Not too long ago I got an e-mail from Botach Tactical advertising the "Victory SA80 5.56mm 30rd Magazine." It is marketed as a clone of the HK SA80 High Reliablity mag. Since the Victory is selling at the stupid-cheap price of $6.95 ea, and the HK's are ~$40 ea, I thought I'd pick up a "covey" (10) and see what they're all about. Figure five for long term and five to put into the normal rotation. For $7 a mag, how far wrong can I go? I borrowed a few HK SA80's from a friend for a head-to-head comparison.
First, the Victory ad copy:
The mags come in a nice sealed bag, designed for long term storage. The bag is made of plasticized paper.
Physically, the mags look identical.
Look very closely at the two followers (HK top). More on that later.
Markings on the Victory:
And the HK:
Baseplates are the same, albeit with slightly different markings:
Victory mag specs say 8.7oz, but my scale says less:
HK mag comes in at slightly more, but not worth mentioning:
In terms of finish, both mags boast a special anti-friction surface coating. At first blush, they feel exactly alike. In a totally unscientific test, I took two of one brand and one of the other, and then handed them so a blindfolded volunteer. I said, "One of these things is not like the other. Which?" I did it with 2 HK's and one Victory and vice versa. Neither of my two test subjects could identify the odd man out. Unscientific conclusion: seems to be a similar coating.
Both magazines break down the same way, and both have identical floorplates. Interestingly, the Victory mag spring is longer:
Followers are identical, and mimic the Magpul-ish non-tilt design. When you look closely at the two followers, you start to see some differences in terms of build quality. Note the thickness of the legs on the HK follower (left) compared to the Victory (right), as well as the cruder casting flash on the Victory follower.
HK:
Victory:
A look at the other side show the same flashing, and note the spring in the HK mag is thicker.
Despite the "flash," the Victory followers felt smooth and slick in the mag body.
Both the Victory and HK mags locked securely into my AR lowers (Bushie, Delaware Machinery, Double-Star), and dropped free.
Quick trip the range for a live-fire test to see if the Victory mags fed. (I didn't bother shooting the HK's, as I have every expectation they would feed without problem, and I wasn't testing those, anyway.) I peeled three mags out of the bag for an admittedly rushed, low-sample-size, low-rounds-count test, but I was a bit short on time today, and it was freakin' cold. 180 rounds of M193 (Canadian IVI) as fast as I could pull the trigger revealed no malfunctions of any kind, even with my not-fully-milspec-so-it-must-suck AR.
Conclusion: If you're looking for a "high reliability" stainless mag, at just $7 a mag, the Victory mags represent a pretty smokin' deal compared to the HK SA80's. They appear identical to the HK's in pretty much every way, and although the follower looked a bit rougher when you get up close, it's Teflon-impregnated plastic and still slides smoothly It didn't seem to affect the function (although it was hardly a long-term or high-rounds-count test). Since I'm not headed to Iraq or Afghanistan, or planning for life in a a post-Apocalypse America, at a 6:1 cost ratio over the HK's, and even cheaper than AL USGI's, they represent a pretty good bargain.
First, the Victory ad copy:
I've always had good luck with Botach (unlike many others), and the mags arrived promptly. About a week from the left coast.
The mags come in a nice sealed bag, designed for long term storage. The bag is made of plasticized paper.
Physically, the mags look identical.
Look very closely at the two followers (HK top). More on that later.
Markings on the Victory:
And the HK:
Baseplates are the same, albeit with slightly different markings:
Victory mag specs say 8.7oz, but my scale says less:
HK mag comes in at slightly more, but not worth mentioning:
In terms of finish, both mags boast a special anti-friction surface coating. At first blush, they feel exactly alike. In a totally unscientific test, I took two of one brand and one of the other, and then handed them so a blindfolded volunteer. I said, "One of these things is not like the other. Which?" I did it with 2 HK's and one Victory and vice versa. Neither of my two test subjects could identify the odd man out. Unscientific conclusion: seems to be a similar coating.
Both magazines break down the same way, and both have identical floorplates. Interestingly, the Victory mag spring is longer:
Followers are identical, and mimic the Magpul-ish non-tilt design. When you look closely at the two followers, you start to see some differences in terms of build quality. Note the thickness of the legs on the HK follower (left) compared to the Victory (right), as well as the cruder casting flash on the Victory follower.
HK:
Victory:
A look at the other side show the same flashing, and note the spring in the HK mag is thicker.
Despite the "flash," the Victory followers felt smooth and slick in the mag body.
Both the Victory and HK mags locked securely into my AR lowers (Bushie, Delaware Machinery, Double-Star), and dropped free.
Quick trip the range for a live-fire test to see if the Victory mags fed. (I didn't bother shooting the HK's, as I have every expectation they would feed without problem, and I wasn't testing those, anyway.) I peeled three mags out of the bag for an admittedly rushed, low-sample-size, low-rounds-count test, but I was a bit short on time today, and it was freakin' cold. 180 rounds of M193 (Canadian IVI) as fast as I could pull the trigger revealed no malfunctions of any kind, even with my not-fully-milspec-so-it-must-suck AR.
Conclusion: If you're looking for a "high reliability" stainless mag, at just $7 a mag, the Victory mags represent a pretty smokin' deal compared to the HK SA80's. They appear identical to the HK's in pretty much every way, and although the follower looked a bit rougher when you get up close, it's Teflon-impregnated plastic and still slides smoothly It didn't seem to affect the function (although it was hardly a long-term or high-rounds-count test). Since I'm not headed to Iraq or Afghanistan, or planning for life in a a post-Apocalypse America, at a 6:1 cost ratio over the HK's, and even cheaper than AL USGI's, they represent a pretty good bargain.
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