SureFire 60 Round AR-15 Magazine – Range Report

Accessories Misc. Authors Paul Helinski
SureFire 60 Round AR-15 Magazine - Range Report
SureFire 60 Round AR-15 Magazine - Range Report
The SureFire 60 round magazine is slightly longer than a standard 30 round mag, but weighs less than two of them clamped together. We have found it to be perfectly reliable and a great investement compared to the other high capacity AR-15 offerings in the marketplace.

SureFire 60 Round AR-15 Magazine - Range Report
The first 30 rounds on the SureFire can be loaded with the military feed tool, but the rest have to be done one at a time by hand.

SureFire 60 Round AR-15 Magazine - Range Report
But even the 60th round is no harder to load than the 31st. The design of the magazine makes for easy loading, compared to the usual thumb-buster high cap mags.

SureFire 60 Round AR-15 Magazine - Range Report
SureFire makes a special MOLLE pouch for the 60 round mag that is used by the military. It is $59. Sorry if you just spit your coffee all over your keyboard.

SureFire 60 Round AR-15 Magazine - Range Report
For about the same price you can get this UTG tactical vest on Amazon, and it has three double pouches in the front that fit the SureFire 60 round magazine.

SureFire 60 Round AR-15 Magazine - Range Report
It is like the vest was made for these mags, and the pockets hold two 30 rounders just as well.

SureFire 60 Round AR-15 Magazine - Range Report
This is the Contour camera from Daniel Defense we used for both perspectives in the video. Even though we were shooting into the sun with no lense hood it did very well and held up to the recoil fine. We have a full article coming out on this next week hopefully.


SureFire
https://www.surefire.com/60

This is an official heads up from us and SureFire to all the readers of GunsAmerica Magazine & Blog. We had planned to get this review out next Monday but because of the impending election tomorrow, it is prudent that it goes out today. No matter who you are voting for or who is elected, there may be a run on high capacity magazines. There are plenty of 30 round AR-15 magazines around, but if you have been considering one of the new 60 round SureFire mags, they will most likely dry up pretty quick if there is a nationwide run on them. There is no magazine like the SureFire for the AR-15, and it comes in both 60 and 100 round varieties, but the 100 round has been sold out and back-ordered for months. As of today there are plenty of 60 round mags available, and though they are pricey, $129 each, compared to a 100 round Beta-C mag they are competitively affordable. After the nightmare of Hurricane Sandy, which is still going on in New York and New Jersey, every American should understand that they are not exempt from disaster and possibly having to defend life and property. Sixty rounds of .223/5.56 with no mag change is a heck of a defense. If you can afford one and have been putting it off, now would be a good time to order the 60 round SureFire mag.

Reviewing a magazine is typically not the most exciting thing to do; So much so that it has been put off more than once. As such, we have been shooting the 60 round mag for over 8 months, and it always just works. There is a long and in progress project on the Teludyne Straightjacket that we are using the SureFire for, and we have used it repeatedly with the new version of the SlideFire Solutions bump stock you see in the video we made for this review, over 5000 rounds worth. The magazine has never failed to feed. It has never had a hangup. It has never been overrun, no matter how fast we have fired. Compared to a clutzy Beta-C mag, 60 rounds may not be 100, but two SureFire 60 rounders go for about what a Beta C goes for, and the two mags probably fit in your tactical vest. You don’t need a special “purse” to carry your magazines with the SureFire. It is about 3/4 of an inch longer than a 30 round mag, but lighter than two clamped together. Surefire sells a $59 MOLLE pouch for it, but I found that it fits in my $50 UTG tactical vest just fine. The magazine never fails. Excuse the gushing, but there is simply is no comparison to this SureFire product, and anyone who suspects that a gunfight may be in their cards should own at least one.

