[FNSquirrels]

Hey All,
Just bought a SCAR 17 in FDE and was looking for some 20 round mags. I'd seen a lot available in black, but nothing in shops or online in FDE. Eventually found them at Tactical Link, here: Original FNH 20rd 7.62/.308 Magazine For SCAR Rifles

I bought 4 and they arrived, but wasn't what I expected for Original OEM mags. They arrived in a plastic clam shell instead of the Blue, Black & White FN cardboard boxes wrapped in plastic I'm used to seeing. I immediately noticed the bin code missing and shiny smooth feel of these. And then saw several more differences. In the photos below, I've marked the mags that came with the gun in GREEN and the ordered mags in RED.

I then went to two different gun shops to ask around about their legitimacy, both with guys I know and trust. Tehy had never seen anything like it. Everyone thought they look sketch. I took some more photos next to another 20rd mag from a SCAR 17 they had on the shelf, because mine came with a 10rd. I noticed a few differences in the stamping and of course the bin code.

The notches are different, U-shaped on the ones that came with the gun and V-shaped on the ordered ones. Also the injection molding marks are absent on the base plates.

More stamping and injection differences, which just mean different tooling being used, but all the mags that came with the guns are consistent with each other as well as on these. Just made me believe they were not made in the same place.

And the last noticeable difference being the seam height. All cut on the 10's & 20's that are with the guns and the longer one on the new ones.

I reached out to Tactical Link with my concerns and they assured me that they get them from their supplier who gets them direct from FN. I then reached out to FN Customer Service who told me to send these pictures and comments to FN Technical Service. They determined that there can be differences in mags and determined these to be legit. When I was talking to them on the phone the guy said they have really never seen any fakes for the SCAR 17. Here was their response.

So I did a little more digging into this, on this forum and found this thread that shows the 3 different types of indent on the different varieties of SCAR 17 mags. I'm not sure which of the V-shaped matches mine, maybe the medium sized and then which one that is: SCAR 17S magazines: D&H vs Belgian Cage Magazines

And this one that talks about D&H mags vs Belgian

scar 17 magazine identification?

Ok guys help me out. Is there a way to tell the difference between a FNH mag and a d&h? I have 10mags and they all have a numbers stamped on the side

www.fnforum.net

From reading these it sounds like the U-shaped indents are D&H mags and are what is being shipped with all the SCAR 17's and what we are used to seeing in those blue boxes. What I am trying to determine is where the mags are from that I got, are they still being manufactured, surplus, etc. From reading the forum it sounds like people were upset when they switched over to the D&H mags. It also sounds like the flatter appearance on the D&H is manganese phosphate finish vs. the shiny blued finish on these. To me these feel twangy in my hand more so than the D&H and I also found it interesting that a military mag would be shiny vs a flat finish. In the end, they insert and eject probably better/smoother than the one that came with the gun, but it's also sloppier in the magwell. For the $52 price tag on each for OEM, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't getting ripped off with fakes. So curious if anyone else has seen anything like these and had similar thoughts. When speaking to FN technical service, they did say the clam shell is how they are packaging these now. So my assumption is they are fine, but reaching out to the community for their experience before I fire these or return, as there aren't many options out there right now. Thanks all in advance!

 

[archmark]

Hey All,
Just bought a SCAR 17 in FDE and was looking for some 20 round mags. I'd seen a lot available in black, but nothing in shops or online in FDE. Eventually found them at Tactical Link, here: Original FNH 20rd 7.62/.308 Magazine For SCAR Rifles

View attachment 138894

I bought 4 and they arrived, but wasn't what I expected for Original OEM mags. They arrived in a plastic clam shell instead of the Blue, Black & White FN cardboard boxes wrapped in plastic I'm used to seeing. I immediately noticed the bin code missing and shiny smooth feel of these. And then saw several more differences. In the photos below, I've marked the mags that came with the gun in GREEN and the ordered mags in RED.

View attachment 138896
View attachment 138898
View attachment 138900

I then went to two different gun shops to ask around about their legitimacy, both with guys I know and trust. Tehy had never seen anything like it. Everyone thought they look sketch. I took some more photos next to another 20rd mag from a SCAR 17 they had on the shelf, because mine came with a 10rd. I noticed a few differences in the stamping and of course the bin code.

View attachment 138901

The notches are different, U-shaped on the ones that came with the gun and V-shaped on the ordered ones. Also the injection molding marks are absent on the base plates.

