Magpul D60 Magazine Review – 60 Rounds of Glorious Freedom! ~VIDEO

Jim runs the Magpul D60 Drum Magazine through a select-fire M4 rifle. Can the Magpul drum keep up?

Most drum magazines are garbage – thankfully, the Magpul D60 isn’t most drum mags.

When I first saw Magpul announce the D60 a few years back, I was optimistic but still skeptical. While it’s true that Magpul set the gold standard for reliability with their PMags, drums are a completely different beast. Plus, my personal experience with drum mags has been less than reassuring, with most models tested experiencing multiple malfunctions every time they’re loaded.

Magpul D60 Beauty Shot Jim Grant
The Magpul D60 is truly a thing of beauty. IMG Jim Grant

Magpul D60 Magazine

But this wasn’t the case with the Magpul D60 – with every gun tested save for one… but I’ll get to that in a moment.

First off, if you’ve already bought one, take a moment to read the instruction manual. The Magpul D60 doesn’t load like a traditional magazine or most drum magazines on the market, but rather an odd combination of the two.

Where Russian AKM drums are loaded from the rear and need to be wound up before use, the Magpul D60 is different. The D60 is loaded from the tower itself but requires the user to relieve some of the magazine spring tension by pulling a small lever on top of the magazine body. This is actually a ratcheting system that simply removes some pressure from the follower and allows shooters to load about three rounds at a time.

IWI X95 Magpul D60
The first gun the D60 was tested in was the author’s X95 bullpup. IMG Jim Grant

That said, it is possible to keep the follower depressed partially with one hand and crank the ratchet lever a second time which then permits roughly five rounds to be loaded at a time. Although I would advise against it since doing so could potentially allow a round to rotate incorrectly and jam up the magazine. This never happened in my experience with the drum, but it isn’t beyond the realm of possibility. Plus, drum magazines aren’t meant to be loaded quickly; their advantage lies in their capacity.

Lastly, the rear of the drum does come off but should only be removed for cleaning and maintenance every 1,000 rounds or so.

Reliability

Given the insane current prices of ammunition, I only loaded (and then emptied) the D60 drum to capacity three times. Once in a SIG 516 Carbon TS piston AR, another time in an IMI X95 bullpup, and finally in a select-fire government M4 assault rifle.

With the X95, the drum functioned flawlessly, but its bulk made the carbine operation somewhat awkward. However, this isn’t a shortcoming of the D60, but rather a symptom of basically all bullpup carbines. The only issue I had with the X95, aside from ergonomic woes, was the difficulty of both inserting the magazine on a closed bolt and removing it on one. The former makes sense, but the latter was something I totally didn’t expect. But given that the D60 features a last-round bolt hold open follower, this issue is remedied by simply pulling back the charging handle on an empty gun.

SIG 516 Magpul D60
The SIG 516 ran perfectly with the Magpul D60. IMG Jim Grant

The SIG, on the other hand, with its conventional layout, not only functioned 100% reliably, but the ergonomics of the gun were unchanged. This is my personal home defense carbine, and once that has seen more than 5,000 rounds fired through it (the majority of which were suppressed). This gun isn’t picky regarding magazines or ammunition, and it really chowed down on the 60-rounds of 5.56mm loaded in the D60.

And unlike the X95, inserting a fully-loaded drum on a closed bolt wasn’t difficult at all. But I would still recommend shooters get in the habit of the slap and tug confirmation method, as the weight of the magazine can make false insertions definitely possible.

D60 Drum Magazine Full-Auto Awesome

Before I start on the M4, if you haven’t watched the video linked above, go do so now.

Magpul D60 Full Auto M4 Assault Rifle
WHAT?! I can’t hear you over how awesome this rifle is! IMG Jim Grant

Salivating? I don’t blame you – I wish that gun were mine and not a friend’s standing behind the camera, allowing me to film with it briefly. But the reason I chose that gun wasn’t simply because I love shooting machine guns (but I certainly do!) but because it represents the most taxing configuration I had available for the D60. A short barrel full-auto carbine is inherently more violent than a full-length rifle, meaning the bolt’s increased velocity is less forgiving than magazines whose springs lack the proper tension to quickly feed rounds to the chamber.

The result?

A few malfunctions over a full 60 rounds fired. The good news is that none of them were magazine-related. If you watch the video, you’ll notice every single malfunction was a failure to fire where the hammer itself didn’t fully reset. If you look closer, you’ll notice that I’m extracting an unfired round from the chamber every time I clear these malfunctions. This means the Magpul D60 was doing its job just fine. If anything, it means I need to lubricate that M4 better in the future.

So what’s the takeaway? Well, the D60 seems to be the most reliable commercially-made magazine for the AR-15 (or any weapon that accepts STANAG-pattern magazines) currently on the market. It’s not cheap, but realistically shooters aren’t going to buy 25 of these and load them up. Instead, the Magpul D60 makes an excellent addition to a shooter’s loadout for extended range plinking sessions or an end of the world as we know it scenario home defense setup. Because what if four ninjas and a bear break into your house at the same time?

Specs:

  • Brand: Magpul
  • Product Name: Magpul D60 Drum Magazine
  • Mfr Part: MAG576-BLK
  • UPC: 8 40815 11464 2
  • Product Details: The Magpul PMAG D-60 Drum Mag is a durable, lightweight, highly reliable 60-round polymer drum magazine for AR15/M4 compatible weapons.

