Why do some players have red tape on their mags?

[Mr. Gruntsworthy]

It's something i'm noticing in online videos, and games I've been to.

Is it just to denote loaned mags or something?

[NANA]

There are a number of reasons why guys tape their mags. Some do it to mark which mags they own in case one drops in play. Others use color to mark how many rds are loaded in the mag. Red=30 blue=90 and so on. Then there are guys who tape just cause they like the look.

Hope that helps.

[Hectic]

Easy to id as theirs easy to find if droped and in a loadout to emulate real life units (like etf swat and other units as well)
Red would signafy regular ammo or live rounds or mags with tracers
Blue would often be for blanks or low velocity/subsonic rounds for use in silenced guns or when over penetration could pose a threat to civilians or other forces in the are. For swat or etf guys it could also be for less lethal options like rubber bullets

[MonnoncMaxou]

I do it to identify which mags contain lethal BBs and which ones contain blanks. A little trick I learned from Colonel Stuart in Die Hard 2!

[ThunderCactus]

And PTW owners with systema mags should spray paint them fluorescent orange. Because I have not been to ONE game where a PTW owner has not lost a $50 systema mag in the field lol

[Zack The Ripper]

^I LOL'ed.

To your question though: I do a band of fluorescent pink duct tape on the bottom of my regular STANAG mags and my metal AK mags because they're black and quite hard to find if dropped on the field, plus, you never see anyone with pink tape on their mags so anyone else in the game that finds one I may have dropped will know who to give it to when its over. I don't tape my PMAGs simply because I mark them with sharpie, generally my initials with the number of rounds the mag holds. I know some guys also run paracord with the tape sometimes to make cheap "Magpuls". Just depends on the person I guess. I used to think it was stupid until I lost a few mags and didn't find them for six months. Works for me now and twice has helped me get dropped mags back. I even have the handle of my rubber knife done in pink duct tape for the same reason. Kind can give you away sometimes though because of the bright color. I would rather have a harder time with camouflage than lose a $20-30 mag.

[Hectic]

^hey are you calling me cheap??lol
As far as i know those aint "cheap magpulls" those are the uber leet tacticool magpulls that magpul got their idea from from and guys have beendin it long befor magpul came out with their "lazymans" magpulls.
Dont get me wrong i run magpul ones on alot of my m4 mags but my mp5 mags have duct tape and para cord ones as the short mags fit more nicely in 9mm pistol pouches with those rather then "real" magpulls

[Mr. Gruntsworthy]

fair enough. so it's for identification/mag type purposes.

[AngelusNex]

its mostly cause they saw it in a movie once.

[BennyBoy]

My VFC Scar H mag base plates like to separate from the mag so I tape them. ><
I also tape my m4 mags like hockey sticks for better grip. I dropped one of my gas mags and cracked the bottom so now that one is taped as well =D

[cav.]

I guess it can also be protection for the mags? Im pretty OCD so I'd tape mine up to prevent it from getting scratched lol

[The Chad]

Dood, that's friggin weird.


Red = lethal/ball
Blue = non lethal/training.


I've seen barrels taped blue after being deemed safe.
Rubber and poly training guns are blue too usually.

I can relate to the lost mag thing but don't think you should have to draw extra attention to yourself.

[ThunderCactus]

It's typically just to denote that they are yours if lost in the field.
I draw a little cactus on mine =p

[mcguyver]

Tape on mags is ghey.

[The Chad]

Originally Posted by ThunderCactus

I draw a little cactus on mine =p

Lmao, have you heard of PLA radio?

The word cactus always makes me laugh since hearing that.



Imagine you picked up a mag on the field that said "ol' nutscratcher."