My (very brief) foray into the world of metal AR mags...

[Tensaw]

So, I’ve been doing the AR thing for a while now. For once, I was ahead of the PF curve having built a couple of 300 Blk AR pistols over a year ago. I watched the PDW thread unfold with much glee and satisfaction as you people validated my thought process.

Up until a couple of weeks ago, I was 100% Pmags. Gen 2, Gen 3, got me some of those sand ones (is that what they were called?) when they came out, 20-rounders, etc. Bottom line, I own a duffle bag full of Pmags. To my recollection, I have never ahead *any* mag related problems. None. Zero. But then, friggin’ SouthNarc shows up peacocking around with his 20-round metal mags in the PDW thread. My response, “Oh.... Shiney!!” Concurrent with SouthNarc’s shenanigans, I think I saw a review somewhere else that commented that Okay Industries Surefeed mags were the top o’ the heap of the aluminum offerings. So, of course, I pony up for five 20 rounders through Top Gun Supply.

The big day arrives and the red,white, and blue box is in the mailbox. Wheee!! Wow, these things are svelte! Perfecto!

Then I toss them in to my admittedly ghetto 300 Blk “hunting” AR. Of the five mags, two fit so tight it took two men and a boy to remove them from the mag well. Okay, maybe not that, but I had to brace the muzzle on something and rest the stock on top of my shoulder so I could use both hands to get the mags out. Pmags easily drop free from this same receiver. Granted, it is an Anderson brand (told you it was a ghetto build) - but I have never had a Pmag not drop free from this receiver. Two other mags were pretty snug, but could be removed with one hand. The fifth would mostly drop free. Hmmm.

I tried the mags in a Stag lower (bought far enough back that it was considered decent quality at the time (paid $140 for it too)). They fit better in the Stag and mostly dropped free. In two other (still stripped/unbuilt) Anderson lowers, they fit okay in one and snug in the other. In an LWRC lower that is several years old, three were snug and did not want to drop free.

All that to say, that it appears these mags are mostly on the fat side of the spec but with significant variation in size among the five I got.

Then there is function and feeding. I will just cut to the chase here and say that in at least two of the mags, follower tilt is a thing. To the point I was about ready to give up. In the hope that there was some sort of break-in/friction between the mag body and follower that was contributing to the problem I kept messing with them. I got one working just by using a stick to work the follower up and down. The other one, I ended up throwing some Slip2000 EWL into the two spine ends of the mag and worked that follower up and down. That seems to have resolved the issue there. (Yeah, I know you aren’t supposed to use lube in mags.) I was tempted to order some Magpul followers, but what I found was that they only make followers for 30 round mags.

So, I dunno. At this point, I think I have them working but I will spend more on ammo to validate function of these mags than it would cost just to buy some more 20 round Pmags. And I can only use them in certain guns. (My wife has the “good” 300Blk pistol with her in another state at the moment. That is an Aero lower so I am hoping the mags will drop free in that. I bought these for my 300 Blk pistols to start with.) Overall, this experience only validates the decision to just stick with Pmags going forward.

There you have it. I hope these aluminum 20 rounders will settle down and run in my 300 Blk pistols, but this has certainly left a bad taste. I think I will stick with Pmags from now on. Boring reliability man...

[fatdog]

Not all metal mags are created equal. Going back 35 years to the time when every mag was an aluminum GI mag from one of the 7 original contractors, Okay Ind. was on my "avoid" list along with Sanchez (which were the worst). I have a ton of metal mags that function as reliably as any P mag, in both 5.56 and 300BLK but I became really picky about which brands I bought in that era before the turn of the century. I have gotten several batches of oversized or unreliable mags over the years and those got a big "P" for practice written all over them and post end of the Klinton ban most got discarded. Sorry to hear you got a bad batch.

I do think that Lancer and Magpul have better quality control on those Polymer mags than any of the aluminum stampers ever did, but a good metal mag is every bit as good as a Pmag when it comes to function.

[Clusterfrack]

Good, fresh GI mags work really well. Until they don't. It doesn't take much to damage a metal AR mag, and it's hard to tell when that happens until you get malfunctions. I do not use them, except as disposable spares for my Lancer AWMs and PMags.

[Casual Friday]

I have piles of Okay Industries/Surefeed mags and none of them fit tight in any of my lowers, including the ones that PMAGs won't drop free in. I just bought 20 of the Surefeed 20 round mags from Primary Arms and they all fit like a GI mag should. The worst mags I own that I won't purchase more of are the gen 2 PMAGs.

I'd see about getting them replaced.

[M2CattleCo]

It's always some guy with a homemade budget build that has the weirdest problems.

[ReverendMeat]

I picked up an OK surefeed 30 recently, it's black, with a grip texture on it and not the same as the ones I've used before. It had an anti-tilt follower and function just fine in three different guns, but it was definitely a tight fit one one of them. Dunno if it's a receiver issue or a mag issue, had a noveske lower that pmags wouldn't drop free out of so... shrug.

[M2CattleCo]

That's one of the E2 mags. It's a copy of the EPM. I don't think they're as good as the regular mags.

[Nephrology]

I'm still pretty new to ARs, but I have a ton of 30rd Okay Industries mags and no problems. None of the E2 surefeed ones, though. I also have some Colt branded 20 and 30rd mags that seem to be completely identical to the OKI mags except for the rollmark.

Really I haven't had any issues with any mags or lowers. My PSA lower is a little tight with some mags but nothing that really worries me. All feed and function just fine - including my one Thermold, even though it really doesn't inspire a lot of confidence in the hand.

[Casual Friday]

I'm still pretty new to ARs, but I have a ton of 30rd Okay Industries mags and no problems. None of the E2 surefeed ones, though. I also have some Colt branded 20 and 30rd mags that seem to be completely identical to the OKI mags except for the rollmark.

Really I haven't had any issues with any mags or lowers. My PSA lower is a little tight with some mags but nothing that really worries me. All feed and function just fine - including my one Thermold, even though it really doesn't inspire a lot of confidence in the hand.

The Colt mags were made by Okay Industries. I have a bunch too, and have slowly been replacing the springs and mint green tilty followers in them as needed over the years. With new springs and Magpul followers, they go back to functioning 100%. Great mags.

[Lost River]

I have been running factory Colt metal mags for literally a couple decades, along with a couple manufacturers who have produced for them under contract, in my Colt rifles and I have never had an issue.


In fact I have one or two older 20 round Colt mags that say .223 on them instead of 5.56, which I read somewhere are from the 60s. I still hunt with them.


The ones shown are just regular old Colt 20 rounders marked 5.56, but they are hardly new. They run flawlessly as well in spite of years of use. A lot of coyotes, jacks and a few deer would attest to that, if they could. Not to mention many years of riding around in patrol cars, unmarked G-rides, etc.




I actually prefer metal mags over the plastic ones.