In the civilian market, not counting licensed Class 3 shooters, even a 30 round magazine is a lot of bullets, and many people consider the 30 round AR-15 magazine the perfect size and capacity for home and neighborhood defense, as well as most competitive shooting disciplines with the AR-15. That has all changed now for two reasons. One is 3-Gun competition. Some 3-Gun stages are specifically for 60 rounds, and no mag change is going to make a big difference in time, as much as 4 seconds. The other reason is a much bigger deal, the SlideFire stock. As you can see from the video, using a semi-auto Colt 6920, you can now fire as fast as you want, and it is perfectly legal without the need to buy a machine gun. There is no sear or selector with a SlideFire, so you can go from single, aimed fire, to small bursts, to a full mag dump without ever changing your grasp of the rifle or flipping any kind of switch. In a close quarters battle situation where you have to defend your home, that 60 rounds gives you a lot more field of fire flexibility than does a 30 round magazine, and you don’t have to remember to take the other 30 with you.

If you have never seen a magazine be overrun, it is different from when the action of the gun can’t keep up, which usually causes a “stovepipe” jam with a spent case. If you try to fire your semi-auto shotgun too fast you will most likely see a stovepipe jam. A magazine jam usually catches a live round in the action, because the magazine couldn’t feed the rounds quick enough to match the speed that the gun could fire them. This is an occasional problem with the Beta C, especially if it gets any dust or dirt into the wheels on the sides. Needless to say, a magazine overrun jam is much more dangerous than a slow action stovepipe jam. The primer can bust if it hits the side of the breechface just the right way, and it is not uncommon for the gun to strip the next round as well, leaving you with two bent rounds wedged up into the action of the gun. Magazine overrun jams are not a pretty picture.

The SureFire is from what we have seen impossible to overrun, and it is a straight mag just like the 30 rounders we all use today. Dust and dirt fall to the bottom, out of the action of the magazine, and that is where dents usually occur as well. No, I’m not going to dent up my $129 SureFire mag to show you, but they have already developed a reputation in Law Enforcement and Military circles for being able to take a beating and function as consistently as a 30 round mag with the same dirt and/or damage. Ask any soldier if she or he would like a Beta C or a couple SureFire 60 rounders and they will always take the SureFire mags. As a civilian you have to worry less about that kind of thing, but knowing that your mag won’t fail is still extremely important.

You would hope that after seeing all the looting in New York right now that people would start to take their own protection more seriously, but to each his own. At GunsAmerica we are generally preaching to the choir, so we try to focus on figuring out what guns and other products are quality, and which ones are not. If you have ever bought ultra-high capacity mags at the gun shows, you probably already know that even most aftermarket 10-22 mags are absolute garbage, never mind AR-15 mags over 30 rounds. It seems at least one new aftermarket magazine company opens and closes every year. That is what makes the SureFire magazines unique. The mags are made for the US Military, and there is no difference in the civilian version whatsoever. The SureFire isn’t a gimmick, and it isn’t made by a fly by night company who got a deal on a button welder. The SureFire 60 round mag works well and doesn’t fail. And though today they are available directly from SureFire, there is no guarantee that you will be able to order one on Wednesday. We just wanted to give you a timely heads up about what we have found to be a great product.


SureFire
https://www.surefire.com/60

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  • joel May 20, 2017, 10:39 pm

    I have 5 of the surefire 60s and they just don’t work! They do get over run. I have a full auto, a short barreled converted ar 15a2. It almost never has a problem digesting any ammo including my dillon made ammo. Military mags work fine as well as most aftermarket mags. My favorites are the HK 30 mags, but the surefire just don’t work. I have 5 other ar variations that are all semi auto so I haven’t tried the surefire in any of them. I can’t imagine why you could possibly need, or want a 60 rounder for a semi but it sounded like a great idea for an automatic weapon. I was very disappointed. The only good thing I can say about them is that no civilian in his or her right mind would consider using a full auto for anything but entertainment so no lives are at stake. If you have a surefire that works for you, that is a wonderful thing…..enjoy!

