History of Taran Tactical Innovations
Taran Tactical Innovations (TTI) is a US company designing and manufacturing weapons and accessories for Tactical customers, Competition shooters and for the general public. Products are tested and designed to provide an edge to its products users whether that be on the battlefield, the range or in the home and was born from the vision of Taran Butler, a hugely successful US Competition shooter.
For more info - visit the Taran Tactical Innovations page.
Why Taran Tactical Innovations (TTI)?
The operators in SEAL Teams Bravo are able to exercise some freedom of gear choice, ranging from boots worn, setup of their weapons and their 1st and 2nd line gear. Two images of 5B9 BROCK stood out to me where his 1st line gear was fitted with an S&S Precision SMR (Skeletonized Magazine Retention), GRT (Gear Retention Track) and Dust-E (fitted cover) a full review of all these items is available here, inside of which was a standard PMAG however on closer inspection it did not have standard baseplate fitted. I was intrigued...
Using the first photo for reference and with it being of a decent quality, I zoomed in, cropped and rotated the image as the item appeared to have a logo and wording on it. The logo appeared to be a T shape and 2 lines of text. With a fairly decent image I then queried Google to identify non standard fitted PMAG baseplates. That's when I came across the Taran Tactical Innovations AR-15/M16 M3 PMAG Extension.
This TTI PMAG Ext. was another nod to individual loadouts and I took the plunge and purchased one to review. This appealed to me again as no other magazines used by BROCK are fitted with this, which shows that thought has been put into the loadout. It made sense that if BROCK had spent all of his standard 3x magazines on his 2nd Line (plate carrier) and any others he was carrying, and was then down to the last magazine on his 1st Line fitted with the TTI PMAG Ext., he at least had 30 rounds with an additional 5 rounds capacity that could give him the critical edge in a firefight.
Product details
Herein lies the product description from the site;
This Taran Tactical Innovations .223 PMAG base pad works on any .223 30 or 40 round PMAG magazine. This TTI base pad will add 5 extra rounds to a PMAG 30 round magazine and extra 6 rounds in a 40 round PMAG magazine. This TTI base pad does add a little extra weight to the magazine which helps the empty mag drop free easier for faster reloads. This TTI .223 PMAG base pad, just like all of our base pads, is designed to give you the edge over your adversaries. We use our patented push pin design to lock the base pad to the magazine, which makes for easy field stripping and cleaning your magazines between stages. Just push down the pin, slide the base pad on and push the pin up to lock the base pad onto the magazine. Our one piece design is great because there are no extra parts or tools needed to attach the base pad to your magazine. The base pad itself is machined out of billet aluminum and is hard anodized to ensure durable long lasting color. All machining and manufacturing is done in the USA.
TTI Firepower PMAG Magazine Extension,
Designed to work with stock spring.
Overall weight 2.1oz (59.5g).
Length, 1 inch*.
Patented, proven push-pin design.
Easily attaches and detaches from the magazine.
No specialty tools, devices, or additional springs required for assembly/disassembly, simply pop off the insert at the bottom of the spring and slide on the extension.
One piece design; no small parts to keep track of.
Minimal length addition to allow usage while in a prone position.
Holds 35+1 rounds on the PMAG30.
Holds 46+1 rounds on the PMAG40.
The added weight helps the magazine drop free easier for faster reloads.
CNC machined from billet aluminum.
Hard anodized.
Made in the USA.
Reverse compatible with GEN2 PMAGs.
* Length is stated at 1", this is certainly incorrect. I believe this is actually in reference to the Height of 1" or 2.5cm.
The TTI PMAG Extension is available in a number of colours, images of which have been included below.
(Red, Titanium Purple, Flat Black, Titanium Blue, OD Green, Blue, Black, Titanium Grey, Coyote Bronze).
In essence, the TTI PMAG Extension has two main functions;
Enable an additional 5-6 rounds to be carried in a PMAG - appealing to Police and Military shooters.
Increase weight of magazine to allow mag to drop faster when magazine is ejected - appealing to Competition shooters when changing magazine.
Packaging
The TTI PMAG Extension comes in a small simplistic tough plastic bag. The front bears a sticker detailing the product along with a barcode;
5.56 PMAG Firepower Mag Extension
100-015-585
Inside the bag alongside the TTI PMAG Ext. there is a Taran Tactical Innovations card with website, phone number and company statement.
TTI PMAG Extension exterior in detail
The TTI PMAG Extension (Ext.) is a single piece product that is CNC machined from billet aluminium that has further been hard anodized preventing light damage such as scuffs and scratches to the product. It comes in three parts; Extension, pin and screw (as shown in the final image below). The finish on the product is very good with no noticeable machining marks or damage to the interior or exterior and it is a high quality yet simplistic looking item.
Both sides of the Ext. bear the Taran Tactical Innovations logo and name, which is not engraved, rather it is done with a raised effect.
PMAG Ext. Measurements
Height 2.5cm
Width 2.9cm
Length 7.3cm
Pin measures 2.5cm in length
Screw measures 4mm in length
The Ext. weighs a total of 59.5g
Installing the TTI PMAG Ext. - Real Steel
To install the TTI PMAG Ext. it is a simple process and is shown in the below images. The magazine used is a genuine Magpul PMAG30 Gen M3. The second and third images show the Ext. in comparison to the PMAG baseplate and it can be seen that the surface area of the Ext. is only slightly larger than that of the original baseplate (PMAG baseplate length - 6.9cm vs Ext. length - 7.3cm = Total of 4mm difference). The Ext. is advertised as 'plug and play' ie simple to install and use without tools, but you will require a 1/16 SAE allen key.