View attachment 138902

More stamping and injection differences, which just mean different tooling being used, but all the mags that came with the guns are consistent with each other as well as on these. Just made me believe they were not made in the same place.

View attachment 138903

And the last noticeable difference being the seam height. All cut on the 10's & 20's that are with the guns and the longer one on the new ones.

View attachment 138904

I reached out to Tactical Link with my concerns and they assured me that they get them from their supplier who gets them direct from FN. I then reached out to FN Customer Service who told me to send these pictures and comments to FN Technical Service. They determined that there can be differences in mags and determined these to be legit. When I was talking to them on the phone the guy said they have really never seen any fakes for the SCAR 17. Here was their response.

View attachment 138905

So I did a little more digging into this, on this forum and found this thread that shows the 3 different types of indent on the different varieties of SCAR 17 mags. I'm not sure which of the V-shaped matches mine, maybe the medium sized and then which one that is: SCAR 17S magazines: D&H vs Belgian Cage Magazines

And this one that talks about D&H mags vs Belgian

scar 17 magazine identification?

Ok guys help me out. Is there a way to tell the difference between a FNH mag and a d&h? I have 10mags and they all have a numbers stamped on the side

www.fnforum.net

From reading these it sounds like the U-shaped indents are D&H mags and are what is being shipped with all the SCAR 17's and what we are used to seeing in those blue boxes. What I am trying to determine is where the mags are from that I got, are they still being manufactured, surplus, etc. From reading the forum it sounds like people were upset when they switched over to the D&H mags. It also sounds like the flatter appearance on the D&H is manganese phosphate finish vs. the shiny blued finish on these. To me these feel twangy in my hand more so than the D&H and I also found it interesting that a military mag would be shiny vs a flat finish. In the end, they insert and eject probably better/smoother than the one that came with the gun, but it's also sloppier in the magwell. For the $52 price tag on each for OEM, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't getting ripped off with fakes. So curious if anyone else has seen anything like these and had similar thoughts. When speaking to FN technical service, they did say the clam shell is how they are packaging these now. So my assumption is they are fine, but reaching out to the community for their experience before I fire these or return, as there aren't many options out there right now. Thanks all in advance!

I recently purchased 2 black 20 rd. SCAR 17 mags. They came in the blue, black and white "FNH USA" marked cardboard box, they were wrapped in plastic and had the BIN number stamped on the body of them. The Product No. was 98892. The follower was marked "CAL." above & "7.62 MM NATO" below it.

While D&H makes pretty good mags for the AR platform under their own name and for gun manufacturers such as Palmetto State Armory and others, I'd be a little concerned that maybe they're using the same gauge metal for the SCAR mags as they use in their AR mags. Comparing them side by side, a non-scientific comparison says that the D&H AR mags are of a thinner construction than the "original" OEM FN factory mags. That's why you're probably getting that "twangy" feel.

I'm not a big fan of manufacturer's switching suppliers or even packaging for that matter, UNLESS they're a 1 for 1 identical replacement in all aspects, which the mags that you received do not appear to be. All said, FN is probably making an additional $4 to $8 per mag at the current prices by subbing out the production of the mags. Kinda typical in manufacturing nowadays, incrementally cheapening the little things that the consumer might not notice, but a packaging change is almost always a dead giveaway. You can also blame the F**KING idiots in the US Military for allowing FN to produce a firearm with proprietary magazines that cost 3-4 times that of the abundant and plentiful SR25/M110 mags. Wanna bet there isn't a big supply chain issue in the sandbox for the doggies trying to get the propietary FN mags? Sure there is, Uncle Sucker is just gonna keep it hidden along with all his other fk'ups. Can't have stupid Joe 6-Pack taxpayer finding out about another Big Gub'ment SNAFU!!! I'd send them back and find the "original" OEMs or find 4 black OEMs and paint them yourself. You might get lucky and add an additional shade of FDE to your SCAR. Think positive...

 

[HK SD9 Tactical]

Wow....everything seems to be a Gub'ment conspiracy.

Different manufacturers have different methods of construction of the mags. If FN says there OK then they must meet FN standards.

 

[archmark]

Wow....everything seems to be a Gub'ment conspiracy.

Different manufacturers have different methods of construction of the mags. If FN says there OK then they must meet FN standards.

It's not a Big Gub'ment conspiracy regarding the FN mags, other than keeping the shortage of them in the combat theaters a secret and FN lowering their "standards" to make a few extra bucks It's just business as usual for the military-industrial complex. "They lie, GI's die"...

