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First Look: Magpul PMAG

Although I wouldn't consider myself a hard-core "Survivalist," I do tend to keep a little extra food in the house, stock up on water, and I have pre-determined "minimum levels" of ammunition that I keep stocked up.  This may be a great idea, but what is the point of an ammo stockpile if it's sitting in boxes in the bottom of the safe?  I only had a handful of magazines for my AR-15, which is my go-to weapon for just about any "bump in the night" scenario.  It was time to stock up.

Christmas is my favorite time of year.  Every once in a great while, I get some great gifts from friends and family, rather than just getting stuck holding the bill for everything.  Last year brought a great Christmas, and I became the owner of 10 new 30-round Magpul PMAGs.

Of course, the first thing I did was load an empty magazine into my AR.  The fit was great, dropping the mag was easy, it didn't jam itself into the magwell, and the bolt locked to the rear as it should when an empty magazine is loaded and the charging handle pulled rearward.

After the "newness" wore off, I decided it was time to get them ready.  The whole reason these were given to me was so I could have enough loaded magazines ready to go in an emergency situation.  Between two of us, we were able to load all 10 magazines to capacity quite quickly.  Each magazine loaded as smoothly as the last, and they all held exactly 30 rounds.  Unlike standard GI magazines, there is no fitting an extra round or two in the PMAGs.  This could be simply due to the fact that the GI mags I have are old, have been used and abused for years, and likely have some nicely broken-in follower springs.  It could be because Magpul has tighter tolerances, and the design of the anti-tilt follower doesn't allow for any extra rounds.  Either way, I digress.

After having owned these magazines for nearly two months, I have had the opportunity to run some rounds through them at the range.  Nothing out of the ordinary, and the Magpul name has not been soiled.  Magazines are really quite simple devices, it's much less common to have feeding problems with modern magazines than what you would have seen in decades past.  Although the mags have all been fully loaded for about 6 weeks, during the last couple of trips to the range, the magazines did not cause any malfunctions.  Loading the magazines into the rifle is smooth and easy, and from there, they are no different than the standard aluminum GI magazines many of you are used to.  The size and shape is the same, although the PMAG is a little wider at the base, and feels a bit larger.  They both weigh about the same.  The PMAG is different in appearance, which is not a bad thing.

After the magazine is empty, the bolt locks to the rear, exactly as it should.  Even after a couple hundred rounds through one magazine, on top of it having been kept loaded for over a month, the PMAG had no issues.  Dropping the magazine from the rifle is also not a surprise.  Nothing jams up, the mag drops, no issues whatsoever.

A feature that I have only ever noticed on the PMAG (and a couple of Magpuls competitors' products) is the included "dust cover."  While it's a nice feature if you are just keeping the magazines stored somewhere, I find them to be somewhat unnecessary, and nothing more than a distraction if you find yourself in the middle of an emergency situation where you need to reload as quickly as possible.  When we carried loaded magazines in the military, we didn't worry about dust getting into them.  We kept them loaded, top-down in a load bearing vest or pouches on our body armor.  No unnecessary steps, just  1) Remove magazine from pouch  2) Load magazine into rifle  3) Release bolt catch.  Too easy.  This isn't to say some shooters may not have a use for them, they do snap into place on the bottom side of the magazine when not in use.  I simply choose to leave them in the safe.  I may use them on unloaded magazines in the future, but I fail to see the necessity.

Overall, 6-8 weeks is not really enough time to put a product like this through it's paces and offer a solid review.  I will update this article as I spend more time and put more rounds through these magazines, but I will offer my opinions up to this point.

A magazine is a magazine.  It's hard to screw up a design that's been in use for upwards of 40 years (referring to the AR15 only at this point, although PMAGs are available for other rifles and calibers).  The folks at Magpul kept to the original design, with a few minor changes.  There have been a few variations in the design of the followers used, the most recent referred to as a "true anti-tilt follower."  The appearance is different than what you may be used to seeing.  The construction is polymer, and the magazines are easily taken down for cleaning, replacing springs/followers, or adding accessories (like ranger floorplates and the like).  Overall, I like the aesthetics, they match the color of most AR15s better than the grey GI mags, they go well with all the other polymer accessories you see on ARs these days, and if you decide to buy all Magpul furniture, they compliment each other nicely.

Stay tuned for updates and pictures, as we will be revisiting this post in the future to discuss such topics as long-term storage, excessive use, cycling magazines, and more.

