Specna Arms s-mag mid-cap magazines test
How to choose the best mid-cap magazine?
In the past, almost exclusively hi-cap magazines were added to airsoft guns. They have many advantages. First of all, one such magazine can hold from about 200 to even 1000 BBs. This gives you a chance to play at least one quick round without changing the magazine. This may seem silly, but for a person who is just starting out, it can be important. No need to change magazines allows you to minimize tactical equipment. In addition, we are not exposed to fire when changing the magazine. We can freely hide and wind up a hi-cap whenever we want. But why do so many people abandon such standard magazines in favour of a more realistic experience? First of all, with a high-capacity wind-up magazine, we won't be able to sneak. Rattling with even careful movements from a distance will give away our position. In addition, the dose of realism that we will experience when changing magazines, especially under fire, gives a nice thrill that will appeal to most players. Additionally, it may happen that, especially in replicas built with a high ROF (Rate Of Fire) focus, the hi-cap magazine may not be able to keep up with feeding the BBs at the right pace.
So how do you choose good mid-caps? As is often the case here, a lot depends on our needs and requirements. If we just want to start our adventure with this type of magazines, we may not necessarily want to spend large sums of money. Then we also do not have an airsoft replica that would require very advanced mid-caps. But how do you recognize good magazines? What to consider when buying?
- Strong spring
In my opinion, this is the basis of a good magazine. Precisely because they are better at feeding BBs in highly tuned airsoft guns. How will we know it? Just load some BBs and release the lock. Then you can see with what power our ammunition flies. If the stream is strong, the magazine will empty quickly, there is a high probability that it is decent and will feed even with a high ROF.
- Easy to disassemble and clean
We can expect this even from relatively cheap magazines. Magazines must be easy to disassemble so that they can be cleaned from time to time. Constructions where it is impossible or difficult are not worth our attention. Before buying, it is worth checking the description or searching the Internet for information on how our structure is laid out. Regular cleaning is the basis for long and trouble-free operation of our magazines.
No problem to take them apart for cleaning. Just unscrew the allen screw at the bottom of the magazine. Then the cartridge is pulled out from the top and we have access to the mechanism. We can then disassemble it and clean it, which will definitely improve the lifespan and allow us to enjoy trouble-free operation of our mid-cap. They also do not disappoint in terms of visuals. They are slightly longer than and slightly larger than standard magazines. Usually, however, this does not prevent them from fitting into standard pouches. The shells are covered with a non-slip texture, which upon closer inspection turns out to be an engraving composed of many tiny Specna Arms brand logos.
- Additional features
You know that feeling when you take out the magazine and a few BBs fall out of the socket? Or is there always one or two still in the mid-cap? A lot of people are annoyed by this. But there are constructions that have a solution to this problem. At the end of the springs, they have a special element that pushes the last BBs into our hop-up chamber. Such a clever solution eliminates the problem. There are also other oddities we can find. Some replicas work with dedicated magazines in such a way that they will not fire when it is not loaded. However, probably the most useful function or feature of magazines is their serviceability. Unfortunately, this is currently reserved only for the most expensive models, but it is definitely possible to service them. Occasionally, we may replace a spring or other internal components.
- Versatility
We rarely stop at just one airsoft gun. The simplest division is one replica for the forest and the other for the games in the buildings. When both are from one platform, we can successfully use one set of magazines for both constructions. But what if they are not replicas of the same manufacturer? Or did they come from one factory, but are two separate series? Sometimes this is enough for cheaper magazines to no longer feed in one of two copies. Good mid-caps can be recognized by the fact that they work with various airsoft guns and work properly in many situations.
Are s-mag magazines good?
It is enough to go to a regular Sunday skirmish to notice the popularity of these magazines. Players like them for their modern design and reliability. I also use these constructions myself and I have no complaints. I've yet to come across an airsoft gun where they didn't feed properly. Whether it's an old JG638 with an adapter or new Specna Arms replicas, I've never noticed any problems with feeding. Same with different types of airsoft guns. There was no problem with them even with high ROF DSG replicas. So, what accounts for their popularity?
S-mag works with a variety of platforms. Currently, we have three main groups of magazines from the s-mag family. It started with classic boxes for M4-style airsoft replicas. Along with the launch of the J series, magazines stylized to those for the AK appeared. Recently, we can also use novelties in the form of PCC construction after the debut of the expected X series. It is worth mentioning that, apart from mid-caps, they also appear as hi-caps, which can be found in the boxes of airsoft guns from the Core family.
What do most airsoft players expect when looking for mid-cap magazines? They want reliable, nice constructions that will serve without any problems in many different airsoft guns. So that not only do we not have to worry about compatibility when we buy a new toy, but also when we throw a magazine to a friend during a firefight. In many cases, we also do not want to spend a fortune. And it's a fact that there are magazines on the market that have more innovative features. But they are not always so universal. Sometimes expensive mid-caps do not have very strong springs, which limits their usefulness in replicas focused on high ROF values. Specna magazines offer, above all, reliability in an attractive form, which determines their continued popularity.
Author: Boreq
Check out similar entries:
