Older AR15 steel mag problem

[SquarePizza]

On the older steel USGIU mags (pre 93 with the metal follower), the mag used a flimsy metal clip attached to the mag body to lock the floor plate in.

When that metal clip busts off, how do you hold the floorplate in place under stress? I was thinking gureilla tape but if there are better solutions (magpul ranger plate?) I would be interested in learning them.

 

[JaysonF]

lots of duct tape...

 

[Hogshooter]

Throw it away. There are meant to be a disposable item.

 

[ORD]

Throw it away. There are meant to be a disposable item.

Damn! Some people throw in the towel too easily with a simple broken mag tab!!

While they ARE magazines and by their very nature disposable items that will wear out/get broken beyond repair with enough time/use, provided that the rest of the mag body is in good working order, its a quick fix.

Since the tab is already broken off, you can use a magpul ranger or lumpy plate without modification to the locking plate that comes with the mags (otherwise...you have to trim the locking plate down so as to not interfere with the integral tab on the mag body or cut/dremel the aluminum tab off). The four tabs on the bottom of the mag that keep the mag spring from launching the floorplate off the mag are LARGER than the 30-round mag tabs that the ranger/lumpy plates were build for, so you may have to use some addt'l elbow grease to get both the locking plate into the mag body, as well as the actual rangers/lumpies to slide on the mag, but they'll work just fine.

 

[SquarePizza]

Thanks for the replies guys. I will most likely try the ranger plate route first, if that fails... its out comes the guerrilla tape.

As for the mags being disposable, around here, what mags are here are it. No more incoming, so they have to last as long as possible.

 

[Hogshooter]

Didn't notice that you are in NY. Good luck. Repair is your only legal option.