Hexmag vs. PMAG: First Impressions

I'd much rather do this via video than text, so perhaps there will be a companion video soon, but I wanted to quickly capture my initial impressions on this topic before they drift too far from this moment. I want to capture my experience so far with the new Hexmag AR-15 magazines, and I will update that experience as it progresses.

Why Hexmag?
I first came across Hexmag via a friend of mine who purchases them almost exclusively for his AR. They are readily available at his favorite local shop, and are often priced below the industry leading Magpul PMAGs by at least a few bucks. For a while, I dismissed them as just another magazine option that measures itself against PMAG and kept my purchases confined to Magpul. Why save a couple of bucks per magazine and sacrifice performance, right? My friend on the other hand, chose the other approach and kept sending me pictures of his continued purchases. Why not save a couple of bucks and get something that functions just as well?

I've also been seeing Hexmag pop up in more and more Internet content; namely in videos posted by the new gun media. Popular names all over YouTube and Full30 are embracing and torture testing Hexmags, and hinting that they are starting to prefer them over PMAGs. The various reviews basically stack them up squarely against PMAGs with a few potential advantages over the Magpul standard. So, I decided to check them out myself. If these people who I respect have made the decision to stock up on Hexmags, then there may be something to them that I should consider. Besides, why would I miss an excuse to buy more magazines? Here's two of my favorite vides on the subject:

IV8888 Magazine Torture Test

Sootch00 Hexmag HX30:

I browsed around the Hexmag website, looking for more information about the company. I wanted to know why they existed and what they were trying to solve that others hadn't already. Magpul being the industry standard, I was looking for things that stood out as a reason to buy a Hexmag product instead of PMAGs. In one video posted on their website, I heard a founding member state that they wanted to create a product that looked cool first, and functioned well second.

The video is here: https://youtu.be/bdoBnOB5B3o and remarks start at the 25 second mark.

The company president says in the video, "Hexmag was started on the principle that most magazines are boring, so we started on the first principal that it had to look good." The emphasis was on appearance which led to the hexagonal pattern on the Hexmag body. I've since heard other bloggers and gun videographers claim this hex pattern is about creating friction to enhance grip, but based on the President's own video, I think that may be a side benefit at best. Besides, Hexmag also sells hexagonal grip tape to fill in the hex pattern on the magazine body. If the body is designed to enhance grip, why add and sell the tape? To be honest, that video was a major negative to someone like me who looks first for function and performance, and second at appearance. Hexmag, by their own words, was founded to create a cooler looking magazine option for AR owners that wasn't as boring as the available options. Personally, I think PMAG has them beat in the appearance arena, but regardless, the founding concern being appearance is less than ideal for me.

Another point made by the Hexmag website, is that in restricted states like CA where I live, you can still order a full sized magazine, that is purpose-built during the manufacturing process for reduced capacity. I like that. You can't buy a 30 round PMAG that was designed for 10 rounds from Magpul or retailers. You have to buy 10 round PMAGs designed for 10 rounds, or 30 round PMAGs that have been permanently modified by the retailer to accept only 10 rounds. Now, Hexmag touts that this is an appearance (looks cool), and compliance issue (legal to own), and it mostly is both of those. Practically speaking, using a 30 round PMAG or Hexmag that can only accept 10 rounds is a waste of space reserved for those 20 rounds that are banned in CA. Hexmag tries to market that open space as storage opportunity, but I'm not sure of the practical use cases of that space. In practical terms, I can carry more magazines in CA by adopting 10 round PMAGs, than I can by using 30 round PMAGs trimmed to 10 rounds or full sized Hexmags designed for 10 rounds. The spring in 10 round PMAGs is really stiff and a lot longer than the magazine body, which leads me to believe they may be designed for 20 round magazines, vs. the Hexmag 10 round spring which isn't as stiff and is shorter which indicates it is optimized for 10 rounds. Does it make a difference? I don't know, but conceptually it sounds good, and it appears to be built accordingly. It may be that a longer, stronger spring has the long term advantage. Time will tell.

Wasted space or storage opportunity?

Hexmag also offers their 10 round product in color options Magpul doesn't. That is totally an appearance issue, but I like FDE and 10 round PMAGs don't come in FDE. They come in black or sand (and sand might as well be white for those who haven't picked one up). I have more options with Hexmags, and I like options.

