AR questions - with accompanying pic

[cosine]

See this pic:






I've a couple of questions: Is it even possible to put a magazine in place backwards? Also, a poster on another forum opined that the rifle is actually an AR-10 with a "reverse banana clip." Never heard of such a thing. Do magazines that curve the "wrong" way actually exist?

[The Rabbi]

Dumb broad? 

[Brad Johnson]

Dumb broad?

Uh oh! (ducks for cover...)

Brad

[cosine]

May I reference fellow APS members to this thread and this thread?

This thread was not intended to become nor will it become a target for rude, derogatory jokes about the event depicted and/or the individual in the picture. Just answer my questions, please, if you can do so. 

[wingnutx]

I'm guessing that she has 2 mags taped together, with the lips on opposite ends.

[SADShooter]

That photo looks weird in general. The angles seem akilter, particularly the relationship of the officer's forearm, wrist, and pistol grip of the carbine. Just doesn't appear natural to me, FWIW.

[Lee]

Looks backwards to me.  Never seen a 'reverse' 30 rd mag...for any rifle.  Was this a real newspaper photo, a movie, or a likely internet photoshop gag? 

[280plus]

No answer, her form looks good though.

[Brad Johnson]

Something is definitely amiss. Either the officer got the mag shoved in backwards (which I didn't think was possible) or it's some kind of specialty mag. Maybe reverse-curved to make for a more compact profile?

Did some poking around on gunbroker and auctionarms.com. Didn't see any kind of reverse-curve magazine for the AR.

Brad

[Marnoot]

A "reverse" banana magazine wouldn't make any sense. Isn't the primary reason for the banana shape that the bottlenecked rounds have a smaller diameter on the neck than the head, causing that shape to naturally come out when they're stacked in a magazine?

Since a round that's narrower at the rear than the front doesn't exist (rebated rims don't count), I doubt there would be any point to "reverse banana" magazines. Furthermore, it is impossible to insert a magazine backwards in an AR-15 (at least every one I've seen), they're keyed such that it just won't insert. Odd photograph, for sure.

[280plus]

Could she have actually put the mag in backwards due to the stress of the situation?

[charby]

I'm guessing that she has 2 mags taped together, with the lips on opposite ends.

I agree too

[Brad Johnson]

I'm guessing that she has 2 mags taped together, with the lips on opposite ends.

I agree too

Even if they were taped together, you would still have to insert them in the proper orientation (i.e. curved to the front).

Brad

[cosine]

Was this a real newspaper photo, a movie, or a likely internet photoshop gag? 

I have no idea. I swiped the pic off of another forum.

Either the officer got the mag shoved in backwards (which I didn't think was possible) or it's some kind of specialty mag. Maybe reverse-curved to make for a more compact profile?

Those were the two questions I had. I didn't think it was possible to "lock" a magazine in place backwards. The other option I thought of was that curving the mag backwards would give a more compact profile, but like Marnoot said that doesn't make sense.

She could have two magazines taped together, but it seems like you would at least see a corner of the other mag (the one in the gun) curving forward like it should (but, it is a low-resolution photo).

Edit: Brad beat me to it.

[BozemanMT]

Insert line about how private citizens are not trained enough to carry extremely dangerous military style rifles and only the police should have them.

[280plus]

Just went down and dug the bushy out. You can't shove a mag in there backwards even a little bit. That's all I can tell you.

Post it over at THR under rifles and see what comes up.

[Perd Hapley]

If she does have two magazines, could one or more of them be a twenty-rounder?

[AJ Dual]

I'll go with two mags, taped or clamped together "jungle style". The newsprint photo quality is obviously poor, but looking at the bottom of the "wrong" mag, it looks like you can see feed lips.

[Brad Johnson]

I'll go with two mags, taped or clamped together "jungle style". The newsprint photo quality is obviously poor, but looking at the bottom of the "wrong" mag, it looks like you can see feed lips.

If that's the case, the wouldn't you end up see one of the two following results?

A) The mags are taped curve-to-curve with a vertical offset to allow the mags to be inserted after flipping them. By definition, this setup would have both mags curved the same direction. Thus, the curve is still oriented improperly.

B) The mags are taped together top-to-top with a space between to allow for magazine insertion. In this case you should see the forward curve (the proper orientation) of another magazine ahead of the improperly curved one. There is pictoral detail forward of the magazine (the trim line of the car's rear window) that makes this scenario an impossibility.

Besides, doubled-up mags are pretty thick. Even with the poor quality of the pic they would stand out like a sore thumb. In this pic the width of the mag can be determined by looking at dark strip that separates the side of the magazine facing the viewer (the lit side) and the officers arm. That dark strip is the rear of the mag and it's the same width as the bottom of the mag we can see, meaning they are the same. If it was two mags taped together the dark strip should be appx twice as wide as the bottom of the mag.

Brad

[Brad Johnson]

Hey 280plus, I know you can't get the mags in backwards if the feed lips are facing up, but humor me and try inserting the mag upside down and with the curve to the rear.

Brad

[El Tejon]

The officer has inserted the magazine incorrectly into the weapon. 

The magazine is upside down and, I believe, unloaded.  As well, her dust cover is open.

Her form is horrific as she is standing exposed full value numbnuts.

This photo should be saved and featured in a permanent thread to be viewed every time Sarah Brady yammers on about how "highly trained" the police are.   I can hardly wait the next time some moron big city cop or politician tells us how highly trained the police are.

This photo also confirms what I have been told by other officers.  They may be given "patrol rifles" but do not receive training or ammunition.

[Twycross]

The mag looks waaay too long. As if it's not seated far in enough. I'm inclined to go with El Tejon's 'jammed in upside-down and backwards' theory.

[Marnoot]

The mag looks waaay too long. As if it's not seated far in enough. I'm inclined to go with El Tejon's 'jammed in upside-down and backwards' theory.

I don't see that as possible unless the magwell or mag has been modified. There's a ridge on the back of the magazine that keys it into the magwell. This ridge would prevent it from being inserted in an orientation that would cause it to curve backwards.

[280plus]

OK, went back down and tried all possible positions for the mag to fit into my Bushmaster and it will not even start in any position except the correct one. I even applied a little pressure to see if I could force it in there so it would at least stay on it's own and it won't go in so much as 1/8 inch. So on my particular rifle there is no way you can get the mag in there incorrectly. Still I have no answer for what we see in that pic. When I said form I meant she's holding the rifle correctly but El T is right, she's WAY exposed.

BTW, if you orient the key on the mag with the keyway in the mag well, even upside down, the curve is oriented toward the front. And it would not fit in at all that way either.

[280plus]

LOL,,,I did a search on reverse banana clip and at least found out what a "reverse banana" is. A little more info than I needed, I must admit.