it will save me countless future jams. I went through all my mags and several were loaded at 29 (not purposely), one at 31, and 3 didn’t have anti-tilt followers. Thank you sir!
Like the video, and like how you encourage training even if it’s not with you, that’s a real one
Very basic...still very well done. For those who have not carried much, or those that are just misinformed by so-called experts, this will REALLY help them. Will watch for more of your stuff...
Springs don't wear out under compression, they wear out after lots of cycles.
Creep deformation is a thing
Any tension will wear down under pressure. Just basic physics. Although it takes a lot of time.
Great video, more informative than the title suggests👍🏻
More from this guy. Very concise. Great instruction
In the early 90s- Mid 2000s the Suck used OKay and AR Stoner Mags. We always loaded with 28 rounds. I continue to used the AR Stoner mags as they're metal and I can leave charged without the lips splayed out. Great video brother.
WOW! Learned stuff today! Thank you!
The overinsertion stop that Magpul added also stopped the cracking of the feed lips on the older generation of mags. We tested the old mags with dryfire speed reloads and they all developed cracked feed lips after 13-15 reps. This was fed back to Magpul. Gen 3 P-Mag solved this problem.
100% true! Refer to my comment above about the Gen 1's cracking when left loaded for long periods. I pretty much ditched all my Gen 1's several years ago. The later gens are good to go, but I still use the dust covers.
Gen 3 Pmags solved a lot of issues and I can't think of a better AR mag to be honest.
@@ShizawnSanders Fully agree.
The pmags with that lip supposedly don't fit into some lowers, and people have said they have issues getting them in mag pouches for the same reason. I have a shit ton of the gen3's and haven't had either issue, so take it with a grain of salt.
This gentleman is very good at his job. Great style and communicator.
Very few people talk about mags like this. Very informative. Thanks!
Great vid…thank you!!! Might sound weird but my VTAC Christensen arms AR doesn’t like magpul mags but runs flawlessly on GI mags but now you’ve given me food for thought 👍🏼
Best video on magazines I have ever seen. Thanks!
Thanks, great info and I was totally unaware of the older P Mag problem. I’m an old guy and I have mags that are over 50 years old I need to check.
Me too
Honestly, if I were you I would probably replace all the springs just for GP. You can get them as cheap as 3 bucks each if you buy a pack. Not sure I was trust springs that are almost as old as I am.
I almost skipped right past, figured I knew mags well enough. Glad I watched, I was wrong. Thanks for teaching me something.
From my experience while I was in, I was a 91F, the blue ones are made for blanks. My supply NCO ordered all blue ones… cuz they were cheaper I think. I had kept my older metal mags that had all tan followers and we figured this out one day at the range when our whole company kept having feed malfunctions. The blue ones usually have a spring that doesn’t fill the magazine from front to back. When you put a regular ball round in those mags, the extra weight of the ball ammo tend to make the front dip and then jam. You have to take apart the mag and inspect the spring. If the spring does not touch the front AND back of the metal magazine, it will dip and jam no matter what color the follower is.
Holy smokes. Thanks for the heads up.
Great info, thank you, sir. I didn't know about the bump on the back of the Gen 2 mags. I only seem to have Gen 1 mags so I will be ordering not only Gen 2 mags but I'll be ordering some of those Duramags as well. You may have saved mine or someone else's life if I have to use my rifle in defense of life....thanks again, sir!
Good information! A note on the last magazine he talked about- I have 4 that I got from Cabela’s. Can’t tell you the name without looking, but I had them loaded up and put them in the bottom of the gun cabinet. One evening while we were watching TV, we heard a racket and couldn’t figure out what it was. Then heard it again coming from the gun cabinet. I opened the drawer and the magazines had almost completely unloaded themselves. That was the last time I used them.
Wow. Great info. Now I know why my early generation p-mags were always giving me trouble, but the later gens worked well. Thanks brother!
Out of boredom and curiosity I took several minuteman classes over the last few years and we were told to load 28. But a lot of guys loaded 29 or 30 and never had any issues. The real problem seemed to be using nonstandard ammo, weird unknown magazines, and not properly lubricating the rifle itself. Also those drums always seem to have issues. I do not recommend them at all. Especially cuz they're a pain to reload. You can load up 3 thirty round box mags much faster than a single 60 round drum.