 

[FNSquirrels]

I recently purchased 2 black 20 rd. SCAR 17 mags. They came in the blue, black and white "FNH USA" marked cardboard box, they were wrapped in plastic and had the BIN number stamped on the body of them. The Product No. was 98892. The follower was marked "CAL." above & "7.62 MM NATO" below it.

While D&H makes pretty good mags for the AR platform under their own name and for gun manufacturers such as Palmetto State Armory and others, I'd be a little concerned that maybe they're using the same gauge metal for the SCAR mags as they use in their AR mags. Comparing them side by side, a non-scientific comparison says that the D&H AR mags are of a thinner construction than the "original" OEM FN factory mags. That's why you're probably getting that "twangy" feel.

I'm not a big fan of manufacturer's switching suppliers or even packaging for that matter, UNLESS they're a 1 for 1 identical replacement in all aspects, which the mags that you received do not appear to be. All said, FN is probably making an additional $4 to $8 per mag at the current prices by subbing out the production of the mags. Kinda typical in manufacturing nowadays, incrementally cheapening the little things that the consumer might not notice, but a packaging change is almost always a dead giveaway. You can also blame the F**KING idiots in the US Military for allowing FN to produce a firearm with proprietary magazines that cost 3-4 times that of the abundant and plentiful SR25/M110 mags. Wanna bet there isn't a big supply chain issue in the sandbox for the doggies trying to get the propietary FN mags? Sure there is, Uncle Sucker is just gonna keep it hidden along with all his other fk'ups. Can't have stupid Joe 6-Pack taxpayer finding out about another Big Gub'ment SNAFU!!! I'd send them back and find the "original" OEMs or find 4 black OEMs and paint them yourself. You might get lucky and add an additional shade of FDE to your SCAR. Think positive...

At least from what I read on the Forum in the posts I marked. The D&H made mags are the U-shaped indent mags that are shipping with the SCAR 17 and are the ones I marked in green. The ones I ordered are not the D&H mags and are the slightly twangy ones. But, yes, was concerned that the gauge of metal might be different, or could just be the difference of the coating. At the feed lips, I can't see any noticeable difference in the thickness by eye. I did consider just buying the black and calling it a day, but was trying for the whole FDE thing.

 

[FNSquirrels]

Wow....everything seems to be a Gub'ment conspiracy.

Different manufacturers have different methods of construction of the mags. If FN says there OK then they must meet FN standards.

I definitely agree with this statement. I also didn't know if I was being tossed a generic response of not all things look the same and how closely they actually looked at it? I assume they looked at it and met their standards as you said. Every image to buy factory mags online depicts the U-notch and Bin code, and without much to be found anywhere on this variety, thought I would ask the community for input. Does that make these Belgian made (doubtful) or FN America made, or they have so many manufacturers to count? As I am lead to believe the U-notch are from D&H. Bottom line, if it shoots, it works. Guess I was hoping to collect more info on this for the next guy that comes across these differences with similar question to figure out where these actually come from, if others had seen any of these lately, or if I got a funky batch?

 

[steven.m.shannon]

On the subject of proprietary magazines, SCAR 17 mags were based on the same body as the FN FAL, which was adopted many places around the world, arguably in greater numbers than any other 7.62 x 51mm NATO magazine, so it should be easier for countries to adopt that magazine than one based on a later weapon system. In fact FAL magazines can be adapted to fit SCAR 17s with cheap hand tools.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SpikerAdams]

Thanks for posting OP. That is some really good info.

Have you had time to use the mags yet?

 

[FNSquirrels]

Thanks for posting OP. That is some really good info.

Have you had time to use the mags yet?

I have not shot these new mags yet. Was trying to get as much info as I could in case I needed to send them back. Which I would want to do unused. They seat and eject fine and I would assume they function just fine as well. Just a little more play and a different feel, slick and fast vs more textured and firm fit. At least compared to the 10 rounder. Problem is I don't have a full size 20 round to compare it to.

 

[theLBC]

i bought a couple "pre-owned" 10rd mags that are the same. look like they had to be modified to work.
i have not even tried them and they will get used when the zombies come, maybe.

