Field eXpedients: 40-Round Mags & Couplers

What use could you make of long 40-round M16/M4 magazines?

If you coupled two together would they be too unwieldy? How would you retain them after their initial 80 rounds of 5.56mm were used up?

We used the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) mag coupler and modified it with a piece of (1) 13 inch* gutted 550 cord in between the magazines and tied off with an overhand knot to be a pull-carry loop to retain the coupled mags to the National Molding Universal Retention Clip (URC).

http://www.combatreform.org/tactipulresearch.htm

* I had to get in a reference to the M113 Gavin since assholes are always accusing me of only working on projects related to it, so we wouldn't want to let their prejudices and envious pre-conceived notions down now, would we? =o)

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• 40
• round
• m16
• m4
• magazines

[barccy]

Eh, if you want a lot of initial firepower out of a rifle, use a beta mag 100rd. Personally I think these aren't worth it, considering the m16 isn't even full auto any more and that M249s are plenteous, and are actually made for sustained high rate of fire with quick change barrels, belt feed, 200rds, etc.. Using a 40 round (or more) would just be more bulk and weight for the riflemen, defeating their purpose.

[dynmicpara]

@barccy Problem is BETA MAGs have a reputation of being unreliable so we advocate MWG 90-round drums. We think a 90-Round drum like a WW2 Russian PPSH SMG or Para/Brit Commando Thompson SMG to start a firefight isn't going to hurt rifleman mobility but would empower them to garden hose the bad guys more aggressively without stopping to mag change. You are asking the right questions. We offered the mag coupled 40-Rounders as an option to consider.

[shodan1028]

The only problem with this system is the use of fine motor skills- It may be realitively easy to grab that little cord now, but try it when you're scared, tired, amped up on adrenaline and getting shot at. And I have yet to see a 40 round magazine that feeds right -in person-

[dynmicpara]

@shodan1028 The typical "war is hell", we-will-go-to-shit-in-a-panic argument. The point is to DRILL RAPMAGCHANGRET to get it into MUSCLE MEMORY and get a handle on fear to gain OVERMATCH against the enemy. By the way, the whole 550 cord pull-carry loop originates from the 75th Ranger Regiment derived from COMBAT in the 1990s. We have improved on it with Tactipuls, Ambi-Catch so simple and course movements are all that's needed. We don't have a Tactipul hard plastic loop for 40-Rounders yet.

[YourGodStalin]

Just use quad stack mags, less weight, less space, and you've got 60rds ready to go.

[ironash20]

These magazines are too long and impractical. The length would make them impractical to fire from the prone and they would get caught up too easily pulling them from a magazine pouch along with anything else. A better quality 30 round magazine would be superior.

[TacticalMac]

All of the 40 round magazines I have seen and used suck. A lot. You get a lot of double feeds and failure to feed malfunctions. If you want more firepower then try stocking up on quality 30 rounders and running a redi-mag.

[tbilisicentral]

whats your opinion of quad stacked mags? like the italian Spectre M4 has..or the magazine well of the M4/16 wont allow for it?

[Christian121y]

@dynmicpara Essentially it's a problem of discipline rather than of materials.Remember the Russians in the Crimean War If i remember right.They didn't want to use Winchester rifles because they claimed their soldiers would shoot off all their ammo and not actually hit anybody.So what happened?They went off and attacked the enemy,and were butchered by men with Winchester rifles.....