https://www.tactical-officer.com/articles/another-use-for-your-thrashed-gi-magazines/
So your agency just switched over to Magpul P-Mags or some other new AR-15 magazine and has left you with over a dozen old school GI Magazines. We all know that for the most part, the traditional 30-round aluminum bodied magazines work very well and are highly reliable. Most are still good for range use if you are not allowed to carry them on duty, but most people do not fully realize their utility off the range.
The GI magazine makes a failsafe bottle opener or Beverage Entry Tool. The story goes that over two decades ago, a certain Lance Corporal managed to convince a pizza delivery driver to bring a case of Heineken to the barracks. The Lance Corporal soon realized that the barracks had no bottle openers with which to enjoy the cool Dutch beverage and in searching his wall locker for a Swiss Army Knife or other makeshift bottle top popper, stumbled upon a spare M-16 magazine that he had stuffed in a cargo pocket when it ran empty.
Eyeing the feed lips, he became inspired and used the magazine to flawlessly remove the top from the Heineken bottle. His new found discovery was shared with as many other 0300 types (Infantry) that he came into contact with in the First Marine Division.
He currently uses a GI Magazine (probably from that same 25 year-old vintage) that failed one too many times to be considered reliable. To make the task easier, the floor plate, follower and spring have been removed*. A Magpul loop is installed on the base to hang it on the bar and to distinguish it from other magazines so that it is not accidentally inserted into a rifle.
The GI Magazine bottle opener has fared well against bottles of Heineken, Guinness, St Pauli Girl, Sierra Nevada, Corona and other fine adult beverages. For those who abstain, it works equally well on bottles of Coca Cola imported from Mexico, IBC Root Beer and just about any other bottler of beverages that abhors the use of twist-off caps.
If you have a few old warhorse magazines that have seen better days, they can serve you further as a dedicated bottle opener.
So your agency just switched over to Magpul P-Mags or some other new AR-15 magazine and has left you with over a dozen old school GI Magazines. We all know that for the most part, the traditional 30-round aluminum bodied magazines work very well and are highly reliable. Most are still good for range use if you are not allowed to carry them on duty, but most people do not fully realize their utility off the range.
The GI magazine makes a failsafe bottle opener or Beverage Entry Tool. The story goes that over two decades ago, a certain Lance Corporal managed to convince a pizza delivery driver to bring a case of Heineken to the barracks. The Lance Corporal soon realized that the barracks had no bottle openers with which to enjoy the cool Dutch beverage and in searching his wall locker for a Swiss Army Knife or other makeshift bottle top popper, stumbled upon a spare M-16 magazine that he had stuffed in a cargo pocket when it ran empty.
Eyeing the feed lips, he became inspired and used the magazine to flawlessly remove the top from the Heineken bottle. His new found discovery was shared with as many other 0300 types (Infantry) that he came into contact with in the First Marine Division.
He currently uses a GI Magazine (probably from that same 25 year-old vintage) that failed one too many times to be considered reliable. To make the task easier, the floor plate, follower and spring have been removed*. A Magpul loop is installed on the base to hang it on the bar and to distinguish it from other magazines so that it is not accidentally inserted into a rifle.
The GI Magazine bottle opener has fared well against bottles of Heineken, Guinness, St Pauli Girl, Sierra Nevada, Corona and other fine adult beverages. For those who abstain, it works equally well on bottles of Coca Cola imported from Mexico, IBC Root Beer and just about any other bottler of beverages that abhors the use of twist-off caps.
If you have a few old warhorse magazines that have seen better days, they can serve you further as a dedicated bottle opener.
