ETS OMEGA GLOCK

MAGAZINE REVIEW

As you can tell this review is about the Elite Tactical Systems (ETS) Omega Glock magazines. Last summer, at the GOA convention, I ran into a gentleman there and he invited me over to his booth. I didn’t know at the time he worked for ETS. I wish I could remember his name but I have sadly forgotten it. After talking for a while about boats, horses, and motorcycles, he started explaining to me about the new Omega mags. I told him that I had a stack of their older mags and I hated them. With the new magazines, he assured me that they fixed all the issues people had with them. I had my doubts, but as a good reviewer, I wanted to try them out.

So after about three weeks I received a decent size box from ETS, it had clear translucent magazines in it. In the box there were numerous G17 style mags, G19 style mags, and then the nice lovely G18 “Big Stick”. On first inspection the mags seemed very well made and had a different style spring than normal magazines.

The spring, from what I can remember him telling me and what I have read, is a music wire spring that has a high tensile strength. It is wound for equalized upward force, to push the round up to the feed lips consistently. The mag is made of an advanced translucent polymer body with an integrated hardened steel frame and feed lips. The mag is coated with a military grade Teflon coating inside and out. This helps the magazine to drop free. Most of all, it lets the spring travel easily inside the magazine body. This makes it not squeak like the old mags did.

So the biggest issue with all polymer mags and translucent magazines is that they swell after you load the mag. Then they do not drop free. If you did drop the mags, you had the potential for them to crack. The old mags all had plastic feed lips. These feedlips always seemed to wear and the mag ended up useless. UPDATE, the new mags have hardened feed lips. This solves the extraction and wear issue. They changed the follower and spring locking plate, so you can see how many rounds that are left in the mag.

With the new polymer, the hardened metal feedlips, Teflon coating, and the Omega joint at the upper rear of the mag, it solves all the issues we had with all old polymer mags. It eliminates friction in the mag well, friction on the spring moving in the body of the mag, and most of all the swelling.

I ran these Omega mags in numerous Glock clones, and a PCC that takes Glock mags. I had no issue with any of the pistols, but I did in the PCC. The mag did not want to lock into place. It would lock in if I down loaded the mag. I even tried it with the bolt open and it did the same thing. The functions of the mags were exceptional. I had no malfunctions and ran the cheapest steel cased junk ammo I had. The mags seat really close to the original mags when inserted. If you remember some older mags stuck out the bottom and did not make for a good look or for concealed carry. I did drop the mags a few times on concrete while at the range. I had one take a swim with me in muddy water. I just wiped them down and loaded it back up. I did notice the mags are a hair thicker than standard Glock magazines. I don’t know if this will cause an issue with 80% builds or other Glock clones. They just worked for me.

So in closing, I do believe the ETS Omega magazines are a massive leap better than any other polymer magazine on the market, or at least that I have tested. I have carried these mags as a backup when I carry a Glock pattern handgun. I use them at the range all the time with my PCC. Can I tell you that they are duty rated? I am absolutely not going to tell you that. I am going to say that they are fine mags and ETS did a great job making them. The advancements that were made fixed a lot of issues that other magazines had. ETS is also making Omega magazines for S&W M&P 9mm, Sig Sauer P320, if you dare, and of course Glock.

Firearms Insider Reviews - Key Points

Claim to Fame:

Mags that bridge the gap between original OEM mags and older polymer magazines

Target Market:

Range trips

Competition shooters

High volume training

Features, Benefits, and Specifications of this product:

Hardened steel feedlips and frame
Patent pending Omega Joint™ and frame wraps 360 degrees for maximum strength and 100% drop-free reliability
Factory reliability
Military-grade Teflon-infused coating meets all military standards for corrosion and friction resistance
Extreme impact resistance with our patent pending fusion of polymer and hardened steel
Ergonomic floorplate design allows for an easy grip to pull from pouches
Weighs 50% less than an all-steel magazine
Compatible with Gen 1 through Gen 5 Glocks
Red follower and locking plate
Base plates interchangeable with ETS line of 9mm double stack magazines.
Due to the wide variety of extensions for Glock, our mag base is designed to be compatible with Glock extensions
Easy disassembly with our specially designed base plate
Lifetime Warranty

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?

15, 17, and 30 round magazines as well as M&P, and P320

What others are saying?:

From ETS’ website:

Not my first magazine from here and won’t be my last. The 40 round mag looks good in my PCC.

I’m pleased with the quality and like being able to tell at a glance how many rounds are left.