  • Toni January 19, 2016, 3:55 pm

    Ok. Bought one at a gun show. Can’t get damned thing to load up. Watched the videos from SureFire that recommend disassembly & reassembly. Followed to the T, and no good. Contacting SureFire can be done by phone, and I did. Not entirely helpful, even though I followed their instructions. Guy on other end walked me through the dis&re assembly. Still no go. As of this writing, unhappy shooter…

    Damned disappointing.

  • Jon Etier4 December 16, 2015, 11:30 am

    Bought 4 new Surefire 60 rnd mags. All of them completely failed to feed the cartridges. Every one jambed internally. Very disappointing.

  • Dave September 13, 2013, 12:09 pm

    Bought one of these. Loaded it. Smacked it against my palm. Broke the follower guide tab off. Surefire wants me to send it all back to replace the follower. THEY WILL NOT SEND ME A REPLACEMENT FOLLOWER OR SELL ME ONE AT ANY PRICE. I must send everything back. Not impressed with that setup. So every time this 25 cent follower goes T/U, I will need to send everything back to Surefire? Not. Sold the leftover pieces in Ebay. Made a killing and bought 10 Pmags, 3xtra springs and 3 extra followers with the money. A novelty at best. A poorly tested, hyped product at worse. Maybe they could focus on flashlights and figure out how to be more efficient so you don’t need a bank loan to purchase one.

  • jordan February 2, 2013, 1:49 am

    bought one to use if reliable in Astan, loaded it before deploying, same issue as everyone rounds getting seized up and keeping the follower depressed could turn it upside down and dump 5-6 loose rounds outs. disassembled and reassembled, not my first rodeo so I didn’t put it back together incorrectly either, loaded 60 rounds (LC first time, Black HIlls second time) same issue. Shoulda known but I’m stubborn as hell and must figure things out myself the hard way. Stick to flash lights surefire, you’re just embarassing yourself, and author you should know that it’s not uncommon for companies to send you the best of the best of the best of the best, get real.

  • Michael November 12, 2012, 11:54 am

    Interesting posts. I too purchased one of the Surefire 60-rounder magazines specifically for those situations where something goes “bump in the night” and I need to grab my Bushmaster AR15 M4, get in my truck and investigate (Specifics: I own a small place in Central Texas, no close neighbors, lots of deer, hogs, and coyotes, an occasional horse/cattle thief, and some criminal illegal immigrants. There might be one Deputy Sheriff “on the road” to cover over 3,000 square miles, so “back up” ain’t close). I thought this magazine would be a viable option to having to stuff a couple of 30-round MagPul mags in my pockets as I ran out the door (and I’ve had great luck with the two SureFire flashlights I own so……). I pulled the trigger on this purchase and ran a test. SureFire in their product literature states “Magazine can be left loaded and stored for prolonged periods of time without fatiguing springs.” While I usually load my 30-round MagPuls with only 25 rounds to avoid spring fatigue, I’ll have to trust SureFire on this until I find it is a problem. I first loaded the SF Mag with 60 rounds of Federal T556TNB1 5.56 x 45mm (62 grain OTM) and inserted the mag into the rifle. It fits well, no problems here. Weight distribution is good but it is a bit heavier than one 30 round MagPul (the Bushmaster Rifle with VTEC strap, MagPul stock and grip, SureFire light and LaRue Tactical adapter, and with regular 30-round MagPul mag weights in at 8 pounds; same rifle with the SureFire 60 round mag is 9.2 pounds – so the rifle is about 1.2 pounds heavier with 60 rounds vs 25 rounds). I didn’t think the 1.2 pounds was that big a deal because after the mag was emptied I’d relad with a 30-round mag anyway. My Bushmaster is semi-automatic so I first fired off a few carefully aimed rounds – no problems. I then began pulling the trigger as rapidly as possible for about 40 rounds. Still no feeding issues. I finished with single aimed shots and some rapidly fired strings. Again, no problems. I reloaded the SF Mag with a combination of Remington .223, Winchester 5.56mm (55 grain), Federal 5.56mm (62 grain), and Hornady .223 (55 grain FMJ/BT). Same variety of firing and again absolutely no problems. I again reloaded the SF Mag with more HornadyBlack Hills .223 (55 grain FMJ), American Eagle Tactical XM 193 (55grain FMJ), and Remington .223 (55 grain PSP). Same great results. No feeding issues whatsoever. Some of my strings of fire were from the prone position, others were from the sitting position, and also randomly firing from a standing position and while walking toward the target. Keep in mind these short tests did not involve crawling through the dirt or muck, nor was the magazine subjected to dirty, muddy, or wet conditions. I can’t always speak to reliability issues because I have rarely had issues with the rifles I’ve been issued (M14 – 1971 USMC and Colt M16A1 USMC 1973, USMCR 1984-1986, Colt M16A2 and FN M249 SAW USMCR 1986-1990, Colt M16A2 USMC 1990-1992) or purchased. During my 25 years in the criminal justice system I also had no problems with issued weapons. My personal AR15s (a Bushmaster M4 and a Stag M4) have had not a single failure to feed, fire, or extract. I am careful about maintaining the firearms and tools I might need in life or death situations (others may not take my same very anal approach to weapons care and maintenance – so be it). However, my initial impressions of and brief testing of the SureFire 60-round mag indicates it seems to be a good choice to have when you rush out the door helter skelter in the heat of the moment (if you have trust in this mag) but because of the cost (I paid $90 for mine) it is hard to beat $15 30-round MagPul mags. If I was a point man on a patrol in Afghanistan and caught in an ambush, I would like not having to re-load after the first 30 rounds. Otherwise, while I do like this mag and will probably get a few more, I will need to continue to “test it” to be sure of its reliability.

