PMAGs banned
In another smooth move, Big Army has banned the use of high-speed polymer PMAG M4 rifle magazines made by Magpul Industries according to a Military.com article by Matthew Cox.
Despite the success of the PMAG, Army officials from the TACOM Life Cycle Management Command issued a “safety of use message” in April that placed it, and all other polymer magazines, on an unauthorized list.
The message did not single out PMAGs, but instead authorizes only the use of Army-issued aluminum magazines. The message offers little explanation for the new policy except to state that “Units are only authorized to use the Army-authorized magazines listed in the technical manuals.” Nor does it say what Army units should now do with the millions of dollars’ worth of PMAGs they’ve purchased over the years.
Magpul officials have been reluctant to comment on the issue. Robert Vidrine, vice president of marketing and sales, said the company found out about TACOM’s message only after it was released to the field.
I suspect that there were some faulty polymer magazines out there and Big Army just banned them all instead instead of issuing a warning about the faulty ones.
This seems to be a complete policy reversal, since PMAGs are standard issue with the Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment and they have been routinely issued to infantry units before war-zone deployments.
Soldiers from B Troop, 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, had been issued PMAGs before deploying to Afghanistan in 2009. On Oct. 3 of that year, they fought off a bold enemy attack on Combat Outpost Keating that lasted for more than six hours and left eight Americans dead. Some soldiers fired up to 40 PMAGs from their M4s without a single stoppage.
Yeah, who needs a reliable durable magazine during a six hour firefight.
Thanks to Captain J and SnafuDude for the link.
Category: Big Army
I have not used a PMAG, or any other polymer mag, for my AR, but several friends have them and have never had a problem with them.
I have used the PMAGS on 2 deployments and in my law enforcement job and have never had any issue with them. I think they are a fine and reliable piece of gear.
(I guess some Army bigshot’s check from Magpul didn’t clear).
Remember: Everything the military issues was made by the lowest bidder.
I’ve had more issues with the standard aluminum mags than with Pmags.
Dragon Skin redux?
It’s a safety issue for the ragheads – stuff that works kills the SOBs.
I would go so far as to say that I’ve never had feeding problems with my issue M-16 that I couldn’t trace to the issue magazines.
I’ve used PMAGs as often as possible and don’t have a single bad word to say about them./ At least Tier 1 units will disregard this order.
Sounds like the person(s) behind the contract(s) for the shitty aluminum mags was seeing some profit loss.
Would someone please explain to me what this flap is about? Being “Old Corps” I was issued the M -16 A1 and we had aluminum 20 round magazines and later 30 round magazines. If these new dangled ones work, what’s the problem? Thanks guys.
See I don’t see what all the dust up is about “they joined the army the army didn’t join them.” /sarchasm.
Just another thing where rather than listening to troops that are using the magazines someone is listening to the recommendation of either a civilian or a guy that hasn’t been in a fire fight and is about three weeks away from retirement.
Here’s a typical civilian question for you: If the Army isn’t issuing the PMAGs,and yet there are units using them, then where are the units getting them? Are they buying them out of their own pockets?
@10 – In a word, yep.
Some people like myself bought our own out of pocket. But unit funds/credit card can purchase gear such as PMAGs, sights, slings, really a long list of stuff.
I have PMAGs and they work very, very well, compared to the aluminum pieces of crap that big Army tries to say don’t jam. I dislike using issued equipment, because it either slows you down, or encumbers you to the point where, if you used NTV’s like we did in 2004-5, you couldn’t get in or out of the NTV in full battle rattle without help. The only thing I like about our new kit are the MOLLE pouches, ditch the vest they attach to, and give us something like the Tactical Tailor RBAV and the pouches…
Oh goodie, maybe I can pick up some used ones cheap. . . .
Sheesh. Let’s bad wet wipes too, everyone knows the Army issues TP in the MRE. Why not?
If I had a choice between a Pmag and aluminum, I’m taking Pmag.
But then again, I don’t sit in an office making stupid decisions.
Just another stupid decision by Big army. ” oh no, soldiers use mags that come in a few different colors, we can’t have that lack of uniformity. What? They work better? But they also cost more, and if our cinc has taught us anything, the cost of lives in the field is second to cutting costs and saving a minuscule amount of money when compared to all of the other crap America spends money on”.
I am sick and tired of people outside of the situation blowing smoke up everyone’s butt just to blow it. When political correctness protects you then talk, when contracts with the lowest bidder make things that actually work then open your damn hole! Otherwise if you have not had your butt in the sand and in the hills trying to return fire when you’re being shot at then shut your hole keep your comments and bans out of the realm of those who are doing the real work. As one who has been there I will use what I want and if the government has a problem they can bend over and take it I’m keeping mine TACOM get bent!
Another case of some Army office puke making a command decision on shit he knows nothing about. The “issue” M16 mags we were given for OIF III had the shitty followers…so I ordered several and changed all of mine–I still have those mags and used them in police work and as a firearms instructor…they work very well- WITH THE BETTER FOLLOWERS. The M9 mags the army gets are shit…so I took a bunch of police issue ones to Bosnia and Iraq.
The Army doesn’t want to the improved gas piston system for the M16 because the tards’ in charge are retards.
