Revealed at the 2015 SHOT Show, the D-60 Drum Magazine by Magpul Industries led the industry in high-capacity magazine design. The D-60 is a 60-round capacity magazine that combines the ammo capacity to two standard magazines without necessitating a reload.
At the top the upper feed tower of the D-60 is the same as a Gen M3 Pmag and has the same level of compatibility with Colt-patterned rifles and stripper clips. The feed lips and magazine catch of the D-60 enable it to be securely seated even with a closed bolt. A loading ratcheting system allows for each round to be consistently loaded down into the circular drum, while still allowing for a hold-open bolt after the final round has been fired.
The lower drum itself is constructed from the same crush and impact-resistant polymer as other Magpul products.
On the rear of the drum is a paint pen dot matrix to allow for easy visual recognition of markings based on the user’s needs. The rear of the drum also includes a translucent anti-reflective window for current ammunition capacity recognition.
The internals of the D-60 feature corrosion resistant materials, and are specifically designed to be left loaded for long time durations without negative impacts to function. The D-60 itself is designed to be easily disassembled/reassembled using only a flathead screwdriver. Magpul recommends a light cleaning and lubrication after each 1,000 rounds.
Specifications:
- Accommodates 5.56×45 NATO/.223 Remington ammunition only
- Includes a slip-on, semi-rigid dust cover for storage/transport
The D-60 Magazine Drum is only available in Matte Black (featured).
Product Evaluation Scores:
- Cost – Good (4/5): The D-60 is somewhat unique amid the magazines offered in the accessories market. In essence it blends the storage capacity of two standard 30-round magazines, into a single drum. But with a price tag of $129.95, it hardly compares in price to the cost of two P-Mags that run approximately $18 each. And given the overall materials for the D-60 are the same polymer as other Magpul products, the added cost can be attributed to the thicker drum body and added hardware that enables for the D-60’s circular storage system. If comparing the D-60 to the original high-capacity drum of KCI’s 100-Round Drum Gen 2 (now $129.99, down from $199.99), X-Product’s 50-Round X-15 ($149.44) or RWB’s 100-Round Drum ($130), it becomes obvious the D-60 is among the cheapester options, and somewhat in the middle of overall ammo carrying capacity.
- Comfort – Good (4/5): Those using the D-60 will immediately have some tactile familiarity with the drum, as the upper magazine tower had the same pattern as other Magpul magazines. In addition, the D-60 also retained the same overall length as other P-Mags so there was no need to accommodate extended clearance around the rifle. The weight (empty and fully loaded) did negatively play into the comfort aspect of the overall rifle, but more on that a little later. Just know that there was a notable heft to the magazine once fully loaded, and when doing more dynamic movements (such as around barricades) it did pull the balance of the rifle around a bit. Obviously this imbalance lessened as was expended. The ratchet system to load each round felt a little flimsy, specifically the throw lever—but at no time during evaluations (before and after drop testing) did it show signs of any problems. The window and ammo count markings could be improved, as the window is rather small and the increments only note 10 and 60 round intervals with nothing in between.
- Durability – Average (3/5): Much like many other magazines, the D-60 was subjected to three drop tests from an approximate height of six feet above a hardened concrete surface. Efforts were made to get a direct strike on the upper tower, but in each drop the weight of the loaded drum pulled over and became the low point for each impact. This resulted in two strikes to the side and one in-between the tower and side. While the strikes resulted in merely aesthetic surface marring, no hit compromised the polymer’s integrity (i.e. cracks or fracturing). Internet research revealed that fully loaded drums can become damaged in normal temperature ranges however, due to the mass of the 60 rounds impacting on weakened parts of the drum (seams, edges, or enclosure clips) against concrete or steel plates. This is likely due to the polymer used in the D-60, appeared to also be the same material for Magpul’s standard P-Mags. Thus, smaller parts or edges are not as capable as maintaining their resilience against the weight of a full 60 rounds vice 30. In those demonstrations where the D-60 was indeed compromised, the drum was able to still successfully feed the ammunition through the rifle afterwards. Magpul magazines have passed the NATO Rough Handling Tests to include droppages from 5 feet from all manner of orientations. It should be noted, much like many other polymer-based products, users should avoid prolonged direct UV exposure in that it may affect the molecular resiliency of the product (i.e. becomes brittle). This may have been the case in some examples where the D-60 was compromised in drop tests as several appeared to be rather aged and faded.
- Functionality – Average (3/5): From a functional aspect, the ratchet system worked well, with solid contact with each round as it was loaded. Perhaps the biggest drawback was that each round had to be individually loaded via the throw lever. This made loading 60 rounds somewhat time consuming. Use of stripper clips did help some, but again each round had to be individually ratcheted. Unloading was much the same, with each round individually ejected out of the magazine tower. The alternative was to hold down the feed tray but in doing so locked out the ratcheted hardware and required the entire D-60 to be disassembled to reset it. Otherwise functionally the D-60 fed consistently and reliably, even after drop testing. Disassembly of the four retention tabs that held on the rear lid was easily done with a screwdriver, but felt a little frail and could perhaps use bolstering or a different means of retention. The tabs themselves were designed to be frangible as an attempt to mitigate any impact to the larger drum.
- Weight – Good (4/5): The D-60 weighed in at approximately 20 ounces (empty), and depending on the ammunition, can weigh up to over 40 ounces (2.5 pounds) fully loaded. As noted in the comfort aspect, this wasn’t necessarily a major detractor but was noticeable when shooting angled positions, such as around hard barricades, with the magazine out to the side. Otherwise the D-60 was balanced in the center of the rifle and when shot from a normal position (with the magazine directly down) wasn’t a negative. Perhaps the biggest factor of the D-60’s weight when fully loaded was as noted in its durability, if dropped and impacted on a seam or frangible feature, the D-60 can potentially crack because of the ammunition’s load impact weight on the polymer. Taken in comparison, the KCI’s 100-Round Drum Gen 2 (2.2 pounds), X-Product’s 50-Round X-15 (3 pounds) or RWB’s 100-Round Drum (3 pounds) all place the D-60 magazine as one of the lighter high-capacity magazines available on the market, and very well (or seen as a good) weighted.
Overall Rating – Above Average (18/25)
Product Link: https://magpul.com/firearm-accessories/pmags/ar15-m4-m16/pmagd60ar-m4-5-56x45drum.html?mp_global_color=118
I am reviewing this product as a courtesy to the manufacturer and via STL Shooting Enthusiasts, so that I can evaluate it and provide my honest feedback. I am not bound by any written, verbal, or implied contract to give positive reviews. All views are my own, and based off my personal experience with the product.
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