  • Gammon November 11, 2012, 1:38 am

    My results seem to be quite different from the positive revues I have read. When I recieved my Sure Fire 60 round mag I disassembled it to check for any defects and then reassembled it using a dry lube (superfine moly powder) to insure reliability. Test firing proved the mag to be reliable for about 100 rounds, not much of a test.

    I then took the mag to a local practical rifle match for further reliability testing. This was a five stage match with no more than 40 rounds per stage, so I intended to use the Sure Fire mag for all five stages, sort of a “torture test”. I would use the mag for each stage, reloading it as necessary between stages. Unfortunately the Sure Fire mag failed this test. Perhaps I was expecting too much.

    The mag performed flawlessly for the first stage, but failed to feed on stage two. Since the mag is rather difficult to disassemble for cleaning, I removed all of the remaining rounds an reloaded with fresh ammo. This worked for the next stage, but I had feeding problems on stage four. At this point I abandoned the Sure Fire mag and finished tha match with a conventional 30 round mag.

    Close inspection revealed that powder residue had built up in the mag and was most likely the cause of my problems. As far as I can tell this mag will work well when clean, but will not feed reliably when dirty. I would not hesitate to use it clean and fully loaded, but would not use it again until I had a chance to clean it. As of now it sits on a shelf in my safe while I use my more reliable conventional AR 30 round mags.

    • Administrator November 11, 2012, 7:16 am

      At least you admit that you monkeyed with the magazine, and I hope everyone reading takes this as a lesson. *Everybody” who posts bad reviews about this magazine have *monkeyed* with it, poured powder into it, done all kinds of things that nobody instructed them to do. Out of the box, used as it comes from the factory, this magazine doesn’t fail. Do you disassemble your car engine for cleaning? That’s difficult to disassemble too. Why don’t you pour some moly powder into your gas tank, or your hair dryer, and see how it does with that.

      • Muhjesbude June 2, 2014, 11:27 am

        Yeah, after reading all this negative feedback I got the same impression. If you are NOT a new mag designer or manufacturer then what makes you think you know so much better to ‘gunk’ it up with stuff like grease or, graphite, no less, lol! When they never advised it?!

