[live4speed]

I have always understood the Scar 17 mags to be steel, but is there any chance they are aluminum? On Saturday when i was out shooting I noticed that the mag that shipped with my rifle had about a 1" stress crack on the back side right where the follower sits when unloaded. By the numbers stamped into the mag, it looks like it was made 06/11 and it is not one of the actual FN mags (i can’t remember the name of the company that makes them for FN, but anyways) After seeing how easy the mag cracked, it made me wonder if these are still being made out of steel... my FNAR mags are without a doubt steel and they seem to be quite a bit heavier and have a very different finish. I could just bust out a magnet, but some steel is non magnetic if im not mistaken. I was just wondering if anyone happens to know. Oh and a side note, FN is sending me a shipping label to send the mag to them. I will let you know how long it takes before i have a new one in my hands.. Still not sure what caused the stress crack, i will see if i can put some pics up later...

 

[pjmarshake]

From the FN websight: "20-round, blue steel body with FDE color coating and low-friction follower." I can't speak to any aftermarket brands.

Is this a new mag, or have you been using and abusing it like it was meant to be?

Just for reference, I've had Wilson Combat .45 mags split up top where the base of the cartridge seats against the mag. This was during shooting courses that required a few hundred rounds a day for 5 weeks. Just saying that mags break with high useage...

 

[Talhoffer]

D&H industries is the sub contractor for the SCAR mags, and they are steel. The metal can become brittle from being worked to shape and that is why you see some crack from time to time.

 

[live4speed]

makes sense i suppose, I must have just gotten a bad one...pjmarshake the mag had MAYBE 100 rounds through it and it was all from the bench (no crazy tactical stuff)

 

[pjmarshake]

way too few rounds to warrant it breaking that way... If you just bought it, it may be worth asking for a replacement.

You may still be out the cost of a mag, but the answer is always no until you ask...

 

[live4speed]

FN is sending me a shipping label to get the mag to them...they said they would most likely replace the mag. I still find it strange that steel would crack that easily...hopefully my barrel steel is a little stronger lol

 

[pjmarshake]

Good to hear... I'm betting the barrel went through a bit more quality control than the mags, if only due to liability.

 

[Talhoffer]

Different material and process used between the barrel and the mag. Read up on how a mag is progressively formed and work hardening of metal and you'll see why sometimes afterwards the metal can become brittle and crack very easily.

 

[RHINOWSO]

It can happen. Both my 16 & 17 mags are steel, not aluminum. Obviously I have some aluminum AR mags that fit the 16 as well.

For this very reason, mags should be considered expendable that will break in time. With magazines, all of our fancy semi / full auto guns are crappy, difficult to load single shot weapons.

Obviously yours had a defect and should be replaced for free, seeing the little use it has been through.

Rhino

 

[mjk1]

Cracked mag for me too.

I guess I'm calling FN. I just had a 17 mag blow apart when it dropped ( floor plate, spring, follower, rounds ). I have dropped this before but this time the metal lip on the bottom has cracked. I have knocked the floorplate off when it dropped previously. I don't know but I think the 90deg bend is a weak spot. JIMO...... The floor plate slides into 2 90 deg bends that have probably been stressed during the stamping process . Yes ....I do expect these high dollar mags made of almostunobtainium ..... to hold up better . Maybe I'm expecting too much but these are not no name brand, they are FN. It could be said that I'm rough on some things but these have dropped out of the magwell a few times on me, fully loaded. maybe my bad, but this is just at the range, not doing any drill stuff. If I review the floor plate it is not all nicked & dinged, it looks good or fairly decent. Good thing I had brought extra mags on vacation with me. I can see damaging the floorplate, but not cracking 1 side of the magazine lip ???