First Look: EOTech EXPS2-0 Holographic Weapon Sight

After purchasing my most recent AR15 and going to the range with nothing more than iron sights or the previously reviewed Magpul Back-Up Sights, I decided it was time to take the plunge, and start looking for a red-dot sight.

I happened to purchase the EOTech reviewed here completely by chance.  A close friend acquired the sight in a trade, and although he was quite happy with it, he was willing to sell it for the right price.  My offer must have been the right price.

Regardless, the sight I am reviewing is a used unit, although it looks like new and functions like new, I want it to be absolutely clear that it is not new.

First Impressions:
The sight is well-packaged in a hard plastic case, with the "EOTech" logo embossed on the lid.  The case contains soft foam padding that is cutout for the sight to fit.  The case provides adequate cushioning and holds the sight in place securely enough that I am quite confident it will not suffer any serious damage while it is stored inside.

Upon removing the sight and preparing to mount it, I noticed that it had a quick-release type attachment.  This release is easy to remove, yet secure enough that it will not unintentionally release, sending your several hundred dollar investment to an untimely demise.  The site can be mounted to the common MIL-STD-1913 and 1" wide rails found on most tactical rifles, and the quick detach lever is adjustable, to account for any variances in width.  Mounting the sight is very easy, and once the quick-detach is adjusted properly to the rail upon which it is being mounted, there is virtually no lateral movement.  The mounting system is solid, and some light testing at the range confirms that the sight stays quite accurate, even after removing and re-attaching the sight to the rifle several times, assuming it is mounted in the same position on the rail.

The reticle on this site is great.  The EXPS2-0 has a 65MOA ring and a true 1MOA dot, which is great for both quick target acquisition and accuracy for longer shots.  The standard height of the sight also allows for co-witness with backup iron sights, but it's just a hair too low to comfortably co-witness with the standard A2-style fixed iron sights.

Power is provided courtesy of a single CR-123 battery, which may not seem sufficient, but EOTech claims a full 600 hours of life at the normal brightness setting.  There are a total of 20 brightness settings, and the "normal" setting is #12.  The sight will automatically turn off after 8 hours of continuous use (can be programmed to power down at 4 hours), which provides even greater peace of mind that when you need it, it's going to work.

The battery position and orientation was changed, instead of a longitudinally-mounted battery, which needlessly occupies rail space (and was the cause of a plethora of complaints), EOTech switched to a transverse-mounted battery with a sealed screw-off cap.  The cap can be unscrewed by hand, or if you need it, a quarter is just about perfect for breaking it loose.  The cap is attached to the body of the site with a small wire, so no more dropped battery covers either.

Turning on the sight is as easy as pushing a button, and adjustment is just as easy.  The units' only two buttons are located on the left side, recessed slightly to prevent accidental presses.  To turn off the unit, simply press both buttons simultaneously.

The EOTech has been mounted on my personal AR15 rifle for about 3 months now, it has been to the range a handful of times, and so far, my accuracy has improved greatly.  Sight acquisition is much quicker, shot placement is more consistent, and overall, I'm a better shot when using the EXPS2-0 than I am when using standard iron sights.  That's an easy statement to make, however, since I'm accustomed to shooting exclusively with iron sights, only using optics of any type a handful of times in the past.  Whichever way you choose to look at it, the EXPS2-0 has earned a place on my AR15 rifle, and it will remain there for quite some time.  At least until I decide to drop another $500 on a weapon sight.

Stay tuned for updates and pictures, we will be returning to this post to discuss topics such as real-life battery life, use in competitions, and how well it holds up to the abuse it will be going through.

New Survival Blog

Our friends Chris and Rob have started making a name for themselves.  They are running The Average Joe Survivalist, a survival blog that covers a wide range of topics, from stocking up for emergencies, to surviving a SHTF scenario, to concealed weapon and gear reviews, and everything in between.  These guys know their stuff, they have real-world experience and training to base their articles on.  The information is concise, complete, and valid.  Pay them a visit, and add their site to your "bookmarks" list, as they keep new articles coming at a steady pace!