        I never take apart and ‘goose shit’ my stuff when i first get it. I simply load up and blast until i’m satisfied from my personal point (of experience) view that it is reliable. Then i do the proper maintenance and that’s it! If it doesn’t work when i’m testing it, i check if it’s an acceptable ‘problem’ consistent with routine troubleshooting, and if nothing is obvious, then i send it back for another one. There is no such thing as a perfect piece of equipment with more than one moving part, unless it costs more than it’s worth. To be cost effective in manufacturing there is always the occasional ‘lemon’.

        I of the opinion that a lot of action jam ups are due to excessive ‘gunk’ lube attracting enough grit to act like glue friction when firing. In firearms there is such a thing as too much of a ‘good’ thing.

        We’re all at some period in our mechanically purposed lives infected with the need to ‘improve’ something or how it functions. It’s human nature to ‘tinker for a stinker’, but the discipline to ‘not fix what isn’t broken’ must prevail.

  • John November 9, 2012, 9:25 am

    What about loading the mag using a Cammenga Easy Loader? If your ammo isn’t on stripper clips, would seem to be easier than one at a time.

    http://www.cammenga.com/category_s/44.htm

    • Administrator November 10, 2012, 8:09 pm

      probly too thick

  • Tom November 8, 2012, 3:20 pm

    60 rd mag would be a good emergency drop in for the SAW , besides trying to pushin thoes last 30 is not saving you time , maybe we rework the M-5 ar M16, and the AR to have a chain fed next like and old proto type.

  • Richard-Vet67 November 7, 2012, 12:08 pm

    Team up with your neighbor–use good cover–set your mind to the task–use a bolt action rifle–put a single shot in the basket each time—after a few rounds who’s ever left will run like hell–if they don’t, 60 rounds will go a long way–Spray and pray will get you killed.

  • ROGER50BMG November 5, 2012, 10:38 pm

    MY FRIEND AND I BOTH BOUGHT SOME OF THESE AND WE HAVE NEVER GOT THEM WORK. THEY JAMED FROM THE START AND EVEN AFTER TRYING TO SMOOTH THE INSIDE OR LUBE WITH GRAPHITE.WE JUST GAVE UP.

    • Administrator November 6, 2012, 9:19 am

      SureFire is an actual real company. Have you thought of maybe asking them to repair or replace them?

      • Mbell556 October 28, 2016, 5:19 pm

        When I talked to them about sending one back they required me to pay shipping both ways. Mag still did not work when they returned it.

        • Ohyeah! February 18, 2018, 2:34 pm

          Adminstrator – I love your comments and attitude! Keep it coming! Very true and still very entertaining!

  • Harold Littell November 5, 2012, 8:44 pm

    I don’t know if I’d carry them on patol, but for ECP or tower guard duty, they’d be perfect. Also, how well do they run in a M-249 SAW? HK and P-Mags run flawlessly.

    • Administrator November 6, 2012, 9:20 am

      If you can run your saw faster than the video, you’ll have to let us know.

  • LCpl RAY November 5, 2012, 7:28 pm

    They are cool but, I would have to say get good at changing mags, you cant buy muscle memory and it will not let you down.

  • Mike November 5, 2012, 4:38 pm

    All I know about patrolling was how small units would react if they ran into someone unexpectedly. Put out full auto mags while bounding rearward covering each other. Maybe one of these magazines would make sense for that as you’re carrying two mags equivalent. That’s how I’ve seen the magazine pitched before.

    Face it, it’s 2012. If you don’t have enough magazines by now, telling people to buy these now is rather absurd.

  • Phanner November 5, 2012, 3:38 pm

    thanks for the reminder, GA!

    just went and bought 3 of these but I didn’t go to SureFire’s site. I was able to find this for $90 on Brownells!!

    No matter who gets in office, we are doomed.

  • Barry Jones November 5, 2012, 2:44 pm

    I would like more info. on the SlideFire stock. You said they where legal. Where do you find them.
    Barry

    • Administrator November 5, 2012, 2:52 pm

      There is this new piece of technology called google.