Brownells Has a great deal: AR-15 60RD PMAG D-60 223/5.56 $107.99

About Jim Grant

Jim is one of the elite editors for AmmoLand.com, who can wield a camera with expert finesse in addition to his mastery of prose. He loves anything and everything guns but holds firearms from the Cold War in a special place in his heart.

When he’s not reviewing guns or shooting for fun and competition, Jim can be found hiking and hunting with his wife Kimberly and their dog Peanut in the South Carolina low country.


Product Reviews:

I give the Magpul D60 5/5 stars for being the most reliable, affordable AR-15 drum magazine on the market. ~ Jim Grant. How would you rate the Magpul D60 Drum Magazine?

5/5 (1 Review)
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Matt in Oklahoma

Make a video about loading them.
That’ll help you understand why they aren’t that great

Bob

In actual fact, firing full auto for 60 rounds is a total waste of money unless you’re facing a China/North Korean situation where the firing continued past the point where the barrels of the 50 cal. MGs turned red and would no longer allow rounds to exit the barrel. In that situation, full auto is totally correct. In an M-16, M-4, with weapon rise and movement, full auto, AKA Rock and Roll, is totally worthless. Oh, IMHO

Country Boy

Good review. But please stop referring to AR-15 rifles as “assault rifles”. The dems and anti gun groups invented the term and they constantly use it against us pro gunners. let’s not give the antigunners more “ammunition” against us.

DIYinSTL

Since in this article “assault rifle” was in reference to a select fire (i.e. full-auto) M4, Jim Grant’s use was correct.

DDS

Your intent is well placed but your terminology is off a hair.

“Assault weapon” is a term created to help in demonizing a class of firearms that Josh Sugarman (among others) wanted to see banned for a number of reasons that have been covered here before. You can read the details for yourself here:

https://www.vpc.org/studies/awacont.htm

“Assault rifle” has been defined by the DoD. It is pretty much a direct translation of the German “Sturmgewehr” that was applied by Adolf Hitler to the grandaddy of the class, the StG44. You can brush up on the details here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StG_44

and here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assault_rifle

Rock

FACT !

JD

The term assault rifle is WWII German in origin. “Sturmgewehr” English translation is “Assault Rifle”.

DIYinSTL

Ditto. Your post is now 2 months old and I posted a different comment to this article a year ago.

Russn8r

You mean where you said Palin might beat Murkowski (LOL!)? Explain how AL has 2-yr-old comments on article posted 4 days ago. Real genius, OpeTEX!!! You just can’t make this stuff up!!! Duh HUH!!! LMFAO !!! Now delete your post & RUN AWAY like a coward again so it looks like I’m replying to DIYinSTL!!!

https://www.ammoland.com/2022/08/1934-nfa-the-failed-1938-nfa-miller-and-the-regulation-of-gun-parts/comment-page-1/#comment-2953698

“a couple days ago there was an ole boy that responded to a comment that was two years old. You just can’t make this stuff up!!! Duh HUH!!!” -OpeTEX

Last edited 1 year ago by Russn8r
Russn8r

So you’re calling Oldvet a moron too.

Wild Bill

Putting insulting words in other people’s mouths, again?

Russn8r

No need to put ’em in yours, Generalíssima. You’re full of ’em, and hypocrisy, again. What’s up with the prissy commas, anyway? Don’t you ladies have anything better to do?

Wild Bill

Listen to yourself. This is why no one wants to converse with you. Each of your comments contain a juvenile insult.

Russn8r

“No one wants to converse with you.” Nah. Just not pompous poseurs who defend cops & troops enforcing unconscionable orders – like you.

You’re the LEGEND having an ongoing hissy fit because I pointed out an error. I wasn’t trying to nitpick, unlike what you do all the time, posing as God’s know it all, pompously & incorrectly opining on constitutional issues etc.

What’s funny is you & your locals-only pals ganging up like menopausal femmes & still LOSING. How many X today did you say you’re done with me? Yet you troll me like a woman scorned.

Last edited 1 year ago by Russn8r
Wild Bill

You got not one thing correct, and each thing is merely an insult. You prove my point.

Last edited 1 year ago by Wild Bill
JD

I bought one and can attest that it is a very reliable ammo feeding device. Unlike 30 round magazines it feeds reliably when filled to capacity. To me the higher capacity per magazine isn’t worth the cost.

Bill

Can you compare the 60 rd straight mags with the drum?

DIYinSTL

Try a heavier buffer. I just picked up an early select fire AR that would not run full auto. 3 or 4 rounds and then a light primer strike which you may have had. Did you inspect the unfired rounds? Instead of a buffer mine had the old Edgewater Spring Guide that weighs next to nothing. I dropped in a rifle buffer and it runs like a champ.

MP71

Never mind the magazine, I want to know more about the full auto “Government “M4. Is that your gun or did you borrow it from someone with an FFL 07/SOT? Do you have pre 86 FCG or auto sear?
Nosy minds want to know.

Bill

30 rd mages run $10-$15 ea. Soending $115 to avoid removing and inserting one magazine seems bazaar to me!

Nato762

Bulky, heavy when loaded. Will stick with stripper clips and standard magazines.

NinjaKai

Great video…
And to answer your question about the “four ninjas and a bear…”

The bear gets dinner after the ninjas leave.

Montana454Casull

Not really practical but developed to invoke fear and panic among liberals for the large ammo capacity at ones disposal .

JH1961

It sounds as if Magpul ‘borrowed’ from the design of the East German 75-rd AK drum, which loads identically. Question: does it rattle when loaded?

archmark

More Magpul garbage…