Skip to main content
We ship to addresses within the United States only.

Questions? Call +1 570-262-5566

Rifle and Pistol Magazine Guide: PMAG, Drums and What Fits What

Rifle and Pistol Magazine Guide: PMAG, Drums and What Fits What

Posted by D&R Sports Center on Nov 13th 2026

A magazine is the cheapest part of a gun and the one most likely to cause a malfunction. Feed lips, follower and spring decide whether the next round arrives straight and on time, and a wrong magazine makes a good gun look broken. Get the platform right, then the generation, then the capacity, and the rest is preference.

Everything below is available in our magazines section, sorted by brand: Magpul, Mission First Tactical, Strike Industries and Safariland.

1. Match the magazine to the gun, not just the cartridge

The most common mistake at the counter is assuming a magazine fits because the caliber matches. A magazine is built around a specific magazine well, catch location and feed geometry. Three 5.56 rifles can take three different magazines: an AR-15 takes the familiar STANAG-style box, the HK G36 needs something like the PMAG 30G MagLevel for HK G36, and a Steyr AUG needs the PMAG 30 AUS GEN M3 Window. Same cartridge, three magazines that won't interchange.

Go the other way and it gets more dangerous. A 300 Blackout round fits into a 5.56 AR magazine and will often feed. That is the problem. A 300 BLK cartridge chambered in a 5.56 barrel can fire into an undersized bore, and the result can be a destroyed rifle and an injured shooter. If you own both, keep the magazines visibly and physically different. The PMAG 30 AR/M4 GEN M3 300 Blackout is purpose-built for the cartridge and has a distinct rib design and texture so you can tell it apart from a 5.56 PMAG by look and by feel.

A few more fit traps we see regularly:

  • .308 ARs don't share one standard. Most modern ones use the SR-25 (also called DPMS or LR-308) pattern, but not every rifle sold as an "AR-10" does. Check your rifle's manual before buying a stack.
  • AK calibers are not cross-compatible. 7.62x39 and 5.45x39 magazines are different bodies for different rifles.
  • Glock pistol drums and Glock-pattern carbine drums are different products. The PMAG D-50 GL9-PCC is made for Glock-pattern pistol-caliber carbines and does not fit Glock OEM pistols. The PMAG D-50 GL9 is the version for double-stack 9mm Glock handguns.

Read the platform in the product title before anything else. If it doesn't name your gun, ask before you order.

2. AR-15 magazines: aluminum, Gen M2, Gen M3 and the rest

Aluminum USGI. The original issue magazine. Light and slim, but the thin feed lips can bend if dropped on concrete, and older ones have followers that can tilt. Section 7 covers upgrades that keep them running.

Magpul PMAG GEN M2 MOE. The PMAG 30 AR/M4 GEN M2 MOE is an affordable polymer upgrade from the aluminum USGI, with an impact-resistant body, flared floorplate, stainless steel spring and an anti-tilt, self-lubricating follower. It is a solid range and training magazine, but note the limit Magpul lists: it is not compatible with SA80 and HK416 or similar platforms.

Magpul PMAG GEN M3. The PMAG 30 AR/M4 GEN M3 is the current flagship. It's optimized for Colt-spec AR-15/M4 rifles, and Magpul modified the internal and external geometry so it also runs in a range of other rifles such as the HK 416. It adds a paint pen dot matrix for marking loads. GEN M3 models such as the PMAG 20 GEN M3 and the Window version also have an over-travel insertion stop on the spine, which keeps the magazine from being jammed too far into the well during a hard reload. If you have one rifle and want one magazine, this is it.

Mission First Tactical EXD. The MFT Extreme Duty 30-round is the main alternative to a PMAG, with a long-life stainless steel spring, a four-way anti-tilt follower and a flared floorplate. The translucent versions, such as the EXD Clear, add tool-less disassembly with double floorplate safety release tabs and a body that shows both round count and ammunition type.

The specialists. The Strike Industries 32-round polymer magazine gives you two more rounds than a standard 30 in an AR-15/M4/M16 magazine, with an AccuRamp first-round feed tray and anti-tilt follower. The Magpul TMAG 30 GEN M3 is a fully translucent olive drab body with smooth sides for visibility.

Window or no window? A window lets you check approximate rounds remaining at a glance, which matters most in training and competition. Both work; it is a matter of taste. The PMAG 30 GEN M3 Window uses Magpul's MagLevel windows on both sides plus a painted indicator on the spring.

3. Pick a capacity for the job

Length changes how the rifle handles, so more is not automatically better.