    • ColBullSigh August 13, 2015, 12:20 pm

      Of course, they’re legal! That is, of course, you are a SUBJECT in the Peoples Republiks of Kalifornica, New Jerk or New Jerksey!

  • Dirty Dan November 5, 2012, 2:25 pm

    I’m with you sister.

  • Steve November 5, 2012, 1:06 pm

    The SureFire 60-round magazine is nothing short of a gimmick. I bought 2 of them, thinking about the disaster IF Obama would get a second term…about 4 months ago. I read some complaints on various blogs about them jamming and other FTF issues, so before I brought it to the range to send a few through my LWRC, I thought I would just hand express the rounds to see how the mechanism functioned, especially through the constriction from the double stack to the single stack neck. DISASTER. Ok, it’s made by SureFire though, so it must be a “technique” thing I just didn’t get the memo on yet. I reloaded the magazine, after having to completely disassemble it, use dry lubricant graphite on it, then reassemble it. PAIN. Lock and load time, I’m at the range, and bang, bang, bang, bang, click…. UGH. Remove the mag, all the rounds were canted to the front and jammed. “A quick slap” I thought, just as I would a 30-rounder, and they would just spring back to the feeding lips. NOT. Now I’m getting pissed, at myself, at SureFire, at the $130 I just spent, at the R&D for not vetting this product correctly. But mostly, because my hour of range time was used to troubleshoot the new magazine I bought, and functioned MUCH less than expected. IMHO, give me a couple 30-rounders, tried and true, and a coupler. GTG!

    • Administrator November 5, 2012, 2:24 pm

      I would contact SureFire. We have seen dozens of people with these things and nobody has had problems with them. I suspect you monkeyed them.

  • ted November 5, 2012, 12:01 pm

    I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHERE I CAN PURCHASE TWO 30 ROUND CLIOPS

  • Gs Pippo November 5, 2012, 10:45 am

    These things are shit. My buddy got one and his failed in a match. There is video proof of it. I got one for a good price ( they run less than $100 now). The first time I shot it, it failed. Took it apart and cleaned it. Shot it again and it worked for a whole mag. Reloaded and it failed again. All ammo was Federal M193. If they got theirs to fire 5000 rounds then it was specially prepped by Surefire. Probably the ones on their YouTube videos also. These will go away soon I’m sure.

  • Jane November 5, 2012, 10:35 am

    To heck with the mag, where can I get the full auto rifle?

    • Dirty Dan November 5, 2012, 2:23 pm

      I’m with you sister

    • Bob February 25, 2013, 1:27 pm

      Buy a slide stock. ( Slide Fire)

  • JohnC November 5, 2012, 10:14 am

    It seems like a lot of $$ for a specialty mag, but it’s nice to know they are reliable. Even though it may be for a niche application, I’m going to get one. I served when all we had were 20-rounders. Although that’s what I’m still most comfortable with, I’d rather have a Surefire and not need it–than need it and not have it. In addition, because there are enough political types that now don’t trust me with the gun OR a high-cap mag, I’m not going to give them the satisfaction of preventing me from owning one.

  • Paul chrisney November 5, 2012, 9:45 am

    One has to wonder if these guys are shilling for the ammo manufacturers. Larger capacity mags mean that more rounds will be fired at the range. This is ok, I guess, but other than a zombie mass invasion, I think that I would rather shoot accurately and not have to worry about heavy mags dragging my rifle down.

    Maybe it is my jealousy of all you all that live where you can use one.

  • Craig November 5, 2012, 9:41 am

    ?????????? Sorry ,dont see the NEED, in the REAL world, only people to benefit from that extra ammo will be the ANTI’s and maybe ammo manufacturers. ?????

