I've invested way too much money on gear over the years, but I constantly find myself arriving back to the particular classic aluminum ar magazine whenever I'm packing my range bag. There's something about that cold metal and the way it clicks into the particular magwell that just feels right. Don't misunderstand me, I have plenty of polymer options—everyone does—but the more I shoot, the more I understand that the old-school metallic mags aren't just relics of the particular past. They're in fact one of the most practical choices you may make for your rifle.
The Slim Profile Can make a Difference
Major things you notice whenever you hold an aluminum ar magazine next to a contemporary polymer one is how much leaner it is. It might not seem like a huge deal when you're just holding 1 in your hand, however it matters a lot as soon as you begin loading up the chest rig or a plate service provider.
Plastic mags are heavy. They have in order to be, because plastic material needs more mass to achieve the particular same structural strength as metal. Whenever you try to files three polymer magazines into a restricted triple-shingle pouch, it could be a real struggle. You're fighting the particular friction and the added width. Aluminum mags, on the other hand, slide in and out there like they're on rollers. They possess a smaller footprint, which means a person can stack them tighter or also fit them in to pouches that were originally made for old gear. If you're a fan associated with those "vintage" excess pouches, metal is usually pretty much your only option in the event that you don't want to spend ten mins wrestling with your kit.
The "Bend vs. Break" Debate
Generally there is an on-going argument in the particular gun world about whether it's much better to get a magazine in order to bend or to crack. If you drop a polymer magazine on an iced concrete floor, there's a non-zero opportunity the feed lip area might just breeze off. If that happens, the mag is done. A person can't fix this; it goes within the trash.
Having an aluminum ar magazine , the failure point will be different. Metal doesn't usually shatter; this bends. Now, experts will tell you that a curved feed lip is simply as bad as the broken one mainly because it causes failures. That's true. However, you can frequently see a bend coming, and in a pinch, a person can sometimes modify a metal lips back into location to have it operating again.
But honestly, the particular "fragility" of aluminum is usually over-stated. These things had been designed for combat. The USGI-spec magazines have been through every single climate in the world, through the humid jungles of Vietnam to the dusty deserts associated with Iraq. They are usually surprisingly resilient. They can take a beating, get scratched up, and lose half their finish, plus they'll still feed rounds reliably.
Reliability as well as the Anti-Tilt Follower
Back again in the day time, the aluminum ar magazine experienced a bit of a reputation intended for being finicky. That was mostly due to the old green or even black followers that liked to point forward and create a jam. If you've ever used a classic surplus mag and had the nose of the bullet dive directly into the front associated with the magazine body, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
Thankfully, those days are lengthy gone. Modern aluminum mags almost often come with high-visibility, anti-tilt followers. This was a game-changer. This basically solved the particular number one dependability issue with the platform. When you combine a quality aluminum body with the Magpul-style follower plus a high-quality stainless-steel spring, you have a tool that is usually incredibly hard to defeat. I've found that will my aluminum magazines actually drop free from the magwell more consistently than some of my polymer ones, especially in rifles that have slightly stronger tolerances.
They Just Look Much better with Age
Let's be a little vain for the second—aesthetics matter. Right now there is something unquestionably cool in regards to a well-used aluminum ar magazine . When the dry-film lubricant or the anodized finish starts to wear off at the corners and the natural aluminum starts peeking through, it provides the rifle the "workhorse" look that plastic just can't replicate.
Plastic just gets gouged and scratched. Metal gets a patina. If you're the type of person who likes the particular "battle-worn" look, you can't beat the particular way a collection of metal mags looks after a few years of heavy use. Plus, if you ever wish to alter the color, aluminum takes spray color way better compared to plastic does. A person can throw a coat of toned dark earth or even olive drab upon there, and because it wears straight down, it looks also better.
It's About the Persistence of the Give food to Lips
One more thing to consider is exactly how the feed lips react to being kept loaded intended for long periods. There's lots of debate regarding whether polymer nourish lips "creep" or even spread apart more than time in case you maintain them topped away from at 30 rounds. Some manufacturers actually include dust covers specifically to get the pressure away the lips throughout storage.
Along with an aluminum ar magazine , you don't really have to worry about that. The metal will be rigid enough the pressure of the rounds won't result in the feed lips to flare away. I've found magazines which have been sitting packed in the back of a secure to get a decade, plus they still seat perfectly and supply without a hiccup. It gives a person a certain serenity of mind in case you're setting apparel aside for a good emergency.
Excess weight Isn't the matter Individuals Think It Is usually
You'll usually hear people state that they prefer polymer because it's lighter. While that's technically true upon a scale, the difference is negligible. An empty aluminum ar magazine is incredibly light—usually around 4 oz. A polymer mag might be slightly less, but once you add 30 models of 5. 56 ammunition, the fat of the magazine body itself becomes the very small proportion of the complete package.
If you carry 6 or seven journals on your own person, a person aren't going in order to notice a positive change of a couple of ounces. What a person may notice is how the mags sit in your pouches and how easy they are to grab during a reload. For me, the slimness and the particular slick surface associated with the aluminum make it feel "faster, " even when the weight is definitely practically exactly the same.
Cost and Availability
Finally, we have to speak about the cost. 1 of the greatest things about the aluminum ar magazine is that it's generally extremely affordable. Because they've been the standard with regard to so long, the manufacturing process is dialed in. You can purchase them in mass without breaking the particular bank.
I'm a large believer in having a "lifetime supply" of magazines. Mags are a consumable item—they aren't meant to last forever. Springs wear out, bodies get crushed, and followers get chipped. Since aluminum magazines are incredibly cost-effective, it's easy to buy ten or twenty at a time. That way, you can have a dedicated place for the variety that you simply don't thoughts dropping in the particular dirt, and also a "fresh" set that you simply keep tucked away for when it actually counts.
Wrapping Up
At the end of the day, it usually comes lower to personal choice, but I think the aluminum ar magazine is usually often overlooked simply by newer shooters who else grew up within the era of plastic material everything. There's grounds these things are usually still being produced by the millions and used simply by professionals all more than the world.
They are usually slim, reliable, and they have the history of efficiency that is difficult to argue with. Whether or not you're looking with regard to that classic USGI look or you just need magazine that won't bulk up your dish carrier, you really can't go incorrect with metal. Next time you're trying to add to your own stash, don't simply grab the exact same polymer mags everybody else is buying. Pick up the few aluminum ones, run them with the range, and find out if you don't start reaching intended for them more frequently compared to you expected. I know I do.