It was back at SHOT Show in early 2020 when I hit the Mission First Tactical (MFT) booth and spied a few distinctive AR-15 mags on display. They had colorful images seemingly embedded into the polymer itself rather than painted on or applied via a sticker. I’d gone through the process myself at the time for an article detailing it, now I’ve done it again and can give a durability report on the originals as well.
What are they?
The basis of the custom mags is MFT’s Extreme Duty (EXD) 30-rounders.
Tech Specs:
- 50% Stronger
- 3x More Impact Resistant than traditional nylons
- Next Generation Long Glass Fiber Polymer
- Enhanced Strength & Durability
- Ribbed front and rear gripping surface
- Long-life USGI-spec stainless steel spring
- Four-way anti-tilt self-lubricating follower
- Flared floor plate
- Oversized bolt catch
- Paint Pen dot matrix
- Tool-less disassembly with double floor plate safety release tabs
The manufacturing method that MFT uses to apply images is still pretty closely held. “Variable Impregnation Process” is the official term used, and the big takeaway from my discussions with MFT about this procedure is that the image isn’t just on the surface, but runs deeper into the material of the magazine body itself. It looks like you’d be able to feel the edges of the image, but you can’t. The image really is inside the mag body material. You can’t scrape it off with a fingernail. There’s an extremely tough (and slightly glossy) clearcoat as well, even on sections of the image that are blank unless you use a transparent background.
I’ll go into the process from the consumer’s side in a second. First, I’ll cover a few reasons one might want custom mags in the first place. There’s bound to be more reasons than what I can come up with, but here’s a quick idea list.
- Gift for Father’s day/birthday
- Mags printed to match your rifle’s paint/camo
- Caliber or Rifle’s name imprinted on mag
- Groomsman’s gift
- Unit insignia
- I have lots of plain black mags. Now I want one that isn’t.
The process is pretty painless. Go to “https://missionfirsttactical.com/doogma-testing/” and there’s a helpful tool that allows you to upload an image of your choice and adjust the positioning of the image as well as zoom level and background removal.
The website’s tools are easy to use, though I may wish for a couple more features. One, I’d like the ability to rotate images slightly to match the curve of the magazine. Two, I’d like the ability to click a box and have a standard magwell appear superimposed on the magazine so I can see precisely what will be cut off when the mag is inserted.
To avoid copyright issues from other artists, I used a few pieces of my own 3-D rendered art. MFT had their own artist draw up a few variations thereof and included them in the order. (The mags with “The Truth About Guns” company logos will be featured in a mag giveaway soon!) Besides TTAG logos, Jessica Rabbit and Laura Kinney (X-23) got their own mags. Also shown is the four-year-old mag with Paigeosity’s “Summer Aesthetic” (used with permission). Yes, I like pinup.
I pulled the OG Summer Aesthetic mag out of my shooting bag. It’s been in regular use over the last four years, but is hardly worse for wear. The polymer Mission First Tactical uses for their mags isn’t weak, but it’s still pretty impressive that the image has held up for years.
One aspect that’s pretty impressive is the level of detail MFT is able to get onto these mags. It doesn’t show up in a lot of the photos, but a good zoom shot can give you an idea.
The mags themselves function properly. They feed .223 and .300 BLK fine to include heavy subs. The earliest mags from MFT had some issues, the EXD (Extreme Duty) mags have definitely remedied this. That’s including the standard mags, the translucent mags, and these custom mags as well.
If I had one minor quibble about MFT’s custom mags, it’s the same one I had four years ago. I’d love to see a “slick side” mag without cutouts, like Torkmag’s eponymous product.
If you have any inclination toward spicing up the aesthetic of your rifle, or that of a friend, definitely check out Mission First Tactical’s custom mags. They also offer custom imagery on EDC dump trays, holsters and wallets.
Since a photo is worth a thousand words, here’s a couple more!
Check out more articles from Jens “Rex Nanorum” Hammer or visit him on Instagram @Rexnanorum.
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