32 Double-D: The Daniel Defense Magazine

Last week at the 2016 NRA Annual Meeting we caught a glimpse of the new Daniel Defense AR-15 magazine. Currently they're only shipping with new Daniel Defense rifles, but we're told that these new magazines will be available for individual purchase this June. As luck would have it, we managed to get our hands on some to give you a closer look.

This new magazine is textured, somewhat reminiscent of the Troy Battle Mag, with horizontal ribs for grip along the face and spine. The body of the magazine sports a gentle flare below the magwell, and is finished off by a basepad with an integral loop. As you can see there is also a provision for a stripper clip spoon.

The Daniel Defense magazine is easily disassembled by pressing down on a detent in the base pad. Internally it's exactly what you'd expect from any decent modern magazine. Of course, you may already have noticed that this magazine has a capacity of 32 rounds instead of the standard 30. It's not much larger than other 30 rounders (about the same overall length as a USGI with a Magpul L-Plate installed) and gives you an extra couple rounds–what's not to like? It should also be said that if you're a fan of downloading a standard magazine to 29 or 28 for ease of loading on a closed bolt, these will allow you to do that without reducing your capacity below that of a standard magazine.

Though the baseplate does look similar to a Magpul, you're not going to be securing an OEM pad on a Daniel Defense magazine without at least some modification. The internal body contours are slightly different–but it doesn't appear to be an absolutely insurmountable problem. Further investigation is warranted. However, while a follower from a Gen 3 PMAG dropped right into the Daniel Defense the reverse was not possible.

Long term use remains to be seen but we'll see what the future brings.

You can visit Daniel Defense online here. 

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