SA80 Magazines

different baseplates.


different round platforms. New (L) and old (R).


notice the curve of the magazines, the newer models curve more, see how the bottom of the older magazines straightens out?


there is no hole for the magazine catch in the newer model, from personal experience the catch would sometimes be too effective in keeping the magazine in the weapon, the newer mags were far easier to remove


different baseplates, the newer ones are slightly harder to remove which is good as the old ones could sometimes dislodge if you bash them about a bit


new spring and old, the newer one slightly longer, notice also how the round platform has longer 'legs' which means its easier to slide up and down inside the magazine, the old ones would get wedged and cause stoppages

The H&K marked mags are sold commercially as "HK High Reliability magazines" where legal.

These are an all steel magazine, and intercompatible with the AR15/M16 platform.

another base plate in the L85A1 manual:

John Brown wrote:The H&K marked mags are sold commercially as "HK High Reliability magazines" where legal.

These are an all steel magazine, and intercompatible with the AR15/M16 platform.

True, the SA80 mags will not fit in an M16 housing but the M16 will fit inside the SA80.

bravo_2_zero wrote:

John Brown wrote:The H&K marked mags are sold commercially as "HK High Reliability magazines" where legal.

These are an all steel magazine, and intercompatible with the AR15/M16 platform.

True, the SA80 mags will not fit in an M16 housing but the M16 will fit inside the SA80.

That's weird.

I've got several SA80 mags (surplus from the UK - not commercial HK) that run just fine in my AR15.

John Brown wrote:

bravo_2_zero wrote:

John Brown wrote:The H&K marked mags are sold commercially as "HK High Reliability magazines" where legal.

These are an all steel magazine, and intercompatible with the AR15/M16 platform.

True, the SA80 mags will not fit in an M16 housing but the M16 will fit inside the SA80.

That's weird.

I've got several SA80 mags (surplus from the UK - not commercial HK) that run just fine in my AR15.

We were trying the original armour lite AR15 with 3 prong flash eliminator, the 1990's period mags wouldn't fit at all. We could only get the original colt ones supplied with the weapon to fit.