[tortoise]

I notice in the picture that the guy whose rifle you can see on the left has that stupid 550-cord loop in the magazine. Bad idea, as it can interfere with the proper functioning of the spring (the cord inside the magazine can bind on the spring, especially when they are more-or-less fully loaded). We'd "receive" magazines from other units like that when I was light infantry (what is it with MPs that compel them to modify gear that they'll hardly ever use), and we'd have to disassemble the damn things and take out the cord, tape, and whatever goop someone decided to stick in the floor plate. It was a popular mod at one time, but you mostly only find it on magazines that have been in inventory a really long time. I guess I'm just surprised to see that the 10th Mountain is using magazines that have been done up like this; there was no way an NCO would let a soldier go into a hot spot with magazines done up like that in any of the units I was in, and that was a decade ago.

[antaresequity]

They have a device that is made for that purpose. Its called a MagPul..I have them on my clips.

[Tailback]

It looks like it's taped to the outside of the mag not stuck under the mag's floorplate. You're right though, mags done up the wrong way get messed up.