  • 10 rounds: for hunting, bench work and low-profile prone shooting. The short PMAG 10 GEN M3 keeps the rifle low on a bag.
  • 20 rounds: the prone shooter's magazine. A 30-rounder can hit the ground and lever the rifle off target; the PMAG 20 GEN M3 is short enough to fire prone.
  • 30 rounds: the standard. It fits common pouches and every AR well.
  • 40 rounds: the PMAG 40 GEN M3 is a range and competition favorite, but it is long and awkward prone and many 30-round pouches won't take it.
  • Drums: the PMAG D-60 holds 60 rounds, the same as two 30s without a reload, while keeping the magazine height manageable enough to fire prone. It seats fully loaded on a closed bolt, holds the bolt open after the last round, and has a ratcheting loading lever that takes spring tension off while you load. Drums are heavier and bulkier than sticks, so they suit the range more than a hunting rifle.

Restricted capacity. If you live where capacity is limited, there are two very different approaches. The PMAG 10/30 GEN M3 and MFT 10-round, 30-round-body magazines are permanently limited: the PMAG uses a lock plate secured by an aluminum rivet, and the MFT is permanently sealed at the bottom. By contrast, the Magpul Minus 5 Round Limiter reduces a GEN M3 PMAG by 5 rounds without a permanent modification. Magpul designed it for hunting or sporting rules. Capacity laws vary by state and city, so check your state and local laws before you rely on any capacity reduction.

4. .308 AR (AR-10/SR-25) magazines

The .308 AR market is where buyers make the most expensive mistakes, because "AR-10" is used loosely. Magpul's LR/SR line and MFT's 7.62 magazines are listed for DPMS, SR-25/M110 and LaRue OBR or AR-10A pattern rifles. If yours is an older or proprietary design, confirm before you buy.

The second thing to check is cartridge length. The standard PMAG 20 LR/SR GEN M3 is designed for SAAMI-spec ammunition and gives a true 20-round capacity. Magpul says it is less than half the weight of standard-issue steel magazines, and it has a snap-on impact/dust cover. If you run long match ammunition such as M118LR, use the PMAG 25 M118 LR/SR GEN M3 Window, which takes longer-than-SAAMI-spec loads up to 2.830 inches overall length. The PMAG D-50 LR/SR drum takes the same long cartridges. Mission First Tactical's 20-round AR-10 magazine is optimized for SAAMI-spec ammunition and comes apart for cleaning without tools. MFT also makes a 10-round version for hunting and the bench.

5. AK magazines

An AK magazine rocks in: the front lug hooks into the receiver, then the rear swings back until the catch locks it. That front lug takes a beating, which is why the material around it matters on a polymer AK magazine. The PMAG 30 AK/AKM GEN M3 has steel-reinforced locking lugs. The PMAG 30 AK/AKM MOE is the lower-cost option without them. Both are listed for AK-47, AKM, AKS and SIG556R rifles in 7.62x39. For 5.45x39 rifles such as the AK74, use the PMAG 30 AK74 MOE, not a 7.62x39 magazine.

AKs vary in tolerance, so test any new magazine: it should lock without excessive force or wobble, and run a few full loads before you trust it.

6. Pistol magazines: Glock, SIG and pistol-caliber carbines

Glock size rules. Double-stack 9mm Glock magazines work upward in length but not downward. A G17 magazine runs in a G19 or G26 and sticks out of the bottom of the grip. A G19 magazine works in a G26 but is too short to use in a G17. That makes the longest magazine you are happy to carry the most flexible spare.

OEM or PMAG. Magpul's GL9 line, including the PMAG 15 GL9 for Glock 19 and PMAG 17 GL9 for Glock 17, uses an all-polymer body with a high-visibility controlled-tilt follower, stainless steel spring, an easily removable floorplate, a paint pen dot matrix and indicator windows, and drops free loaded or unloaded. For more capacity without extensions, the PMAG 21 GL9 meets the overall length requirement for a 140mm competition magazine, and the PMAG 27 GL9 fits the 170mm length. G26 owners get two extra rounds and a built-in finger groove from the PMAG 12 GL9. For 10-round limits there is the PMAG 10 GL9 for Glock 19.

Base plates and extensions: know which body they fit. This is a common fit trap. Strike Industries Enhanced Magazine Plates are designed for OEM Glock magazines. The Strike G19 plate adds 5 rounds to OEM double-stack G19 magazines, the G17/22 plate adds 6 rounds of 9mm or 5 of .40 S&W, and the G43X/48 plate adds 2, taking those slimline magazines to 12. Magpul's PMAGs need Magpul's own base pad: the GL L-Plate fits PMAG GL9 magazines, adding a rubber-overmolded pad and about 1/4 inch in length. Test any extended magazine in your pouch before you carry it.