  • Tony S. November 5, 2012, 9:39 am

    I own a Alexander Arms Beowulf 50 that boast that ordinary AR 15 mags will work just fine in it however, finding mags that would hold more than 9 rounds has proven to be a difficult task. I would be very interested to know and “see” how the surefire performs with it being loaded to capacity with such rounds, and the know how many it would actually hold.

  • kga November 5, 2012, 9:38 am

    I was supplied a few of the 60 rounder’s to T&E for my agency. The mags are an improvement over the Beta Mags in function and in mobility. What I found in short is that the magazines will take a set if left stored and cause it to malfunction. Also once a mag gets down to 25 rounds or less there can be significant movement of the spring and follower from the weight of the rounds above to cause a malfuction if the mag is bumped, gosseled or jarred. There is a flat surface at the junction of the wide part of the mag body and the standard width part that fits the magwell at the front of the magazine. There is a good amount of room that the round can travel forward and below at this transition point. If the magazine is less than full and there is any incident that causes the spring follower to lose tension on the stacked rounds above the rounds will shift forward and will catch on the squared of transition at the neck of the mag and will cause magazine to jam up.
    The immediate fix is to extract the magazine and smack the bottom of the mag on a hard surface to get the rounds to shift and un-catch themselves from that transition line in the neck of the mag and reseat themselves in a correct stack. This doesn’t always work and this immediate action will either cause the rounds in the mag to realign and reseat in proper stacked formation, or, in most cases, the rounds eject themselves out of the mag like a geyser. It’s very predictable and easy to duplicated or induce. I can load a magazine to 25 rounds or less, smack the bottom of mag, either in or out of the rifle, and cause the condition. I have had anywhere from a handful to half the loaded rounds eject from the mag. On a few incidents the condition was so severe it never corrected and the rounds would just pour out of the magazine under no spring tension. Like I said, I can cause the condition with the mag in the weapon by being jarred going down into a prone position banged on a firm surface, being hand held and banging it or dropping it. The first experience of the condition was when one of my guys was loading it and dropped it on the loading table and the rounds rocketed out of it like old faithful.
    The mags run great and can keep up with rapid or auto fire as long as they have not been left loaded for extended periods of time. They are easy to take apart but not so much to reassemble for maintenance or to fix any problem that may occur in the field.
    The mags are a neat idea and have their place. However, I would not recommend filling your kit with them. Have one for special application and that’s it. This magazine is good for the first mag in and topped off to full capacity. On initial contact, run it dry and move on to standard capacity mags when runnin’ and gunnin’.
    I have pictures to document the condition and the areas in the mag that could use some rethinking. If anyone would like to see them let me know.

    • Sergeant of Marines November 13, 2012, 12:55 am

      This is exactly the issue I came across while testing this magazine in my issued M4 during my last deployment to Afghanistan. It is great in theory to have in the weapon during patrol for initial contact upping survivability. But does not deliver in the reliability factor severely decreasing my survivability which I could not accept. Put your money toward PMAGs.

    • Muhjesbude June 2, 2014, 10:58 am

      Well, finally I’m among fellow faithful. Spray and Pray has always been when the ‘god’ of war didn’t send his ‘angels’ to flank the devils!

      I like the tactical idea of these mags for that 100 round continuous suppression potential in the initial contact jump off instead of the bulk of the C mag, but i’m also not inclined to trust the higher capacity ones being left fully loaded for extended periods. I usually have a rotation system on all mags. Where the loaded ‘to go now’ mag pouch or vest pack stays loaded only for a month or so before used in practice or simply unloaded. and then the alternate mag pouch, which was empty, is then loaded and used instead for a month, and back and forth like that. Keeps the ammo circulating and fresh also if you practice regularly. Should do the same with your carry pistol mags and ammo.

  • john November 5, 2012, 9:36 am

    i’m 66 and i get tired just firing the 30 round mags. dont buy these 60 rounder mags.
    no real need for them. its more fun reloading any way. its good training……..

