Plinker Tactical 35 Round Magazine

[PlinkingManiac]

When and where can I order these?

I just checked Plinker's site and you can now buy the mags directly online. I ordered two mags, a charging handle and the load assist. Can't wait to get them in, will post my results as soon as I test them!

 

[crazykg85]

I just got stupid and bought a mag and load assist too. Hopefully the 20 rounders are ready soon.

 

[Grjfer]

So a little up date.

I have gone through 4 of the Plinker Tactical 35 round magazines in my 15-22. The rifle was purchased new in April of this year. No mods and has always been flawless with the 4 Smith & Wesson 25 round mags I have.

Things are not so pleasant with the Plinker mags. I have yet been able to get through a full mag without a fail to feed, or fail to eject issue. Many time the first round is the only round that will feed. My Gun just does not like these mags.

I have a friend that has a new in July of this year 15-22, and his has no issues with these mags. It will cycle all 35 rounds and ask for more. Go figure.

We have swapped bolts for his gun to mine, and from my gun to his, with the same results. His works fine, mine will not.

I plan to try and swap uppers this weekend, and see if this changes things. Till then I wish all those who have purchased the Plinker 35 round mag the best.

A few picture to follow.

 

[crazykg85]

Do you think the springs may be torqued a little when the mags are fully loaded? Does it look like there may be more spring pressure than necessary with the whole 35 rounds?

There has to be some reason why the rounds are cockeyed in the one photo.

 

[Majorlk]

What is the significance of the last two photos?

 

[Majorlk]

Do you think the springs may be torqued a little when the mags are fully loaded? Does it look like there may be more spring pressure than necessary with the whole 35 rounds?

There has to be some reason why the rounds are cockeyed in the one photo.

It looks as if the feed lips on the PT are not as "tight" as on the factory magazine.

 

[tacticool22]

Check your ejector bar. I know it works, but it may not work well enough.

 

[Grjfer]

What is the significance of the last two photos?

Just added to show the ejection issue.

 

[Grjfer]

It looks as if the feed lips on the PT are not as "tight" as on the factory magazine.

Also notice how the PT is off set to the left, evident by the bolt stop.

 

[w0ady]

just a thought but have you tried different ammo?

 

[Grjfer]

Check your ejector bar. I know it works, but it may not work well enough.

Never had an issue with ejection using the factory smith mags. I have however not ruled out the ejector. Looking at it, it looks fine. Rides close to the bolt and has a good hook on the end. Kind of hard to ask Smith and Wesson to look at it when it only malfunctions with an aftermarket magazine.

Besides ejector would not explain why it will not even pick and chamber a fresh round either manually cycling or while firing. The bolt just skips over the round.

 

[tacticool22]

Won't "even pick and chamber a fresh round" is pretty telling.
It looks like the edge of the rim is lower in the PT than in the factory.
Could you post a pic with a ruler?
It also looks like the angle of "attack" is different between the two.

 

[Majorlk]

I wonder if the cut in the magazine that engages the magazine latch is slightly off, allowing the magazine to sit fractionally lower in the mag well?

 

[Beuford T. Rimfire]

I had hoped these mags would be a little cheaper.... for the price of one magazine and the (not included) load assist, I could buy two S&W 25-round mags and a mag coupler kit. I would then have 50 rounds and at the same time not have a foot of magazine sticking out of the bottom of my rifle - plus the warm feeling of the stock mag's reliability.

I had higher hopes for the 35-rounder but price, the additional cost of load assist, and relatively untested reliability really killed this for me. Make it under $25 for the mag and load assist included and you'll regain my attention.

 

[mr2r6]

I haven't really had a good chance to try my Plinker mag out, but I have put three full mags through my gun. The first mag shot fine but failed to keep the bolt open on the last round. The second mag had a stove pipe on the last round. And the third full mag failed to keep the bolt open after the last round. For the price its not worth the mag. I will not buy anymore unless the price is around 15-20 and they work as intended.

 

[Majorlk]

Plinker Tactical sent me a free magazine in response to some comments I shared with them about their charging handle. Working with it this evening was "interesting".

- loading it without the loading tool is both slow and difficult. Loading ruger rotary magazines are a snap, by comparison. I gave up trying after 20 rounds. Personally, the loading tool is an absolute necessity and should come with the magazine.

- I have two 15-22s and it will not go past the mag latch on either one without some effort and wiggling. It does not appear to dimensionally match the S&W magazines.

- The mag is a tight fit in both rifles. In neither rifle does the mag drop from the well. You must pull it from the well, with noticeable effort. Ditto the second sentence above.

I will try to get to the range on Monday, but considering the difficulty of loading, I don't plan on putting a lot of rounds through it.

 

[Majorlk]

I haven't really had a good chance to try my Plinker mag out, but I have put three full mags through my gun. The first mag shot fine but failed to keep the bolt open on the last round. The second mag had a stove pipe on the last round. And the third full mag failed to keep the bolt open after the last round. For the price its not worth the mag. I will not buy anymore unless the price is around 15-20 and they work as intended.

This may or may not be a mag problem. it is a known occasional problem even with S&W magazines. It is related to a too-strong spring in the bolt latch, which is remedied by clipping two turns off the spring.

On the other hand, if you have never had a lock back problem previously, it could be the magazines.

 

[w0ady]

interesting notes about the plinker 35 round mags, wonder if other owners are having similar issues.

 

[Majorlk]

interesting notes about the plinker 35 round mags, wonder if other owners are having similar issues.

So far, there have been very few users posting about them, one way or another.

 

[Majorlk]

I finally managed to get 35 rounds in the magazine - it about killed my fingers. I timed it and I can load three S&W magazines in the time it took me to load the one PT magazine.

Unlike the S&W magazines, the follower on the PT is not parallel with the top of the feed lips, but is in a nose-up attitude. Loaded, the rounds are at corresponding attitude. I also noticed that the bolt hold-open projection at the rear of the follower is considerably longer than on the S&W. This may explain the last-round feeding problems others have reported - the follower is impeded from rising all the way, leaving the round loose and mis-aligned.