As you may recall, Magpul recently released a new extended drum-type magazine; the D-60. It is a 60 round 5.56 magazine which is built from lightweight polymer and set up for the M16/AR-15 family of firearms. The drum is more streamlined and protrudes less than most other similar designs. This permits very little interference with your shooting style. Drum magazines have been often criticized for being too bulky, heavy and sensitive. They often require the shooter to readjust their hand on the forearm during use. This doesn't appear to be the case with the D-60. With the capacity of two standard 30 rounders, the D-60 barely adds any additional weight, and is easy to load.
The injection molded polymer body houses the coils spring which drives rounds along a spiraling track up to the feed tower. Linked “dummy” rounds allow the last few rounds to reach the top of the tower, act as the follower and even lock the bolt to the rear with the last shot. Its also capable of being locked into a magazine well with a closed bolt, without being forced to down-load the capacity. The feed tower is a separate molded assembly, which is detachable from the unit. Magpul likely set the D-60 up to be reconfigured in the future for other 5.56 platforms with non-STANAG magazines by simply switching out the tower.
The D-60 has a fold out loading lever, which depresses the rounds as you load them, similar to many AK-47 drum magazine designs. When not in use, the loading arm pops back to rest against the drum body, maintaining a low, snag-free profile. It will also work with a wide array of speed loaders. Should you need to preform maintenance on the D-60, the face of the drum body is removable for cleaning. Four wide polymer tangs lock the cover securely, preventing moisture, dirt and dust from gaining entry. The back of the drum body features a loaded magazine transparent window, similar to standard 30 round PMAGs. The small square indicates 10 rounds left in the D-60, or a full load of 60 rounds. At the bottom of the drum you will find the familiar recessed dot matrix, for marking with a paint pen.
The D-60 fits the full line of AR type weapons, and even some bullpups. It’s been tested in the HK416, MR556, SCAR L, M27 IAR, and is likely to fit many other problematic magazine wells. With a MSRP of only $130 bucks, the D-60 is likely to become the most prolific extended capacity magazine for 5.56 firearms in the near future. The company has also recently updated their website, so you can learn more about the D-60 here.
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