 

[fnfalman]

The mag with the CAGE code 04T04 is made by D&H. That’s their CAGE code number for Uncle Sam. You will find the same number on SCAR16S mags too.

manufacturers get their mags made from different OEM suppliers. Even the old FAL mags came from probably a dozen different manufacturers all over the world. The SCAR17 mags are but FAL mags modified for side catch instead of locking lugs and slightly different followers.

as far as the package goes, companies have been known to change their boxes throughout the years.

if they work, then I wouldn’t sweat it. Thecurrent OEM supplier might not be a supplier to Uncle Sam. Hence no CAGE code on the mag body.

 

[LESTER]

Hey All,
Just bought a SCAR 17 in FDE and was looking for some 20 round mags. I'd seen a lot available in black, but nothing in shops or online in FDE. Eventually found them at Tactical Link, here: Original FNH 20rd 7.62/.308 Magazine For SCAR Rifles

View attachment 138894

I bought 4 and they arrived, but wasn't what I expected for Original OEM mags. They arrived in a plastic clam shell instead of the Blue, Black & White FN cardboard boxes wrapped in plastic I'm used to seeing. I immediately noticed the bin code missing and shiny smooth feel of these. And then saw several more differences. In the photos below, I've marked the mags that came with the gun in GREEN and the ordered mags in RED.

View attachment 138896
View attachment 138898
View attachment 138900

I then went to two different gun shops to ask around about their legitimacy, both with guys I know and trust. Tehy had never seen anything like it. Everyone thought they look sketch. I took some more photos next to another 20rd mag from a SCAR 17 they had on the shelf, because mine came with a 10rd. I noticed a few differences in the stamping and of course the bin code.

View attachment 138901

The notches are different, U-shaped on the ones that came with the gun and V-shaped on the ordered ones. Also the injection molding marks are absent on the base plates.

View attachment 138902

More stamping and injection differences, which just mean different tooling being used, but all the mags that came with the guns are consistent with each other as well as on these. Just made me believe they were not made in the same place.

View attachment 138903

And the last noticeable difference being the seam height. All cut on the 10's & 20's that are with the guns and the longer one on the new ones.

View attachment 138904

I reached out to Tactical Link with my concerns and they assured me that they get them from their supplier who gets them direct from FN. I then reached out to FN Customer Service who told me to send these pictures and comments to FN Technical Service. They determined that there can be differences in mags and determined these to be legit. When I was talking to them on the phone the guy said they have really never seen any fakes for the SCAR 17. Here was their response.

View attachment 138905

So I did a little more digging into this, on this forum and found this thread that shows the 3 different types of indent on the different varieties of SCAR 17 mags. I'm not sure which of the V-shaped matches mine, maybe the medium sized and then which one that is: SCAR 17S magazines: D&H vs Belgian Cage Magazines

And this one that talks about D&H mags vs Belgian

scar 17 magazine identification?

Ok guys help me out. Is there a way to tell the difference between a FNH mag and a d&h? I have 10mags and they all have a numbers stamped on the side

www.fnforum.net

From reading these it sounds like the U-shaped indents are D&H mags and are what is being shipped with all the SCAR 17's and what we are used to seeing in those blue boxes. What I am trying to determine is where the mags are from that I got, are they still being manufactured, surplus, etc. From reading the forum it sounds like people were upset when they switched over to the D&H mags. It also sounds like the flatter appearance on the D&H is manganese phosphate finish vs. the shiny blued finish on these. To me these feel twangy in my hand more so than the D&H and I also found it interesting that a military mag would be shiny vs a flat finish. In the end, they insert and eject probably better/smoother than the one that came with the gun, but it's also sloppier in the magwell. For the $52 price tag on each for OEM, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't getting ripped off with fakes. So curious if anyone else has seen anything like these and had similar thoughts. When speaking to FN technical service, they did say the clam shell is how they are packaging these now. So my assumption is they are fine, but reaching out to the community for their experience before I fire these or return, as there aren't many options out there right now. Thanks all in advance!

Welcome to our lovely Forum! and Congrats! on your new FN FDE SCAR 17
Exceptional write up and review

 

[thehun]

If it's D&H...they will be fine...

HOPEFULLY...they exclusive rights to FN might expire and they might start offering SCAR mags at a cheaper price point than OEM...

 

[FNSquirrels]

The mag with the CAGE code 04T04 is made by D&H. That’s their CAGE code number for Uncle Sam. You will find the same number on SCAR16S mags too.

manufacturers get their mags made from different OEM suppliers. Even the old FAL mags came from probably a dozen different manufacturers all over the world. The SCAR17 mags are but FAL mags modified for side catch instead of locking lugs and slightly different followers.

as far as the package goes, companies have been known to change their boxes throughout the years.

if they work, then I wouldn’t sweat it. Thecurrent OEM supplier might not be a supplier to Uncle Sam. Hence no CAGE code on the mag body.

