The curious faces I get when discussing loading AR mags is understandable. I tell students they should only load their mags to 28 or 29. Yes, I know it’s a 30-round mag, but the reality is that most mags won’t seat with a standard bolt carrier in a forward position. Yes, I know…” but, If I beat on it.” Friends, if you have to beat it, there’s a problem. I have discovered a solution, though—the new Speed-Tac AR Bolt.

Speed-Tac AR Bolt

The challenge is real. We are either loading from a closed bolt or doing a tactical reload, and you grab a full mag. You insert said mag only to find out it won’t seat. You quickly thumb out two rounds and try again. This is no big deal unless it is a big deal. If you are in a fight for your life, it is more than a big deal. It could be the difference between life and death.

The Dreaded Mag Drop

There is also that chance of what I call false seating. This occurs for various reasons, but you think your magazine is seated when it’s not. Moments later, while you are in the process of being Johnny or Suzy cool with your rifle, the mag simply falls out to the ground. The only thing you can count on is that everyone in the class will be looking at you the moment it happens. If this happens in class or on the range, it’s embarrassing. If it happens in a fight, you are in trouble.

Speed-Tact AR Bolt – Fill it up!

This challenge has existed with the AR since its inception, and honestly, I just accepted it as one of its shortcomings. There is a company, however, that simply could not take it anymore and decided to address the challenge. Richard Aitken of Speed-Tact took a long, hard look at the AR bolt carrier and quickly found the issue. It was simply a matter of geometry on a specific part of the bolt. When this was shown and explained, I honestly said, “What the hell.” Richard is a brilliant man, a shooter, and a problem solver. But how in the heck have countless AR engineers missed this for decades? Not only does this small change in bolt geometry allow full mags to sit in easily, but it doesn’t affect function in any way.

Full 30 Rounds

When I say that a full mag now seats, that doesn’t do it justice. A mag now seats purely with gravity. While you would never do this, it was a very poignant demonstration. The rifle was turned upside down, and a mag was gently set into the mag well. When released, the mag traveled the rest of the way in and seated. No pushing, no beating, and no cursing. It is very impressive.

In my opinion, every serious AR manufacturer on Earth needs to knock on Richard’s door and buy the rights to this. This is especially true for companies building guns for war fighters and law enforcement. These are arenas where those two lost rounds are critical. If you are serious about really topping your gun off, like I am, this is a must-have upgrade to your rifle.

For more information, visit:https://speed-tac.com/