Having trouble seating a magazine in my AR

Dakotaranger · January 3rd, 2007, 05:22 AM

I have an Olympic Arms AR, I know when inserting a mag you're going to have to hit the bottom of the mag to seat it securely, but tonight I had to reinsert the mag 20 times to get it seat properly.

Is there anything I can do to ease loading up?

ShackleMeNot · January 3rd, 2007, 07:06 AM

Try only loading 28 in a 30 round mag.

rocky · January 3rd, 2007, 11:01 AM

Bolt open or closed? Mil mags, or aftermarket?

Blackeagle · January 3rd, 2007, 02:25 PM

I'm thinking maybe a damaged mag. Do you have more than one AR mag? Does this problem occur with all the mags or just one of them?

Daddy Warcrimes · January 3rd, 2007, 05:45 PM

I've only seen 3 ways an M-16 mag can fail to load.
1. Damaged magazine
2. Overloaded magazine (31 in a 30 round; will load with bolt to the rear)
3. Mud on the magazine/in the mag well

Failing those culprits, the magazine catch can be adjusted (no special tools or training required)

Dakotaranger · January 4th, 2007, 01:20 AM

It's hard to get the mag it came with to seat, and the new Colt mag I was trying to insert with the bolt closed. I removed two rounds and it seamed to help It just seams like it should seat a little easier.

ShackleMeNot · January 4th, 2007, 06:57 AM

It is a much debated but very common practice to only load 28 rounds in a 30 round mag.

Fully loaded mags are very difficult to seat with the bolt forward. Due to the number of mags I have seen fall out of AR magwells over the years I am a believer in downloading 2 rounds and giving the mag a firm tug after seating to confirm it is fully inserted and locked in place.

rocky · January 4th, 2007, 09:43 AM

They are hard to seat with full mag. the ammo puts pressure against the bolt carrier. Seems about twice as hard to load w/ bolt closed.

echo5tango · January 4th, 2007, 03:51 PM

i ran 29 rounds in all of my mags and they worked fine. other than that, my advice would be "don't baby it ... treat it like the tool it is!"

January 3rd, 2007, 05:22 AM	#1
Dakotaranger Distinguished Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: North Dakota Posts: 1,818	Having trouble seating a magazine in my AR I have an Olympic Arms AR, I know when inserting a mag you're going to have to hit the bottom of the mag to seat it securely, but tonight I had to reinsert the mag 20 times to get it seat properly. Is there anything I can do to ease loading up? __________________ "[T]he people are not to be disarmed of their weapons. They are left in full possession of them." Zacharia Johnson (speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention,25 June 1778)"The best we can hope for concerning the people at large is that they be properly armed." ~Alexander Hamilton

January 3rd, 2007, 07:06 AM	#2
ShackleMeNot Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Indy Posts: 117	Try only loading 28 in a 30 round mag. __________________ Shay Van Vlymen - Instructor Tactical Response

January 3rd, 2007, 11:01 AM	#3
rocky Senior Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: MI Posts: 11,767	Bolt open or closed? Mil mags, or aftermarket? __________________ "In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." Thomas Jefferson Nemo Me Impune Lacesset Link to my kydex builds:http://rocknloadkydex.blogspot.com/

January 3rd, 2007, 05:45 PM	#5
Daddy Warcrimes Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Kansas Posts: 473	I've only seen 3 ways an M-16 mag can fail to load. 1. Damaged magazine 2. Overloaded magazine (31 in a 30 round; will load with bolt to the rear) 3. Mud on the magazine/in the mag well Failing those culprits, the magazine catch can be adjusted (no special tools or training required) __________________ "and suddenly I can not hold back my sword hand's anger" DW blog

January 4th, 2007, 01:20 AM	#6
Dakotaranger Distinguished Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: North Dakota Posts: 1,818	It's hard to get the mag it came with to seat, and the new Colt mag I was trying to insert with the bolt closed. I removed two rounds and it seamed to help It just seams like it should seat a little easier. __________________ "[T]he people are not to be disarmed of their weapons. They are left in full possession of them." Zacharia Johnson (speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention,25 June 1778)"The best we can hope for concerning the people at large is that they be properly armed." ~Alexander Hamilton

January 3rd, 2007, 02:25 PM	#4
Blackeagle Distinguished Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Columbia, SC Posts: 1,245	I'm thinking maybe a damaged mag. Do you have more than one AR mag? Does this problem occur with all the mags or just one of them?

January 4th, 2007, 06:57 AM	#7
ShackleMeNot Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Indy Posts: 117	It is a much debated but very common practice to only load 28 rounds in a 30 round mag. Fully loaded mags are very difficult to seat with the bolt forward. Due to the number of mags I have seen fall out of AR magwells over the years I am a believer in downloading 2 rounds and giving the mag a firm tug after seating to confirm it is fully inserted and locked in place. __________________ Shay Van Vlymen - Instructor Tactical Response

January 4th, 2007, 09:43 AM	#8
rocky Senior Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: MI Posts: 11,767	They are hard to seat with full mag. the ammo puts pressure against the bolt carrier. Seems about twice as hard to load w/ bolt closed. __________________ "In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." Thomas Jefferson Nemo Me Impune Lacesset Link to my kydex builds:http://rocknloadkydex.blogspot.com/

January 4th, 2007, 03:51 PM	#9
echo5tango Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: NOLA Posts: 275	i ran 29 rounds in all of my mags and they worked fine. other than that, my advice would be "don't baby it ... treat it like the tool it is!"

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