Wikipedia

STANAG magazine

ASTANAG magazine[1][2]orNATO magazineis a type of detachablefirearm magazineproposed byNATOin October 1980.[3]Shortly after NATO's acceptance of the5.56×45mm NATOrifle cartridge, Draft Standardization Agreement (STANAG) 4179 was proposed in order to allow NATO members to easily share rifleammunitionand magazines down to the individual soldier level. The U.S.M16 rifle's magazine proportions were proposed for standardization. Many NATO members, but not all, subsequently developed or purchased rifles with the ability to accept this type of magazine. However, the standard was never ratified and remains a "Draft STANAG".[4]

Two STANAG-compliant magazines: A 20-round Colt-manufactured magazine, and a 30-round Heckler & Koch "High Reliability" magazine.

Magazines

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The STANAG magazine concept is only an interface, dimensional and controls (magazine latch, bolt stop, etc.) requirement.[2][5]Therefore, it not only allows one type of magazine to interface with various weapon systems,[2][5]but also allows STANAG magazines to be made in various configurations and capacities.[2][5]The standard capacities ofSTANAG-compatible magazines are 20 or 30 rounds of5.56×45mm NATOammunition. There are also 5-, 10-, 40- and 50-round box magazines,[5]as well as 60- and 100-roundcasket magazines,[6][7]90-roundsnail-drum magazines,[8]and 100-round drum magazines.[9]

Issues and improvements

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Close-up ofL85A2withMagpul IndustriesEMAG polymer magazine with clear viewing window

The STANAG magazine, while relatively compact compared to other types of 5.56×45mm NATO box magazines, has often been criticized for a perceived lack of durability and a tendency tomalfunctionunless treated with a level of care that may not be practical under combat conditions. Because STANAG 4179 is only a dimensional standard, production quality from manufacturer to manufacturer is not uniform.

As a result, in March 2009, the U.S. military began to accept delivery of improved STANAG magazines.[10]To increase reliability, these magazines incorporate heavier, more corrosion resistant springs and new tan-colored anti-tilt followers.[11]

ARDECbegan development of a new magazine design in July 2013 to address feeding issues of older designs with the newM855A1 Enhanced Performance Round.It was first made public in 2014 and completed development in mid-2016 as the Enhanced Performance Magazine. The magazine uses a blue follower and a tan body which presents the rounds with a better angle to the weapon's feedway, preventing the hardened steel tip of the EPR from contacting the aluminum feed ramp of the M4 carbine, increasing mean rounds between stoppage by 300%.[12][13]

Firearms compatible with STANAG magazines

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AR-15/M16 type rifles

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Non-AR-15/M16 type rifles

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Manually operated rifles

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STANAG magazine convertible rifles

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Other cartridges

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STANAG magazines loaded with.223 Rem (left) and.450 Bushmaster (right)

Over the years different cartridges that fit into the STANAG magazine emerged, some rounds like.300 AAC Blackouthave the same rim diameter as.223 Remingtonand only require a barrel change to be used in a firearms that was previously using in.223 Remington.

Cartridge Requires modification to the magazine Capacity in 30 round magazine Rim diameter
.223 Remington no 30 9.6 mm (0.38 in)
.300 AAC Blackout no 30 9.6 mm (0.38 in)
6×45mm no 9.6 mm (0.38 in)
.450 Bushmaster Single stack follower 9 12 mm (0.47 in)
.458 SOCOM Single stack follower 10 12 mm (0.47 in)
.50 Beowulf Yes 11.3 mm (0.44 in)

Loading tools

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Loading a STANAG magazine, particularly one with a large capacity and a corresponding high spring pressure pushing the rounds to the top of the magazine, can be quite difficult. A number of devices are available to make this task simpler. These are sometimes calledspeedloadersbut are more commonly known as magazine loaders, stripper clips, spoons, or stripper clip guides. There are a wide range of both commercial and military type loading tools available for STANAG magazines. For example; draftSTANAG 4181is a type ofstripper clipand guide tool proposed for standardization based on the USGI M16 rifle stripper clips and guide tools.[23]

