Best magazines?

[frank]

All right- I'm sure this has been hashed around more than once, but I'm new and maybe something has changed. I'm gathering parts for my 6.5 upper build and need to pick up some magazines. Looks like all that is out there is C-Products mags in the AR-Stoner brand name as well as their own name. I've never really been a big fan of C-Products mags. Any other options or is this it?

I've already read the horror stories on the 17 rounders. Too bad because this is the perfect length for bench use. Are the 10 and 24-26 (incredible that they don't really know) rounders GTG? I'll probably pick up a couple of each in hopes of finding a couple of good ones.

Can any of the 6.8 mags be modified by swapping the followers? There are more options in the 6.8 mags. Would this be any better than the purpose-made 6.5 mags?

[Schwag173]

I bought six ASC 17rd mags direct from the ASC website in 2 orders of 3 over a 9 month period. All work flawlessly but hold only 14rds each.

[Allen]

Same here. Bought a few asc mags directly from their website.

[sneaky one]

Well guys, there are a few other options.

[MrDraco]

Currently all mags for the Grendel is made by the same company, C Products, they just put on different base plates for different sellers. I've heard more companies are suppose to start producing mags but I've yet to see it actually happen.

I have three 10 round AR Stoner mags and all three work flawlessly. I don't have any 25 round mags so I can't comment on those.

The 6.8 mags don't work for the Grendel. They hold about 5 rounds max before they start to bulge and won't feed.

[bwaites]

Currently all mags for the Grendel is made by the same company, C Products, they just put on different base plates for different sellers. I've heard more companies are suppose to start producing mags but I've yet to see it actually happen.

I have three 10 round AR Stoner mags and all three work flawlessly. I don't have any 25 round mags so I can't comment on those.

The 6.8 mags don't work for the Grendel. They hold about 5 rounds max before they start to bulge and won't feed.

Not correct!

ASC makes Grendel mags. ALL AA mags are from ASC with a different baseplate.

C Products arose from the ashes of the original CProducts, who was taken over by ASC. The new CProducts is not the same company as the old one! Although the name is the same, all the tooling is different.

ASC seems to have improved QC significantly over the old CProducts. I have not seen or used the new CProducts mags. I suspect but can't verify that Stoner mags are made overseas.

[joker31]

I have used a magpul 20 rounder with a reduction insert and it feeds pretty well although your mileage may vary. I did that because I was unable to get proper magazines, now I have the ASC mags and the 5 rounders seem to work perfectly fine.

[frank]

So are the new C-Product mags the ASC mags??? If I purchase C-Product mags from Midway, will they be the ASC mags? I'm assuming that all AR mags in their inventory are new after the panic.

[bwaites]

So are the new C-Product mags the ASC mags??? If I purchase C-Product mags from Midway, will they be the ASC mags? I'm assuming that all AR mags in their inventory are new after the panic.

No. Two different companies. The ORIGINAL CProducts is now ASC. The NEW CProducts is a completely different company run by the owners of the original CProducts, who moved to Florida and started over after losing the company to ASC.

The details on why that all happened are fuzzy.

[middle man]

CProducts of New Britain was a major OEM magazine manufacturer building mags for all manner AR companies. Zero (or near zero) AR builders produce their own magazines.

In a nutshell, CProducts of New Britain, CT owed the owners of ASC a pile of cash for their work coating mag bodies.

In lieu of payment, ASC took all the tooling, machines, and unfinished/unsold inventory as payment and jumped into the magazine business (rather than just being a contractor finishing mag tubes) some time in late 2010 or 2011.

The CProducts Defense in FL is a new operation starting from zero in late 2011-2012.

[frank]

All right- let me see if I've got this straight:

Old C-Products mags were unreliable.
ASC is now making the same old mags but with better QC.
C-Proucts Defense is now making mags on new tools (maybe improved design?).

So which to go with??? The old design made by a better company, or a possibly new design/tooling made by the same old company with a new name.

I think that I'll try a couple of the ACS 17 rounders based on the reviews here. I'll probably only load 10 at a time anyways.

[bwaites]

All right- let me see if I've got this straight:

Old C-Products mags were unreliable.
ASC is now making the same old mags but with better QC.
C-Proucts Defense is now making mags on new tools (maybe improved design?).

So which to go with??? The old design made by a better company, or a possibly new design/tooling made by the same old company with a new name.

I think that I'll try a couple of the ACS 17 rounders based on the reviews here. I'll probably only load 10 at a time anyways.

Just to confuse the issue even more :

The 17 rounders are really only 14-15 rounders, and are the least reliable of all the options. I have some that work, and had some that would only work with 5-7 rounds. AA chose NOT to even stock them because of the issues.

In order: The AA and ASC 10 and 25 rounders are reliable. VERY occasionally now you have to tweek the feed lips a bit, like you do with any aluminum or steel mags.
The AA/ASC 5 rounders are reliable but once again, may need feed lip tweaking. (NONE of the ASC or AA mags I've gotten in the last 2 years have needed work, but others have posted online that they've had issues from time to time.)
The ASC 17 round mags are spotty at best. The curve is slightly off for the Grendel. Some seem to work fine, others are disasters.

CProducts, (at least from the pictures I've seen) seem to be dead copies of their old mags. I've talked with Bill Alexander about it, and they haven't talked with him about any redesign.

[frank]

Thanks. I'll stick with the 10s and 25s then. It looks like C-Products isn't even making the 17 rounders anymore; I guess that ought to tell me something.

I just noticed that C-Products mags are made about 5 miles from my house. I guess that I'll have to give them another chance in support of the local economy.

[pinzgauer]

All right- let me see if I've got this straight:

Old C-Products mags were unreliable.
ASC is now making the same old mags but with better QC.
C-Proucts Defense is now making mags on new tools (maybe improved design?).

Not sure this was a universal experience. Between my brother and I we have probably 2 dozen or more old Cprod 25 rounders that have been flawless. Bought in separate lots from 2007-2011.

And that's across three rifles with a mix of handloads, Hornady factory, and Wolf.

I do believe very early on there were feedlip issues as they were documented, but starting around late '07 they seemed to stabilize and you just did not hear about them much.

But I really don't think you'll find any "old" cprods around unless old stock AA or midway

Then again, all my 15-17 rounder's (20 round 5.56 format) mags work well. Only have 3, but never really had an issue with them.

I also use pmags when shooting 5 round groups. Feeds fine, but they get cranky at much more than that. But use them for non-critical bench work to save wear & tear on the grendel mags

[Bike Effects]

I think the weak point in the Grendel platform is the availability of good magazines. My .223 AR-15 spoiled me because I could use P-Mags. I have not even fired my just completed Grendel and already pissed about magazines the tear up expensive Lapua brass. I wish MagPull would make us some good mags.