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10/30 Magazine Buying Guide: All The Looks But Less Capacity
Magazine capacity laws suck. You and I know we would get rid of them in a heartbeat if we could, but we’re stuck with them for now. And it’s worse when the state(s) keep making the laws tighter or changing them.
Like California, which this article is essentially dedicated to.
First, what is a 10/30 magazine? If you live in states with 10-round magazine limits, these are meant to give you the look of a 30-round magazine without breaking any laws.
They work via a block on the inside.
Why? 10-round magazines don’t look as cool and have less surface area to grab in a hurry. Although part of the reason is simply cosmetic, people work hard for their guns, and we like them to look good.
So, we’ve compiled a list of 10/30 magazines so you can find which one you like and want to pull the trigger on.
What To Expect
Typically, when we create these magazine buying guides, we break them into categories such as home defense and range use, with reliability and capacity being primary deciding factors.
But if you’re limited to ten rounds regardless, there’s not much point in creating such categories. Plus, all of these magazines that we’ll examine are reliable and from reputable manufacturers.
So we will list 10/30 available magazines and features we like. You can use these magazines for whatever you like—home defense, range, or IG photo ops.
Magpul 10/30 Gen M3 PMAG
Anyone who has ever seen an AR-15 knows the PMAG. They are everywhere and come in many shapes, colors, and sizes for different platforms.
And if you’ve had your hands on any of them, you understand the appeal. Utilizing the well-known grip texture, you get a full-size magazine that you can use to get your hands on and rip out of your rifle.
Just in case you forget. Source
for years. Whenever you need it, Magpul will feed it. And you can easily keep track of your various magazines thanks to the paint pen dot matrixes!
You’ve heard that here first.
These P-Mags have been used in multiple combat areas all over the globe and have proven themselves and what they are capable of. If you’re looking for a magazine to use for home defense, the range, or to run over with a truck, this is the one.
Hexmag Series 2 10/30 Magazine
Although Hexmag has not been around for a long time, they have more than proven themselves. We all own a few, and they have not let us down.
These Hexmag Series 2 magazines offer several new upgrades and are more than worthy of use in any capacity, from the range to home defense.
The extra feed lip retention improves reliability when feeding and retaining ammo, while the proprietary PolyHex2 Advanced Composite polymer body endures the harshest punishment. The honeycomb-style texturing is extra “grippy”, making it easy to rip out those magazines under any conditions.
And if you don’t want the plain black aesthetic, Hexmag offers these in several other colors.
Amend 2 10/30 Magazine
Amend2 is another company that has not been around as long or has proven itself as much as companies like Magpul, but has continued to impress us in terms of quality and reliability.
Made from a polymer blend that Amend two calls “Mod 3 Polymer,” it can withstand many drops before you ever have to start worrying about reliability issues.
Although the texture is not as aggressive as some other magazines on this list, it’s still enough to get your hands on and take care of business. And similar to the PMAG, you’ll find a dot matrix to keep your magazines labeled and in order.
You wouldn’t even see all the attention to detail unless you disassembled your mag!
The follower on this magazine is extremely bright orange. It’s probably the brightest I’ve ever seen, and I don’t think any amount of carbon fouling can dim it. When you’re out of ammo, you’ll know it.
It’s one of the cheaper magazines on the list, but that means you can stock up on a few more!
DuraMag 10/30 Magazine
If this is your first time hearing of DuraMag, I’m happy to show you the light. It’s the only aluminum magazine on this list, so if you dislike polymer, you’re in the right spot.
It’s lightweight but durable and highly resistant to corrosion. Inside, you’ll find a robust, high-quality spring and an anti-tilt polymer follower that help feed those rounds reliably, even when dust is everywhere.
Because these are made of aluminum, they will be more slick than the polymer magazines mentioned above, especially when wet. I’d use these magazines for home defense and the range, but if it’s going to be wet outside, it’s best to go with polymer.
MFT 10/30
Mission First Tactical is not one of those names you hear too often when magazine talk is in the air, but they pack their magazines with a ton of features. An oversized mag catch notch, a paint pen matrix, a flared baseplate, and more.
They were not kidding when they said, “Mission first”
These polymer magazines have a sandpaper-like grip, making them super easy to get and keep a hand on. If you’re one of those people who get their rifle wet often, these even have drain holes drilled into them.
See? A ton of features.
These highly reliable magazines can be used for home defense or the range. They are also not super expensive, which is nice.
Conclusion
No matter what you need them for, these 10/30 magazines can handle it. They have all been extensively tested and will most likely outlast you if you care for them.
10/30 magazines have their place. Are they the best for defensive purposes? Well, they don’t offer any tactical advantage. They are dead space and extra weight for no reason, so I would not use them for that purpose.
You wouldn’t even guess that’s a 10-round mag! Source
But everyone loves looking at their firearms. And it looks good on Instagram, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
So if that’s your thing, all you must decide is polymer or aluminum?
Be good and take care.
