Lancer is an established name in the modern magazine world. Military, police, and civilian shooters trust Lancer products because they are tough, reliable, and they just plain work. The 25-round L7 Advanced Warfighter Magazines are no different. In fact, these magazines are over-engineered to bring that high-performance standard over and over again.
Specifications
Let’s look at the magazine specs before breaking things down in detail:
- Caliber: .308 Winchester, 7.62×51 NATO, 6.5 Creedmoor
- Weight: 0.4 lbs.
- Dimensions: 1.5 x 4 x 10 inches
- Capacity: 25 rounds
- Available Colors: Translucent Smoke, Translucent Clear, Translucent Dark Earth, Opaque Black, Opaque Dark Earth
- Compatibility: SR25, DPMS AR-10, Smith & Wesson M&P 10, LMT .308, POF P308, Sig 716
- Not compatible with rifles that utilize M-14, FN FAL, or H&K 91/G3 pattern magazines.
- Designed, tooled, manufactured, and assembled in the USA.
Rugged Construction
The first thing I noticed about these Lancer mags was the steel components. Polymer mags are great, being tough and lighter than their all-steel counterparts. But polymer tends to get chewed up after multiple mag changes. That has led manufacturers to add steel-reinforced feed lips and locking lugs to provide more durability.
The L7 AWM mags are polymer, but the feed lips aren’t just steel-reinforced. They are all steel. And the feed lips are part of a hardened steel sleeve wrapping around almost the entire magazine. A steel insert on the front completes the job, meaning these magazines won’t dimple on the front or fray on the back, unlike mags without those features. It’s clear that Lancer intends these mags to last.
The impact and chemical-resistant polymer body is also well designed, with deep waffle cuts on the sides and rear, supplemented by stippling for a positive grip, even in bad weather. The floor plate is thick and obviously solid. It will hold up to being dropped through multiple mag changes. Lancer says the polymer is rated for extreme temperatures ranging from -40° to +180° Fahrenheit.
Features
The L7 AWM mags feature a non-tilt follower on a stainless-steel spring that Lancer says allows for loaded magazine storage without harming performance. I’ve stored these mags loaded but I’ve only had them for about six weeks, so I can’t say whether that claim is true. But since I’ve never had a problem doing that with any other quality mags, I’ll take Lancer’s word for it.
Like other mags, the floor plate is easily removed by pressing a tab on the bottom. You will need some kind of punch, but it’s easily done. I’ve used a pencil several times. The plate slides right off and the spring can be removed for easy maintenance.
One interesting feature I haven’t seen on my other mags is a switchable drain lock located on the spring’s base plate. Lancer says it’s to allow the mag to drain in a marine or very dusty environment. The magazine floor plate has two small slots in both the front and rear to facilitate that.
Intrigued, and striving to provide the best review possible, I put that feature to the test. After opening the drain hole on the spring base, I replaced the mag’s floor plate and ran some water into the top. Sure enough, water came sluicing out the four slots at a nice clip.
Next range trip, I found a dirt pile and repeated the test. The dirt didn’t pour out like the water did, but I was able to shake the magazine, in and out of the rifle, and make some dirt come out. It’s a neat idea and seems to work. So, all you wannabe SEALs out there take note.
Finally, the mags come in different colors, including translucent models that allow constant visual monitoring of remaining ammo. Mine are opaque black, so I don’t have that feature, but the website photos look like they work fine.
Performance
That’s all well and good, but even the coolest features are worthless if the mags don’t run. No worries there. They ran and ran and ran. Despite being 25-rounders, I only loaded the mags to capacity once. 7.62 NATO ammo ain’t cheap. But I did run drills with them, incorporating multiple mag changes, until my support arm was too damn tired to go on. My AR-10 can be a heavy beast at times.
The Lancer mags did very well indeed, even if the extra length threw my muscle memory a bit at first. The steel sleeve helps them insert and drop easily and there were no issues from impact on the ground. They fed reliably and always locked back my bolt when empty.
I did notice that these 25-rounders are not the best mags for bench shooting, thanks to that extra length. It can be done, but lower-capacity mags are a better choice. Same with prone or bipod shooting. To me, these mags seem better for run-and-gun applications when you want or need a bunch of rounds. Luckily, Lancer makes these mags in 20, 10, and 5-round capacities for other uses.
Built Like a Tank
My first impression of the Lancer L7 AWM mags was that they looked strong and tough. They didn’t disappoint. Yet they aren’t overly heavy. Honestly, they weigh about the same as my other polymer AR-10, allowing for the extra five rounds. That’s probably due, in part, to the grip cuts in the body.
But they are also noticeably solid. I have every confidence that these mags will hold up for a long time. They are a bit pricey, but you know as well as I do that you usually get what you pay for when it comes to firearms and accessories. If you buy cheap mags, you get cheap performance. Lancer is a trusted brand, and these L7 AWM mags will do you right. Now I just have to go get a few more.
