Benefits of Marking Magazines
Hey all, we here at True Shot Academy are going to go over the benefits of marking magazines. This practice has been adopted by shooters of all types and can be utilized with many types of firearms. Magazine marking can be done in many ways and is an efficient way to denote a wide array of potential information. Without further ado, let’s talk about the benefits of marking magazines.
Marked Magazines Help Shooters Keep Track of Magazines
Shooters can mark their magazines to make them easily identifiable and easy to keep track of. Often times, shooters will do this by putting their initial or initials or by putting their last name on their magazines. This can be especially helpful in situations where one finds themselves shooting with many other shooters. Setting such as competitions large range sessions, and training events are some such events which are good examples of situations in which marked magazines are helpful.
Sometimes, you are not the only shooter using a given type of magazine. For example, many firearms utilize common Glock or AR-15 pattern magazines. Due to this fact, there can be many of these firearms present at the same time at one of the aforementioned situations. By marking your magazines, you will be easily able to identify and retrieve your magazines in one of these settings. Additionally, one can ensure that others do not end up with their magazines or that they do not accidentally take someone else mags.
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Magazines Can Be Marked to Identify Loaded Ammunition
Shooters also typically mark their magazine to aid in identifying the
ammunition packed within the unit. Some AR-15 shooters have dedicated magazines for calibers such as
.300 Blackout or
6.8 SPC and mark them prominently to denote this fact. This is important AR-15/STANAG magazines can accept many different calibers and one should be sure of the ammunition they have loaded. Accidents can happen and shooting the wrong ammunition in the wrong firearm can have serious consequences.
Additionally, some shooters mark magazines to denote the specific type of loading contained in the magazine. For example, some shooters, especially rifle and pistol caliber carbine shooters, will mark their range, defensive, match, or subsonic
ammo-loaded magazines. This practice allows end users to easily see what type of ammunition they have on hand at a quick glance. By doing this, shooters will not accidentally end up shooting some expensive defensive ammo when they meant to shoot range ammo.
Marked Magazines Aid in Isolating Issues
Shooters can utilize marked magazines to aid in isolating and remedying issues. This practice is best done by adopting an alphanumerical system as markings are distinct and sequential. For example, imagine a shooter has five magazines marked 1-5. Say this shooter goes to the range and experiences issues with magazine number 4. The marked nature of the magazine makes it easy for the shooter to identify magazine number 4 as a problem and remove it from circulation until it is replaced or fixed. This removes the guesswork involved with tracking down a problem magazine if time passes between shooting sessions and one cannot remember which unit had issues.
How Do People Mark Magazines?
Shooters typically mark magazines by utilizing paint pens, Sharpie markers, tape, and other methods. Many of these methods, specifically paint pens and tape, are impermanent solutions which can easily be removed and applied as needed. Of course, some shooters have also utilized colored basepads and floorplates to mark magazines as well Additionally, these options and more come in a variety of high visibility colors, making them easy to see and identify.
Furthermore, shooters can utilize different colors to denote different pieces of information. For example, green can denote range
ammo, blue can denote subsonic ammo, and red can denote specialty defensive or match ammo. Of course, different colors exist and can be used for different types of loadings. All in all, there are many ways to mark magazines, meaning there is no wrong way to do this. Regardless of how one marks their magazine, they will still benefit.
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Where Do People Mark Magazines?
Magazines are marked in various places. Some shooters will simply write along the side of the magazine while others make their markings on basepads. Additionally, there are some magazines, such as
Magpul M3 PMAGs and
Mission First Tactical EXD magazines which feature distinct areas for marking. The Magpul offerings in particular feature a dot matrix field which is easily marked with initials or caliber information. If tape or bands are used, one can easily place markers of this type around the body of a magazine. Ideally, one will want to legibly mark a magazine in a place which is easy to see without impeding function of the firearm.
Conclusion
All in all, marking magazines is an effective and easy way to provide yourself with a wide variety of potential information. Everything from making magazines easily identifiable to denoting specific calibers or loadings is easily accomplished via this method. Shooters in various settings ranging from casual shoots to matches and training events stand to benefit from marked magazines. We here at True Shot Ammo carry a wide range of magazines and
ammo for sale to help you get out to the range. With popular calibers such as
5.56,
9mm,
12 gauge, and
.22 Long Rifle, we have ammo for a wide range of firearms. Whether you are looking to stock up on magazines or if you want to
buy bulk ammo, we have you covered. As always, happy shooting.