  • Gary Wilfong November 5, 2012, 9:31 am

    I think the more practical application for the Surefire 60 and 100 round AR15/M16 magazines would be for the USMC’s new M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle. Law enforcement and military would greatly benefit from the new Surefire mags. I suppose time will tell if they hold up in actual battlefield environments, and prove to be at least as reliable as current issue mags. In all practicality, most civilians won’t be able to afford the Surefire 60 and 100 round magazines, as there are so many hundreds of thousands of good quality 30 round mags already on the market and in private ownership. So far they appear to be a huge improvement in increasing practical mag capacity without being overly large and unwieldy.

  • Rockmeister772 November 5, 2012, 9:22 am

    I have to agree with some of the other posters….a little too much overkill. I have mags from 10, to 30 round, and feel I would rather have the extra weight in my pocket, not hanging on my rifle. I can always pull out my XD and shoot while I change mags on my rifle.

  • Fritz November 5, 2012, 9:20 am

    Over priced. Too heavy, loaded.

  • bobby_the_v November 5, 2012, 8:10 am

    happy with my 20’s and 30’s at 15% of the cost–and here in little Dominican Pa, thats even overkill

  • jimmyjames November 5, 2012, 5:48 am

    I’m sure they work fine if you load them and shoot them when you want to, but how do the work when loaded to capacity and say left that way for a year. I short load my 30 round mags to 20 rnds to avoid spring set and to increase reliability when loading them for storage in my gun bag. Loading rounds for a match or before going on patrol is a whole lot different than loading for ready access and storage.

  • CA Resident November 5, 2012, 4:11 am

    Living in CA, it is too unfortunate these are not legal. But that is “State”ing the obvious.

    To see a magazine of this type actually work for 5,000 rounds with a SlideFire Stock is impressive at the highest level. Emphasis on “High” as Cannabis is legal with a medical card here but any mag over 10 rounds a no go. Somewhere there is a contradiction.

    Oh well. At least the Mini 14 has a better barrel now.

    It is great to see products that actually deliver what they promise.

  • George S. November 5, 2012, 2:23 am

    To quote the author: ’60 round mags available … $129 each. Sixty rounds of .223/5.56 with no mag change is a heck of a defense.’ I can get GOOD 30 round mags for about $20 and I would RATHER change out a mag, unless you really believe that you can sustain firing 60 rounds back to back and HIT anything. Get real, the price is outrageous and anyone who has had the misfortune to have to serve with an M16 KNOWS there is no good reason for weighing down such a weapon. Unless sitting from a prone or kneeling position with a good sling, there is no reason for employing such a heavy magazine on such a light weapon. Perhaps the manufacturers should find jobs in selling insurance. Quit scaring people with the hurricane and find something else to do with your time, buddy!

  • Kerry November 5, 2012, 1:32 am

    When you stand before a target at 10′ and blaze away, yes they are awesome, but in real life scenarios I do not believe so much. The M-16 was designed to be a light infantry rifle, note the “light”. As a 32 yr retired LEO and VET, you can only carry so much crap. If I was in a static position, maybe a 60 round mag would work, but if I have to move and shoot, there is no way I want to lug that around with all the other junk you can load an AR-15 up with. I will stick with my 20 rounders and reload with 30’s. If you get into a shitstorm where you need that big of mags, you better hope you have some help. Do not compare 3 gun matches to real world. In the real world, speed kills.

    • Bob November 5, 2012, 10:27 am

      Kerry, “Do not compare 3 gun matches to real world”

      The same goes for IPSC. They are like a video game that doesn’t shoot back.

    • LCpl RAY November 5, 2012, 7:24 pm

      Kerry you are right about that, I’m a former marine as well, and shoot and scoot is the way to go, I say, thank the big guy I never had to even go FA. One well placed shot beat’s 60 that are not

    • Roy November 5, 2012, 7:27 pm

      I’m with Kerry. The old soldiers’ 20/30 school of thought is tried and true and I figure if I’m playing loose in a static position melting down my hand guards, it’s because I’m rear security covering a retreat and I plan on dying anyway.

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