AR15 Pistols

Okay, so let’s talk about one of the most fun, loud, and obnoxious things out there. I don’t care if your name is Paul, you wear your hat crooked, and you are the life of the party every Saturday night. You will still never be more fun, loud, or obnoxious than an AR-15 Pistol (aka MI Pistol or AR Pistol). For legal purposes, I will clarify that AR-15 Pistols are legal in the state of Michigan as long as they adhere to a few guidelines, the biggest being it cannot have a stock. So to say the least, we are reviewing a weapon that is legal in our state. Please review your state laws if you have interest in this type of weapon before making plans to build or purchase.

To start off, there are a great deal of benefits to having one of these little guys. One of them is the carry facet. I know it may sound ludicrous to carry one of these things, but since they are required to be registered as pistols in the state of MI they receive all of the same rights and privileges as a pistol. I, personally, every now and then carry my AR Pistol under my knee length trench coat with a BlackHawk single-point sling. With either my 7” or 7.5” barrel I can still carry this thing without it being noticed. With its legal versatility as a pistol you can also use it as a “truck gun” or in my case a “four-door sedan gun”. This also makes it easier to take it to the range since you can keep it loaded.

The next best thing about AR Pistols is shooting them. Getting the right sights for them is quite the pain, which we will discuss later, but target/scenario shooting is a blast, quite literally. If shooting one handed, which makes even the scroniest of a man feel like Gaston, you do have a liberal amount a muzzle lift, even with special muzzle brakes. Yet, the weight of the gun and AR-15 trigger pull does allow you enough time to fire somewhat rapidly and still be on target. You aren’t shooting a tournament 1911, but for one-handed shooting, with a weapon not originally designed for one-handed shooting, it does fairly decent. Now, two-handed shooting makes you feel a little like Tony Montana. I can’t tell you how many times I have introduced mine by saying, “Say hello to my little friend.” I know, I know, he used an A2 style M-16 with a M203, but I can’t help myself.

Recoil wise, they are basically like shooting a short AR-15, which ironically enough is what they are. Accuracy wise, I would say at twenty-five yards they are as accurate as any other handgun I have fired from a standing position. I do not know how these weapons perform at long distances. Mainly because I treat it as a pistol and I would not call upon my pistol to make one-hundred yard shots unless I was left without the option of using my rifle. One day I may see how it does with long range shots, but then again, what did I buy my LR-308 for? I my opinion, in a tactical scenario these things work best at providing short range suppressive fire, but one can’t forget about the long range capabilities of the 5.56.

With these weapons having all of their good sides, why don’t we take a stroll down to the bad and the ugly. First of all, price, price, and price. Without giving you the rundown of a parts list and prices, which don’t fret, I will waste your time with that later, I will just say that for a basic model using new parts you are going to spend about $850 to build an AR Pistol. For those of you who build AR-15s, myself included, that is clearly more than building a full size rifle. However, I must say that building an AR Pistol, like building an AR-15, will in most cases save you money, which leads me to my next point.

Getting the chance to build one of these is also a great experience, but frustrating at the same time. I have built ARs before, but AR Pistols have a little more complexity to them. The hand guard is somewhat of a concern for 7” barrels. The 10.5” barrel use carbine length gas tubes and hand guards so those are not a problem, but the shorter ones require slightly more expensive parts. On the AR Pistol upper I built I used a Yankee Hill Machine Pistol Length Quad Rail Free-float Handguard. This added enough weight to keep the pistol somewhat balanced and made my sight conundrum slightly easier to solve. The biggest issue with sights for an AR Pistol is that no manufacture has made AR sights that work as well as standard pistol sights. My choice, or rather choices, ended up being an EOTech EXPS3 on my Rock River Arms upper and MagPul flip sights for my Palmetto State Armory/DPMS upper. Both have worked out great so far as sights and serve their purpose for the pistol they are on.

Along with finding the right sights to fit your purposes, there are other issues to be addressed in the construction of an AR Pistol. These are functioning dilemmas. Now, that is not to say that AR Pistols are inherently problematic, so don’t get it twisted. However, there are problems that should be addressed. First and foremost is the buffer tube. If you take your collapsible AR stock, pull down on the adjustment lever, and remove it you will have a well functioning AR pistol buffer tube (although one must consider the possible legal pitfall of having a buffer tube that could so readily accept a stock). Ace makes a full length buffer tube that has worked flawlessly with my AR pistol. The problem comes with the shorter tubes that some manufactures have created. These look better and make the AR Pistol much shorter, but have been reported to have many feeding issues due to the short amount of travel that the bolt carrier has in between shots. The easiest way to put it is that the more your buffer tube meets the standard length, the more reliable it will be.

