M4 mags, why don't they all just get along???

[RostokMcSpoons]

I lost a mag at the skirmish site on Saturday, so I bought another.  

Does it work?  Does it buggery.  And I'm talking about two different AR's I tried it in.

The common theme seems to be the standard short 300-330 round high high caps will work fine in my Double Eagle M906, my Classic Army AR15, and my Tippmann M4... and even my F2000 (back in the distant past when it actually fired)

But the longer mags seem to cause problems (excepting the F2000 which came with one of them) - the other guns instantly become (as my step mother says) "Fussy whiskers".   Either they won't accept the mag nicely into the mag well, or they don't feed consistently.

So what's the story with M4 mags?

And should I abort my intended purchase of Lonex flash mags, because I suspect they'll be the same form?

 

[Jacob Wright]

I’ve always found it trial and error. My ASG fed fine from ASG magazines, some Ares magazines, G&G but not any of the Nuprol offerings. However, the Nuprol ones would feed fine in my brothers G&G!

Try and see what works, buy one Lonex and see if it feeds then buy a few more? ?

Now I’m a TM recoil owner I don’t have to worry about lowly AEG midcaps anyway…

 

[Rogerborg]

So what's the story with M4 mags?

Click to shrink...

For one thing, the STANAG "standard" has never actually been formalised.

From measuring, airsoft toy versions vary by a mm or so in dimensions, and particularly in the position of the feed. It doesn't sound like much, but can be startling to line up a bunch side by side and see the differences. It's amazing that so many "M4" mags actually fit and feed in so many "M4"s.

 

[Badgerlicious]

I use some electrical tape (thin) and tough tape (thicc) to shim my mags to where they need to be. Typically it's some electrical around the top to stop side to side wobble, and a bit of tough tape in the back of the magwell to push the mag forward so it feeds. 

But in the words of the great neg airsoft, "airsoft guns are shit". And they are, tolerances are all over the place. 

 

[Tactical Pith Helmet]

To echo Badgerlicious, tape is handy, sticky backed velcro is the final solution sometimes,  sort of thick tape on steroids.  

Thus far no M4, L85, or M16 has failed to respond to the lads painstaking tape it the fucking max approach.   Aesthetics are however another matter...  

 

[RostokMcSpoons]

I'm not fussed about covering them in tape, I think it's the opposite problem where they are too tight or the damned things don't sit high enough.

Ah damn it. I'll buy a bunch of mags and send them back under Distance Selling regs if need be

 

[Cannonfodder]

So what's the story with M4 mags?

Click to shrink...

Because they're made cheaply in Chinese factories with crap QC (that goes for the more expensive brands as well as the cheaper ones). It's not just M4 mags, I've had the same problem with mid caps for my MP5K 

 

[Guest]

Ha…..

I think you should be happy there is SOME cross functionality.

Try gas mags, you have almost zero chance of anything working ??

 

[ak2m4]

It's amazing that so many "M4" mags actually fit and feed in so many "M4"s.

Click to shrink...

Perfectly put ?

Reason why I stopped selling mags, too many people complaining that the product was "broken" when in fact just didn't work for their particular AEG.  Then sending them back all scratched up looking like been run over by a truck and then demanding a refund.
 

Because they're made cheaply in Chinese factories with crap QC (that goes for the more expensive brands as well as the cheaper ones). It's not just M4 mags, I've had the same problem with mid caps for my MP5K 

Click to shrink...

QC can always be better but in this case I think it's more down to the design tolerances of the lower receiver  / magwell of each brand.  

 

[RostokMcSpoons]

Well I can't rationalise it but I went on the Lonex website last night and ordered 4 flash mags.  They're on special offer, but 4 is at a tiny discount compared to the other options, so I bought 3 + 1 (only to realise afterwards 2 x 2 is slightly cheaper still)

I'll try one.  If it doesn't work nicely with at least the DE and the Tippmann, I'll at least be able to return the other 3 and I can sell the 'used' one on.

Oh yeah, there's another gun arriving soon that these ought to fit...

Edit: another gun has just arrived... and unexpected items in bagging area: with 2 more hi cap magazines!  One standard size Battleaxe, one longer G&G.  It'll be interesting to test those two later.

View attachment 87855
(This gun doesn't fire at the moment, its a boneyard so it'll most likely stay as a wall-hanger, to satisfy the SA80 itch I've always had. But I'll have a go at fixing it)

 

[Skara]

As with all things Airsoft, the word "standard" doesn't really apply...

I've been using Lonex flash mags (Metal stanag version, not the polymer one) since I got back to the game in 2015.

They fit and feed in every gun I slap them into, G&G, G&P, TM, Ares, ICS, Specna/Dboys/Evolution/Saigo, King Arms, custom made lowers, VFC, you name it.

 

[Adolf Hamster]

starting to remember part of where my affinity for the ak platform came from......

 

[RostokMcSpoons]

As with all things Airsoft, the word "standard" doesn't really apply...

I've been using Lonex flash mags (Metal stanag version, not the polymer one) since I got back to the game in 2015.

They fit and feed in every gun I slap them into, G&G, G&P, TM, Ares, ICS, Specna/Dboys/Evolution/Saigo, King Arms, custom made lowers, VFC, you name it.

Click to shrink...

Well that's got to be good news for me!  I did order the STANAGs, so fingers-crossed I can add Tippmann, Double Eagle, Cybergun, Classic Army and Army Armaments to your list

 

[BigStew]

We're are mostly playing with Chinese knock offs of Japanese toys that fact that anything works at all is a miracle. You'll never get standardisation in airsoft it's not in manufactures interest.

 

[Cr0-Magnon]

It is a bit tragic that even high-end parts often need modifying to fit with something from the same factory. Take Guarder - What's that, you have a Guarder frame, chassis and hammer unit? Yeah you'll need to do some fettling to get this Guarder slide to run a long them smoothly.

 

[tinkle60]

It is a bit tragic that even high-end parts often need modifying to fit with something from the same factory. Take Guarder - What's that, you have a Guarder frame, chassis and hammer unit? Yeah you'll need to do some fettling to get this Guarder slide to run a long them smoothly.

Click to shrink...

Having more material and having to file to fit gets you more compatibility. You can always take away but you can't put back.

 

[Rogerborg]

Having more material and having to file to fit gets you more compatibility. You can always take away but you can't put back.

Click to shrink...

True that, I've had to file down mags as often as shim them up.  And while shimming the back of mags seems popular, my Specna wants them moved backwards, nor forwards.

You have to do what you have to do.

 

[Druid799]

As with all things Airsoft, the word "standard" doesn't really apply...

Click to shrink...

I’d have to disagree with you there , it is still applicable but it’s just when we apply the term in daily life we mean ‘all made to the same tolerances and interchangeable with all similar platforms’ ? whereas in airsoft ‘standard’ mean “stop complaining, they sort off look the same !” ?

??

 

[strykerles]

"standard" is like when looking at a rifle that says "vsr compatible"...................

you know it's gonna be a pain ?

 

[RostokMcSpoons]

Initial tests of the Lonex flash mags that arrived this morning are... good!
They fit and feed fine in the Tippmann, they're a little tight in the Double Eagle (but that has a velcro shim to make my cheap old high caps fit nicely) but shoot perfectly, and they fit fine in the F2000 and the L85 as well... (though I can't test those as neither of them can actually pew at the moment)