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3/18/2002 9:03:57 PM EDT
I cannot for the life of me figure out why the AR mags are angled forward.  The only reason I can come up with is that the spring pushes the back end of the cartridge up first??  I know there is a reason they are designed like this.  Help me out please.  Thanks
3/18/2002 9:05:18 PM EDT
[#1]
I think I figured it out.  Is it because of the follower?
3/18/2002 10:08:31 PM EDT
[#2]
Nope!

The .223 is a tapered cartridge.  When you stack them on top of each other, they naturally develop an arc.  

Since the taper isn’t as extreme as some other cartridges, you can get away with a straight 20 round .223 magazine.  However, when you go to a 30 round magazine, you need the curve so the rounds will feed right.
3/19/2002 11:02:03 PM EDT
[#3]
Good point.  But even my 10 rd Bushy mag angles forward at the bottom 25% of the mag.  Is that just cosmetic?
3/19/2002 11:15:39 PM EDT
[#4]
If your 10 rounder weren't tapered then a loaded maag would compress the spring more on the rear of the mag than the front.  I suspect this would cause it to bind and fail to feed.
3/19/2002 11:36:11 PM EDT
[#5]

Quoted:
Good point.  But even my 10 rd Bushy mag angles forward at the bottom 25% of the mag.  Is that just cosmetic?


I don’t have a 10 rounder to look at, but I doubt the curved part that you’re referring to does anything anyway.  It’s probably just a dummy part of the magazine.

A curve certainly isn’t essential in a 10 round .223 magazine since the 20 round mags work just fine without one.
3/20/2002 12:06:55 AM EDT
[#6]
Thanks for the info.  So I guess the curve is just cosmetic on the 10 rd mag huh?  I don't own a 20 rd so I didn't know it was straight.  The reasoning you guys gave make sense though.  Thanks.
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