 

[live4speed]

I guess I'm calling FN. I just had a 17 mag blow apart when it dropped ( floor plate, spring, follower, rounds ). I have dropped this before but this time the metal lip on the bottom has cracked. I have knocked the floorplate off when it dropped previously. I don't know but I think the 90deg bend is a weak spot. JIMO...... The floor plate slides into 2 90 deg bends that have probably been stressed during the stamping process . Yes ....I do expect these high dollar mags made of almostunobtainium ..... to hold up better . Maybe I'm expecting too much but these are not no name brand, they are FN. It could be said that I'm rough on some things but these have dropped out of the magwell a few times on me, fully loaded. maybe my bad, but this is just at the range, not doing any drill stuff. If I review the floor plate it is not all nicked & dinged, it looks good or fairly decent. Good thing I had brought extra mags on vacation with me. I can see damaging the floorplate, but not cracking 1 side of the magazine lip ???

i feel the same way man...for $40+ per I feel they should be able to take the same beating the rifle can. I guess on the plus side the Scar did still run even though the mag was cracked...

 

[STL]

S.E.A.L.

+

Magpul 20LR (proven design, AND $18.50 per copy)

= :?


-SS

 

[rottenit]

Its been 3 weeks since I sent mine in to FN because of a crack. Still waiting for a replacement...

Please SS get us the SEAL

 

[farmerted]

Watching one of the shows on tv they had a special forces operator showing some drills that they do. One thing he noted was that he had a drop pouch to put his mags in as they were emptied, instead of just having them drop on the ground. Having mags might be nice for the next time you go out.

Another thought, if there's another AWB, are we still going to see people doing drills where they just treat their magazines as disposable items?

 

[live4speed]

Its been 3 weeks since I sent mine in to FN because of a crack. Still waiting for a replacement...

Please SS get us the SEAL

hmmm i thought the guy at FN seemed a touch un-surprised when i told him about my mag...perhaps this is more common than I thought...

 

[Buck_Naked]

http://fnforum.net/forums/fn-scar-17s/33027-17s-clips-breaking.html

http://fnforum.net/forums/fn-scar-17s/33030-cracked-17s-20rnd-factory-mag.html

http://fnforum.net/forums/fn-scar-17s/31836-damaged-mag.html

By chance was your mag coded 04TQ4-0911? I don't know if there was a bad batch, but that number seems to have issues...

 

[rottenit]

I ended up resorting to up a couple of FDE mags. This is totaly going to screw my accuracy up. Time to get some black spray pant!

 

[mjk1]

Couple of pics... I have caught the mag not locking up in the magwell. Yesterday, brand new Mag. I would also like to see a S.E.A.L. magazine to compliment the lower, kind of like a complete package. Yes, i'm aware this is not something that gets whipped up out of thin air. Just a suggestion. Either way, I am not impressed with the lack longevity of the FN mags. I was embarrassed when the mag fell and then blew apart .... not to mention , what if ...... lets say I really needed it ?

In the pic... this is hardly what we could call an abused mag, even if it did drop it fully loaded several times. The lip should not crack so easily ... ( JIMO ) Hard to tell, how they built the tooling for the mags. Did they bend the 90 deg lips in one shot, or was there a preform station ,& 90 deg bend / sizing station. ??? Seems weak to me, so that is my story & I'm sticking to it. Maybe I can get it replaced.( at no charge )

 

[k_wilkin]

D&H really flubbed their attempt at 6.8 mags last year. It seems they are having issues here, too. At least FN will stand behind the mags.

 

[Buck_Naked]

http://fnforum.net/forums/fn-scar-17s/33027-17s-clips-breaking.html

http://fnforum.net/forums/fn-scar-17s/33030-cracked-17s-20rnd-factory-mag.html

http://fnforum.net/forums/fn-scar-17s/31836-damaged-mag.html

By chance was your mag coded 04TQ4-0911? I don't know if there was a bad batch, but that number seems to have issues...

All the mags I have purchased have been stamped 04TQ4-0912, the one I got with the rifle is stamped 04TQ4-0911... the first 5 digits are the cage code for D&H, anyone know what the second half references?