FOURBUX 22 Posted August 7, 2012 Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 In light of several manufacturers talking about metal box mags, but nothing coming to fruition, I've started the process of looking at cost and prototyping box magazines. Assuming there is interest, I am basing the prototypes around the ultra reliable factory 5-round mag, and will ideally expand the idea to all sizes - 2, 5, 8, 10, and 12. My idea is that people seem to have such a vested interest in factory magazines that they command $150-$200 used for a factory 8-round magazine, and if I could produce US made 922 compliant magazines as reliable as factory spec and keep the cost <$100, I think this would be good for the platform as a whole. Before I go through the trouble and cost, I'd like to gauge the community's interest in metal box magazines. Would you be interested in metal box magazines? What sizes would you most like to see? What price(s) would you pay for various capacities? What would you want them made of? Aluminum? Steel? Another metal? CNC or sheet metal construction? Please bear in mind that this is an initial gauging of interest, and that nothing beyond CADD spec work has gone into this venture. I hope the community is as excited about this idea as I am, but perhaps this idea (or rather, its place in the market) is already better covered by existing manufacturers. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jpanzer 1,265 Posted August 7, 2012 Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 8 round aluminum. I have some mags for my FAL that are aluminum and the weight savings between those and the all steel FAL mags is noticeable.... 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
zenman223 460 Posted August 7, 2012 Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 I cant for the life of me figure out why no one has brought metal mags to the market yet but YES I want some 8 rounders. Steel would be nice as Im not real confident in aluminum mags. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mullet Man 2,114 Posted August 7, 2012 Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 (edited) Don't gauge interest, just build the fucking things. Whatever material you decide on, people are going to purchase them regardless, guaranteed! Make an assortment of capacities 5's, 8's and 10's. (The 8's and 10's will be the best sellers!) Dont skimp where they need to be robust. Don't price gouge just because you will own the market. Keep an option to sell them as bare metal, to keep price and lead time down. And don't talk the talk, walk the walk. You won't be able to keep them on the shelves! Edited August 7, 2012 by Mullet Man 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Nailbomb 10,221 Posted August 7, 2012 Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 Interest = DO WANT Sizes = 8 or 10... Don't care. Price? if you can keep it under $60 I would be ecstatic. Might still even consider them if higher. Material : steel or aluminum. I don't have a preference, both will be acceptable to me. SHEET METAL CONSTRUCTION Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bayoupiper 738 Posted August 7, 2012 Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 DO want! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
45Bretired 19 Posted August 7, 2012 Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 (edited) Either steel like actual old AK47 mags or a heavy guage aluminum. 8 and 10 rounders. Gotta have a good anti tilt follower and has to be relatively easy to disassemble and clean/rebuild if necessary with no tools. Plus springs that won't take a set so they can be left loaded for an extended amount of time. I'd pay $100 for that. Edited August 7, 2012 by 45Bretired Quote Link to post Share on other sites
leadsled 40 Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 I would be interested, but the key would be the follower. Think Magpul. 8 or 10 rounder. Aluminum. Steel would be too heavy. Make sure the locking tab is long enough to be adjusted for variances in the platform. All mags are a bit loose in mine. If you have the capital, just do it. I wonder why nobody has made an EXACT copy of the Russian 8 round magazines? I would think that would be easiest, but I know jack shit. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SaigaKen 338 Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 I would fill my Christmas stockings......8, 10, or 12 rounders Hell a 2 rounder for deer hunting would be cool Quote Link to post Share on other sites
adjc 171 Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 count me in....8 rounders, aluminum take several!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yooper14.5 84 Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 Steel, sheet metal and cnc construction, 16 or 18 gauge corrugated bodys, cnc the top portion of the mag to form the tabs. Spot weld it all together. Or just go all sheet metal. preferred capacity 5,8,10. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
montec 164 Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 8 and 10round ones would probably be best. Already an aftermarket 5rd that works thats cheap. Aluminum would probably be best. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pedal2alloy 206 Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 Aluminum would save weight and with corrugation is strong as heck. Start with 10 round - nobody really wants any other size. You will make money but the initial investment will be a lot more than you think. (or maybe you are in the manufacturing business and already know...) Also, if it goes the way it has gone for others who said they would make mags, people will bug you and bug you and give you so much grief that you will end up abandoning the whole thing. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FlameRed 4 Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 Got to agree that 5 rounders are not worth it since the fatory ones are cheap, available and reliable. 8 rounders and 10 would be more popular IMHO. Material would not matter to me personally. Even plastic would be ok so long as they had metal lips like the Commie mags Most import is that they are reliable and built to last. They must function 100%, no tweaking. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
