5.56 Mags

[Tango_punch]

Recently did a range where I got to fire my brand new (out of the bag) c8. I was very excited to be able to see how they work directly out of war stock. I encountered a similar problem I've had with pretty much every range. My mag won't seat properly, at least not the first time. I slam it home, and it slips out, I grab it and slam it 4 or 5 more times to get it to seat, and it slides out. It's causing stoppages and making what should be smooth and quick IA's into a sloppy mess. I've had this in dry heat and in damp wetness, all types of weather. I've made sure to keep lubricant out of my mag well. No luck. Is anybody else encountering this as an issue? I understand our mags have been around the block once or twice, is there any type of mag maintenance that I'm not aware of that might help it seat firmly. I'm finding it really takes some of the fun out of small arms ranges.

I've actually also found that to be a problem with the 9mm as well. I try to get it to seat and by the time I'm picked up my target again, my mag is laughing on the ground at me.

I've seen guys guntape around the mag to try to get it to seat tighter in the mag well, I've never tried it. Something tells me it could cause more problems than it solves.

 

[PuckChaser]

I've taken to slamming the bottom of the mags to make sure they're seated, on both 9mm and C7/C8. Sometimes even a small jolt can move the mag release enough that you are no longer seated properly. Haven't heard of anything that can solve this, but theres a lot of knowledge on the forum so someone might have something.

 

[MikeL]

Since you mentioned doing IAs,  I assume the issue happens with both a bolt fully to the rear and fully forward?

When I load/reload I can't the weapon up (resting the butt in my elbow),  insert the magazine and smack it in. You can give the mag a tug and see if it is locked in place or loose also.


Also,  when you get your mags from CQ/SQ give them a quick inspection.  Does the body look good?  No dents or bulges?  Are the feed lips good?  Is the spring ok?  Or is it loose/moving around inside?

I've seen guys guntape around the mag to try to get it to seat tighter in the mag well, I've never tried it. Something tells me it could cause more problems than it solves.

Yea,  don't try that.  Your CoC is OK with guys doing that?  That's just all around a bad idea,  especially if the tape/gunk gets into the indent for the mag catch, etc

 

[brihard]

Are the mags pretty new, and are you running a full 30 rounds in them? Overseas I ran 28 to ensure I'd never have it so stiff that seating would be a problem. Also, just how much does the mag catch stick into the detent on the magazine? On the new mag releases you can actually push the mag release far enough in that the entire 'arm' comes out enough for you to tighten it another full rotation so it sits deeper in the mag. That presumes that your mags ARE seated properly, but then the release is disengaging.

Under no circumstances should you wrap tape or anything around your mag. It is not the friction of the mag against the mag housing that keeps it in; it's the positive engagement of the mag release. If guys are wrapping their mags in tape they need to be sorted out; that wcould actually cause problems with releasing a mag, and potentially with getting a bunk of gunky residue in the mag well.

 

[Tango_punch]

All the magazines I've used pass a generalized inspection. No obvious damage.
For a little more SA, this range we were in trenches and I was using an improvised defensive position so I had my rifle rested in a hole around the size of a cinder-block, so rather than moving out from it I maintained my POA and load/unload from that same Pos. Usually if we were doing any 'gunfighter' style or PWT training I bring the weapon up high canted when loading and unloading. In my 'work-space' as some call it. Even in that position where gravity isn't fighting me I find that seating my mags is finicky at best.

Running a few less rounds per mag makes sense, although it's affected by what relay we're running and how many I should have. I never knew about tightening the mag release. I will have to give it a try, seems that is the most viable option I have currently.

 

[brihard]

All the magazines I've used pass a generalized inspection. No obvious damage.
For a little more SA, this range we were in trenches and I was using an improvised defensive position so I had my rifle rested in a hole around the size of a cinder-block, so rather than moving out from it I maintained my POA and load/unload from that same Pos. Usually if we were doing any 'gunfighter' style or PWT training I bring the weapon up high canted when loading and unloading. In my 'work-space' as some call it. Even in that position where gravity isn't fighting me I find that seating my mags is finicky at best.

Running a few less rounds per mag makes sense, although it's affected by what relay we're running and how many I should have. I never knew about tightening the mag release. I will have to give it a try, seems that is the most viable option I have currently.

Given that a loaded mag is about a pound, gravity will never be 'fighting' you when you load a mag. A physicist might disagree, but it just isn't enough force to figure.

When you load a fresh mag with the bolt fully to the rear, there should be zero mechanical resistance except for the slight friction of the mag catch along the side of the mag. But again, that won't really figure and shouldn't hinder the mag seating fully. With bolt to the rear, only loading 28 rounds won't matter.

Loading a fresh mag with your bolt forward, there will be some resistance. Because the magazine sits high enough that the top cartridge can be picked up by the bolt on the forward cycle of the weapon's action, that means that seating a mag with a forward bolt will cause compression in the spring of the mag from the first round pushing against the bottom of the bolt carrier. With a full mag and a stiff spring, this absolutely can be a pain in the arse, hence many people loading up only 28. Even that is contentious- I personally like it; others will just tell you to go to the gym. I prefer the certainty that my mag will seat in a hurry.

If, however, a mag is properly seated, and you've confirmed this by giving it a tug, then a subsequently ejecting mag is a result of the mag catch failing to remain engaged with the hole in the magazine that exists for that purpose. In this case I'd say the additional clockwise turn of the magazine catch to tighten it by the width of one thread will probably do the trick- not that I would ever do that myself in lieu of handing the weapon over to a weapon tech.  Or, of course, the mag catch itself may have some wear/damage, which would not be obvious unless you were to specifically look for it.

 

[horatio749]

In this case I'd say the additional clockwise turn of the magazine catch to tighten it by the width of one thread will probably do the trick- not that I would ever do that myself in lieu of handing the weapon over to a weapon tech. 

That one or two extra rotations on the mag catch can make a big difference. We had a lot of guys complaining to the CQ when we first got our C7A2's out of the box that the mag release was too soft and this solved the problem. Of coarse Brihard is right, we would never do that without consulting a wpns tech first.. :nod:

 

[Tango_punch]

I was considering any time where the weight of the magazine (negligible or not) would pull the magazine in a direction that isn't fully seated, to be a time where it's fighting gravity. I'll go and consult my friendly neighborhood WpnTech and see what he says about tightening the mag release. Definitely not something I knew was possible before.