Always heard to stay away from the steel ones that look like USGI.
Ended up with a couple for basically five dollars apiece… I’ve never had a problem with any of them, but I’ve Never considered them anything but Range duty after buying a ton of pmags
I was in Iraq from 2005-2009 with a few months break in there. I went through many rounds, and we had a range day every Sunday from 0600-0900 with cleaning after if we didn't have a mission. I always loaded 30 rounds in my old issued metal mags, and never had a magazine induced malfunction. Now in law enforcement on K9 patrol with reserve SWAT status, I have had several malfunctions with USGI Colt metal mags (old follower) whether it was 6 rounds loaded or 28. I swapped to MagPul P-Mags, and I've had to slap the shit out of it to get it to seat if there were 30 rounds in it. The P-Mags have been reliable, but I don't load more than 28. I'm all about new tech, but I'm going to look at getting new followers for the metal mags to get my 30 rounds per mag reliably.
It sounds like you have a tolerance issue with the lower on your LE rifle or a tolerance stacking issue with the lower/carrier/LPK/magazine if you have to slap a play to get it to seat on a closed bolt. On all 7 of the AR rifles I have owned or used extensively, if loaded with 30, I have never needed more that a firm push/pull to seat a pmag or a stanag. But have seen a PSA lower that would not seat pmags on a closed bolt, and that lower was out of spec.
@@lanceduncan1819 I agree, I tend to think the mag well or bolt carrier is out of spec. I have only seen this once, and it was a Smith M&P 15 that a relative brought to me. That mag well was definitely out of spec. Funny, I've had a lot of experience with Anderson and PSA lowers and never seen one out of spec, but I've seen a few "high end" lowers with issues (not calling S&W high end).
Excellent video! outstanding instructor with nothing but the facts!!!
Excellent information and presentation. Thanks for taking the time to better inform an old dog.
Great video. It's amazing how SPORTS address so many issues with the AR platform in general. Obviously there's some engineering on the back end that helped improve things over time basically where we don't even really need a forward assist anymore. Almost every time I've had a failure with my rifle it was an issue with the magazines. Either cracked lips on a PMAG or alternatively follower snag on a old mags. I got into a habit of always tapping my bullets to the rear since the springs on old mags are just junk. I think it started as a weird ritual because I seen old Soldiers do it in movies and stuff and then I noticed that I would have generally less issues. It's one thing that's interesting about the AR magazine is that there's a little bit of forward and back play on the ammunition and if you have your rounds too far forward you'll have problems
I was skeptical when I read the video title. Usually these days "the basics" with trainers means a double ninja backflip while rope gripping your $7k AR. Your notes are reasonable and true, and boil down to using decent equipment and taking care of it. Something that is lost these days and replaced with color coordinating the gear or how many patches a person has purchased. HA!. Good vid. I'll check out another and see if there is consistency.
This channel is definitely worth a sub. This video is indicative of their content as a whole. They provide worthwhile information about things that matter in a down to earth way.
Wait, are you saying you don't do double ninja backflips with a $7K AR? Pfft, are you even a gun owner, bro?
Great review for me, plus I learned a couple of new things.
Very educational in a basic skill. Your presentation skills are spot on!
Excellent video very informative , Thank you. 🎯
I’m on the Autism spectrum so, I’ve learned quite a bit about AR mags over the years. This video pointed out some aspects I either didn’t know at all or didn’t consider. Great info presented well. The only point I would add is that the Lancer hybrid mags are just as reliable, arguably more reliable than PMags. They are lightweight high quality polymer with all the same benefits as a PMag, but the top is aluminum so the mag catch “divot” and feed lips are aluminum, which means less wear from the mag catch (very minimal impact) and they do not need anything to prevent the feed lips from flexing and warping from long term fully loaded storage, where the PMags need the little cover to depress the rounds and remove tension from the feed lips. In order of my preference, I like Lancer, Gen M3 PMags, and aluminum or steel mags with upgraded followers. I’m seeing positive things from Hexmags, but have used them long term or hard enough to completely trust or recommend them just yet.
What the fuck does any of that have to do with autism
The metal feed lips on the Lancers are steel and the covers for pmags are just dust covers.
Great video, thanks Greg. Never too old to learn something!