G O B 3,516 Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 Steel 10's would get my money! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BOB A. BOOEY 45 Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 In light of several manufacturers talking about metal box mags, but nothing coming to fruition, I've started the process of looking at cost and prototyping box magazines. Assuming there is interest, I am basing the prototypes around the ultra reliable factory 5-round mag, and will ideally expand the idea to all sizes - 2, 5, 8, 10, and 12. My idea is that people seem to have such a vested interest in factory magazines that they command $150-$200 used for a factory 8-round magazine, and if I could produce US made 922 compliant magazines as reliable as factory spec and keep the cost <$100, I think this would be good for the platform as a whole. Before I go through the trouble and cost, I'd like to gauge the community's interest in metal box magazines. Would you be interested in metal box magazines? What sizes would you most like to see? What price(s) would you pay for various capacities? What would you want them made of? Aluminum? Steel? Another metal? CNC or sheet metal construction? My mags are plastic, not metal is gonna be lighter. You wanna add weight to your shotgun? Please bear in mind that this is an initial gauging of interest, and that nothing beyond CADD spec work has gone into this venture. I hope the community is as excited about this idea as I am, but perhaps this idea (or rather, its place in the market) is already better covered by existing manufacturers. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lbsrdi 1,078 Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 If one was actually made I would buy some. I am not going to allow myself to think that it will really happen. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Matthew Hopkins 1,065 Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 (edited) depending on price and reliability (I'll let others be the guinea and read the reviews), I would buy. Edited August 8, 2012 by Matthew Hopkins Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chris2000ss 2 Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 Id be in for some 8rd metal S12 mags Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lewie212 37 Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 I would purchase. I would also be willing to test them for you. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Shotgun12 205 Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 I would literally throw all of my polymer mags away and buy metal ones in a heart beat. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChileRelleno 7,069 Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Listen to Mullet Man and Nailbomb... Stop jacking around, design, test, produce and they'll sell like virgin pussy. Build'em like Uncle Ivan builds AK mags, cheap, strong, reliable and by the tens of thousands. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Nephilim7 107 Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 I think 8's and 10's are the golden capacities. Higher than 10 rounds should be double stack mags (take this one step at a time). I also think steel bodies would be most economical and durable. Steel feed lips are a must. Anti-tilt followers and durable springs would help reliability as well as reducing friction points. Maybe consider putting the mag bodies in an acid wash and ceramic media vibration bowl to debur before final wash and finish. That last part may be overkill, but it worked well when I interned in a factory manufacturing high end wrenches. As far as price goes, isn't it obvious? As your screen name would suggest, they should sell for "four bucks"! Actually, I would think $75 would be an excellent price point. Maybe start at $85 or $90 then let demand and inventory set your price. If you build it, they will buy (but it better be reliable). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
evlblkwpnz 3,418 Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Interest = DO WANT Sizes = 8 or 10... Don't care. Price? if you can keep it under $60 I would be ecstatic. Might still even consider them if higher. Material : steel or aluminum. I don't have a preference, both will be acceptable to me. SHEET METAL CONSTRUCTION 8-10 round is ideal Aluminum sheet metal incorporate some Kalashnikov styling elements into it (ribs similar to surplus AK mags, waffle mags, etc.) 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Deadeye 325 Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 I want some. I have never liked plastic mags. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Shotgun12 205 Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Also a double-stack mag would be nice too. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bulldog_shotgun 47 Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 if your serious about building mags. build a 10 rounder for the MKA1919. no competition. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rs51085 136 Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 a metal 10 rounder would be great but if it is much over $50 i would just get the poly ones for $30-$40. not trying to be negative but most people are unwilling to pay over $50 for a mag for any gun. there are a few people out there that would pay ridiculous prices for them but in order to keep cost down you would have to make alot of these things and sit on them until they sell. so it would be in your best interest to make them affordable. if you look at what csspecs is doing with their metal 10 rounders for the saiga 20 which is arguably a smaller market they are selling really well at $55. much over $50-$75 max is going to be a tough sell. it is not what you want to here but it is the reason no one else has done it. it looks like there is just not a lot of money in it. but hey i am just the average guy thinking like an average guy so what do i know. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
saltydecimator 482 Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 +1, gotta be stylish. i would buy 8s and hell, do a 13 rder. that way ya can one up sgm! and its lucky! as far as cost, ya make money, but dont gouge. dudes are very value conscious. ya gotta justify your price or they wont sell. good luck! and hurry up! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cobra 76 two 2,677 Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 All steel construction = too heavy. (Trust me I know... I have a steel S-12 stick mag. It holds 12-15 rds and weighs over 2 POUNDS EMPTY... & almost 4 lbs full ) A 20 Promag drum weighs just over 4 lbs full BTW. A thin sheet metal stamped body built exactly like an AK 30 rd ribbed mag would be ideal though, and not as heavy. Otherwise a corrugated aluminum = WIN. On 8 vs.10 rd..... Either just make a 10, or make an 8 with an easily added floor plate extension for adding more rounds. (Then offer optional extensions from 2 rds - 10 for the guys who just have to have a donkey dick mag....) Special care def needs to be taken designing the followers.... I'll send ya a PM on part of that..... Obviously need good solid lockup and reinforced lugs, feed lips, FP mounting flanges...etc A good strong spring is critical, and should be coated to prevent rust. Good luck with your venture and don't mind the naysayers. We've seen many threads like this. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.