SIG P365 and P320. Magpul's AMAG line is a stainless-steel-bodied magazine with polymer sub-components, for shooters who would rather have steel than polymer in a pistol built around steel magazines. The P365 versions come in 10, 12, 15 and 17 rounds with capacity indicator windows that begin at five rounds and run in single-round steps along the spine. The P365 family shares magazines across different grip lengths, so the same magazine can sit flush in one model and extend below another. Check which length your pistol takes flush before you buy a set. The AMAG 17 SG9 for P365 includes grip extensions for the X/XL and standard grip lengths.

Pistol-caliber carbines. Magazines here are model-specific too. The PMAG 35 EV9 is for the CZ Scorpion EVO 3 and Scorpion 3 Plus, with indicator windows at 10, 20, 30 and 35 rounds. For a Glock-magazine carbine, the D-50 GL9-PCC drum mentioned above is the carbine version.

7. Floorplates, followers, couplers and other upgrades

The small parts on a magazine are where most "it doesn't fit" returns come from, because each one is cut for a specific body.

  • Ranger plates. A pull loop on the base makes it faster to strip a magazine out of a tight pouch. The original Magpul Ranger Plate for USGI magazines is a Santoprene loop overmolded on a stainless steel plate, with a floorplate lock and mag identifier, and fits aluminum USGI 30-rounders. The PMAG Ranger Floorplate for GEN M3 only fits 5.56 GEN M3 PMAGs. The GEN M2 MOE version fits GEN M2 MOE PMAGs, the PMAG 30G and the EMAG, and Magpul states it will not fit GEN M3, 7.62 PMAGs or any metal magazine. Buy by generation.
  • Followers for USGI magazines. The Magpul Enhanced Self-Leveling Follower drops into aluminum USGI 30-round magazines in place of the black or green follower, with a four-way anti-tilt design. It won't fit the latest-generation USGI spring used with the tan or blue (EPM) follower, and it isn't optimized for thin-walled steel-bodied magazines.
  • Couplers. The Magpul MagLink joins two PMAG 30 or 40 AR/M4 GEN M2 MOE or GEN M3 magazines for fast reloads, and the AK MagLink does the same for 7.62x39 PMAG 30 AK/AKM MOE and GEN M3 magazines.

8. Bolt-action and revolver reloads

Many modern bolt guns and chassis use AICS-pattern detachable magazines. The PMAG 10 7.62 AC fits short-action AICS-spec bottom metal, including the Bolt Action Magazine Well for the Magpul Hunter 700 stock, and takes .308 Winchester-length cartridges. For long-action .30-06-family rifles, the PMAG 5 AC L Standard accepts cartridges up to 3.50 inches overall length. The PMAG 10 5.56 AC covers .223 bolt guns with short-action AICS bottom metal. If you are choosing the stock at the same time, read our precision rifle chassis guide first, because the magazine system is set by the bottom metal.

Revolver shooters reload with speedloaders or strips. The Safariland Comp II for Ruger GP100 (also listed for S&W L-Frame) is a push-button speedloader holding six .38 Special/.357 Magnum rounds. Safariland notes that some guns may need custom grips for clearance. The DeSantis Swift Strip holds six .38/.357 rounds flat, loads two at a time, and fits in most single mag or knife pouches.

9. Care, marking and when to retire a magazine

Number or mark every magazine. When a malfunction happens, you want to know whether it follows one magazine. Most PMAGs and AMAGs have a paint pen dot matrix for exactly this.

Clean magazines when they've been in mud, sand or water, and occasionally when they haven't. Take them apart, wipe the body and follower dry, and reassemble without oil inside the body, since oil holds grit. Modern springs tolerate being stored loaded better than gun-counter folklore suggests; wear comes mostly from repeated loading and unloading. Magpul says the D-50 GL9 is designed to be left loaded for long-term storage. Retire a magazine if the feed lips are cracked or spread, the body is split, or it keeps causing malfunctions after a clean and a new spring.

Our Picks

What we would hand across the counter for each need. Confirm the platform in the title matches your gun.

AR-15 (5.56/.223)

.308 AR and AK

Pistols and carbines

Bolt guns, revolvers and accessories

Putting it together

For most shooters, the answer is one magazine model per gun, marked, numbered and tested in that gun. Standardizing on a generation means your pouches, base plates and couplers all fit. Then build the carry side around it with our gun belts and magazine pouches guide and the pouches and belts range. If magazines are not seating or dropping free in your AR, the magazine release may be the problem; see the AR-15 controls guide.

Not sure a magazine fits your rifle or pistol? Contact us with the make, model and caliber and we'll confirm before you order. You can also browse everything from Magpul, Mission First Tactical and Strike Industries.

!