Link to other reviews:

Gun Mag Warehouse

The Mag Shack

Price point:

MSRP = $25.99 to $29.99 for Glock

Retail = Same

I need it now! Availability:

Elite Tactical Systems

Midway USA

PSA

Our Rating:

Pros:

Drop free
Tough and dependable
Better feed lips
Teflon coated

Cons:

Price versus OEM
Closed slide seating the magazine
Possible tolerance difference with clones or 80% firearms.

Score: 8.00 Great

I am giving them a solid 8. The only reason that I’m not going higher is because they are not duty proven. Or at least I can not find if they are.

If you have done any type of shooting before, you know that reactive targets are great. Steel targets are probably one of the best bang for your buck targets. They give a distinctive tone when shot. That feedback goes a long way with new shooters, as well as old ones. Thor Targets kindly gave me a steel target and stand to review, and I love shooting steel.

Steel targets are a joy to shoot. If you’re a new shooter, they give you feedback that can be heard and seen. If you are a seasoned shooter, they can just be fun, or give excellent practice. Thor targets does not disappoint here. The steel is easily heard. Plus you can just spray over the hits with some new paint and basically have a brand new target.

Thor uses “better than AR500” steel. AR500 is pretty much the industry standard for steel targets as it is highly impact resistant. Thor uses an armor grade steel that has a higher Brinell strength. The Brinell scale characterizes the indentation hardness of a material. What does this mean to you. Well, the Thor steel should pit less and last longer. All good things when it comes to something being shot at. Thor also rates their targets for 3000 feet per second of velocity, at the impact point. So the velocity needs to be less than 3000 fps when it strikes the target. They also recommend a 100 yard distance for rifle rounds and a 25 yard distance for pistol rounds. These are for safety measures and to prevent being hit with back splatter.

I received the “A”-zone set. The set consists of the target, a stand, and a hanger. It also uses a 2x4 which is not included. One great part about the 2x4 is the ability to adjust the targets height. Depending on what length the 2x4 is cut at, determines the height of the target. If you have more than one set up, you can vary the heights for different targets. Thor’s target stand is really nice also. It is shaped like an “H” with one length being longer than the other. The stand is made to have the longer feet forward to offset the weight of the target. I found that sometimes one needs to put the longer feet toward the back. I may have tipped the target over doing a mag dump of 9mm. On the stand is a place to insert your 2x4. Then on top of the 2x4, you place the hanger. The hanger slides over the 2x4 and has a hook extending out from it. This hook is where the target rests. There is a slot in the target on which to hang it. Once you have the “set” you can just purchase the steel targets to hang from the base and hanger

Thor’s “A” zone target is meant to replicate the “A” zone in USPSA. It is a little different in shape, but the size is about the same. One nice aspect to a steel plate target is that it has two sides. All of Thor’s targets come painted white. Since the target is reversible, one could paint the other side a different color, this could be for training or just fun. Thor uses ⅜” thick targets, so the larger the size, the heavier it can be.

One can see the quality in Thor’s products. The steel plate has no sharp edges (at least when new.) The stand and hanger are expertly welded together. I even shot the steel at 30yds with a 5.56 55gr and it only put a very small pit in the steel (Do not do this yourself, it is not recommended by Thor, myself, or the Firearms Radio Network.) Everything else I have shot it with has only knocked the paint off. This is from .22lr up to 12 gauge buckshot!

If you are in the market for some steel targets, check Thor Targets out. Their steel targets and stands will not let you down. They are rated by speed, not caliber. Just don’t shoot armor piercing rounds at them, unless you like holes in them. They will even ship them to you. So go check Thor Targets, or their new store “Thor Armory”.

Firearms Insider Reviews - 8 Key Points

Claim to Fame:

Quality Steel Targets

Target Market:

Shooters wanting a reusable target

FNBs (Features & Benefits of this product):

Impact rating of 3000fps at target, 100yds rifle, 25yds pistol
Harder than AR500 steel
Use of cheap 2x4
Steel base
Steel Hanger
Shaped like USPSA “A” zone

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?

Other sizes and shapes available

What others are saying?:

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I purchased the dueling tree with 6, 6 inch targets and loved it. I hit it at relatively close range with a hard .308 shot, and it barely made a mark in it. The AR 556 just took paint off, and the .40 didn't make a mark. I will never have to replace these targets, so the cost up front more than pays for itself in the long run. Thanks Thor Targets. Great product and service!