Study fucking history. When they wanted the M1 Grand…some generals didn’t want it because the “soldiers will just waste ammo.” That’s because the tards in that case had never fought in a war where the enemy had auto weapons and you need to put down a volume of fire.
actually this happend during and after the civil war…the tards didn’t want “rapid fire” rifles, so the troops were stuck with single shots for many years.
Let the grunts decide. I bought a 10 1/2 inch upper for my rifle before Iraq…I was told by my command that we couldn’t modify the rifles…but I got attached to other units and they had no control, so I used it anyway…really handing in a humvee.
I wonder if they will send courtesy patrol out to make sure units are not still using them…
You mean, like the courtesy patrol they are gonna have to send out when I am not Drilling, to make sure my TPU ass is shaving and wearing “appropriate” clothing? Fuck this shit!
I am waiting for the Corps to follow suit on this. I refuse to give up my PMags, I have four of them, and three aluminum cases, with no tilt MAGPUL followers and the MAGPUL ranger plates.
NO FREAKING COMPLAINTS ON EITHER SETUP!!!!
PMAGS are great! Thats what my unit sent to me over seas and thats what I have bought for my personal use.
Another crony capitalism case. PEO soldier made the new mags with the tan follower. Most supply NCO’s don’t know or don’t care and keep giving out the black and green ones. Egro most joes get PMAGS if they wanna.
I’m guessing either some SGM or O-5/6 saw a few photos of PMAGS cracking at sub-zero temps and got a case of the “good idea fairy.”
Or more likely the company that makes the new mags bitched to Big Army and now we have this.
Must have been a butt hurt GS6 or up that pushed the directive. Way to go, Big Army. If it works for the troops, don’t fix it….er never mind. Send another directive down the pipeline telling the troops they have to wave a white flag before sending lead downrange. Dolts!
Either someone with a Magpul tattoo insulted the SMA or a couple guys at TACOM just put in their retirement packet and scored new jobs with the company that makes the aluminum mags.
And the Armys problem is that they still expect units to be able to DX beat up alum mags for new mags. I’ve spent too much time in the field or deployed with beat-up hand me down mags to trust that. 16+ years in and I have been able to get my hands on more then one or two new mags ONCE. And that was a box of new mags found in a storage bin my section was cleaning out
JM talks of DXing, I am a Reservist, I transferred units back in January, and I can’t even DX old ACU’s!!!!!! The Supply Sergeant is a moron, who 1) doesn’t know her job, and 2) tries to yell, scream, bitch and complain so that you either never ask again, or you get called on the carpet for daring to ask for a leaderbook or thumbtacks, or a freaking unit crest so your Soldier’s will be squared away for WLC or change of commands… And God forbid Enlisted Soldier’s need new utilities! I am coming up on 10 years in next month, and I think I want to go active, as an LT (going to drop my packet soon), but first, SFC…..
I rather run the aluminum mags with the magpul followers. The plastic lip on the pmag that is supposed to catch the mag stop has failed me more than once doing mag changes on an open bold causing the mag to become stuck in the upper.
The army does what it wants. Don’t like the rules, don’t join the club.
My sarchasm is followed by real in 26…
Polymers are plastic. Plastics are made from oil. The oil companies are on Obama’s hit list. I wonder………..
I have been following the comments on this thread and I see that while some things change with time, some things don’t. I think everyone has a story about who could have possibly thrown a turd in the punch bowl in the decision making process for procuring equipment for the troops. I will see if I can do some research, today, on this and find out what has led to this decision, other than some old fart E-9 (I should talk since I’m probably older than most E-9s out there) putting in his retirement pack. I know that the military (I’m more familiar with Army) has a tendency to not follow the adage of “if it ain’t broke; don’t fix it”, but I don’t know why they would be messing with something like this without have evidence to the contrary of what you guys have said. Like I said, I haven’t used polymer mags in my AR and I haven’t had problems with the green followers, but I’m not using them in adverse conditions in combat, either.
Banning PMAGs to go along with all the other new rules coming down the pipeline.
Banning tattoos.
Banning “excessive” sideburns.
Banning haircuts that are not high and tight.
When do we get to ban SGM’s?
The reason is simple.
PMAGs don’t properly seat in the M27 IAR
The newest magazines issued to the USMC have a brown follower – similar to the PMAG follower and far superior to brown or green ones in older mags.
Things happen for a reason. You only demonstrate your ignorance when you blindly blame others for an issue you won’t even take the time to investigate.
So according to your theory banning the pmags for the entire military makes so much sense to avoid the use in one rifle the Marines use…
You know because the Marines wouldn’t do that themselves or anything…
Sounds like Magpul didn’t want to drop their prices low enough for the army to me. This wouldn’t be the first time. Personally, I don’t give a shit what “Big Army” says, I will continue to use my pmags.
The Pmags do fit in the M27 IAR, the newer ones do anyway, and no that isn’t way the “Army” is banning them. We don’t even use that weapon system. We might in the future, but like I said pmags work in it just like they do in 99% AR 5.56 platforms. Pmags are great mags, just like H&K mags and etc.
They’re not banned. I have well over a dozen and have taken them on all of my deployments, to include my most recent one. It remains at the Commanders Discretion (Company level) whether to authorize them or not. They never say no, primarily because the CO’s typically have them as well.