- Hey, everyone. It's Alex C. with TFBTV.
I get asked a lot why, in almost all of my reviews
or videos, I use good old-fashioned U.S. GI steel magazines
in lieu of Magpul PMAGs, a popular alternative
that most shooters these days are familiar with.
Well, there are several reasons for this.
First and foremost, I will readily acknowledge
that PMAGs are a great magazine.
They are reliable, well-constructed,
and produced by a company that has a great reputation.
That said, there is a reason that there are generations
of these magazines.
New firearms are designed around common Colt-pattern mags,
and Magpul has to keep accommodating new designs
with generational changes, or new offerings altogether,
like they did with the EMAG.
Problems I have run into in the past include, firstly,
that they won't drop free in a lot of firearms.
I like the idea that I can accomplish a speedy reload
by pressing a button and kicking a magazine out.
This is not the case with PMAGs in many platforms.
Seen here is a few examples of when a PMAG has
to be manually removed:
a problem that isn't present most of the time
with plain old aluminum magazines.
Next up is damage to the SCAR.
Using PMAGs can actually do irreparable damage
to an FN SCAR rifle.
The mags cause the bolt catch to rise ever so slightly
and drag on the bolt lugs,
which results in significant damage over time.
I realized you can fix this by filing or
dremeling off some material on the rear
of the mag body, or by using whatever generation
of magazine they implemented to fix this,
or you could just arrive at my next point
and save four or five dollars more
by purchasing a GI mag.
New production Colt-pattern U.S. GI mags are four
to five dollars cheaper than generation three PMAGs.
I personally don't see why I would spend an extra five bucks
for magazines that won't drop free in all my guns,
may or may not be compatible with new and upcoming guns,
and my next point: won't fit in all my guns.
PMAGs are pretty notorious for not wanting to work
in various platforms, including guns like the HK-416
and M27-IAR.
Note here that this PMAG will not insert
into this civilian version of the HK-416,
due to the odd body geometry.
Also, PMAGs had trouble fitting in firearms
like the British SA-80/L-85,
and will not fit in the FN FS-2000
without the user modifying the weapon
by removing a component that serves to seal the weapon
from dirt and debris.
To my knowledge, no PMAGs will work
in the FS-2000 to this day without modification.
Lastly, not only are PMAGs more expensive
than the alternative, but also heavier.
While the weight difference may not seem like much
to a civilian shooter who packs up his shiny,
clean competition rifle into his Pelican case
and totes it to and from the range in the family truckster,
you hear about things like guys cutting toothbrushes in half
to save weight in the military.
Like you hear military folk say,
"Ounces equal pounds."
And in the case of the PMAG,
a full loadout saves the user a bit of weight.
Not a back-breaking amount, mind you,
but not insignificant.
So, for people who only have AR-15s and only shoot AR-15s,
it's easy to get tunnel vision and just assume
that PMAGs are the greatest, and the end-all, be-all answer
for all shooters, while overlooking the needs
of other people.
I liken this to a person who lives
in an urban area with an office job, assuming
that nobody needs anything more than a Toyota Camry,
while overlooking the fact that some people need things
such as towing capacity, off-road capability,
or more seats for a larger family.
We are all guilty of doing this,
in one way or another.
But with firearms, there really is
seldom a "one size fits all" option for, well, anything.
Magazines are no different.
Because of the cost difference, weight,
compatibility issues, and not dropping free
in many platforms, I'll stick with what I know works.
Of course, this is just my opinion,
based on my personal experiences,
and your mileage may vary.
Again, though, I would like to recognize
that PMAGs are a quality product
and Magpul is very receptive to user feedback.
This is Alex C. With TFB TV.
Special thanks to Ventura Munitions
for helping us out with the cost of ammo,
and a special thank you to you all for watching.
We hope to see you next time.