I was also intrigued by the replacement follower and base plates that provide a spectrum of different color options. This truly seems unique in the industry and does meet a real need I have; at a glance discernment of ammunition type in a magazine. Like many others, I do load different ammunition into PMAGs that by the magazine exterior, appears the same. My variation is between 5.56, .223, and bullets within those two spectrums (FMJ, JHP, FTX etc.). The Hexmag base plate and follower option does allow me to choose a color scheme for my ammunition variation, so I can quickly identify which is which regardless of which end of the magazine I'm looking at. I can use green for 5.56 performance FMJ, blue for .223 FMJ, red for .223 FTX, orange for .223 JHP, yellow for 5.56 bulk FMJ etc. Easy to identify from either end of the mag, and I can designate magazines for different purposes which can help me track performance and issues that may develop with an individual magazine. The bright followers also help see within the chamber in low light conditions to verify magazine status. All benefits over PMAGs.

So, between the body color options, the 10 round-by-design in a 30 round body, and the base plate and follower coordination, and YouTube hype, I decided to buy a few.

First Impressions - Strength and Feel

When I opened the first Hexmag package, I was immediately disappointed. I had that feeling of, "oh, no, that was a mistake." They feel and look cheap and weak. However, that may just be appearance and due to their weight, because according to those torture test videos I've seen, these things can stand up to all sorts of abuse. Still, comparing the component parts and how they fit together with the PMAG, the Hexmag looks less precise and cheap in the fit and finish department. The Hexmag also feels like you can crush it, but despite my best efforts to do so by hand, it doesn't flex a bit, so the feel may be deceiving.

This is totally subjective, but to me, the hex texture does nothing to enhance grip. In fact, holding the PMAG in one hand and the Hexmag in another, the Hexmag actually feels too smooth and slick. By comparison, the PMAG has a texture that feels rough and is easier to grip. Gripping the Hexmag with pressure, my fingers can slip easily on the surface. That's not the case with my PMAGs where the texturing of the material itself adds noticeable friction. I tried to capture the textures in the image below. The Hexagonal pattern on the Hexmag is certainly raised higher than the ridges on the PMAG, but the Hexmag material itself is really slick. You can see some texturing on the PMAG which is really pronounced by feel.

Texture comparison: Hexmag (R) vs PMAG (L)

Taking the magazines apart, I also compared springs (visually and by touch). Again, very subjective, but the Hexmag springs feel cheap. I'm not sure if they are a different metal than what Magpul uses, but they really feel different. Now, different and lighter can be good. Some materials like polymer are lighter than similar materials yet stronger. That could be the case here. However, the PMAG springs on my M2 and M3 PMAGs feel thicker and higher quality. Totally subjective as they may function the same, but still something that bothers me about a product that claims to be innovative. When compressing the springs outside of the magazine body, I also found the PMAG to be a much stiffer spring. The Hexmag spring was easier to compress than the PMAG. Re-assembly of the magazines was more of a challenge with the PMAG again, due to that stronger spring resistance, but that could also be viewed as an advantage: a strong enough spring that isn't too difficult to work with. Again, subjective, but it's there. What I'm wondering is if that spring difference could affect feeding? Could that represent a shorter life span? Time will tell. I noticed something else visible in the picture below with regard to spring orientation. The Hexmag spring leans left relative to the curvature of the magazine body (toward the magazine body spine), while the PMAG is almost straight, and if anything, leans consistently with the curvature of the body of the PMAG. No idea if that matters functionally, but it may be contributing to follower tilt that I describe below. Notice where the pressure from the top of the spring meets the Hexmag follower (hint, it's pressing up against the rear of the follower).

Hexmag and PMAG springs, followers, and baseplates (assembled)

First Impressions - Fit

I took both the Hexmag and PMAG apart to look at the component pieces and how well they fit together. with the PMAG, you can see the follower and base plates fit into well defined slots that provide a snug integration between parts (see the image below, focus on the section of the PMAG follower toward the front). The PMAG follower design incorporates some extensions or wings that fit in front of internal guides within the magazine body. The Hexmag on the other hand, has less defined integration points which could result in a few potential functional problems (yet to be experienced). As one example, the follower in the Hexmag has a lot of room around it, allowing you to wobble and move it back and forth. The internal grooves that serve as guides for the follower in the PMAG run the length of the body, but are not present in the Hexmag at all. The PMAG follower is a snug fit that doesn't move, while the Hexmag feels loose and wobbles on touch with a little pressure.  You'll also notice in the image below, the arms at the opening of the magazine, cover more of the follower in the PMAG than in the Hexmag. That leaves the impression again of better design and integration in PMAGs. The spring attachment design to the follower is almost identical in both mags, while the attachment to the base plate is more defined and secure in the PMAG than in the Hexmag (see the image above).

