Surefire just broke cover on their high capacity magazine project this weekend. They plan to show the magazines at SHOT Show, 2011. Their entry into the magazine market comes in two flavors, 60 and 100 rounds. The MAG5-100, $179, above, looks a bit unwieldy but the MAG5-60, $129, below, looks a lot less intimidating.
UPDATE: SureFire just told us that the HCMs are the result of an entirely new division at SureFire and will be made in a brand new plant in Reno, NV. The new business unit is a partnership with L. James Sullivan and Bob Waterfield of Arm West, LLC. Mr. Sullivan is best known for co-developing the Armalite AR-15/M16 (M16A1) rifle and the original 20-round 5.56mm box magazine. They will be assembled and distributed by SureFire's new Reno, Nevada, facility, the company's first venture outside of Southern California, and will initially be available only from authorized SureFire dealers in states without any hi-cap magazine regulations.
I spoke with Derek McDonald, Surefire's VP of Marketing, who called them "anti-ambush mags" because of the uninterrupted firepower they can provide during the critical, first 30 seconds of an ambush. He said, and later wrote in a press release, that "it takes the average soldier about 4 seconds to reload their weapon and reacquire a target. So, based on the rate of fire of a full-auto rifle, using 30-round magazines means a soldier can fire 150 rounds max in 30 seconds. But, with our 60-round mag he can fire 240 rounds in 30 seconds. And, 100-round magazine means about 300 rounds in the same time."
moreThe numbers are rough, but the conclusion is airtight. Over the course of a firefight, the time spent changing mags adds up. Bigger mags mean more time on target. This isn't the first time we've heard this premise applied to selling bigger capacity magazines, though. The Beta-Mag people made the same pitch, but the C-Mag was not reliable enough for battlefield use. Surefire's approach does appear a lot simpler than the C-Mag.
Surefire hasn't shared much on the MAG5's internals. I know there are two channels that form the quad stack. Your guess is as good as mine when it comes to the follower operation. I can only assume that the mag works if Surefire put it's name on it. I mean, if there was any doubt about the mags reliability, Surefire would have funded a third party to develop and brand them while the kinks were worked out.
The quad-stack mags will be a boon to the USMC's IAR program. There is obvious speculation that the Corps has been on the lookout for a high capacity alternative to the limited capacity of the 30-round box mag. While the 8.7" tall 60-rounder will compare favorably to the 7.1" height of a standard USGI mag, I wonder how accepting the line will be of a rifle with a 12.2" 100-round magazine hanging out.
While the MAG5-60 is a bit longer and wider than a USGI mag, it's value snaps into focus when it's pointed out that at 6.4 oz it weighs less than the pair of 4 oz. USGI mags it replaces. The services are working hard to shave ounces in the name of performance and survivability, so this detail will not go unnoticed by PEO/MARCORSYSCOM/Natick program managers.
Aside from the Corps, the Army and other DoD uses, it's going to be interesting to see who else picks these up. Police departments are strapped for cash as it is. While I can see the application of that much firepower in a military firefight, it's extremely rare for that much lead to fly on Main Street. But, I do see an opportunity for a business renting out the 100-rounders to anyone breaking in a barrel.
Before we all throw out our USGI mags, though. It's worth considering what happens when we put so many rounds in one mag. It occurs to me that the ~2 oz weight savings I mentioned above gets eaten by the extra 30 rounds you'll carry since you'll have four, instead of seven, mags. Three 60-round mags on the chest, plus one in the gun equals 240 rounds. This is instead of six 30-round mags on the chest and one in the gun for a total of 210 rounds.
If you look at carbine reliability issues in general, a lot of problems come from the aluminum magazine. If you have a bad USGI mag, you drop it and move to the next one on your chest. But, if you're carrying four mags instead of seven and one has a bent feed lip, you've lost 1/4th of your combat load at once. You'd probably be carrying four 60-round mags for a 240-round combat load. That means you'd fire your first mag, biff your second and be left with 120-rounds in mags three and four. Whereas if your second round meg was bad, you'd still have five mags to burn through; 150 rounds. Worth noting for riflemen, probably not as big a deal for IAR/machine gunners, however.
Surefire tells us the T&E mags have done well in the hands of service members, but all will be revealed when Surefire ships out some media samples before SHOT Show. Stickman is standing by to lay the pair bare for you. Until then, lets hope they work well with stripper clips; otherwise it's time to build up that thumb callus.
| MAG5-60 | MAG5-100 | |
 |  | |
| Height | 8.7"/22.1 cm | 12.2" / 31cm |
| Width | 1.66" / 4.2 cm | 1.66" / 4.2cm |
| Weight - Empty | 6.4 oz / 181 g | 9.6 oz / 272 g |
| Weight- Loaded | 2.02 lbs / 920 g | 3.3 lbs / 1.5 kg |
| MSRP | $129 | $179 |
The mags are both made from spot welded, Mil-A-8625 Type III, Class I finished, 6000 series aluminum and have nylon followers.
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From Surefire:
"In the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a soldier's ability to respond to an attack with overwhelming force is critical. Ambushes are commonplace and the outcome of the ambush is often determined in the first 30 seconds.
Firepower and the ability to stay in the fight are key. SureFire's High Capacity Magazines are designed to provide the war fighter with 60 or 100 rounds of ammunition in a single magazine, thereby decreasing the number of reloads a soldier must perform and increasing the number of rounds available to a soldier to engage threat targets."
Q. Do I have to download my magazine to seat it in the weapon with the bolt closed?
A. No. SureFire HCMs will fit into the host weapon with the bolt closed when loaded with the maximum round count. The design of the magazine takes into account the allowable tolerances of cartridges manufactured to NATO and SAAMI specifications.
Q. Will my 60 round magazine fit into my nylon gear for 30 round magazines?
A. The SureFire MAG5-60 will fit into most nylon pouches with Velcro cover flaps intended for two 30 round magazines. Double magazine pouches with stitched partitions may require alteration.
Q. Will SureFire be offering nylon pouches for these magazines?
A. Yes. Product specifics and pricing is still to be determined.
Q. Can SureFire HCM's be disassembled for cleaning?
A. Yes, the SureFire HCMs can be disassembled for periodic cleaning or as required. A punch, the tip of a cartridge or common tool can be used to remove the floor plate from the magazine body.
Q. What dealers will have access to HCM's?
A. Authorized SureFire dealers in states with no high capacity regulations. Rules and processes are being developed for dealers located in states with regulations (CA, HI, IL, MD, MA, NY, OH, DC).
