View Full Version : Low Cap vs. Mid Cap vs. Hi Cap
I was just wondering people's opinions on this. Besides the obvious capacity differences, are there benefits that one type of magazine has over the other? In other words, is there a reason I might want to use a Low or Mid Cap over a Hi Cap in game play?
Danman
06-08-2007, 11:50 PM
(Real capacity)
Real-Caps are identical in operation compared to standard magazines, but they carry the same amount of ammunition that the real version of the magazine can carry, which is often much less than the standard magazine, e.g. an M-16 Real-Cap will hold 30 rounds instead of the 68 of a standard magazine. However, in airsoft, because of a lack of accuracy and range, more shots are fired, requiring magazines with more ammunition.
These tend to be used solely by those wanting the most realistic MILSIM ("MILitary SIMulation") games. Again they offer the stealth of no rattling rounds, but their main use is for the realistic qualities.
(Low-Cap)
Low cap mags hold less than 100 rounds of ammo. They usually are made to make airsoft combat more realistic, by holding the same amount of rounds as the real firearm's magazine does.
(Mid-Cap)
This is a loose category used to describe a standard type of magazine that has been modified to hold more rounds - usually between 100 and 200.
Mechanically they still function like a standard magazine and as such keep the advantage of quiet operation over high-capacity magazines (that also require a winding mechanism), but minimize the disadvantage of a standard magazine's lower number of rounds.
(Hi-Cap)
This term is used for all magazines with capacities in excess of 290 pellets (some up to 5,000) and can be one of two types, manual or battery controlled.
With both types a toothed wheel is rotated to bring pellets from a reservoir, along a track and up into a channel into the gun. With one type this gear is turned manually while in the other a pressure sensitive pad is used to operate a battery powered electrical motor to perform the same function.
These magazines are almost exclusively used in AEG type of guns and the obvious advantages is the greater number of rounds, which can be especially useful for automatic fire. The disadvantage is that the loose pellets can rattle and the noise could betray a players position to other competitors.
Nice info, although rather academic. What do you folks like, from personal experience? I'm toying with the idea of using mid caps, because I rather like the idea of not needing to wind and to reduce rattling. As a G36 user, I'm also interested in the TM low cap, due to the visual appeal of it's fake bullets.
Danman
06-09-2007, 12:16 AM
well with my personal experience I LOVE high caps i know you say that you like would like to reduce rattling and the winding and also the looks..well im not gona tell you what to do..do what make you happy.. but lets break it down.
first airsoft isnt a beauty pageant, although you may like to show off your gun its what you can do with it.. having a 30 rd mag with fake bullets are pointless because its not going to hlep you win and your just gona have to carry more mags.
Now with the winding ive made it a habet that after each engagement i wind it up just a bit so i am always set it isnt a huge deal.
And with the rattling of the bbs you cant tell that they are ratting
high caps will serve you better
shorty
06-09-2007, 12:20 AM
I use highcaps for the same reasons above, and I also wind after every engagement. Plus you can always use both high and midcaps.
Mad Murdock
06-09-2007, 01:48 AM
Used to rock midcaps and lived by them. Finally I got sick of clicky loading all the time, and realized I shot more than I could handle with them. I switched to hicaps, and that's all I have now. They're not for everyone though. I don't mind winding every few times while shooting through a mag, and that's why I use them. I also don't mind bb's shaking around inside my mag. Sure hicaps are "unrealistic" but airsoft is unrealistic enough not to worry about how your mag functions or can hold. That's my standpoint anyway. Hicaps and middies FTW!
Realism isn't really a concern for me. From what I'm seeing, I guess I'll stick with hi caps. I guess I could always solve the winding problem by picking up a Star S-Mag, lol.
matchgrade
06-09-2007, 02:44 AM
i go with a mix of mids and highs
i use the mids and keep at least 1 high cap on me. that way if my mids run out i dont have to reload them in the field
i go with a mix of mids and highs
i use the mids and keep at least 1 high cap on me. that way if my mids run out i dont have to reload them in the field
i do the exact same thing.
i use my mids, and when those are spent, i pop in the high if i need to.
a reason i don't use highcaps is because of the noise the bbs make in the mag.. the chicka-chicka sound, takes away it you are tring to be stealthy.
and yes it is loud enough to take away stealth, my squad has been tracked before not by our stepos but by the sound of one person's highcap.. it was annoying.
