STANAG magazine

STANAG Magazine is a term used to describe magazines designed to fit the magazine well of the AR-15 rifle series.

Name

STANAGs (STANdardization AGreements) are standards among NATO members for combat equipment, with the goal of allowing military forces to use each other's equipment while in the field. They cover everything from small arms ammunition to military bridges.

The specific STANAG related to these magazines was STANAG 4179, a draft proposed in 1980 to standardize the 20 and 30 round magazines for the M16 for all assault rifles used by NATO members, and thus also standardize the magazine well dimensions of the 5.56×45mm NATO AR15 lower. However, this draft STANAG was never actually passed, largely due to West German and French interest in proprietary magazines for their G11 and FAMAS rifle projects.

As a result, there is no actual STANAG that relates to these magazines: it is simply a convenient term used to describe them in firearm literature. Some firearms literature goes so far as to call the 20 and 30 round M16 magazines "NATO magazines" in an attempt to distinguish them from other magazines which are not military standard.

Compatible

The following weapons are able to use STANAG magazines.

• All AR-15 variants (magazines originally designed for this weapon)
• Armalite AR-180B
• Beretta AR70/90
• Beretta ARX 160
• Beretta Rx4 Storm/Benelli MR1
• IMI Galil/Bernardelli VB-SR
• Bofors Carl Gustaf Ak 5
• Bushmaster ACR
• Bushmaster M17S
• CETME Model L
• Daewoo K2/Daewoo K1
• Daewoo K3
• Daewoo K11
• EMER-K1
• FAMAS G1/FAMAS G2
• FN F2000
• FN FNC
• FN Minimi/M249 LMG (Not advised, will create feeding issues)
• FN SCAR-L
• Franchi mod. 641
• Fusil Automático Doble
• HK416
• Heckler & Koch G41
• Howa Type 89
• IMBEL MD2
• TAR-21 Tavor
• Kel-Tec PLR-16
• Kel-Tec SU-16
• Khaybar KH2002
• LAPA FA-03
• Magpul PDR
• Norinco CQ
• Norinco QBZ-97
• Norinco Type 03 assault rifle (export models)
• Pindad SS2
• Remington GPC
• Remington Model 7615P Police Patrol Rifle
• Robinson Armaments M-96 Expeditionary Rifle
• Robinson Armaments XCR
• SA80
• SAR 21 (export models)
• CIS SAR 80
• CIS SR 88
• SIG MCX
• SIG 556
• Special Operations Assault Rifle (SOAR)
• Sterling SAR-87
• Steyr AUG A3 (through conversion; NATO stock)
• T2 MK5 rifle
• Type 65
• Type 86
• Type 91
• Ultimax 100
• VB Berapi LP06
• Type XT-97
• XM29 OICW
• Z-M Weapons LR300