L85 flash hider and EMAGs?

[Hubert]

Magazines - Magpuls PTS Emags work wonderfully.

I have no idea if they make windowless mags (personally I don't like them anyway - I understand your point, but I just feel that the magazines with windows look far better)

IRRC, CK uses windowless magazines in his ICS so he'd be the man to ask, but I could be confusing his L85 with someone else I've seen on Arnies.

The flash hider depends entirely on how ICS fixed the flash-hider on your L85. Some L85s have a simply grub-screw, others have threaded barrels.

 

[Airsoft-Ed]

Think I'll just go for the ones with windows in then, I've found some on Fire Support - box of 10 for £60 which I think is pretty good, only problem is that they're out of stock <_<

They're also called PTS EMAG Green label... What's the significance of the green label...?

 

[TPI]

Made by Star or Beta Project

 

[Airsoft-Ed]

Made by Magpul PTS...

 

[TPI]

Nope Green Label's are just rebrand's

 

[Airsoft-Ed]

Ok, I'm confused now.

Here's a link to the mags I'm talking about:

http://www.fire-support.co.uk/product/magp...s-plastic-black

 

[TPI]

It actually says made by ABS Plastic...

That and in the bottom left of the pic it look's like it say's STARR

 

[TheFull9]

'Green labels' are not made by Magpul PTS, that's a BS marketing ploy. PTS proper do not sell multi-packs of mags.

If you want the correct magazines to replicate the current issue brit items, you'll need the Dual Window EMAGs sold individually by PTS.

 

[Airsoft-Ed]

Well I definitely can't afford to buy 8+ mags at £20 each, that's just blatant daylight robbery.

Does anyone know if the mags linked above will fit and feed in the ICS L85?

 

[TheFull9]

When you compare the quality of the real PTS ones to any of the STAR 'Green label' junk as I have, it really isn't daylight robbery I can assure you from experience.

Do you need a full 8 midcaps out of interest? I only ever run about 4 max on my rig personally, at 120 per mag that's a pretty good amount of ammo for an hour or two, especially with a bullpup like the '85. I'm not taking a dig at your playing style or anything like that, but gradually collecting a set of the proper mags will serve you a hell of a lot better in the long run, they're ridiculously sturdy.

 

[Airsoft-Ed]

I run 12 real caps at the moment, so I kinda need a lot of them in one go. I don't really like filling mags with crazy amounts of ammo, even if I can.

I like having to think about ammo/magazine levels as a more constant challenge. "Should I reload before moving through this area?" etc. Kinda gives a milsim feel even to regular games, if you know what I mean?

I guess I could save up and get them all one at a time, but I'd feel a bit stupid having 11 STANAGs and 1 EMAG and I don't really want to buy them all separately over a massive period of time and just have a load of them sat collecting dust until I have enough to run with.

I think I'll go with the cheaper alternative if I can find out from anyone if they actually fit and feed alright. If they suck, I've got 16+ STANAG mid caps as back up.

 

[M_P]

Definitely if you can go with the PTS mags if you can, green label are complete crap, I bought a 2 boxes about a year and a half ago for me and some friends, always regretted it- never fed brilliantly and often had to push them up in the magwell, alot of them broke too. Only plus side is that they're light, really light.

I've not used beta projects mags but i think there was a thread on this forum about someone having issues- I'll see if i can find it.

 

[Airsoft-Ed]

Ok, so basically, unless I'm going to get the real deal, I might as well feed them into my gun by hand one at a time?

That's annoyingly bad news.

I'm not all too keen on spending £240 on magazines...

 

[Hubert]

Then don't buy them all at once...

You said it yourself, you have plenty of magazines you currently use.

Save your money - buy them in batches.

2 at a time, 4 at time, whatever - you don't need to buy all of them at once, especially seeing as how you can easily supplement your current magazines with a few EMags at a time.

I have 3 at the moment. When I got them (only bought 1 mag, then 2 more after I knew they worked), I rotated my old magazines out. I run 3 Emags and 2 of my old mids - until I buy my last 2 Emags, I'll keep using them.

 

[Airsoft-Ed]

I've read all the reviews I can find on the green labels and none of them say anything half as bad as you guys are making them out to be.

For the price I think I might as well try them anyway, I do have a question about them though. Do any of you know if you can remove the spring and the BB pusher-piece? 'Cos if I can get to that I can mod them to feed better, I've done the same with my King Arms mags, which literally jammed to the point where I had to take the mag apart to get the shots out, but since the mod they work fine, as well as my MAG mags in fact.

But yeah, can you get the springs out?

 

[TheFull9]

People reviewing airsoft products haven't even skirmished them 90% of the time, let alone properly tested them; and the other 10% of the time they're generally just trying to make themselves look clever by not revealing the fact they've f'ed up and wasted their money on a poor quality product. If you're that set on having to replace all your mags at once with an lower quality alternative than that's obviously your decision, it's your cash. But we didn't all recommend the other option because we secretly work for Magpul PTS and they're giving us a cut.

Anyway, far as I can remember from the reading I did in them a while back (and my Beta Project PMAGs are also the same) the end caps that hold the springs in to the STAR 'green label' mags are permanently attached at manufacture, you'd need to drill/file/cut them out somehow to work on the indsides. It can be done in a non-destructive way but I can't quite recall off the top of my head, there's a guide somewhere on arnies in a thread about them.

 

[Airsoft-Ed]

If you really honestly think that they're that bad and that the proper PTS version is really that much better, then I might take the plunge and by 1 to test it out.

If it's good, I'll buy one a month on pay day, every month until I have a reasonable amount. I wouldn't think about skirmishing them until I had at least 6. £120 =[

I wonder if anywhere has good enough stock levels for me to get one every month.

 

[TheFull9]

There's never any guarantees in airsoft, but if you buy the PTS mags from a UK retailer then even in the highly unlikely event you do get a duff one you'll be able to get an exchange/refund.

Admittedly at 1/month it will take you a while to get a collection together, but they'll last forever, literally. Once you get your hands on one you'll notice the solidarity right away, they're still lightweight compared to metal mags but they're heavy for plastic because the PTS polymer is actually tougher than the stuff some RS brands make their AR accessories from.

 

[Airsoft-Ed]

I'm warming to the idea. I definitely intend to have my L85 for the rest of my airsofting life, which will likely be until I'm too old to play anymore, so if they're really that durable then I guess they will be worth it and I do want some proper ones for the authentic feel and look, since the green label are only single windowed.

I might get 3 a month, with proper magpuls, that's like £70 a month, but it'll only take me 4 months to get them all. Then I'll have absolutely everything for my L85, since everything else is either on it, or on order.

Then I can look into getting a decent mag vest/plate carrier/whatever. Don't think I'll go for the British issue one, or even the older issue ones, since I've got no real idea what I'm looking for and am also aware that it costs an arm and a leg.

MTP lower, some sort of better looking mag rig and maybe MTP UBACS at some point down the line... Who knows?!

One thing is for certain, I am going to put everything else on hold until I've done this thoroughly. I might even sell my M16 to pay for it.

 

[TheFull9]

The PCS UBACS is very good, mine is easily the most comfortable piece of upper-body clothing I've got for skirmishing. Wouldn't waste your money on the PCS trousers though, they're thin as anything and they compromise operational features for barracks 'smartness' which includes a lack of kneepad pockets and just generally not being very well cut compared to higher end stuff.