AR-15 5.56 Magazine problem

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Chet0729

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Well I finally got to take my build to the range and had what i believe is a magazine issue. It appeared the rounds were just on the edge of no being high enough to get picked up by the bolt.
The magazines I have are of unknown origin, they fit into the mag well ok. The 2 that I have both have the same issue. The gun picks up fairly consistently from the right side but not the left. Even the right side is not hitting by much.
So my question is I need to get at least 1 good magazine to be sure this is just a magazine issue and not a gun issue. What would be a good choice for a quality mag to eliminate it being a gun issue. Preferably something I can get locally.

Thanks
 
Interesting it happens on both magazines. I would just grab a neutered pmag, or 10 round mag from a gun shop to quickly see if its a mag issue. Sounds like it could need new springs/followers.

Also on the mags the springs are pretty easy to take out. I would take them out and see if they are compressed to crap. Compare them to a picture online.
 
sweed said:
Do you have any pmags? I have a bunch of those, no problems.
Click to expand...
No I have these plastic magazines and I am not 100% sure where they even came from. Found them in the safe.
I have 2 the same and they both act the same. The ar feed system seems pretty simple. Just looking to buy 1 of something that is known to work to test. I know not all mags will work in all guns. Everything on the gun goes together nice, the mags just seem to no present the round high enough
 
Synyster said:
Interesting it happens on both magazines. I would just grab a neutered pmag, or 10 round mag from a gun shop to quickly see if its a mag issue. Sounds like it could need new springs/followers.

Also on the mags the springs are pretty easy to take out. I would take them out and see if they are compressed to crap. Compare them to a picture online.
Click to expand...
I had the same thought as far as it being both, but they are exactly the same so if they are just crap or if they are wrong I would expect them both to not work the same.
The spring tension is good, I did check.
getting one to try is my plan but I wanted to make sure I get something that is known to be reliable
 
Chet0729 said:
I had the same thought as far as it being both, but they are exactly the same so if they are just crap or if they are wrong I would expect them both to not work the same.
The spring tension is good, I did check.
getting one to try is my plan but I wanted to make sure I get something that is known to be reliable
Click to expand...

PMAG/Aluminum USGI mags are most reliable.
 
Are they Orlites? (says Isreal on it somewhere) They can be a tight fit in some makes, including bushmaster. It sounds like they're simply not sitting deep enough...can you pull them out without pressing the mag catch?

Give them a good smack on the bottom when you stick them in.

As other posters have already said, try a regular USGI aluminum 30. postban PMAGS are verboten in MA.

55_grain
 
Chet0729 said:
No I have these plastic magazines and I am not 100% sure where they even came from. Found them in the safe.
Click to expand...

I don't think there are too many older plastic magainzes that are very well regarded. Aluminum mags from any of the good USGI contractors are a safe bet in prebans. Colt, Universal, Okay, Adventureline, Parsons, Center, etc. Don't pay too much. Half the sellers out there think they're worth their weight in gold.
 
I will go to Pullman this afternoon and see what they have. Unfortunately I have not been able to find on line a picture of the ones I have.
They say Wilson on the bottom but they don't seem to be the type of quality Wilson Combat would be selling.
I am pretty sure Pullman has some preban 30 rd metal magazines.
 
Chet0729 said:
I will go to Pullman this afternoon and see what they have. Unfortunately I have not been able to find on line a picture of the ones I have.
They say Wilson on the bottom but they don't seem to be the type of quality Wilson Combat would be selling.
I am pretty sure Pullman has some preban 30 rd metal magazines.
Click to expand...

Don't pay more than $30 for them.
 
What brand is your lower? I have had some trouble with magazines in my Aero Precision build. The only thing it would reliably cycle was USGI and 30 rd PMAGs. Didn't like 20 rd PMAGs at all for some reason. I eventually worked on the mag catch and solved the problem, but I certainly don't recommend this until you eliminate all other possibilities.
 
scatter said:
What brand is your lower? I have had some trouble with magazines in my Aero Precision build. The only thing it would reliably cycle was USGI and 30 rd PMAGs. Didn't like 20 rd PMAGs at all for some reason. I eventually worked on the mag catch and solved the problem, but I certainly don't recommend this until you eliminate all other possibilities.
Click to expand...
It is an Anderson lower and the mags are hard to get to lock in. The but plate on the mags hits the bottom of the mag well.
 
