When it comes to surviving in high-pressure scenarios, ensuring that your equipment is working flawlessly is key. For AR-15 users, one overlooked but critical factor in weapon reliability is how you manage your magazines. Greg Lapin from the FieldCraft Survival Channel has shared some invaluable tips on properly loading and maintaining your AR-15 magazines, preventing malfunctions that could arise at the worst possible moments. Let’s break down his advice, along with a few of our own insights, to help keep your AR-15 running smoothly.
The Basics: Loading Your Magazines Properly
According to Greg Lapin, a significant number of AR-15 malfunctions can be traced back to improper magazine loading. Whether you’re out on the range or in a survival situation, loading errors can lead to costly mistakes. Greg emphasizes that understanding how many rounds you’re loading and the condition of your magazine is key to preventing issues before they start. As simple as it sounds, many shooters get this wrong, causing their magazines to jam or misfeed during critical moments.
Old-School Metal Magazines: The Risks of Tilting Followers
In the video, Greg talks about the classic USGI metal magazines that many AR-15 owners still use. These older mags often come with tilting followers, which can get stuck during firing and cause the weapon to malfunction. He demonstrates how pressing on the front of the follower can cause it to tilt and even jam inside the magazine. This type of problem can turn a reliable weapon into a frustration point in the middle of a firefight or emergency.
The Easy Fix: Anti-Tilt Followers
Instead of throwing away your old USGI mags, Greg suggests a simple fix: installing anti-tilt followers. These modern followers ensure that the rounds stay in line and feed properly into the weapon without the risk of jamming. Greg points out that companies like Magpul and Brownells sell these anti-tilt followers, making it a cheap and effective upgrade. For those who rely on older mags, this modification is a no-brainer to prevent future malfunctions.
The 30-Round Myth: Should You Load Full Magazines?
One of the most common debates among AR-15 users is whether or not to fully load their 30-round magazines. Greg tackles this head-on, addressing the belief that you should never load more than 28 rounds. He argues that if you maintain your magazines well and keep them clean, there’s no reason you can’t load a full 30 rounds. However, it’s important to know how to check if you’ve loaded the mag correctly by feeling for a slight spring tension, which signals that your magazine is loaded properly and ready to go.
The Danger of Overloading
One critical point Greg highlights is the risk of overloading polymer magazines. He warns that many polymer mags, especially older versions, can hold 31 rounds, which is one too many. Overloading by even one round can prevent the magazine from locking into a closed bolt, causing a malfunction that could take you out of action when you need your rifle most. Checking that slight give in the spring when loading ensures that you’re not overloading and setting yourself up for failure.
Polymer Mags: Why Magpul is Still King
Greg emphasizes that Magpul PMAGs are some of the most reliable polymer magazines out there. He demonstrates the improvements in the newer generations, which include a small lip that prevents over-insertion. Without this lip, as seen in older generation PMAGs, you run the risk of jamming the magazine too far into the well, rendering your rifle useless until you can pry it out. His advice? Don’t throw out your old PMAGs, but reserve them for training and use newer models for serious applications like home defense or survival situations.
The Hidden Dangers of Cheap Magazines
Not all polymer mags are created equal. Greg warns against using low-quality polymer mags that can flex at the feed lips, especially when under pressure. He shows how squeezing certain cheaper mags can cause the rounds to shift or even spill out, which could lead to feeding problems or jams. In high-stakes situations, using poorly made magazines is a risk that’s just not worth taking.
Regular Maintenance: Don’t Forget to Clean Your Mags
How often do you drop your AR-15 on the ground? Hopefully not often. But how often do you drop your magazines during combat reloads? Pretty much all the time. Greg makes a great point that while shooters are good about cleaning their guns, they often neglect their magazines. Every time you drop a mag, it collects dirt, dust, and grit that can eventually cause problems. He advises regularly disassembling and cleaning your mags to prevent dirt buildup from leading to malfunctions.
How to Know If You’ve Loaded Correctly
Greg teaches a quick and easy way to check how many rounds are in your mag without counting. Simply push down on the top round and note how far the spring compresses. For example, if the spring gives just to the cuticle of your thumb, you’ve loaded 28 rounds. If it gives slightly more, you’ve likely got 30 rounds in the mag. This is a handy trick for ensuring your mags are loaded properly without the need for elaborate tools or time-consuming checks.
Understanding Magazines Prevents Problems
One of Greg’s biggest messages is that a lot of AR-15 problems come not from the weapon itself, but from how the magazine is used or loaded. By understanding the ins and outs of your magazines, from how many rounds they hold to how they should be maintained, you can eliminate a major source of malfunctions. This knowledge is especially important in survival scenarios where every shot could count, and equipment failure is not an option.
Final Thoughts: Simple Tips, Big Results
At the end of the day, Greg Lapin’s advice is all about preventing small mistakes that could lead to big problems. Whether you’re out at the range or preparing for a survival scenario, paying attention to your magazines—how they’re loaded, maintained, and used—can make all the difference. His practical tips are easy to implement and can save you from a malfunction at a critical moment. As Greg says, keep those mags clean, well-loaded, and ready to go, and you’ll reduce your chances of running into trouble when it matters most.
Oversight that Can Lead to Malfunctions
How often do you inspect and maintain your magazines compared to your firearm, and could this oversight lead to unexpected malfunctions when you need reliability the most? Do you prefer using older metal magazines or newer polymer ones for your AR-15, and why? Have you experienced any issues with one over the other?
Raised in a small Arizona town, Kevin grew up surrounded by rugged desert landscapes and a family of hunters. His background in competitive shooting and firearms training has made him an authority on self-defense and gun safety. A certified firearms instructor, Kevin teaches others how to properly handle and maintain their weapons, whether for hunting, home defense, or survival situations. His writing focuses on responsible gun ownership, marksmanship, and the role of firearms in personal preparedness.