The plinker tacticals are a love hate situation. I initially hated them as they were a pain to load without the load assist. I also had many ftfs initially. Spoke with owner who explained they work best when left loaded over night when new. I tried this and the results with same mags was night and day better. They have proven reliable and more durable over time than the original factory mags. Nothing against the originals as their initial performance was flawless, and the built in load assist is a definite plus. However, the originals tend to separate over time, which eventually caused ftfs.
I think the initial plinker tactical experience left such a bad taste for so many, the perception affected price. Both Buds and Midway had fire sales on them in the past for $6 and change. Buds even briefly included the loading tool at this price. I took advantage of both offerings, and should be set for life. For the sale price on the originals you cant go wrong. I also believe others may have had experiences similar to my own as i see the prices have tripled on the plinker tacticals.
Good luck either way.