The Mission First Tactical Polymer Magazine is one of my go-to polymer magazines. It’s affordable. And it’s just a really solid mag.
Additionally, as a PMAG alternative, it more closely mimics the experience of using a Magpul PMAG than just about any other polymer magazine. It’s also notably less expensive than a PMAG.
This is simply one of the best PMAG alternatives. Here’s my evidence for this claim.
Ergonomics
As I mentioned, this magazine very closely recreates the experience of using a PMAG. However, it actually does a couple things even better than a Magpul PMAG (and one thing slightly worse).
But, first, let’s talk about what it does just like a PMAG.
The shape is pretty much the same as a PMAG. If you like the size and feel of a PMAG, or if you have mag carriers that fit PMAGs really well, the MFT polymer magazine will most likely work really well for you.
Additionally, the MFT polymer magazine has a flared base plate that’s almost exactly the same shape as a PMAG base plate. That makes the MFT magazine just as easy to snag from your magazine carriers as a PMAG.
Lastly, the grip texture on the MFT polymer magazine is just as good—maybe better—than the PMAG texture. The MFT polymer magazine has a stippled texture. It’s quite grippy. And they put the texture in just the right spot to be under your fingertips.
The texture on the belly of the MFT magazine is also just about the same as the texture on a PMAG. However, there’s no grip texture on the spine of the MFT polymer magazine. That’s not a huge deal. But the PMAG has a textured spine and the MFT magazine does not have texture on the spine. So the PMAG wins there.
Overall, Mission First Tactical has done an excellent job on the ergonomics front. Most shooters probably won’t even notice the difference between the MFT polymer magazine and a PMAG.
Functionality
Given that the MFT polymer magazine ergonomics are about the same, it makes sense that the functionality is also about the same as a PMAG.
The functionality basically comes down to the baseplate. The MFT polymer magazine base plate can be removed in pretty much the same way you’d remove a PMAG base plate.
The MFT base plate also has drain holes. The PMAG base plate has drain holes, too.
All this adds up to be a tie. The MFT polymer magazine does everything the Magpul PMAG does. And the MFT polymer magazine does all these things in the same way the PMAG does them.
Durability
After dropping the MFT polymer magazine on the concrete a bunch of times, I was pretty happy with how well it held up. The base plate never popped loose. And the rounds rarely came loose if I dropped a full or partial MFT polymer magazine.
That’s most likely because the MFT magazine has pretty much the same feed lips as a Magpul PMAG. That way the MFT magazine holds rounds just as well as a PMAG.
And this isn’t even the first time that I’ve durability checked the MFT polymer magazine. Since these magazines are so affordable, I’ve had quite a few of them in my range bag for a while. They’ve all held up just as well as my PMAGs.
Reliability
I’ve never had a magazine related malfunction from a Mission First Tactical polymer magazine. That’s perfect reliability through some number of thousand rounds.
We also have a few MFT polymer magazines that go out with rental guns. And they’ve held up just as well as the PMAGs on the rental counter.
The MFT polymer magazine doesn’t seem to be as thick walled as some of the other PMAG alternatives. But it’s constructed just as well as a PMAG and is just as reliable.
Swapping Mags
Of all the polymer AR-15 magazines, the MFT polymer magazine is one of the most similar to a Magpul PMAG in terms of ergonomics and construction. It’s about the same size as a PMAG. The grip texture is comparable to a PMAG. And even the feed lips seem to be clones of Magpul PMAG feed lips.
The thing about the Mission First Tactical polymer magazine that’s not the same as a PMAG is the price. The MFT polymer magazine runs a few bucks less expensive than a PMAG.
But the performance and shooting experience is pretty much the same as a Magpul PMAG. If you want a PMAG alternative that’s more like a PMAG clone, try the MFT polymer magazine.