The next issue is that of business end of the barrel: the muzzle brake. Many people will swear that the 7” barrels have feeding issues due to the lack of backpressure created from the short length of the barrel. Although I have used a standard “birdcage” A2 style flash hider with no feeding issues, I had looked into a flash hider that would work to solve three problems: low backpressure, high decibels, and muzzle flash. The device I used was the DPMS Levang Compensator. I won’t give this item the same be-all end-all rating that others have because every now and then you do get some muzzle flash and it didn’t seem to “send the sound downrange” to the high extent that others have reported, but with it I haven’t had any feeding problems and the muzzle flash is not as extreme as with other flash hiders. For $30, I won’t down-talk the item as it performed adequately. So far, nothing short of a silencer will tame the excessive roar of these weapons, but with hearing protection, from my perspective as the shooter, it didn’t sound any louder than your standard AR-15 while wearing proper hearing protection.

In short, considering the good, the bad, and the ugly, AR Pistols are in my opinion great additions to any gun collection. With their legal flexibility they make great vehicle weapons as well as intimidating carry pieces whether you decide to CC or OC. Keep in mind, some states have odd laws about these weapons, MI’s is odd, but benefiting to gun owners like me, but if one’s state does not frown on them they will make their owner quite happy. They have always been of interest to other shooters at the gun range and have made a few of my buddies quite jealous. Below you will find the list of parts that went into build each AR Pistol and feel free to email us with any question you may have about your AR Pistol build. We may not know everything, but if you are just starting out with your build we can most likely get your questions answered and get you to the range.

• Ace Pistol Buffer Tube
• DPMS Bolt Carrier Assembly
• DPMS Crush Washer
• DPMS Levang Compensator
• DPMS Pistol Length Gas Tube
•  DPMS Railed Gas Block
• DPMS Trigger Kit
• DPMS 7” Barrel
• Palmetto State Armory Assembled Upper Receiver and Charging handle
• Rock River Arms Stripped Lower Receiver
• Rock River Arms Upper Receiver Assembly (2^nd AR Pistol upper)
• Yankee Hill Machine Pistol Length Quad Rail Free-float Handguard

Review: Glock 21SF

This is my fourth .45 caliber handgun. Some would say I downgraded as I progressed. My first was a 1911, then onto an M&P45, from there a Sig P220, and now the Glock 21SF. As the owner of these weapons I can see their point. I loved my 1911, but the hammer follow it developed, uncured by the local gunsmith, broke my trust in it. My M&P45 was an awesome carry piece and was the first of my semi-automatics that I trusted to carry with a round in the chamber, but for some reason it still didn’t fit the bill. The magazines were pricy, which I think may be my only complaint. My Sig P220 was something I thought I could settle on. The all-metal construction, ease of maintenance, and internal safety of the weapon had me hooked. However, I ended up selling it so I could fund a new LR-308. So I continued on and had the chance to obtain my first Glock, which was a G32 chambered for .357 Sig. Now this was a very nice carry gun, very simplistic, and a pleasure to shoot. At this point I did not have a .45 and decided that it was time to get one. More importantly, it was time to get a full-sized Glock chambered for .45 ACP: The Glock 21.

This firearm was bought for about $560 at the local gun store and after putting a few rounds downrange with it, I realized something; To me, .45s are mostly created equal. Its recoil felt similar to that of my 1911, M&P45, and Sig P220, with just a slightly different trigger pull, but very comparable to the Sig. Immediately, I was right on target. I had to get used to the longer trigger pull, especially for rapid firing, but I felt like I was holding the same gun I learned to shoot with.

For those of you who have never owned a Glock and like to fully disassemble your weapons for full cleanings, you should look into Glocks. They required a small punch, a hammer, and wooden block and they can be completely disassembled (excluding the sights). This is one of the things I like about Glocks. I can fully take down my weapon, clean it, and not have to worry about getting it “out of tune” when reassembling it. So far, it looks like the only way to get a Glock “out of tune” is to completely break it. 

Breaking a gun reminds me of my next point. I work hard for my income, and treat my possessions, especially weapons, with respect. Therefore, I am content to report that I do not have a destructive “torture test” to show you. The fact that it is a carry piece and is virtually flawless is a testament to its ability to endure responsible gun handling.

