Maker: First Factory
Model: ?
Item weight: ?
Calibre: 6mm BBs
Magazine capacity: hi-cap 5000 rounds
Price: 8700 yen
Manufacturer: ?
Calibre: 5.56x45mm
Magazine capacity: ? rounds
OK, so I was less than satisfied with the Classic Army electric wind C-mag, but I still really wanted a box mag of some kind, so I bought the same one as I borrowed that one time that got me started on this high-capacity craze. I bought First Factory's big ol' box mag from A&A Airsoft for $120 with the hi-cap internals already installed. Apparently you need to gut a regular hi-cap mag and install it into this box mag in order to get it working, but A&A Airsoft's were ready to go right out of the box. I don't know how difficult it would be to install a M16's hi-cap internals into this box mag, but I don't think it would be too hard.
It's a nice mag, made of a very tough plastic (I've dropped mine from a height of eighteen inches onto rough concrete, and did little more than ding it a bit), with the only large metal part being the half-M16 magazine bit that goes into the magwell. I don't believe it's designed after any real steel magazine, if that sort of thing matters to you. But with a BB capacity of 5000 rounds, you won't mind giving up the realism for firepower. And yes, you will shoot a lot more than you used to with this box rammed into your M16. When it's available, you do use it, I can attest to that.
There are two fill ports, the normal M16 hi-cap one and a little sliding door in the upper right corner on the back of the magazine. Just slide the door 90-degrees and pour the BBs in. There's a flap in the magazine that acts like some kind of divider, and you can fill the rest of the magazine by turning a knob on the back of the mag which will raise the flap and the BBs will fall into the bottom of the box. Just keep doing this until the mag is completely full. Then wind the mag as you would a regular hi-cap magazine. When you're done, stick the box into your M16 and you're ready to shoot.
This may be the only mag you'll need to bring to the field, mine's never jammed on me, but I've been running Excel BBs only in it. Lugging the box is a test in strength as it weighs about four pounds fully loaded, but with a good sling you'll get used to it. Just remember to give your back a break every once in a while and carry the rifle with your arms. Unlike the electric wind C-mag, the manual wind box mag will shoot a lot more BBs per wind. It will shoot at least as many as a regular hi-cap, and on a full wind, that will be close to the whole amount of a normal M16 hi-cap, about 300 rounds.
Storing the box mag can also be a problem. It's much larger than a M249 SAW box, about twice the size (4.25" L x 5.5" W x 6.25" H). You'll need a large utility pouch to hold it. But when in the field (if you only carry one box), the pouch will be empty and you can use it for what it's named after, utility. I found that Patriot Performance Materials modular MPP (Multi Purpose Pouch) fits the box mag very well, if you're looking for a large enough solution.
The last issue I can think of is noise. When full, the box makes little rattle, but when you start to empty it, shaking it around will sound like a maraca. It seems less noisy than the metal M16 mags, insofar that the thick plastic muffles the sound better than thin metal does. But the way I see it, if you're running through the woods either at the enemy or away from him, then he knows where you are, and noise discipline is the last thing you need worry about. When on patrol, it's easy to keep the box quiet, just don't shake your rifle around.
I fully recommend First Factory's 5000 round box mag to anyone looking for an ultra high capacity magazine to replace smaller capacity magazines. If you play like a machine gunner, then this box mag is probably for you. It's well worth the cost and weight, it's far superior to electric winding options.