Great detailed explanation! I wasn’t aware of the old PMag problem so definitely going to upgrade. Thank you!
This is one of the absolute best video on the Tube!! Thanks Mr. Greg my brain grew some! Knowledge Transfer is sexy AF!!!
The best learning from this video was about the non-tilt followers and the extra lip that prevents over-insertion of pmags. I'll be checking all of my mags, now.
Thank you so much for this video. I wasn't even looking for answers, but this video helped me figure out why I was having so many malfunctions this past range day. For some reason I had loaded 31 rounds into most of my mags and I have not done that before.
One of the nicest men you'll ever meet. True patriot, warrior and gentleman. Lake stevens was a great night.
This was very informative, Ty! I have an AR15 and enjoy shooting it, but don't know much about it or shoot it very often. I think shooting my EDC at a local indoor range is more convenient, less expensive, less time - consuming, and more practical (I think a CCW encounter is more likely than a home invasion, but I have no intel to back this up.) You've convinced me to revisit my AR15... and check my Pmags for the stop and all of my magazines for anti-tilt followers.
First time watching one of your videos. Down to earth quality information. Thank you. I'm now subscribed. Stay free
Love the Lancer mags
Me too. I wish he would have covered them. They are my favorite, although the earlier models were a little loud.
Why do people like Lancers...two piece thin gauge metal I shaped lips on a less rigid flexy polymer doesn't seem ideal. The form factor is very close to USGI so there is that. Can anyone point to tests that say they are "better" than Pmags?
@@jak4032 I wouldn't say they are better or worse than Pmags. Having said that, I loaded two old Lancer mags and three pmags back in 2012 and found them last year in an ammo can. The Lancers still cycled perfectly, but two of the Pmags were bulging and were difficult to load into the magazine well and more difficult to remove. Those were Gen 1 Pmags, so take that with a grain of salt. I think more than anything, it just comes down to personal preference. The two things that bothers me the most with the old Lancers were how loud they are when empty and the thin plastic walls, but so far, I've never had an issue with them. I carry one Pmag on my kit and a Lancer in the rifle in my patrol car. That should tell you that I think both are good.
@@WorldwideBushcraftSurvival Thanks for sharing that...👍
@@jak4032 They're just a good magazine. Benefits would really only be: metal feed lips, smaller form factor than PMAGs, and they're lighter by an ounce or two. Nothing world shattering, but they're solid magazines. They also have a nice texture to them. There was a recent test (I can't think of the channel as I'm not subbed) where the metal lips helped keep rounds in the magazine while they dragged a bunch of modern magazines behind an ATV...that's about the only difference between them and PMAGs, and other fancy polymer magazines. Is that a real concern? I'd imagine not too often for the average person.
I load 30 rounds, when you buy 5.56mm NATO they come in a little cardboard box with 10 rounds per strip clip & 3 strips clip per box which is 30 rounds. Good information, a ton of people don't know this, I since run the old G.I. mags with anti-tilt. Thanks for spreading this information.
This was so helpful! Never knew the trick about right/left = odd/even round count
It's not foolproof, I was issued a few mags for deployment that had the follower on the left side. Still have them too.
Thanks for the video. I went and checked, and ordered 4 new Pmags......never knew about the old gen.
This fella is a great communicator. It seems like he has experience in Negotiations and I feel obligated to listen to him and really learn something. I never knew about Magpul's Gen 1 magazines issue. I still use ALUMINUM GI magazines and installed anti-tilt followers with Wolf magazine springs just to replace them because I bought some used at yard sales and gun shows.
Said very well, figured that out over the yrs. Myself, but great for people
Good for new guys
T
As a former Paratrooper of the 82nd, we treated our mags as an integral part of the weapon system. Very important part. Disassemble and maintain. DX if a fail.
A very important part of the weapon system! Thank you for your service.
Where can we get anti tilt followers for aluminum 7.62 mags ??
Had to switch to pmags to fix fallurer to feed . DPMS Gen 2
What does DX mean?
@@TheJonesChannel11
Direct Exchange. Get rid of it.
Cant you just spray silicon oil in the mag so it can feed better?
Definitely a back to basics podcast but I still enjoyed it and think it was an excellent refresher.
Thank you. I have not been paying enough attention to my mags. That stopped today!