As of late, the G21 has been my primary carry piece and has grown on me. I have been looking into several types of holsters for it, which is actually proven to be somewhat of a task. Not only are holsters a pain to find at local gun stores, but so are many other Glock upgrades. G21 accessories are more plentiful than others, which demonstrates Glock’s claim that this item was made specifically for the American market. You can get what you need for your G21, but you will have to look a little harder for some accessories than others, like the G17 or G22. The Serpa holster I use with it was not at all hard to find, but other holsters are not so common. Magazines are plentiful and around the same price as other Glock mags, but other accessories may be slightly more difficult to come by.

Overall, transitioning to my G21, after the thousands of rounds I put through my 1911, and the hundreds of rounds put through my M&P45 and Sig P220, was quick and easy. However, that could be due to the legendary .45 caliber. On Glock’s website, it refers to the Glock 21 as an American Icon, but it is safe to say that it earned this title by pairing up with the .45 ACP: A True American Icon.

Review: INFORCE WML

Many of you are familiar with the INFORCE brand, which has gained a very strong reputation, particularly in Military and Law Enforcement circles.  Emissive Energy Corp., an American corporation founded in 1991, produces INFORCE brand products.  Emissive Energy is also responsible for products under the INOVA brand name as well, until the brand was sold in 2010.  This is all beside the point, however.

INFORCE has recently released a new weapon light, simply named the Weapon Mounted Light, or WML. Allow me to begin with some technical details.  The WML is just over 4” long, the bezel is 1” in diameter, and the unit is stunningly lightweight, at a mere 3 ounces, including the single CR123 battery.  The light has two output settings.  On “High”, the light puts out 125 lumens for about 2 hours on a fresh battery.  Set it on “Low”, and you get 30 lumens for 10 hours of continuous run time. 

This light, while it may be small in size, does not lack any of the features of it’s larger, heavier counterparts.  Aside from the previously mentioned High and Low output settings, the light features a strobe function.  All of these features can be operated as constant-on or momentary through the use of the single button on the back of the light.  When I found that this light had all of these features and only one button, I was expecting a catastrophe waiting to happen.  Picture someone’s home being broken into, and instead of turning the light on momentarily, the homeowner is fumbling, cycling through all of the “settings”, trying to find the one he’s looking for.  While this is going on, he’s giving away his position, essentially painting a target on himself. . .

This couldn’t be farther from the truth.  The operation of all the features of the light are very intuitive.  As with all new firearms and accessories, there is a learning curve, and some practice is required to "master" said items.  Without the aid of an owner's manual or any form of instructions, I was able to comfortably activate all of the features this light has to offer within minutes of turning it on.  As I said, operation is very intuitive.

With all of the features this light has, it is no surprise that a tape switch is not available.  In my opinion, one isn’t needed.  On my AR15, I mounted the light on the left side of the quad rail, right where my thumb would normally rest.  I was never able to get used to a vertical or angled foregrips.  The back of the WML is angled, with a large button that is very easy to find and activate.  The button also has a flip-up lockout lever that is intended to prevent accidental/unwanted activation of the light.  It is a good idea in some cases, and solves the problem encountered by other tailcap switch equipped weapon lights.  The beauty of this design is that such an idea is not needed here.  The ergonomic design, combined with the shape of the button itself, prevents most all accidental light discharges.  Palm strikes, bumping into walls, doors, etc., will not turn the light on.  I found the lockout lever to be unnecessary, but it's shape and location do not detract from the use or aesthetics of the light in any way, as it is virtually unnoticeable unless it is in the "up" position, as pictured below.  Even in this position, it is still possible to activate the light, it simply requires a more deliberate motion to do so.

The Breakdown:

Pros: Lightweight, bright, packed with features that some higher-priced models lack, available with IR illumination, black and tan colors available to match the light to your rig, battery consumption is on par with similar lights.

Cons: Lack of tape switch compatibility may be an issue for some.

Bottom Line: If you are looking for a rock-solid weapon light that won't add pounds to your weapon, look no further.  The price is right when compared to comparable lights, and the features packed into this small package make it a great choice.  Simple mounting, quick detach, intuitive operation, and power, all combined in a package that is less than 3 ounces.

I'd like to extend my gratitude to Rick at TacticalLEDs.com for the opportunity to review this product.  


If you have a product you would like to see reviewed here, please contact us at thelowready@gmail.com