not so drop free mag

M

moving_target_no9

Inactive
I'm building my first AR and i kind of ran into a problem.:confused:

The stock trigger guard of the DPMS lower parts kit is rubbing against the back rib of the mags i put in and they don't drop free when i push the mag release. At fist i sanded the trigger guard down a bit and that did the trick for the Pmag but the tapco mag still snags. Now i'm wondering if i installed it wrong or something.

Any advice is welcomed.
 
Is the end of the trigger guard sticking out in to the mag well area? The end face of the TG should be flush with the mag well.

I've never encountered a bad TG but anything is possible. File the end down.
 
I didn't realize that drop-free mags were important on an AR.
Click to expand...

They are to me. If I push the button and the magazine doesn't fall out, I toss it. Same way with my 1911s.

I want to be able to push the mag release and have the empty magazine fall free without taking the rifle from my shoulder, allowing me to use my non-firing hand grabs for and inserts the next magaizne.

I found this critical when I was in SE Asia.
 
kraigwy said:
They are to me. If I push the button and the magazine doesn't fall out, I toss it. Same way with my 1911s.
Click to expand...

I agree with my handguns that drop-free mags are important, but I had never even entertained the possibility for my AR. Never thought about it. Interesting. I'll have to check and see if my mags drop free. I'm fairly certain they would if loaded, but if empty I'm not sure.
 
You SURE it's the trigger guard?

That would be odd to have the TG actually touching the magazine. Makes me wonder if the guard or lower is seriously out of spec.

What kind of lower did you use? Some have generally tighter magwells than others, and certain kinds of mags won't drop free. In my own collection, I've found CMMG and Aero Precision lowers to be just fine, but Superior Arms and Spike's Tactical are rather tight (Spike's especially so), and earlier production Pmags (and all Pmag 20s) won't drop free out of them. It's possible to sand down a couple nubs on the back of the mag body to fix this.
 
I bought a few 4th Gen. AR mags from R-Guns. After returning two where the follower got stuck, one of which they sent me back (I secretly marked my returns with a dot of indelible magic-marker and knew where to look) and I had to swap AGAIN, they told me AR mags are not supposed to drop free as most of these didn't.
 
Spike tactical with DPMS lower parts.
Yesterday 09:51 AM
Click to expand...

I still think part of it might be the Spike's lower... as I said, they have really tight magwells. Earlier production Pmags and the Pmag 20s won't drop free from any of the three Spike's lowers I've fiddled with. Pmag Rev M does, TangoDown ARC does, USGI style does.

You can contact DPMS to try and swap out the trigger guard, but t'were I you, I'd probably replace it with a Magpul MOE trigger guard and just be done with it. It's a cheap part and not worth a lot of fiddling to return/replace.

I bought a few 4th Gen. AR mags from R-Guns.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what they consider "4th Gen," but anybody who says AR mags aren't supposed to drop free is either ignorant or a liar. Some don't due to tolerance issues, but generally, they should.
 
Either the lower is out of spec or it is the trigger guard. If it is the lower, nothing will fix it. If it is the TG, a new one will fix it. If it is fine with the TG removed, then another might fix it.

It is possible to be in spec and not drop ALL mags free, but if it won't drop a USGI, there's a real problem.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top