I have been seeing a lot of varied opinions to which magazine is the best. What is more durable, what can be run over by a truck more, which one you can shoot, etc. If you are getting run over by a truck, or shot in the magazines there’s a good chance you have more to worry about than “Man I wish I bought a Pmag”. I’m not going to tell you that one is better than the other. I’m going to give you the straight scoop on the differences between Magpul Pmag AR15 Rifle Magazines and Troy Battlemags. You can make the choice for yourself.
If you’re still using metal magazines there are some vast improvements in the polymer magazine world like the AR15 Pmag. Metal magazines suffer from a plethora of design issues especially the government issue variety. Problems like bent feed lips (I can’t count how many times a LCPL has come to me saying his magazine is screwed, just to bend the feed lips back into place), weak springs, non self-leveling followers, and they are prone to failure due to inconsistent spot welding and two piece designs.
The Magpul Pmag
Exterior: The Magpul Pmag is a huge improvement over the USGI mags making it the most popular selection. It is popular because of it’s reliability, because it’s very durable, and because it looks cooler. The entire exterior of the Pmag has no sharp edges. Everything is rounded off to avoid snagging – which can mean the difference between life and death. It has a waffle like texture for excellent grip even in the worst of conditions. You can count on Pmag durability because of how it is made, and what it is made out of. It is cast out of one mold with the color mixed in to eliminate wearing off. Since there are no welds there are no weak joints that lead to breakage and failures. It has an impact cover to protect the lips from being bent, and keep it clean. It is made out of the same material as Magpul’s CTR and PRS buttstocks. They go the extra mile to make this magazine easy to use. It has a removable floorplate which is a cinch, and also built in speed loaders. The best thing in my opinion is how quite this magazine is. Metal on metal rattling, or heavy metal mags dropped on patrol with a loud thud is a thing of the past.
Interior: Pmags and Battlemags are both products of the USA. The inside of the Pmag is where the major improvements begin. The Pmag has a built in follower rail that works perfectly with the self leveling follower reducing failures from nose diving and bolt over base. It has longer guides and is self lubricating. The spring is made of stainless steel – heat treated, and has a corrosion resistant treatment.
The Battlemag
Exterior: Troy is also a leader in the industry with outstanding quality – known for their butt stocks and hand guards. Compared to the Pmag – Troy’s polymer is lighter and softer. It is more flexible without the weakness expected when you test it. It has a scaled texture like a snake skin, however the texture doesn’t provide much grip toward upward motion. The Pmag has a lip on the bottom of the magazine, the Troy Battlemag doesn’t. I prefer magazines with a lip. It comes with a swappable buttplate that has a small tab that functions like a Ranger Plate. The tab is a very durable soft rubber. One of the downsides of this magazine is that it does not come with an impact plate like Pmag. It does have reinforced feed lips, but that won’t stand up to extended periods of use with a full load. Also if you like to keep your magazines clean, or remove the buttplate often this magazine is probably not for you. The buttplate is VERY hard to remove. The Battlemag works with AR-15 platform rifles like the HK 416 (IAR) and the FN SCAR.
Interior: The Battlemag is similar to the Pmag on the inside with it’s self leveling follower. The guides are shorter than Pmags which makes it more susceptible to nose down failures. The spring is heavy duty and made out of stainless steel with a built in follower rail. Internally the magazines are very close in concept.
Verdict: My recommendation is to always buy polymer. Both the Pmag and Battlemag will be a serious upgrade to the old metal USGI magazines. I prefer the Pmag because of the many color options and windows. The Pmag seems to have a more heavy duty plastic, larger follower, and longer guides. It is easier to take apart as well. Either way Battlemag and Pmag will be a valuable asset to your mag pouch.
Learn more about Magpul Pmag AR15 Magazines. Stop by IntenseTactical.com where you can find out all about Troy Battlemag AR15 Magazines and what it can do for you.