P-Mag

I recently had opportunity to try out a few P-Mags from Magpul Industries. These AR magazines are a polymer design, actually hold 30 rounds, and have a convenient viewing window on either side so that the user can see if the magazine is full or not.

The mags are equipped with no-tilt followers for reliable feeding, and unloading if you choose to do so by any means other than pulling the trigger rapidly (the preferred

method). This handy little feature of the magazine is one of those small comforts in life that many people don’t seem to think or care about. If you have the ‘standard’ metal mags with the tilting follower, ditch them and put in Magpul’s no-tilt followers, or better yet just buy some P-Mags.

Over the top of the follower and feed lips is a plastic clip on cover that comes attached right out of the package. I found this device to be of little use to me and promptly ditched them. This is something the factory might cringe at, and that’s just to bad. If used I can see where it might protect the feed lips of a falling mag under the pressure of 30 rounds crashing to the hard ground. In practice if I need my mags I probably need them RIGHT NOW. The covers are staying in my parts bin!

The absolute coolest thing on these mags is the window on the side. I have long wondered why makers didn’t come up with a hole drilled in the side, a slot, or ANYTHING to see if a magazine was truly full or not. 1911 magazine manufacturers have been doing it since

John Moses Browning filed out his first venerable pistol. It’s about time someone figured this out. I loaded mine up to capacity and jammed it into my little poodle shooter just to see if it worked. Praise Eugene Stoner it fit, with 30 rounds in and a closed bolt. Again, it’s about time. I then promptly took out the mags, grabbed my trusty Sharpie marker (no review required) and marked the point where the follower is in the window at capacity. Strangely enough, you can’t really fit more rounds in there without forcing it. I also used my Sharpie to put my initials on both sides of the P-Mags. Go to a class and do mag changes and you’ll find out why.

Before I hit the range I felt compelled to rip one of the magazines apart to see what was inside. Hey, it’s what I do! Make sure you’re sitting down for this one kids; it looks like a magazine inside, only brighter (windows you know). The floor plate came off with ease, everything fell out the bottom just fine, and it was smooth as could be. It was almost like

someone was thinking when they made this thing.

So out to the range I went with about 600 rounds in my can, and four P-Mags ready to go. Twenty mag changes later, lots of dropping on the ground, and even more slamming into the well or the Redi-Mag and they still function flawlessly, and look pretty good. The ribbed outside structural elements even made it easier to do tactical reloads as there was a little more for my fingertips to grab onto.

The nutshell opinion: Throw your old metal mags into the spare parts bin and buy a sled load of P-Mags. They work great, look cool, and chicks dig ‘em. At less than $20 on average, they’re easy on the wallet too.

Short comings: That silly top cover thing is no good to me, and your mileage may vary. Mine didn’t come with Ranger floorplates. That’s not really Magpul’s fault, but I’ll take some if they want to hand them out.