A $12 million dollar contract was recently awarded to Magpul by the Defense Department. Primarily the Marines and Army are outfitting units with the PMAG® 30 AR/M4 GEN M3™ magazines. American Military News recently took a deeper look at other products the company has to offer.

PMAG D-60® AR/M4

The PMAG D-60  is admittedly something I’ve wanted to try for a while – a 60-round drum that weighs less than 3 pounds when fully loaded. It fired smoothly and felt lighter on the rifle than expected. The loading became a little stiff toward the end of filling the drum with ammunition, but nothing someone with strong hands couldn’t handle. It is compatible with many 5.56×45 NATO/.223 Remington platforms.

PMAG D-60 loaded on AR (Magpul)

Immediately my thoughts went toward its use with the IAR M27 (the Marine Corps’ replacement for the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon), because the biggest complaint I’ve heard about the M27 was how automatic fire quickly burned through 30-round magazine. I spoke with dozens of Infantry Marines who carried M27s in their unit. The general consensuses among those who had tried the D-60 with the M27 was favorable, especially when referring to the concept of being in a defensive position. Having 60 rounds loaded, and another 60 on standby was preferable to having to use four standard 30-round magazines for the same amount of rounds being sent downrange.

Magpul does also offer 40-round extended magazines as a solution between 30 and 60 rounds.

40 Round PMAG (Magpul)

Bolt action PMAGS

Many bolt action rifles are being upgraded with tactical accessories. In some cases, that’s new chassis and magazine wells. I tried the PMAG® 10 7.62 AC™ – AICS Short Action with a modified Remington 700 LTR (with a Magpul PRS stock). An upgrade from the 5-round PMAG of the same caliber, the polymer magazine offered flawless performance for my rifled chambered in .308 Winchester. In addition, I found them to be much better in terms of quality compared to other similar polymer magazines and much more affordable than comparable steel magazines.

Bolt action magazine (Magpul)

AFG-2® – Angled Fore Grip

An angled fore grip is meant to place your forward hand in a “natural” extended position with the idea that this will causes less muscle tension and can help recoil management for follow-up shots when using the “C-grip.” My observation is that since the AFG-2 is smaller than a typical “broom handle” vertical fore grip, it is less likely to snag on things. Additionally, the AFG-2 was more comfortable to use in the prone position and allowed switch/button placement to be more intuitive. While the vertical fore grip helps me personally transition shots on close range targets left to right faster, I believe the angled fore grip is the better overall grip for multiple roles. However, it’s up to that shooter to determine their preference.

Angled Fore Grip (Magpul)

I also tested out the 300 Blackout PMAG and it was not a disappointment. It was great to have a superior magazine designed specifically for that caliber. If you have a 300 BLK, I would highly suggest at least trying one of these PMAGs.

Lastly, I also used the PRS QD Footman’s Loop on my PRS stock. The footman’s loop allows for the transition from a slung long gun to an alert carry, and then a prone shooting position, quickly and efficiently, which is especially helpful with a weapon often much longer and heavier than the standard service rifle.

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All opinion articles are the opinion of the author and not necessarily of American Military News. If you are interested in submitting gear for review, please email [email protected].