AR15 Anti-Tilt Followers

[DarkRook]

ALL AR15 Guru’s.

Need to find out what the problem is and correct it. Has anyone else had these types of problems with your AR15 Magazines?

My AR15 is the Bushmaster XM-15 E2S HBAR. Problems encountered have never happened before with any of the mags used. Less than 1000rds shot. All other mags worked fine with no problems.

I bought some orange with spring anti-tilt follower packs for standard GI 30rd mags.
I also bought some yellow anti-tilt followers only to put in my remaining GI 30 rd mags, and one 20rd. All the followers are the same and are Magpuls, only color is different. I replaced Green, Black, and 1 Diecast metal follower from the 20rd mag.

Problems.
Can not fit 30 or 20 rounds in mags any more with orange or yellow followers. When I tried it pushed out the end of the mag plate a little. To fix this, can I just shave off some from the bottom of the followers.

Feed problems:
Also found that when I had put 30rds in a mag. The bolt would not stripe out the round when charging new inserted mag. Because the fit was so tight, I think. On the next round it remains tight and still will not strip next round to chamber. Until I got to the 6th round with 25 rounds left did it start working some.

 

[TSU45]

Do the followers have the Magpul logo on them? CProducts now makes anti-tilt followers that look exactly like Magpuls. If you got ones designed for a SS mag and are putting them in aluminum, they could be to tight.

 

[DarkRook]

Yes, they do. I knew about that issue before and made sure that I was getting the Magpuls. Know that the feed problem is not with all the mags upgraded. Only a few are having this problem. Of the 12 I upgraded 6 orange, and 6 yellow, 2 orange and all yellow ones are having problems. They are all old sorted GI mags of different types.

 

[robocop10mm]

Make sure you are not using followers sesigned for 30 round mags in a 20 and visa versa. They use different followers.

The GI green followers are fine as long as you upgrade the springs. Check www.sawlesales.com. Their enhanced mag springs are top notch.

GI mags cost Uncle Sugar about $2.00 each (that's with the green follower). You cannot expect much out of the spring in a $2 magazine.

 

[gladi8r]

I use the green magpuls in all my mags gi c products and bravo even a thermold one no probs, could you have not put the spring in properly under the follower.

 

[DarkRook]

No, I put the springs in correctly, along with the followers. I do not know everything, but I do know some. Besides that, I had already double checked myself and took the ones that messed up apart and checked them already, and they were correct. Lol.
Now the followers I saw and see online are for 30rd and 20rd. mags. Example Bushmaster sells an anti-tilt follower for 20rd n 30rd mags. It fits both. I did not think that would be a problem, because they are the same specs. I understand about the springs, being old and rusted. When I was working on the mags, I checked all the springs and put the best ones in the 6 mags I did not have new springs for. The 6 orange followers came with new chromed ones. Two of them gave me probs plus all 6 yellow ones.

Right now I'm thinking I am going to shave a little off each one that will not hold the correct amount in it. I'm going to take the ones that caused probs apart again and wash them out with hot water, and oil them good. Put them back together and try shooting with them again. Then if I still have probs with them I will have to come up with some other solution.

I'll let ya'll know what happens then.

 

[malladus]

Can't remember where I read it at, but somewhere there was info saying that for some of the magpul anti-tilt followers they actually will eat a round of capacity unless you use them with ranger plates on the bottom or vice versa because the length of the anti-followers. I know on the ones I have in my mags (Gen I followers) that is the case. Also, some of the Gen I followers are not meant to work in the straight 20 round magazines. IF you've still got the packaging read it. I'll see if I can find the reference for the loosing a round and post it.

malladus

 

[robocop10mm]

The Bushmaster 20 rd mags are just short 30 rounders. They have a curve similar to the GI 30's. The straight 20's are different.

 

[DarkRook]

The Bushmaster 20 rd mags are just short 30 rounders. They have a curve similar to the GI 30's. The straight 20's are different.

Ok, that I did not know. Now what to do. I don't think shaving off a little would hurt anything. I'll try it on one and test it. I'll post the results.

Reason I don't think it will hurt anything is because of the follower is grooved on each end to fit the form of the mag wall. So even if its shorter in height it should still work with no tilt. I'm only planning on shaving off the width of one or two rounds.

Any one have any warning objections for some reason I have not considered.

The packages did not have any info or instructions for them.

 

[DarkRook]

Update Issue Resolved, I think...


Update on this issue:

Sorry for delay, but life got in the way and had to take care of some things.

I took mags apart again of the ones that were having the problem, washed and cleaned with soap n water to insure dirt was not a cause. I remembered that I had picked up 2 BFI 30rd with anti-tilt followers a while back. I pulled one out and took it apart and found that their installed followers were only 7/8”; Where MagPuls both Orange and Yellow are 1’1/16”. So I took 3 and shaved them down to 7/8”, 5/8”, and 1/2”. I put the 7/8 one into a 30rd, the 5/8 into the 20rd, and the 1/2 in to a Colt mag that I had not changed out because it only holds 5, now it holds 8. The 30rd mag is holding 30rds now and the 20 is holding 20. These two are not so tight putting in the last rounds any longer.

I performed cycle function test manually to test for any hang-ups before and after I made the changes to these followers. I also did this with the brand new BFI and some brand new MagPul mags to ensure the problem was not the rifle. I found that the BFI and the MagPuls all worked fine, while the upgraded mags with the Yellow followers did not. I feel this ruled out the rifle as the problem source.

I found that the when cycle testing the mags with the yellow followers the first round being stripped from the mag was not canting up like with the others mags which did not have any problems. The bullet was scrapping the front edge of the mags and then failing to slide up inline with the chamber. This happened for about the first 3 to 6 rds. After this they all functioned normally. After adjusting the height of the yellow followers and installing them, I performed the tests again and only once had one rd hang-up on me, but I think that was because I released the bolt too slowly.

The problem I found with the two upgraded Orange followers was that I had them coupled together and the coupler was too tight. It caused a bulge and would not work right. Once I took them out of the coupler they worked fine.

I test fired all the mags today that I had had problems with the last time. The all work great. No probs what so ever. The only thing I can figure is that the longer followers when the mag was fully loaded caused two much tension and pressure to the top round that it could not be stripped from the mag because it did not cant upwards as it was being stripped out.

Now I am 90% sure this has all been resolved by the changes I made. Anyone have anything to add or any helpful advice to allow me to feel closer to 100% that I have resolved the problem.

BTW: Thanks for all the helpful input from everyone.