Good and bad AEG Magazines: whats the difference??

[Jbone 11 11]

Ever since moving back to canada I've found that the mag situation here is ridiculous. Better quality mags are rarely in stock and bloody pricey!

Because of this I've simply been buying what ever I can when ever I can. Currently I run a G&G raider and have a few mystery mags that I bought second hand. They work ok.... not as good as the stock G&G mags but not bad.

So Im wondering what exactly is making these bigger name mags so expensive (read: better)?? I mean there's not much to an AEG mag besides the feed tray inside and the spring right?

I've often wondered if it would be worthwhile to "customize" the internals of cheaper mags and wonder if anyone else has done this.

Thoughts? Comments?

Cheers,
J

[m102404]

"Better" mags are (ideally)
- more stable in the mag well...which affects feeding
- properly fitted height-wise...affects feeding
- feed reliably...i.e. the channel is both smooth and dimensioned correctly so BB's won't hang up
- springs don't fatigue quickly...affects feeding
- build and construction is solid...seams won't split, shells won't separate, etc...

[Styrak]

What "bigger name mags" are you talking about, and what prices? Maybe just a certain retailer is overcharging.

[Jbone 11 11]

Guess Im talking about names like G&G, G&P, King Arms, VCF, Magpul.... Those seem to be the more expensive brands and the ones most people recommend.

So far, the best mags I've used are G&G. They worked well in both my first M4 which was A&K and full metal and also in the one I have now. Also, I've only used low caps once while gaming as high caps were the norm in europe. I had to borrow the low caps and they really did not feed well at all. To the point where it was a 50/50 chance I'd get a round down range when I pulled the trigger. To be fair they were beat to hell so who knows.

My own thoughts on the matter are that feed path within the mag itself, the spring and the actual fit of the mag with the AEG are the winning factors. I've had good results with D-boy mags by simply inserting a bit of velcro (The soft loop side) on the inside of the magwell to stabilize it.

That said, I fail to see how a 300% mark up can be justified for the "better" names. Specially since it seems even brands like G&P and KA have their issues.

Is there somewere you can buy replacement internals for mags?

[phloudernow]

KA mags are kinda meh in my opinion cuz I've never had one successfully feed in any of my guns... their guns are great their mags are just shit LOL

As for the Magpul PTS pmags they are worth every penny since they feed amazingly well in every gun I've owned and they are durable as hell. Im pretty abusive with my mags since I'm used to playing in small cqb fields in Hong Kong i drop my mags on the floor and pick them up after the round. the PTS PMags have never crapped out on me whatsoever. However try that with the CA mags, even though they feed amazingly well and I have no issue with them in anyway, they break the moment you drop them on the floor LOL.

[RaisinBran]

I found the MAG branded M4 mags are amazing for the price, their cheap enough to replace and they can stand quite a bit of abuse. They also don't Jam when overfilled like those Beta Project Pmags, which I regret to buy.

Now I have to go and buy the PTS ones

[Ninja_En_Short]

Beta Project is actually OEM resseller of ARES is think considering the M4 I had in repair the other day had every piece I find only in ARES and their mags have never been really great, they need silicon lube and some wear to work properly.
Aaaah... the BBs stuck in the G36 mags...

But anyway mags are not exactly something banned from import, none of my mags were bought in Canada, granted I couldn't find G36 Pmags here but ordering from Hong Kong ain't exactly a big deal, not much games in winter anyway.

[xav1982]

Originally Posted by phloudernow

KA mags are kinda meh in my opinion cuz I've never had one successfully feed in any of my guns... their guns are great their mags are just shit LOL

As for the Magpul PTS pmags they are worth every penny since they feed amazingly well in every gun I've owned and they are durable as hell. Im pretty abusive with my mags since I'm used to playing in small cqb fields in Hong Kong i drop my mags on the floor and pick them up after the round. the PTS PMags have never crapped out on me whatsoever. However try that with the CA mags, even though they feed amazingly well and I have no issue with them in anyway, they break the moment you drop them on the floor LOL.

Are you referont to the 120rounds or the 70 rounds pmag

[MADDOG]

Originally Posted by RaisinBran

I found the MAG branded M4 mags are amazing for the price, their cheap enough to replace and they can stand quite a bit of abuse. They also don't Jam when overfilled like those Beta Project Pmags, which I regret to buy.

Now I have to go and buy the PTS ones

You can fix those beta project mags easily to feed extremely reliably. You need to pull the spring out and take off the feed swivel at the end of the spring.
If you remove the top part of the hinge and leave the base they will cease to jam and feed reliably. You can salvage them very easily.

[ThunderCactus]

I've had nothing but amazing experience with the 68rnd KA metal mags for CA and G&P M4s.
And what's expensive to you? Cause I drop $200 for 10 mags with my PTW lol

[w1lp33]

$200 for 10 ptw mags? Damn, that's a really good price! :-)

[RaisinBran]

Originally Posted by MADDOG

You can fix those beta project mags easily to feed extremely reliably. You need to pull the spring out and take off the feed swivel at the end of the spring.
If you remove the top part of the hinge and leave the base they will cease to jam and feed reliably. You can salvage them very easily.

Yeah, I've already done them to my mags, for the price it's a cheap alternative. But now I have duct tape on top to keep the cap from falling out.