Thanks for this. I definitely think this makes the most sense, just not being an Uncle Sam mag. Which likely also explains why it was blued for a shinier finish instead of flat. Maybe a cheaper process. But then that also worries me that they aren't held to the same tolerances, given the twangy feel and slop in the magwell. I agree if they work, they work, but then also feel like I would rather have the Uncle Sam spec mags for peace of mind. Or feel that they shouldn't be priced the same as Sam OEM's. But given the times and supply and demand, I get it. Although, getting something different than what is pictured on a website is misleading. But I definitely think you have a great explanation of what these mags may be, so thanks again.

 

[fnfalman]

Thanks for this. I definitely think this makes the most sense, just not being an Uncle Sam mag. Which likely also explains why it was blued for a shinier finish instead of flat. Maybe a cheaper process. But then that also worries me that they aren't held to the same tolerances, given the twangy feel and slop in the magwell. I agree if they work, they work, but then also feel like I would rather have the Uncle Sam spec mags for peace of mind. Or feel that they shouldn't be priced the same as Sam OEM's. But given the times and supply and demand, I get it. Although, getting something different than what is pictured on a website is misleading. But I definitely think you have a great explanation of what these mags may be, so thanks again.

Consider that the SCAR was developed by FN, I’d say that FN specs is what needed to be adhered to. I’d assume that since FN is selling these new non-CAGE numbers mags, they must have made sure that the mags would work.

 

[Kansas boy]

Hey FNSquirrels, great first post! Appreciate your thoroughness in searching and detailing this issue out. I can relate and see why you'd be concerned, but at the end of the day, they're FN mags and will work perfectly.

As mentioned above, FN licensed FAL mags were made by various countries and factories. Some were blued, some phosphate, some had witness holes on the spine, others were aluminum instead of steel. Even with the minor differences, they all worked great.

Welcome to the forum and happy shooting!

 

[archmark]

Thanks for this. I definitely think this makes the most sense, just not being an Uncle Sam mag. Which likely also explains why it was blued for a shinier finish instead of flat. Maybe a cheaper process. But then that also worries me that they aren't held to the same tolerances, given the twangy feel and slop in the magwell. I agree if they work, they work, but then also feel like I would rather have the Uncle Sam spec mags for peace of mind. Or feel that they shouldn't be priced the same as Sam OEM's. But given the times and supply and demand, I get it. Although, getting something different than what is pictured on a website is misleading. But I definitely think you have a great explanation of what these mags may be, so thanks again.

If what was pictured on the website is not what you received then the seller MUST give you a refund based on deceptive practice laws. If you've any shred of doubt remaining regarding the quality of the mag, then no amount of explanation is ever gonna remove that doubt. It's gonna haunt you forever, so get a refund and find EXACTLY what you want, not something close. It's like the guys that rationalize about their off brand bikes by saying "Well, you know, it sounds ALMOST exactly like a Harley" (back when Harley's were Harley's and before The Motor Co. started producing all those electric POS like the Livewire. Just another iconic 'Merican company that's sold out and gone PC IMHO)...

 

[HK SD9 Tactical]

Unless there is a disclaimer, which there usually is....such as "Stock photo so your item may not appear blah blah blah....."

 

[FNSquirrels]

Yeah, I'm not going to sweat it on these. Site says they're coming from FN, FN says they look good, so clearly meeting FN standards as fnfalman said, to which I agree. Read the return policy and there's a 20% restocking fee and I'd pay for return shipping, so not worth it. Technically they are still factory FN mags, so can't fault them on that. Will keep these and get more later if needed. If I have any issues with them, then certainly would say something, but don't expect to. Always happy to learn something new and hopefully shed some light for others that come across the same discoveries. Thanks all!!

 

[archmark]

Yeah, I'm not going to sweat it on these. Site says they're coming from FN, FN says they look good, so clearly meeting FN standards as fnfalman said, to which I agree. Read the return policy and there's a 20% restocking fee and I'd pay for return shipping, so not worth it. Technically they are still factory FN mags, so can't fault them on that. Will keep these and get more later if needed. If I have any issues with them, then certainly would say something, but don't expect to. Always happy to learn something new and hopefully shed some light for others that come across the same discoveries. Thanks all!!

Who'd you buy them from so I'll know who not to buy them from?