I placed a call to Alpha Industries Manufacturing Thursday about a couple of additional type-2 magazines I ordered, and spoke with Chris, the owner. He was really excited and talked with me at length about some improvements he had made, so I wanted to pass the info along to all of you.
Chris had said that a few people, myself included, had run into difficulties getting a fully-loaded mag into some of the tighter-fitting bottom metals. He explained that he always intended for the mags to swell slightly when loaded to make them fit snugly in any AI-type bottom metal, as every manufacturer has different tolerances. This sometimes led to the mag fitting a bit too snug. I polished up the points where the mags and bottom metal were wearing and just shoved them in, no big deal.
Chris went on to tell me that he switched to a different type of stainless with a higher nickel content so he could heat-treat them. He said he gave them a very thorough heat treating and that expansion had been reduced to a minimum. Outwardly, I can't tell any difference in the new and older ones, but when fully loaded, they are noticeably less swelled, and measure .040" thinner at their midsection. They insert easily and feed flawlessly.
If you've been on the fence about Alpha magazines, I have no regrets and will certainly continue to buy them for future calibers. I'm certainly no authority, but I really do appreciate being able to not only order directly, but speak to the owner directly. They are American-made, stainless, fit and finish are excellent, 20% shorter than AICS mags (for .308), less expensive, 100% guaranteed, and I've already mentioned the excellent customer service.
Chris also said he's got some other magazines in the works, including 338 Lapua. Sorry, Chris, if I wasn't supposed to leak that, and thank you very much! Keep up the good work!
Alpha Industries Manufacturing online store
Chris had said that a few people, myself included, had run into difficulties getting a fully-loaded mag into some of the tighter-fitting bottom metals. He explained that he always intended for the mags to swell slightly when loaded to make them fit snugly in any AI-type bottom metal, as every manufacturer has different tolerances. This sometimes led to the mag fitting a bit too snug. I polished up the points where the mags and bottom metal were wearing and just shoved them in, no big deal.
Chris went on to tell me that he switched to a different type of stainless with a higher nickel content so he could heat-treat them. He said he gave them a very thorough heat treating and that expansion had been reduced to a minimum. Outwardly, I can't tell any difference in the new and older ones, but when fully loaded, they are noticeably less swelled, and measure .040" thinner at their midsection. They insert easily and feed flawlessly.
If you've been on the fence about Alpha magazines, I have no regrets and will certainly continue to buy them for future calibers. I'm certainly no authority, but I really do appreciate being able to not only order directly, but speak to the owner directly. They are American-made, stainless, fit and finish are excellent, 20% shorter than AICS mags (for .308), less expensive, 100% guaranteed, and I've already mentioned the excellent customer service.
Chris also said he's got some other magazines in the works, including 338 Lapua. Sorry, Chris, if I wasn't supposed to leak that, and thank you very much! Keep up the good work!
Alpha Industries Manufacturing online store
