KIT & GEAR
PTS EPM1 MAGAZINE
“I WOULD VERY HAPPILY RUN WITH FOUR OF THEM AND THAT LOAD OUT WOULD GIVE ME MORE
AMMO THAN MY CURRENT 6X120RND MAGS, FOR PROBABLY THE SAME OVERALL WEIGHT.”
to 60 BBs by just flicking a switch and
they instantly became very popular. They
maintained some aesthetic cues to the old
PMAG style, were just as tough and they
worked. Perfect! The ERG versions I use
can be switched from 30-120 rounds in
less than a second too.
SO, WHAT’S NEW?
What about EPM1’s then? Well, these new
mags have managed to cram 250 BBs into
a normal AR style magazine but are not
wind up clockwork powered ones. Nope,
these feed the same way as Mid and Lo-
cap mags. Hence my question about what
determines the category a magazine sits
in. At 250 rounds, that’s more than some
smaller High-caps and it’s over double the
average Midcap too. I’ve pondered it for
a while now - going back and forth - and
after much deliberation, I’m going to say
it’s a “High-cap, non-winding magazine”
and leave it at that. As it is non-winding it
relies entirely on the strength of the spring
to push all of the BBs out and a direct
result of that, is that the magazine can be
very stiff to load the last few BBs into the
feed channel. I used an Odin Speedloader
which helped with this and also hand
fatigue! It’s hard work and takes quite a
while to fill it. Once you’ve done it half
a dozen times though, you really start to
resent it in a way.
One of the best features on the
magazine (and one that is actually useful
to some degree) is the mag level indicator.
It’s nothing more than an orange piece of
plastic that is visible from either side and
behind a clear plastic panel, which moves
as BBs are expended. When it is empty the
indicator is at the bottom of its channel
and it rises
‘til it’s at the
top as you
fill it. Some
people have
said it’s a bit
of a gimmick
but I can see it
having a very
real benefit to
players. Say,
for example
you’re mid-
firefight, you
can see in an
instant what
your ammo
situation
is without
removing the
magazine and
losing BBs.
As already said, the mag uses a very
tough polymer and has “dot matrix”
dimples on either side to aid with grip
when wet, muddy or wearing gloves
and there are also ridges on the leading
edge for similar reasons. You can really
notice the “grippiness” when you pick it
up - that and it’s solidity! It’s very sturdy
and has some weight to it without being
overly cumbersome. I would very happily
run with four of
them and that
load out would
give me more
ammo than my
current 6x120rnd
mags, for probably
the same overall
weight.
I tried the EPM1
with a variety of
BBs, of varying
weights, from
Nuprol, ASG and
RedWolf, in a
variety of guns
from different
manufacturers,
including PTS,
Specna Arms,
KWA and Nuprol.
The weights used
were 0.2, 0.25
and 0.28 and all
fed fine and all kept up with whatever RoF
that particular gun had. The weight had no
bearing on them.
I am happy to report that the magazine
worked brilliantly in all of the guns I have
…bar one, my KWA T6 Ronin but in all
fairness, it is very, very picky and seems to
only feed with KWA magazines. T6 aside
though, the EPM1 had no problem fitting
in the different magwells; neither too tight
nor to loose. It fed consistently and all of
the guns had the same sort of FPS and
range that it had with other magazines. It
dropped free when the mag release was
hit, needing no more than a little wiggle
on occasion to shake it loose under its own
weight.
AVAILABILITY
As it stands, the EPM1 will be available for
standard AEGs in both the long and short
versions, in black or tan and there will also
be a G36 version. I can only imagine that
PTS will release NGRS, ERG and maybe
even PTW compatible ones to mirror what
they did with the EPM magazine.
If you want to get your mitts on EPM1s
in UK and Europe, then I’m afraid you’re
going to have to wait a few weeks until
April for their European release date.
However, I would suggest that if you do
want them, then as soon as PTS Stockists
put them up for pre-order, you should
get as many as you need because I have a
feeling they will sell out very quickly! AA
www.airsoft-action.online
47