[nicholst55]

Hopefully this will cause Big Army to finally approve what many soldiers have already been using for 16 years - Magpul magazines. I expect there to be some serious resistance, especially since the Army recently introduced yet another new-and-improved aluminum magazine, but who knows?

http://www.militarytimes.com/articl...y-to-approve-polymer-magazines-for-the-m4-m16

 

[innocent bystander]

Apparently it's not a bad idea...

http://www.militarytimes.com/articles/marines-approve-magpuls-signature-polymer-ammunition-magazine

 

[Hobo Hilton]

Timely....

Could even bring some improvements in an "already good" product.

Hobo

 

[Wjchastain]

The Pmags are just a superior product for the M4 platform and it is time to step up and use them across the board.

 

[4Quangs]

The Army and the Marines have both banned polymer magazines due to in inherent brittleness in extreme cold weather. They tend to shatter when dropped on a hard surface or even when inserted into the rifle.

Here's a guy who tested it for himself:

"IF you drop ANY mag loaded on the feed lips it will be useless. The Pmags might survive during the summer but all metal mags will bent hot/or cold. The metal mags can be bent back.

The plastic shatters when cold (duh) it doesn’t just crack.

I finally got a answer as to what these can do."

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2009/01/09/pmags-tested-in-cold-conditions/

Unless and until polymer magazines can survive the cold, I don't see the US military switching over.

 

[Chromebolt]

I thought the military considered mags as an expendable item in combat?

 

[4Quangs]

I thought the military considered mags as an expendable item in combat?

Most things are expendable in combat; the ready availability, however, is questionable.

 

[HardingM14]

How many of us have old metal mags that still work to this day? Metal works why change it?

 

[DaMoose]

They were really banned because the USMC bought the M27 IAR H&K rifle.

Supposedly the IAR has a magwell that doesn't mesh well with the over-insertion prevention on the Gen 3 PMAGs.

H&K when called into look into M27 IAR failures, noted the prevelance of PMAGs and threatened to void out the warranties on the M27 IARs

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2012/11/foghorn/marine-corps-bans-pmags/

H&K suggested the army and the USMC buy EMAGs

Which they eventually did, here is the NSN
http://www.armyproperty.com/nsn/1005-01-615-5169