Your MAX-11A1/15 is ready!

[LawBob]

I shot 360 rounds today from 3 different polymer mags (Magpul, gen 2/3 and Lancer) and 3 different aluminum magsn (those mentioned above).

This is what I discovered today.

It's NOT a good idea to mod the Troy ambidextrous mag latch to allow aluminum mags to lock into the closed bolt Max-11A1/15 that has been converted to 300 Blackout.

The Lancer and Magpul mags still functioned 100% but the aluminum mags would occasionally push the .30 bullet back in the case, about 1 in 10 times.

I'm sure this was obvious to some but I thought is was an interesting experiment.

Don't mod the mag latch to for that reason.

P.S.
The MAX-11A1/15 in converted to 300 Blackout does not like Barnes Tac TX 110 grain Bullets. The polymer tip jams up about 1 in 5 times.

Try using 300blk dedicated mags.

The magpul 556 w 300blk aren’t ideal. The bullet pushes against the side tab that guides the cartridge up. I stored a couple magpuls w 300 and they wouldn’t work. The sides got pushed out. Bc the tabs.

I switched to lancers with steel feed lips for the 300. This account is re an AR not the max.

I’ll try to find a pic. The tabs are internal - and in 556 they rest on the shoulder indent on the brass. In 300 the hit the bullet. I think this may be causing your misfeeds

 

[Roklok]

I encountered the same issue with .300 BO and regular PMAGS. I then purchased the .300 BO specific PMAGS which have been flawless.

 

[strobro32]

I have 5 firearms chambered 300 BLK. I have not bought the 300 BLK specific P Mags because I've not had a problem with the gen 2 or 3's. My favorite is still the Lancer mags. I 've loaded everything from 95 grain to 245 grain bullets. I've shot at least 20K rounds and have never experienced a bullet set back until now.

Even after modifying the mag catch, the Magpul and Lancer mags ran fine. It was the aluminum mags that caused the set back.

 

[LawBob]

I have 5 firearms chambered 300 BLK. I have not bought the 300 BLK specific P Mags because I've not had a problem with the gen 2 or 3's. My favorite is still the Lancer mags. I 've loaded everything from 95 grain to 245 grain bullets. I've shot at least 20K rounds and have never experienced a bullet set back until now.

Even after modifying the mag catch, the Magpul and Lancer mags ran fine. It was the aluminum mags that caused the set back.

But the alum mags are for 556 correct ?

If you store 300 in a 556 pmag the sides will swell is the issue.

My 300s then wouldn’t even feed from
The 556 pmags

 

[booger hooker]

Did anyone else select USPS for their upper to be shipped but was shipped by UPS instead? I notified Lage as soon as I seen the UPS shipping notification of their mistake but never heard anything back. My worst fears are realized with UPS as nobody is ever home during the day when they stop by, since it has to be signed for, and we leave for vacation soon and don’t want my upper to be shipped back to Lage.

 

[AmishEskimoNinja]

I got the email yesterday notifying me that my upper is ready! Ironically, when accounting for inflation, the $3195 is nearly the same price I paid for my M11a1 roughly a decade ago.

 

[M10]

Did anyone else select USPS for their upper to be shipped but was shipped by UPS instead? I notified Lage as soon as I seen the UPS shipping notification of their mistake but never heard anything back. My worst fears are realized with UPS as nobody is ever home during the day when they stop by, since it has to be signed for, and we leave for vacation soon and don’t want my upper to be shipped back to Lage.

It says UPS Only for this item, but it let me select USPS.

Just call UPS and have them hold it at your hub for pickup.

 

[JohnnyE]

It says UPS Only for this item, but it let me select USPS.

Just call UPS and have them hold it at your hub for pickup.

Am I that forgetful? I don't recall selecting the carrier.

 

[booger hooker]

On the order form USPS is an option so that’s why I selected it, didn’t see anything about UPS only for this item. Today was the 3rd and last day for them to deliver and then it was going back to the hub and then returned to Lage at some point. I made a special trip into the city with todays 3rd non-deliverable note to see if I could come back into town tomorrow and pick it up and she said sure…but I need a CC and it’ll be $7.99 for the holding fee, that they evidently started charging after the first of the year, or it’d be shipped back to Lage. So I grudgingly paid it and will make a special trip back again to UPS tomorrow…with USPS I would’ve had the upper on Tuesday and not had any hassles as our Post Office is 3 blocks from our house and is still open by the time I get home from work to sign for the over 21 signature.

All that been said I’m looking forward to receiving another one of Richard’s quality uppers and greatly appreciate his continued ingenuity in reinventing the Mac series of SMG’s.