And yes, I am one of the 28 rd guys.
Jack
Thanks for this in depth and detailed explanation of as to WHY some say 29 and 28 over 30. Now I know I haven’t been wrong with the 30. Thanks again.
Almost all of my 223/556/300 mags are Lancer AWM5 polymer with steel tops. Different colors for 223/556 & 300. All translucent.
Good information. I'm definitely sharing this. Never seen anyone bump a mag from the rear and the rounds jump out
I have never loaded anything but 30 rounds and in 8 years it’s never been a problem.
@AlexJonesWasRight1776 I think he explains it pretty well though. He demonstrates that PMAGs and some other polymer magazines can take 31 rounds on occasion...and your average person may not be counting (I know I load from a pelican case of loose ammo, etc.). So I can absolutely see people at the range loading until it stops, etc. Particularly normal citizen gun owners who bought a 30-round magazine and 'assume' that's all it holds, etc. I don't think this is instructional for military, law enforcement, competition shooters, etc.
Glad I ran across this. Subbed and thank you.
Pretty darn cool learning something new about something you never expected to learn something new about 😂
thanks for the great info back to the basics is always good. Not enough companies do it.
Outstanding. Most people fail to realize that mags are a consumable item. They have a shorter service life than the weapon itself, and also require maintenance. This goes for unit armorers in some cases. I've had to go as far as have my wife mail me some of my personal mags while in Iraq to square away the soldiers in my section of a unit I was attached to. Most malfunctions are magazine based.
Thanks Brother, I didn't know some of that stuff. ..... ex-Navy, we didn't train with rifles back then. good video
The reason I load 29 is because most of my mags don’t seat properly or are extremely hard to seat with 30. Especially in GI mags but I’ve seen it in magpul and other modern brands. This is because of a design flaw where there’s not enough room for the spring to compress further when fully loaded, and the spring needs to compress fully to seat the mag.
On a closed bolt yeah
I’m loving the good black steel South Korean mags got a whole case last year for 8.99 each and they are flawless.
Have pmags too but these are numerous, plentiful, and solid kit.
FWIW, I’ve owned a variety of different types of mag over the years to include copious P-mags, a few Hex Mags, some Mission First Tactical and an assortment of unknown brand GI mags. Most stay loaded with 30 rounds continuously and quite a few have been constantly loaded for approaching 10 years. The only polymer mag I’ve experienced a problem with is Amend 2. They all had extremely weak fed lips and mag dumped their contents in my range bag. All of them. I understand later versions have addressed this flaw, but I’ll likely never give them another chance.
I have also had trouble with the Amend 2 mags. 30 rounds made the sides bulge made them hard to insert and stick in the gun. 28 and they shoot out in my bag or chest carrier. I occasionally use them for practice still but not often
@SuperOtter13 I picked up some a2 mags from the gun shop I worked at for super cheap, there was a reason they were so cheap. Literally the worst mags I've ever seen
I have one old pmag, my oldest p mag similar issue. Have many other pmags since and no issues.
I picked up an amend 2 transparent because it was cheap and I've ran about a hundred or so rounds through it thus far with no issues. When did you start experiencing your problems? Just so I know maybe what to expect
@@meeep9099you should take it out of rotation except for a range mag. Gen 2 or 3 pmags are so cheap it's not worth saving the money as you can get them for less than 15 dollars!!!
Fantastic video. We need more of the basics. Especially for guys like me who have had to find their own education because we weren't given even a crude level of training in the service. Speaking to that, I was taught the 28 thing in the AF, my Army and Marine friends say 30. My only concern is the reliability. If it runs at 30, cool. Then that's what I'll do.
I was an army infantryman from 1983-1988. We loaded 28 in a 30 and 18 in a 20. Never had an issue….we had M16A1 rifles….they worked well. We kept them clean and lubed….used them in the DMZ …a real world mission…tho nothing note worthy
SOP doesnt always mean the best.. its just what your unit does
Great back to basics video!
I'm not much of an AR guy but I tell you what I learned a lot off of that and this burned into my memory even though I'm 74 years old I will not forget that and I will check some of the AR mags that I've got I got some old GI styles and I've got some of those new polymers I'll check them out see what happens excellent video
Excellent instruction, thank you.
Excellent video. Great, useful info, and presented well.