Follower and frame fit 1

In the following image, you can see how the PMAG follower fits snugly into a tight space in the top of the magazine body. The Hexmag follower almost looks like the wrong part for the body as it extends beyond the top of the body at an angle, allowing it to wobble back and forth with ease. I haven't experienced feeding issues yet, but just looking at this design makes me worried about performance and consistency in feeding in the Hexmag.

Follower and frame fit 2: Hexmag (R) vs PMAG (L)

I have never experienced problems from excessive follower tilt the original aluminum M4 mags were rebuked for. In fact, Magpul is famous for their replacement follower that is designed to solve problems caused by excessive tilt. When I press down on the front of my PMAG follower, the pressure moves the whole follower down consistently. The whole follower moves uniformly with no forward tilt at all. This is due in part to the follower design as well as the PMAG body which contains a groove the follower fits in. However, pressing on the forward point of the Hexmag follower results in considerable tilt visible in the image below. The tilt does stop at about the point depicted and the rear of the follower then starts to move down with the follower at an angle. There is no internal groove in the Hexmag body as there is in the PMAG to prevent this. I don't know if the tilt allowed will affect performance or not, but it's there. Could this be due to where the spring engages the follower as I pointed out above? I think so. I think this is a design flaw and opportunity for Hexmag to improve.

Hexmag follower tilt

When it comes to being inserted into an AR with the bolt closed, I initially thought the Hexmag wouldn't lock in place. I saw other people test this on YouTube, and their Hexmags locked in with a closed bolt with seemingly no problem. I tried each of my Hexmags and had the same result; wouldn't lock in. PMAGs lock in place with almost no effort and no need to slam them in place with a brisk smack from the palm of your hand. It turns out after trial and error that my Hexmags (all of  them) require a good smack in the base plate to fully seat and lock in place. Releasing was no problem and they all dropped free just as my PMAGs do.

First Impressions - Visual

Ok, this is the most subjective feedback so far, but it's annoying to me for a product that claims to be an improvement over the industry standard. The Hexmags look cheap. They do. I don't know if it's the material difference or the manufacturing process, but the lines and grooves just aren't as clean as those on PMAGs, and there's a lot more space between pieces. Notice in the image below, the residual material leftover on the Hexmag that resembles a seam? It's a snag line that runs the length of the Hexmag body spine. There is a similar characteristic on the PMAG, but it's far reduced and doesn't snag to the touch. To me that has nothing to do with function, but is all about quality in the manufacturing process. You can also see in the image below the forward, upward tile of the follower in the Hexmag.

PMAG vs. Hexmag Finish Quality

I couldn't quite capture it, but when comparing the current version of baseplates between the PMAG and the Hexmag, the gap between plate and body is wider on the Hexmag than PMAG. Hexmag follows a base plate design similar to the PMAG M2 base plates vs. the improved PMAG M3 base plates which are a more snug and integrated fit. The result is a more pronounced edge on the bottom of the Hexmag (and PMAG M2), and a more subtle gradual widening on the PMAG M3. You can't see it well in this image, but here's an example: Hexmag, PMAG M3, PMAG M2.

Overall Impressions and Recap

Alright, I've been extremely critical of the Hexmag, and probably picking on things that won't matter functionally. Here's the bottom line for me: buy both. Let's give Hexmag some market capital to continue developing and refining their product, and let's give Magpul some incentive to develop their response. To me, Magpul is a higher quality product, but Hexmag has some interesting innovations that I like.

I love competition in the marketplace. It drives innovation and price reduction which are both positives for the consumer. From what I hear, Hexmags function perfectly and are probably strong enough for every civilian purchaser in the US. They have redeeming qualities and options that Magpul doesn't offer. However, to my eyes and touch, they are a lower quality magazine for not much of a price difference. I really like the color options of both the magazine body, the follower, and the base plates.

I think Hexmag would do well to develop a next-generation magazine that fixes the follower tilt, improves the component fit, has a more robust spring, and adds texture to the body. Those four additions, and I'd say they could give Magpul a run.

For now, Hexmag has some work to do. PMAGs are still, in my opinion, higher quality magazines for only a buck or two more in cost, but let's give Hexmag a chance and the resources to continue building a cool product. They've hit the market, made an impression, now it's time to fill in some of the design gaps and create an improved product.

2A Safe