AR Magazines: 5 Reasons Hexmag Products Offer an Edge

If you're looking for quality, American-made AR magazines, Hexmag has you covered. Hexmag's polymer rifle magazines will unconditionally serve a lifetime. And if you think the guys behind the brand are one of us, you'd be right.

Two brothers founded Hexmag in 2013 and began working on prototypes. Hexmag developed a proprietary fiber-reinforced polymer trademarked PolyHex2, which makes a magazine that is a little lighter yet just as strong as other popular polymer magazines. By March 2014, Hexmag was in production and selling its first-generation magazines.

Those first mags were 30 rounders, but near the end of 2014, several states successfully passed legislation that restricted capacity. In October 2014, Hexmag introduced its 10- and 15-round models and addressed the urgent needs of gun owners in those states. Notably, the 10-round magazine that maintained the look of a standard 30-round magazine launched Hexmag into stardom with customers who are subject to California's laws.

Those early black Hexmags grew to include three additional colors: Flat Dark Earth (FDE), grey and OD Green. All the while, Hexmag engineers did their due diligence to revise the follower and improve compatibility with the greatest number of AR-style variants on the market. The result was the Series 2 magazine, which was launched in mid-2016 after passing extensive torture testing. Given the exception to cartridges loaded to .223/5.56 maximum overall length (OAL) specification, which will not work, we find that the Series 2 is one of the most compatible magazines on the market. (Even a stripper-clip guide was integrated into the Series 2 magazine.)

1. Toolless Disassembly

A unique feature to Hexmags is the toolless disassembly process. A hexagon-shaped button, formed from the latchplate under the basepad, is large enough to press with a finger when it's necessary to remove the magazine's guts for maintenance or to change the color of follower and/or latchplate. The Hexmag-designed follower is anti-tilt fore and aft as well as side to side. None of us like old magazines with tired, short springs that occasionally puke several rounds when handled. Unlike some springs that appear in other mags (many of which are made of music wire), Hexmag incorporates a heat-treated stainless steel spring that's easily hooked to the colored latchplate. The stainless steel means that the spring won't corrode. Though the magazine is easily disassembled, we suspect the only reason you'll need to take one apart would be to wipe clean the carbon from the internals after running suppressed or to change the color of the follower and/or latchplate. (Or maybe you'll just want to disassemble it for fun because it's easy and you get to see all the internals of the magazine.)

2. Colored ID System

Remember when you marked magazines to segregate those loaded with training ammo from those loaded with more expensive carry loads? Or maybe to differentiate practice ammo from the more expensive hunting load? Maybe, like us, you painted basepads pink to deter pilfering. Hexmag pioneered the ammunition ID system with its colored followers and floorplates. This also impacts shooters who run different chambered uppers or guns in different calibers. By now, we've all heard of the catastrophic danger in mistakenly shooting a .300 Blackout (BLK) cartridge in a .223 chamber — or vice versa. Because Hexmags have a clean internal box design, these magazines will uniquely work interchangeably with .223 Rem./5.56 NATO, .300 BLK/.300 Whisper, .458 SOCOM and .50 Beowulf. With this level of versatility, it makes sense to take advantage of Hexmag's colored identification system. Sure, you could continue applying homebrew solutions such as scribbling with a paint pen or spray painting each of your mags with markings to differentiate different loads in each mag. However, G&A feels that the Hexmag offers a better option. It is a clean, professional-looking and an affordable upgrade that won't wear off — like paint will — with use.

3. Ability to Adhere Texturing

The toolless design and ammunition ID system are clever ideas for addressing known issues with AR-type magazines, but Hexmag also offers users the ability to adhere texturing. It's called Grip Tape, and it's available in black, grey, tan colors and (soon) clear. Not only does this die-cut tape add a secure texture to grip where you want it, it may also enhance the appearance of your Hexmag products by applying contrasting colors.

Hexmag has also launched a new .308 Win./7.62 NATO magazine that's based on the SR-25 platform. The AR-10 world is far behind the AR-15, so specs for AR-10 feeding devices widely vary. In fact, it took Hexmag developers a year and a half to complete this project. The SR-25-style magazine is greatly preferred in AR-10 platforms for its function and reliability. Hexmag's decision was a good one. Both black- and FDE-colored mags are available, which will soon be followed by five- and 10-round versions.

4. More Accessories

Hexmag is branching out into other AR accessories. These includes an adjustable XTech grip — with Hexmag's signature pattern and ability to wear Hexmag Grip Tape — and a new overmolded rubber grip developed in partnership with Ergo. If you visit hexmag.com, you'll also find the company's new line of rail covers for KeyMod, M-LOK and Picatinny patterns.

5. Great Value

Unlike brands that built their reputations on service with the military or law enforcement, Hexmag is earning a solid following for quality with everyone from first-time users to veteran operators. Hexmag magazines are competitively priced at $15, considering these added features: color ID followers and latchplates and optional texturing. Arguably the best feature is the lifetime warranty. If for any reason your magazine is damaged to the point that it doesn't function, you can send it back to Hexmag, who'll replace it unconditionally.

Visit hexmag.com to learn more.

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