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The Schmeisser S60 Window Magazine – The Best 60 Round AR15 Magazine?
Blame it on my history of being a machine gunner, but I always like having more rounds in my gun than fewer rounds. I love extended magazines, and as long as it’s practical, I want to shove as many freedom seeds as possible into a magazine. As such, magazines like the Schmeisser S60 tickle my fancy.
Side-facing round indicators pair well with the window.
Today, we are going to be reviewing the Schmeisser S60 for the AR-15, and let me just say, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how it stacks up.
Breaking Down the Schmeisser S60
Schmeisser is a German firm that teamed up with American Tactical Imports to bring the S60 to the United States. This is the second generation of the Schmeisser S60. The first generation reportedly had issues interacting with the last round bolt hold-open devices. The newest generation promised to fix that, and spoiler alert, it did. I never found a problem with the magazine engaging my LRBHO device.
Like most modern AR-15 magazines, Schmeisser made use of lightweight but durable polymer to construct the magazine. Using polymer for the body made it possible to include side-facing windows that allow you to visually keep track of your ammunition from 30 to 60 rounds.
On the outside, we get an aggressive texture that makes gripping the magazine easy. While it is a wide-body casket magazine, it’s not tough to grip and rip into a magazine well.
Superior texturing is found down the entire body.
Why 60 Rounds?
30 rounds seem plenty, right? A standard capacity AR-15 magazine gives you 30 rounds of 5.56, and that’s long been the standard. Why would you go from 30 to 60? Well, because reloading sucks, duh! Why the heck not? The Schmeisser S60 provides 60 rounds of freedom without complaint.
From a practical perspective, 60 rounds of ammo does give double the ammo for a home defense scenario. You likely won’t be wearing a plate carrier with a few extra reloads when something goes bump in the night. Having 60 rounds will probably be overkill, but more ammo brings more comfort than less ammo as far as I’m concerned.
In case you forget how many rounds it can hold.
Admittedly, there are a few disadvantages of a hefty extended magazine. When fully loaded, the 60-round magazine feels hefty for sure. Price-wise, they will also cost a good bit more than buying two comparable quality 30-round magazines.
Drum or Mag?
Right away, we know the main competition for a magazine like this is the Magpul D-60 and other similar drums. Both the Magpul D-60 and the Schmeisser S60 achieve the same goal by different means. Which is for you? The Magpul D-60 has proven itself to be the preeminent drum and is known to be highly reliable, while the Schmeisser S60 is relatively new to the market.
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The Magpul D-60 is a bit more maneuverable and is roughly the same length as a 30-round PMAG. That being said, it doesn’t make it smaller than the Schmeisser S60. It’s much wider than the Schmeisser, which makes it a pain to carry more than one on a plate carrier or chest rig.
The window provides a nice way to keep track of your remaining rounds.
The thinner S60 makes it easy to carry multiple S60 magazines (or an S60 with standard 30-round magazines on the same carrier). Lengthwise, the S60 is longer, but it’s approximately the same size as a 40-round extended mag. The Schmeisser S60 also comes in at about half the cost of a D-60, making it a more budget-friendly option.
Load It Up and Let It Loose
I expected difficulty in loading this hefty magazine. Anytime you expand capacity, you typically expect magazines to become challenging to load. I was pleasantly surprised to find the Schmeisser S60 easy to load. Don’t get me wrong; the magazine isn’t as easy as your typical 30 rounder. You’ll need to apply a little more effort to squeeze in the last ten rounds, but not in a frustrating way. I never needed a tool or magazine loader to get those last rounds in.
For my initial testing, I loaded it up and quickly fired 60 rounds through my BRN 180. It fed perfectly and without issue. That’s not much of a test, but it ensured the Schmeisser S60 completes its core function of feeding the gun.
Looks right at home!
After loading this sucker back up, I hit the range again. This time, I used the Schmeisser S60 as a monopod. I dug it into the ground and let loose with it. I fired 20 rounds and did not have a single failure. Then, I shoved it against my simulated cover training barrier and let loose another 20 rounds while pressing the magazine against the barrier. Lastly, another 20 rounds while pulling it against the barrier.
Not a single issue was presented with the Schmeisser S60 when faced with pressure from a variety of angles!
Dropping It
With the magazine empty, I dropped it several times on its feed lips, back, front, and sides. The Schmeisser S60 dropped freely faster than a golf ball from a cheater. I do like it when my mags drop free, as it makes reloads a good bit quicker and more intuitive. After the empty drops, I loaded the magazine up once more.
Now I repeated my drop tests with a fully loaded magazine. Most of the time, a round or two would pop out, but the magazine still fed without issue. The body of the magazine was dirty, but nothing cracked, broke, or chipped.
You can barely tell it has been dropped.
However, like any quad-stacked magazine, you want to be careful dropping it. Dropping it fully loaded typically won’t cause a problem, but dropping it partially loaded is where you’ll often find your issues.
The insides of a quad-stack magazine rely on a very particular organization of rounds. When fully loaded, there isn’t much room for the cartridges to move. When partially loaded, the rounds can bounce around and cause the follower to stick or create an issue with the cartridges feeding out of order.
Getting Frisky with the Schmeisser S60
The Schmeisser S60 allows you to keep 60 rounds of 5.56 on tap for when you need it. These big boys offer up plenty of firepower for the range and competitive use. The modern polymer design works well and delivers on its promise of smooth and reliable feeding. As long as you understand the downsides to casket mags, you should have zero issues wielding the Schmeisser S60.
