For the record the name HC3R stands for High Capacity Rapid Rifle Reload (3 R's)
Info from the HCMag website
- Thumb-assist, for ease of manual reloading
- Ammo pocket to hold an additional 20 rounds on board
- Removable Stripper Clip that allows those 20 rounds to be loaded in seconds
- Stainless steel feeding lips
- Assembled with stainless fasteners
- High impact formulated composite resin body, not glued plastic
- Reliable single stack magazine
- Easy to strip down and clean
- Capable of holding 45 rounds > 25 round capacity to shoot now, 20 more in ammo pocket
- Made in China (assembled in USA)
Price Point: MSRP $29.95
One of the most unique things about this magazine system (it really is a system, using more than one way to load/reload) is the reload strips that come with the magazine.
The magazine holds 25 rounds, but when using the quick reload strip you get 20 rounds on the reload.
In addition the magazine comes equipped with a thumb stud to aid in reloading.
Just when you thought that was the end of its features, the HC3R also has a recess on the back of the magazine to hold an additional 20 rounds on board.
This video shows how the system works:
In addition HC Mags will sell you additional stripper clips, you get three of them for $12.95 and the come with rubber caps to keep your loaded rounds in place.
First Impressions:
I liked the clam shell packaging, it did come with easy to read instructions, but no diagram or parts list. The HC3R is made in China, but assembled here in the U.S., that garners one demerit.....It did come with an extra loading strip.
Fit:
For the record I am fitting these into my 2008 vintage 10/22 with the ATI stock, Ruger used these stocks as a factory option and I have yet to have any issues with the stock or the standard BX25 magazines I have been using in it.
The magazine took a little finagling to get it into the mag well, but once in it was a very good fit with almost no discernible side to side or front to back play.
Disassembly:
The cap screws were also 3/32 Allen head, same as the TI25 and the Ruger BX magazine. Unlike the others the feed lips stayed with one half, while the follower and spring stayed with the other half, all parts are removable though.
Disassembly and reassembly were easy enough without any surprises.
A side note, the rubber cap that came with the Ruger BX25x2 fits the HC3R magazine quite well...just thought I would throw that in there
Iownguns.com gave the HC3R a 90% rating (three of the magazines were tested) which is pretty good.
Now I am not implying that the other blogs and websites would be biased and provide good reviews (to keep the stream of freebies coming) but there is a reason Consumer Reports does not accept advertising. The appearance of impropriety is as bad as the real thing.
On with the review....
Loading the magazine proved to be an exercise of futility. I tried four times to get the rounds to feed into the magazine and could never get it to work. The rounds would tip butt end down and get stuck in the transition from the feed lips to the stripper clip. Then when you pull the stripper clip off the back the follower would flip out the opening
I tried using the thumb assist as well as loading them in a normal fashion.
I even tried loading them onto the stripper clips first and that also failed.
After four attempts I gave up.
Perhaps I am just being hard on this magazine, but if a relatively astute gun guy cannot figure out how to make it work, the design is a failure.
Maybe if I spent enough time practicing with it I could get proficient at it.....I'd rather spend that time learning to play the guitar and stick to magazines that don't require "practice".
As always your experiences may be different, but I give this magazine a big fat ZERO, F-, Two Thumbs Down, N.F.G.