 

[strobro32]

Ready for the weekend!

 

[Jmacken37]

strobro32, yer gonna put your eye out with that huge box hanging below you MG.

 

[Wetworks]

How many rounds have you put through that armatac drum? Care to give us a review? I have been going back and forth about getting one for a while now.

 

[bbrown]

Got mine out to the range yesterday, and put 200 rounds through it to break it in. Pretty impressive fireball, and after breaking in worked well.

None of my 30-round mags would lock in (unmarked, Center, Colt, Kay).

All of my 20-round mags locked in fine (Universal, PMAG, BFI).

Someone mentioned swapping out the mag catch. How do you do that?

 

[strobro32]

Nice fireball!

I'm going to build a rifle QBD barrel next. I love Richard's SAW stock upper.

I think I wore out the gas rings this weekend. I must have shot about 2.2k rounds to date between between the 223 and 300 BLK. The bolt is really loose in the carrier. When I hold the carrier and turn the the carrier bolt down, the bolt almost falls into the unlocked position under its' own weight. Time to buy extra gas rings.

I'm still getting periodic light primer strikes. I have about 40 LPSs so far on two different bolts. I think there may be another issue. The Lage Extra Power Spring is needed for a 8" 300 BLK barrel and standard gas block for reliability. ROF increases but the extra power spring should be used.

How many rounds have you put through that armatac drum? Care to give us a review? I have been going back and forth about getting one for a while now.

The Armatac SAW mag works OK with the 223 but the steel mag can add friction and has stoppages occasionally. It can NOT consistently keep up with the ROF in 125-150 grain 300 BLK ammo. I have used it four times.

On another fun note, I have started reloading 223 now. I just prepared 1K cases. This should be fun.

Using steel case ammo
I also tested 60 rounds of Tula 223m ammo. No stuck cases but I did have 1 failure to feed due to a double feed (mag related) . I might be buying some of that now in bulk so I don't have to chase brass.

CMMG ambi mag catch
I also installed the $30 CMMG ambi mag catch, because I modified/altered the Troy ambi mag catch to lock in on a closed bolt with aluminum mags (not the best idea). The CMMG ambi mag catch works great but the Troy ambi mag catch has more surface area for the finger so it's easier/faster to use. The CMMG catch is low profile so it would be harder to accidentally drop the mag.

Bonus on the CMMG ambi mag catch- It will allow fully loaded C Products, NHMTGs and BFI Windham ME aluminum mags to lock in on a closed bolt. So that's really nice.

Someone mentioned swapping out the mag catch. How do you do that?

This is a specialty mag catch but the process is the same.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aWNtPAXnNU

 

[renovate7]

And what is the reason the 30 rounders wouldn't lock in but the 20's did?

 

[9mmsubgun-m11]

Got mine out to the range yesterday, and put 200 rounds through it to break it in. Pretty impressive fireball, and after breaking in worked well.

None of my 30-round mags would lock in (unmarked, Center, Colt, Kay).

All of my 20-round mags locked in fine (Universal, PMAG, BFI).

Someone mentioned swapping out the mag catch. How do you do that?

Looking Good!

 

[LawBob]

Got mine out to the range yesterday, and put 200 rounds through it to break it in. Pretty impressive fireball, and after breaking in worked well.

None of my 30-round mags would lock in (unmarked, Center, Colt, Kay).

All of my 20-round mags locked in fine (Universal, PMAG, BFI).

Someone mentioned swapping out the mag catch. How do you do that?

From
The right side, you press the mag catch button in with your finger or other device and see the left side push out. Grab it and unscrew until it is no longer attached.


Another issue for some might be that the number of rotations is either too much or too little on the mag catch. You’ll see what I’m talking about if you unscrew this.

 

[Grant435]

And what is the reason the 30 rounders wouldn't lock in but the 20's did?

I’m also curious, I received email today and placed order. Hoping my 30rd pmags and aluminum okay industries sure feed magazines fit. It was one of the selling points on buying this upper. No more having to find specialty mags or have to modify anything. Looking forward to it

 

[bbrown]

Yesterday I tried adjusting the rotations of the mag catch, as described above by others. BTW, thanks for the useful tips.

Anyway, neither adding nor subtracting rotations had any effect, the metal 30-round mags won't lock, but the 20-rounders still work fine. Looks like I'll be trying some plastic 30-rounders, probably starting with Pmags.

 

[strobro32]

I'd recommend the $30 ambi CMMG mag catch. It worked for me. The CMMG catch is low profile so it would be harder to accidentally drop the mag.

All my aluminum and polymer mags lock in on a closed bolt now.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/102271014?pid=708287