Nightshade
06-09-2007, 11:04 AM
I have 8 100rnd Midcaps for the M-16 series. I'm toying with the idea of buying one of those huge C-Mags to pop in if supressive fire is every called up and storing it in a butt pack. Also, I have a 3 mag pouch off my belt which has 2 XL speed loaders. So I always have more than 1000 rounds to reload if needed.
shorty
06-09-2007, 06:21 PM
I have a c-mag and i rather enjoy it, although it is for the most part pointless.
but it is hard to move with.. and makes a ton of noise, lol
plus with an armalite, i can't see myself firing 1500 shots in one day.
plus that many shots through an upgraded gun would kill your gears.
i would have keep my rifle stock if i were thinking of getting a cmag.
shorty
06-09-2007, 07:01 PM
hence why i stripped the gears on my gun lol
Danman
06-09-2007, 07:06 PM
all gears strip over time
shooter318
06-09-2007, 07:24 PM
I go with all G&P mid-caps. Because they are all metal and hold 130 rounds, 30 more than the plastic MAG mags. I hate high-caps, because of the shaking and the winding. You also need one or two highcaps. I also have mids, so i can fill up my vest and not have an empty vest.
MAG Mids and Star Lows. Why? BECAUSE They are Plastic, cheap, Plastic, hold a good amount of ammo. I tend to leave mags behind when I move up in a firefight so at about a buck 50 to 2.00 a mag, I dun mind losing 2 or 3.
It's kinda fun to be in a bunkes mag dumping on someones position as the floor slowly gets littered with empty mags. And hell when your vest holds 32+ mags, why not use mids?
~Wolf
Rapture
06-09-2007, 10:39 PM
I run a g36c and I have 8 highcaps for it and I love them. If you like to have plenty of firepower this is the type of mags for you. I have had no problem with the sound of loose bbs in the g36 mags and i have used them alot.
Mad Murdock
06-10-2007, 12:21 AM
Preference, preference, preference!
Danman
06-10-2007, 12:25 AM
thats is true go what makes you feel best
Vandal
06-10-2007, 12:32 AM
Also depends on how fast your gun shoots. If you have a magnum motor you dont want to use lowcaps....
My gun is stock, so ROF probably isn't an issue. I've ordered a couple of G&P mid caps, gonna see how I like them.
Brett
06-10-2007, 09:46 AM
the g36 hicaps hav lots of pros and cons. They hold at least 400 bbs, but they r plastci so they look very unrealistic, but i guess being able to see how much ammo u hav left could be an advantage.
the g36 hicaps hav lots of pros and cons. They hold at least 400 bbs, but they r plastci so they look very unrealistic, but i guess being able to see how much ammo u hav left could be an advantage.
I could be wrong, but I believe the real steel G36 mags are plastic also.
Brett
06-10-2007, 11:25 AM
i meant that they r see thorugh so u can see all the bbs, my bad
Tyler
06-10-2007, 11:31 AM
but it is hard to move with.. and makes a ton of noise, lol
plus with an armalite, i can't see myself firing 1500 shots in one day.
plus that many shots through an upgraded gun would kill your gears.
i would have keep my rifle stock if i were thinking of getting a cmag.
eh thats only like 5 high caps which at a big all day game really isnt that much. And if 1500 shots a game kills ur gears u need a better gun.
all gears strip over time
not true
Mad Murdock
06-10-2007, 10:28 PM
Agreed and um, agreed.
Danman
06-10-2007, 11:20 PM
Tyler sorry, most stock gears strip over time
matchgrade
06-10-2007, 11:21 PM
TM stock gears strip over time
CA, G&P, G&G, ICS/AE, Systema are much stronger...
Tyler
06-11-2007, 11:09 AM
all of those brands with a stock spring and a good shim job will have no issues with the gears stripping
all of those brands with a stock spring and a good shim job will have no issues with the gears stripping
didn't know, thanks for the catch.
t0ma70
06-13-2007, 02:38 AM
but it is hard to move with.. and makes a ton of noise, lol
plus with an armalite, i can't see myself firing 1500 shots in one day.
plus that many shots through an upgraded gun would kill your gears.
i would have keep my rifle stock if i were thinking of getting a cmag.
i used wolfs 3000 round drum mag with my upgraded ak (130 spring and stock tm gears) i mag dumped that thing 4 times in one day ps i love drum mags
my gears stripped like 4 months later i must have shot 50-60 k rounds with a 130 before they stripped
but back on the subject i carry 1-2 hicaps and like 10-15 standard/mids
i like to reload and thats really what itll come down to if you like changeing mags get mids if you dont really then get highs if your in heated firefights no one pays attention to rattleing if your trying to sneek then dont shake your hicaps dur
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