I just got three new Tapco gen 2 mags for my mini 14 tactical. I was looking for an alliterative to the factory mags. I figured I could get three of these for the price of one factory mag. I had great luck with Tapco magazines in my AK. The Tapco gen 2s had great reviews but after checking them out I disagree with all of them.
The first thing I noticed was the fact the the outside diameter is greater on the tapco's. So much so they hardly fit in my condor mag pouch. It's not a big deal but kinda lame.
The next issue came up when I tried to put one in the gun. It took a lot of force to get it to seat right. It also did not drop free when I hit the mag release.
After that I loaded one up and tried putting it in the gun. It did not go in at all. I guess the rounds put pressure on the magazine walls causing it to not want to go in. I finally got it to seat after working it in for a bit.
I have not gone to the range with them yet but they fed all the rounds through when I cycled it manually.
Has anyone else had issues with these? Is this a case of you get what you pay for? Is there a decent alliterative to factory magazines?
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Some places have mags arounds $25 for factory, I have had hit and miss with Promag 20's. They work fine in my mini 14 but the 6.8 20's give me feed problems, may need a factory spring replacement.
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most mini owners will advise you to skip aftermarket mags.
imo 2-3 mags that work perfectly is better than 10 mags that are "iffy."
idk why there isn't a solid, reliable aftermarket mag, but as far as i can tell...there just isn't.
i understand $ being tight. but no one should have to buy 5-6 mags at once. maybe purchase 1 mag per month until you get the amount you feel you need. in most cases, the price difference is only about $10.
but the price of factory mags never bothered me much...mostly cause i have never felt the need to have more than a few mags.
Good point. I plan on doing just that. Every month I am planning on picking up a mag and 200 rounds of 556. Sometimes I just don't want to give ruger any more money. I just forked over a boat load of cash for the rifle. To hell with giving them more. I would feel differently if their customer service was better.
But then again they are the only one with a solid mag so what choice do I have.
damn....i shoulda taken advantage of those $19.99 20's at hoffmans back in the day....i thought it was a sign factory mags were coming down....boy was i wrong. these are the cheapest i could come up with on a quick search.
Thanks Hawk! I love Buds for their customer service so I will defiantly hit those up. I found factory 30's at a shop in Seattle for $30. I like the feel of the 20 rounders for over all usage. I want to find a multicam kangaroo pouch for the vest.
Thanks Hawk! I love Buds for their customer service so I will defiantly hit those up. I found factory 30's at a shop in Seattle for $30. I like the feel of the 20 rounders for over all usage. I want to find a multicam kangaroo pouch for the vest.
no problem! i personally think the 30 rounders look awkward unless your mini is a tactical set up. they don't seem ideal for bench shooting either. my mini is more traditional, so i have never even bought a 30. imo the 20's and 10's are best for the mini.
Just got an email from Stacy at Tapco about the 30 round mags. I had the same problems as you and they were eager to work with me and will be shipping a new version of the mag that fits the Tacticals next month. I'm looking forward to hearing back when they are ready so I can get mine swapped out!
Tapco gen 2 mini 14 mags....what the hell?
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