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  • Manually loading a magazine with individual rounds.
  • STANAG guide tools and stripper clip filled with 5.56mm NATO ammo.
  • Close-up of STANAG loading guide tool.
  • Loading a magazine with STANAG stripper clip and guide tool.
  • Ditto, with stripper clip pressed against a hard surface to load the magazine more quickly.
  • Loading a magazine with loading tool.
  • Loading a magazine with an alternative style of loading tool.
  • M-16 / AR-15 LULA magazine loader and unloader.
  • StripLULA loading tool.
  • BenchLoader heavy-duty magazine loader.
  • Trijent Mech-loader for high volume loading

See also

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References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related toSTANAG magazines.
  1. ^Rottman, Gordon L. (2011).The M16.Osprey. pp.35–36.ISBN978-1849086905.
  2. ^abcdDockery, Kevin (2007).Future Weapons.Penguin. pp.125–126.ISBN9780425217504.
  3. ^Watters, Daniel (2000–2007)."The 5.56 X 45mm Timeline: A Chronology of Development".The Gun Zone.Archived fromthe originalon March 16, 2015.
  4. ^Arvidsson, Per G. (2008)."NATO Infantry Weapons Standardization"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on December 1, 2012.
  5. ^abcdRottman, Gordon L. (October 20, 2013).The Book of Gun Trivia: Essential Firepower Facts.Osprey.ISBN9781782006206.
  6. ^"Magpul Invents New Quad-Stack Magazine for ARs".Accurate Shooter. June 9, 2010. Archived fromthe originalon November 29, 2014.
  7. ^Crane, David (December 3, 2010)."DR Exclusive!: SureFire MAG5-60 and MAG5-100 High Capacity Magazine (HCM)" Quad-Stack "AR Rifle Magazines: 60-Round/Shot and 100-Round/Shot AR (AR-15/M16) 5.56mm NATO Box Magazines for Significantly-Increased Firepower during Infantry Combat and Tactical Engagements of All Sorts".Defense Review.Archived fromthe originalon March 21, 2015.
  8. ^Crane, David (June 21, 2009)."MWG 90-Rounder Snail Drum Magazine: 90 Rounds of Immediate 5.56mm Firepower for Your M4/M4A1 Carbine (or AR-15 Carbine)".Defense Review.Archived fromthe originalon March 27, 2015.
  9. ^The Gun Digest Book of the AR-15. Patrick Sweeney. Gun Digest Books, September 9, 2005. page 106
  10. ^Brownells shipping M16 magazines with anti-tilt follower to military- The Firearm Blog, June 13, 2009
  11. ^New US Army M16 “Tan” Magazine- The Firearm Blog, December 16, 2009
  12. ^BREAKING: US Army Introduces New Enhanced Performance Magazine For M4/M16 Series Rifles- Thefirearmblog.com, 26 July 2016
  13. ^Army fielding new magazine optimized for M4/M4A1 Carbine and M855A1 - By U.S. Army, November 1, 2016
  14. ^Forgotten Weapons - The Fort Ellis XR-86
  15. ^"SAR 21 Product Brochure"(PDF).ST Engineering.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on April 14, 2008.RetrievedSeptember 11,2007.
  16. ^CROSSFIRE! The Crossfire MKI with Forgotten Weapons -The Firearm Blog
  17. ^Leitner-Wise Rifle Co"The LW-S1 is a bolt action 5.56 caliber (.223 Remington), magazine fed rifle utilizing the popular AR15/M16 magazine"
  18. ^New rifles by Voere: S16 and K15A | all4shooters
  19. ^Armalon - Armalon PR
  20. ^Run AR Magazines in your Rem 700 Bolt Gun « Accurateshooter.com Daily Bulletin
  21. ^Security Arms | Firearm Photo Archive:: The Armalon PR precision rifle"It consists of an extensive re-working of a Remington 700 series rifle, and has achieved a high degree of success in competition [..], [and] the 5.56/.223 versions use similarly re-modelled AR15/M16 magazines.
  22. ^"Steyr AUG NATO Conversion kit - AUG Accessories - Accessories".RetrievedNovember 15,2014.
  23. ^"NATO Infantry Weapons StandardizationArchivedDecember 1, 2012, at theWayback Machine",NDIA Conference 2008
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