55_grain said:
Are they Orlites? (says Isreal on it somewhere) They can be a tight fit in some makes, including bushmaster. It sounds like they're simply not sitting deep enough...can you pull them out without pressing the mag catch?

Give them a good smack on the bottom when you stick them in.

As other posters have already said, try a regular USGI aluminum 30. postban PMAGS are verboten in MA.

55_grain
Click to expand...
This. The orlites I have don't fit in(lock in) most of my lowers due to the rib around the middle. Get some GI mags and test it
 
Here are some pictures of the mags I have.

IMG_02701.jpg

IMG_02681.jpg

IMG_02671.jpg
 
I have never seen any AR mags like that before! As others have said, just get a quality GI pre-ban and go from there. I believe your problem is most likely those odd mags. They may not be allowing the mag to engage high enough for the bolt to pick the rounds up consistently.
 
I think it's safe to say that it's probably a mag issue. Is the follower flopping over the feedlip in that middle picture?
 
Last edited:
new guy said:
I think it's safe to say that it's probably a mag issue. Is the follower flopping over the feedlip in that middle picture?
Click to expand...

No it is just the way the camera made it look. I just talked to a friend who I take to the range and he has some PB 30rd USGI mags I am going to try.
I am starting to wonder if these were just some sort of a display item.
 
Are you loading the mags to capacity?
Try it with one or two less and see if it still does it.
Also look that the mag release button. Is the treaded end screwed in far enough into the button that it's flush with the button ?
If you look at the hole in the mag that the mag catch grabs, the ones in your pic look a little chewed.
The catch may not be fully engaging to hold the mag up in place. Maybe.
 
Chet0729 said:
It is an Anderson lower and the mags are hard to get to lock in. The but plate on the mags hits the bottom of the mag well.
Click to expand...

That is exactly the problem I was having with SOME 20rd PMAGs and some (I forget the brand) 10rd mags I was trying to use when I was still in MA. If you have to force mags into the mag well to get it to lock, your mag catch is set too high to accept those mags. Get some pre-ban USGI mags and run it. I'm guessing you'll have no problems. If you pass that test, you CAN choose to file down the upper shelf on the mag catch just a bit, making sure you keep it flat and don't round off the edge. This solved the problem on my one and only gun that ever experienced it, but again I am not advocating this before working through all of the simpler solutions.
 
<disclaimer>
I have some neutered P-Mags for sale in the classifieds. We can hook you up if you and your friend figure out it is the mags.
</disclaimer>

I also have a generic USGI 10-rounder if you want to meet up at a range and try it out to see if it helps you at all.
 
Chet0729 said:
...Unfortunately I have not been able to find on line a picture of the ones I have.
They say Wilson on the bottom but...
Click to expand...

Maybe what you have are Thermold magazines. Many Thermold magazines were made in WILSON, NC. Maybe that's what you have. I have many preban Thermolds that were made in NC and all function well in all of my AR-15s. Mine are the 30 round versions and not the 10 round (I think) mags that you have.
 
If you want to drive to my house, I'll give you a couple pre-ban metal mags if you want to try them. If they work, keep'em. If not, bring'em back and I can run them in my kid's gun. Send me a PM and we can set up a time or I can leave them out somewhere for you.
 
It's a 5 round hunting magazine, and it looks like it's a bit chewed up where the mag latch catches.

Quality USGI or aftermarket (pre-ban or post post-ban), should correct any problems.
 
Jamie said:
If you want to drive to my house, I'll give you a couple pre-ban metal mags if you want to try them. If they work, keep'em. If not, bring'em back and I can run them in my kid's gun. Send me a PM and we can set up a time or I can leave them out somewhere for you.
Click to expand...
Once again you offer to bail me out. Sent a PM
 
The Mag i got from Jamie worked perfect, just came back for a 100 rd function test trip to the range. plastic ones are going in the trash
 
Chet0729 said:
Here are some pictures of the mags I have.

IMG_02701.jpg

IMG_02681.jpg

IMG_02671.jpg
Click to expand...

Thermold mags. They say Wilson on the bottom, so that means they are old. Thermold mags are notorious for no bolt open and the issue you are having. Try swapping out the spring. Happened to my preban 30 rounders. I swapped out the springs for new old stock T65 mag springs. No issues. If that doesn't help, could be the mag followers.
 

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