The PMAG baseplate must be removed and the spring carefully removed. Store baseplate in safe place for re-use if required.
Spring can be unhooked by twisting from base of magazine spring retention system. Store base piece in safe place.
The eighth image shows how simple the product is as the spring purely sits in the Ext.
Remove pin and screw using the 1/16 SAE allen key prior to installing the Ext.
Using pressure, compress the spring into the PMAG and then slide the Ext. onto base of PMAG.
You will need to reach inside PMAG and compress spring further to allow Ext. to be fully slid into place.
Once the Ext. has been slid onto the PMAG it is worth highlighting in the images below that some care is needed in installing the Ext.
Once the Ext. is in place and has been pushed fully onto the base of the PMAG, as seen in the second image below, there was a 1mm gap between the Ext. and the PMAG where it hadn't seated fully. This is either a very slight manufacturing difference for the Ext. or the PMAG, but it is not a major issue and does not stop the TTI from performing its' intended purpose.
The third image shows how the pin hole is slightly obscured by the front lip of the PMAG.
When inserting the pin as in the fourth image it's unable to be pushed through completely.
A quick Google and Reddit search came back with a number of posts ref the Ext. not seating correctly on Magpul Gen3 magazines. The solution... use a small hammer to gently knock the pin through. I recommend using a hammer gently so as to not either bend the pin or cause the end of it to become misshapen (causing potential future issues).
Once pin is in place, the screw can be inserted into the hole and using the 1/16 SAE allen key, the screw tightened.
The pin as mentioned above is designed to prevent the Ext. from disengaging from the PMAG.
The final image shows when the Ext. is removed, the 'slight' superficial damage caused to the PMAG where the pin was pushed through the hole. The mark is barely noticeable and is not deep and does note prevent the magazine from functioning.
Next time you come to install the Ext. the pin will push through easily without use of a hammer.
Once installed on the PMAG, the Ext. feels solid and certainly doesn't feel like a loose fit or able to disengage by itself. By adding the Ext. onto the PMAG, it does as expected and as designed affect the weight and size of the PMAG.
Empty PMAG weighs - 142g
Full PMAG weighs - 517g
PMAG dimensions - 18.6 x 6.9 x 2.2 cm (H x W x D)
Empty PMAG + Ext. weighs - 201.5g
Full PMAG + Ext. weighs - 576.5g
PMAG + Ext. dimensions - 20.6 x 6.9 x 2.2 cm (H x W x D)
The below images show the Ext. installed on the PMAG utilised alongside the S&S Precision SMR, GRT and Dust-E.
Installing the TTI PMAG Ext. - Airsoft
To install the TTI PMAG Ext. it is a simple process, though some modifications may be required to your magazines. The magazine used is a Tokyo Marui NGR PMAG.
When the baseplate is removed from the PMAG the ridges that the baseplate slides onto can be seen to be approx 3 mm wide as shown in the first image.
Modification is required to reduce the width to allow the Ext. to be installed. A square file was used to carefully file down the ridge depth to approx 1.5 - 2mm. This took time and patience to perfect the depth.
When installing the Ext. the spring loaded button on the base as seen in the first two images needs to be depressed to allow the Ext. to be fitted.
The third and fourth images below show an unmodified (left) and modified (right) PMAG for comparison.
Once installed on the PMAG, as with the Real Steel version, the Ext. feels solid. Unlike with the Magpul Gen3 magazine, the pin was inserted and pushed through the hole without use of tools. By adding the Ext. onto the TM PMAG, it does as expected and as designed affect the weight and size of the PMAG.
Empty TM PMAG weighs - 189g
Full TM PMAG weighs - 194g
TM PMAG dimensions - 18.5 x 6.5 x 2.2 cm (H x W x D)
Empty TM PMAG + Ext. weighs - 240g
Full TM PMAG + Ext. weighs - 245g
TM PMAG + Ext. dimensions - 20.5 x 6.5 x 2.2 cm (H x W x D)
Thoughts and opinion
The Taran Tactical Innovation PMAG Extension is a unique item and certainly one that either people have knowledge of or more likely not even know about outside of the USPA (United States Practical Shooting Association). The products' simple purpose of increasing the number of rounds available in a magazine increases the operators chance of survivability in a firefight when in a Police or Military scenario, and the increased weight for Competition shooters provides a slight edge when unloading and reloading a magazine.
In simple terms it's purely one piece of hollowed metal, a screw and a pin and the price tag that goes with it is not cheap either. I took the plunge and I am happy with the effect it has aesthetically and when used on the field. The next test is to use it on real steel firearms and compare the Ext. fitted magazines against standard magazines.
Whilst this product is certainly for use with real steel magazines and ammunition, it equally works well aesthetically with airsoft PMAGs also. Whilst increasing the weight of the magazine it does add something extra to an ordinary magazine on the 1st Line Gear.
Can I recommend the product? If using it for real steel purposes I would honestly say yes. Any tactical advantage you can give yourself ahead of anything that puts you in danger is a huge positive in my books. Some thought may be required once installed to test fire the weapon and practice reloading if using magazines fitted with the Ext. purely as it will have a slight impact on muscle memory, with a slightly increased weight when loaded in the weapon which may cant or lower the muzzle. If not using it for real steel and instead it's intended purpose is for airsoft or training, I would say to think about why you're wanting it as in the world of airsoft it has no real practical advantage.
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Final Note
I am not paid for my blogs by the manufacturers or companies that I purchase my items from. I am not offered freebies to promote a product. These blogs are purely written from my own experience in truth to help advise and inform others who may wish to purchase the items or understand more about them. If I am sent a freebie to review this will be stated at the beginning to make you aware.