RockOn.StayFree.
Great vid!
Old dog learned new trick, with new mags. 👍
To me, consistency is more important than how many you load. Consistently load the same amount in each of your magazines and know how many you load. If you want 30, load them all with 30, and the same if you another amount.
Incredibly informative video, well explained!
Thank you for making this video. I did not even realize that I had the older generation pmags.
awesome video. i didn't know magpul mags will accept 31 rounds. thank you. thank you very much. i typically speed load off stripper clips so its never been an issue, however i have to say that there is a lot i never really knew before and i am ex military. weapons weren't my main thing and i don't pretend to be an expert. this is a great video. many thanks for bringing me up to speed on newer equipment. in my day we didn't have polymer magazines or at least i sure as hell never had one. i still have my reservations about them. i went half and half. half my mags are polymer and half are metal. all of my magazines have the magpul anti-tilt follower. my metal mags are brownells. i've heard they are good magazines. i haven't had any issues with them yet
Good stuff, learthat Pmag has the update. See a lot of gen2 for sale often, now understand. Thought the gen 3 only advantage was the window. Now know the tab to prevent over insertion. Also, did not know troy mags have less strong lips, now see why they are also on sale. Agreed, god training equipment.
I usually load my mags to full capacity and strip two off. Great information!! Sadly, I've seen a lot of spine cracked Amend 2 AR magazines so I avoid them like the plague. Pmags and ETS steel lipped AR mags are the kings.
I loaded a brand new, out the bag 30 rd mag with a green follower from 2011. We just got issued updated ones at the time and supply was handing them out. I loaded one and threw it in my closet. 6 years later I mag dumped it. All 30 rds. Was surprised, but it sure did work. Wouldn't trust my life on it tho. I run all mags G.I issue updated followers no issues ever.
Great information brother thanks. Stay safe.
We were doing annual rifle quals a couple weekends ago. My unit is a reserve unit and for a lot of these guys, it’s the only time they touch a gun during the year. We made the switch to everyone getting pmags last year and this year they told everyone these mags will hold 31 rounds but only load 30. To make sure it’s on the right side or it won’t chamber. At some point I ended up with 31 rounds in a mag and didn’t notice until a round wouldn’t chamber. I racked it back a few times then pulled the mag and saw the top round was on the left side.
When I service a firearm with a detachable magazine, I also service the magazine next trip to the range. I’m all ready to go no issues. San Diego
Great video. Thank you this vital information.
Magpul M3s, Daniel Defense & Lancers reliably allow 30 rounds loaded 24/7. This is why Duramag should make 32 round mags so that 30 rounds reliably loaded is an option.
Strike industries has them already.
My DD mags are 32 but I load them to 30 or 31.
Funny my duramags take 30 just fine.
@@presidentmerkinmuffley6769
Right. You missed the video. Go back to first person shooter gaming.
@@rmichaelzachary8574 Yawn. The funny thing he didn't mention in the video is just like the magpuls, a duramag (atleast the steel ones) will also take 31 and behave in an identical manner.
Also not played shooters in years, but I bet you've got active accounts on several.
Great video. I would have liked to seen the Lancer mags in the topic.
Great video!! Subscribed.
Awesome presentation brother. Really great info.
Thanks, learned something new today. I've been buying the Gen.2 Pmags because i heard somewhere the polymer was better never realizing the bump stop was there, may be time to upgrade
Good stuff, ty! Ive asked Magpul about why they made the gen 3. I was told besides the baseplate change , that the over insertion rib was mainly for foreign ar platforms that had a slightly different mag well. But in an American made ar it made no difference. That said, I imagine that thru wear, the rib may offer some protection on US made lowers.
Thank you, basics are important, and I did not know a fair amount of the material:)😊
On point! Thorough as hell.
We would say in the Army….When using USGI mags:
“If it’s green it leans, if it’s black take it back, if it’s tan it’s the plan!! All referring to the follower”! Duramags SS are awesome!!
Excellent vid. Thank you.
Magpul PMAG gen 3 are the only magazine worth getting. Sure I have some Lancer colored magazines for my Honey Badger but I would never use that magazine for self defense. It just looks really cool with the clear coat anodized gun and a grape jelly mag. I call it my PB and J rifle. Great video!