Refinishing AR 15 GI Mags

30CalRifle

30CalRifle

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At the Marlboro show I purchased 4, 20 rd preban mags in really good shape (no dents or damaged lips). They function good.

Question, has anybody refinished these mags before? They're kind of shiney.

Thanks[thinking]
 
Worry more about the inside than the outside. A new follower and new spring will make that Magazine very dependable. I think the old worn-shiny ones make it apparent that they are pre ban. I kind of like them.
 
I used a spray product called Perma Silk G. I purchased it a Georgia Precision Shooters Supply but I don't think they are around any longer. Following the instructions the magazines looked new. I refinished a load of twenty rounders that a NJ Air Force Reserve unit was throwing out. It takes some time as they must be baked. I also totally disassembled the magazines and cleaned them inside and out with solvent. I used a commercial heat gun and made a spray booth instead of our over as my wife would probably kill me.

The srings and followers were left stock and they all work perfectly.

Another option might be Duracoat. A friend in Texas does magazines in that finish for about $8.00 each I believe.
 
Last edited:
30CalRifle said:
At the Marlboro show I purchased 4, 20 rd preban mags in really good shape (no dents or damaged lips). They function good.

Question, has anybody refinished these mags before? They're kind of shiney.

Thanks[thinking]
Click to expand...

I'm going to attempt it soon. I want some mags that are Flat Dark Earth. I've been doing a tiny bit of looking into it, but I can't really give you any advice. Suffice to say, I did some google searching and some AR15.com searching a week or two ago and found plenty of resources and step-by-step guides so just look around and you should be able to find what you need fairly quickly.
 
I refisinished a few SA80 mag. I had 4 sandblasted and then refinished them using KG gun kote. Came out nice but need to preheat them and bake em after the kote.
 
I was inspired by that article a couple of years ago but couldn't find any Perma Silk. I had read that some guys were using an easy to find CRC product called Dry Moly Lube. It's a spray-can coating that dries a dark gray color. Just like the Perma Slik, it will wear off with rough contact or scraping. But it's more scratch resistant than the coating that comes on GI mags.
 
Don't bother. My smoothest mags are some Vietnam era Colt 20 rounders that are almost worn bare on the outside.
 
As long as the followers are in good condition, I'd only replace the springs. The old 20s with metal followers have always worked great for me.
 
All that said, I bought a couple of Magpul P Mags and will never buy any metal ones again.

Those things feed like shit through a goose.
 
30CalRifle said:
Thanks gentilemen, I replaced the springs & followers, if I get ambitious I'll have a summer project.
Click to expand...

Exactly. I only did it because I was looking for a project to have some fun with, and came across the ARF.com article and was inspired to do it.
 
Greg said:
Shiney mags,sounds like you got the ones made in Singapore.

Before you go and spend the time to refinish them,you should function check every one of them.

Hopefully yours are better than the ones I seen.
Click to expand...
+1

I 86'd all mine. They are the suck.
 
Anyone have a link for a site that sells either perma silk g or a comparable product? I'm trying to find something online and I think I found something comparable but I am not sure.
 
http://www.neelyindustries.com/p-2703-perma-slik-g-12-oz-aerosol-can.aspx

Is where I got it from but..

It isn't worth the price, nor the effort, trust me.

But if you do, don't be a dumbass and cook this shit in the oven. When you buy the Perma you'll get a MSDS sheet, read that if you want to know why not to cook the mags after spraying like the link from AR15.

If you have pre-ban USGI mags that look like shit, you can buy mag rebuild kits for em, or just replace the followers and springs and just don't try to match them up to the same color of your rifle.
 
skol said:
http://www.neelyindustries.com/p-2703-perma-slik-g-12-oz-aerosol-can.aspx

Is where I got it from but..

It isn't worth the price, nor the effort, trust me.

But if you do, don't be a dumbass and cook this shit in the oven. When you buy the Perma you'll get a MSDS sheet, read that if you want to know why not to cook the mags after spraying like the link from AR15.

If you have pre-ban USGI mags that look like shit, you can buy mag rebuild kits for em, or just replace the followers and springs and just don't try to match them up to the same color of your rifle.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link. The mags I have already I have replaced some springs that needed to be and replaced all of the followers with Magpul's. I have a few more mags on the way which I plan to do the same with. I was just debating whether or not to refinish the bodies as some of them have little to no finish left. They work fine as is but I am just thinking of ways I can make them last is all.
 
I did a bunch of mags with perma a while back you can get it here: http://www.kranderson.com/shop/index.aspx
I know the AR15.com article says to put them in the oven but it's not needed in fact if you read the label it's an air dry product. It's not the most durable finish but it will make your mags look much better. If I was going to do it again I would probably use another product like GK. I don't have a garage so I made a small spray booth and vented it outside to spary the mags with a blower and 4" dryer duct...worked great.
 

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