Plastic Magazine Followers

**GunLawyer001** · May 26th, 2020, 04:15 PM

Originally Posted by Yoder

All my glocks and AR mags have plastic followers. Even some of my 1911 mags. I think they are better than metal. Plastic on metal is slick and doesn't need lube. Never had any problems.

I was thinking the same thing, that some plastics are self-lubricating, but no metals are, and guns are made up of many working parts so that the more friction you can eliminate, the better the reliability.

**abner13** · May 26th, 2020, 06:33 PM

It's not plastic! It's space-age synthetic polymer!

Just like they never said aluminum. It was always lightweight aircraft-grade alloy!

**Tommy T** · May 27th, 2020, 07:32 AM

My basic concern was that the heavy compression on the follower caused by long time spring compression might result in plastic follower cracking over time. Based on responses seems concerns are unfounded. Thanks guys

**ray h** · May 27th, 2020, 01:35 PM

I haven't owned anything with a metal follower in over 20 years, I haven't really even thought about it. The only issue I've had that could possibly be attributed to the follower being plastic is a couple of mags that would no longer hold the bolt open on last round. The nub broke off on one mag and the nub wore down on another, both were factory S&W mags. Considering hundreds of mags I've had over the years, that's nothing to complain about, and it's certainly not something I would consider a weakness of plastic followers.

**Gunsnwater** · May 28th, 2020, 05:19 AM

Originally Posted by GunLawyer001

I was thinking the same thing, that some plastics are self-lubricating, but no metals are, and guns are made up of many working parts so that the more friction you can eliminate, the better the reliability.

Impregnated bronze.

**Gunsnwater** · May 28th, 2020, 05:23 AM

Originally Posted by ray h

I haven't owned anything with a metal follower in over 20 years, I haven't really even thought about it. The only issue I've had that could possibly be attributed to the follower being plastic is a couple of mags that would no longer hold the bolt open on last round. The nub broke off on one mag and the nub wore down on another, both were factory S&W mags. Considering hundreds of mags I've had over the years, that's nothing to complain about, and it's certainly not something I would consider a weakness of plastic followers.

Plastic is such a general term. Some are better suited than others. I have a grendle that I had to fit a piece of metal to the follower to operate the slide lock. I have never heard of a glock follower failure of worn follower slide lock.