MagPul P-Mag for .308

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MagPul P-Mag for .308

Post by Rod_outbak » 26 Jul 2018, 9:30 am

When I bought my Ruger Precision Rifle in early Dec 2017(.308 w/- 20" barrel), it was supplied with 2 polymer MagPul P-mags.

Within 4 months, the P-Mags have crapped themselves. The feed lips on the top of the mags are so weakly supported, they are deforming the tops of the mags when you load any more than about 3 rounds into each mag. As a result, the bolt is quite hard to pull back(binding with the lips), and rounds dont strip reliably from the mag.

Looking at the polymer MDT P-Mags in comparison, the MDT version is much heavier built up around the top of the mag, and while the MagPul mag is easier to load, it's nigh useless if they only last a matter of months.
So, 3 months back, I handed my MagPul P-Mags back to the LGS (who had sourced me the Ruger new), and asked for a replacement mags of another brand, as I have no confidence that new MagPul mags are going to last any longer.
3 months later, and he FINALLY got a reply from the Ruger importer (Beretta Australia??).
They reckon the top of the magwell in my rifle MUST be defective, and want the rifle back...
Funny; I'm not seeing any deformation issues in either my MDT P-Mags, nor any scoring of the 4 metal AI mags I have, that fit this rifle...
I suggested my LGS tell the importer they can kiss my arse; I'm not sending them the rifle back.
I'll not see the rifle for months on end, and I'll have to pull the scope etc off it, and besides, I'm still a tad sceptical they have a freaking clue. The net is full of people expressing frustrations about their MagPul P-Mags misbehaving, so I have doubts it's a problem with just MY rifle...
I asked the LGS to get the mags back, if the importer is too cheap-arsed to do anything about it. LGS bloke assures me they WILL be replacing the mags with 2 Ruger-branded mags which are supposed to be of a different design.
We shall see.

[NOTE: a mate has the Ruger Precision Rifle in .223, and his poly mags supplied with the rifle (I think they were also MagPul) seem to be working fine. It looks to be the design is strong enough for the smaller .223 cases, but hasnt scaled up very well to the .308 size of case.]

Given my first Walkey-Pokk in 10 days happened this morning, and given the last grasshopper of this mornings session went down at 95 metres with his head missing, I'm not keen to part with the RPR just now...
Gotta love these 125gn SST's; work a treat...

Cheers,

Rod.
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Sharing the extreme love with cats in Outback QLD
Rod_outbak
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Re: MagPul P-Mag for .308

Post by Sergeant Hartman » 26 Jul 2018, 6:10 pm

I have a 308, the mags flex...ie after about 4 or 5 rounds at times they will expand ob the sides and won't fit in the magwel. Also see that the bolt is harder to turn when feeding a bullet from the mag than single loading.

I know someone on Facebook having a complain... maybe it's you

Anyway I got a mdt al mag as I wanted longer oal. Let's see how that goes
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Re: MagPul P-Mag for .308

Post by Rod_outbak » 27 Jul 2018, 9:58 am

I have 2 of the 10-round MDT Polymags, 2 of the 10-round AI steel mags, and 2 of the 5-round AI steel mags. I bought them all as part of my setup for my first .308 (Rem 700 VSF in an MDT TAC-21 chassis); back in 2012. Due to the dual-latching arrangement on the RPR magwell, they are all compatible with the Ruger.
Becuase I had the MDT polymags here on hand, I was able to see how the MagPul version of the P-Mag is badly designed up around the feed lips. Exactly the same problems as you describe. I could see where the bolt has been dragging along the feed lips, as the top of the mag is deforming so much that it contacts the bolt.

I hadnt used the MDT Polymags much previously, as the TAC-21 chassis didnt seem to fit them overly well.
[I was using the 5-round steel mags a lot, so didnt really pursue why those polymags werent working well; it looked like they were binding when sliding into the TAC-21 magwell, so a bit of stuffing around to get them to seat properly.]
However, they have been working really well in the Ruger PR. The slightly different magwell seems to agree with them.

Of all of my mags, the AI 5-round steel mags have been the most reliable. Compact, low-profile when locked in, quick to load, and never seem to have any fuss with them, in either rifle. I tend to use the 10-round MDT polymags more in the RPR, but the best mags all-round have been the AI 5-round steel ones.
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Sharing the extreme love with cats in Outback QLD
Rod_outbak
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