REVIEW: HERA Arms H3(T) Magazine

The German company HERA Arms shows that accessories for the AR system can also be designed outside of the USA. They recently introduced a magazine to the market with the aim of challenging the dominance of P- and G-Mags. BigBen from Pulverdampf tested the magazines with around 1000 shots of .223 caliber:

During the approximately 1000 shots, there were no malfunctions attributed to the magazines. Steel and brass casings from OA15, Hera 15th, and Schmeisser AR-15 were fired. The magazines fit easily into all standard AR15 magazine pouches and holders and can be loaded with 30 rounds. Even with 30 rounds in the magazine, it can be easily attached to an AR-15 with a closed bolt, but it's recommended to press it firmly enough to ensure it locks into place. With a little practice, you can feel and hear the locking mechanism. Pressing the magazine button caused the magazines - whether loaded or empty - to reliably and automatically slide out of the magazine well, thanks to gravity!

We also consider the use of different surface textures successful - areas of the magazine that need to slide out of a pouch are smooth, while other areas that are gripped are roughened. The base seemed a bit "angular" and "edgy" to me, but it's probably just a matter of habit. The material itself appears to be a fairly hard plastic, and the magazines feel very sturdy, although some may find that the plastic of Magpul PMAGs feels a bit "softer," but this is a very subjective matter.

The spring of the HERA magazines is relatively stiff - i.e., it becomes a bit cumbersome after the 20th magazine without a loading aid. However, the strong spring seems to ensure sufficient operational reliability and simply pushes dust and dirt out of the way. Although we didn't directly fill sand into the magazines, we did repeatedly step on 2 magazines on a dusty floor...which didn't cause any problems with the magazines and only left a slight "used" look.

Now, the only "issue" we encountered during testing, which leads to the following recommendation: do not drop fully loaded H3 magazines with the magazine lips facing downward from over 1 meter onto hard concrete! Why? Because under certain circumstances, they might break! At least in 2 attempts (the first case, the magazine survived unscathed), we produced a break starting from one magazine lip and running down the side.
Nevertheless, two things should be noted: Firstly, this is pretty much the toughest test for any AR15 magazine, and I don't know if there are any AR15 magazines that can withstand it.
Secondly, the magazine can still be used as long as enough cartridges are stuffed in, and the last cartridge on the side without a crack is fine - the damaged side will "spit out" its last cartridge otherwise. We were able to shoot about 50 rounds smoothly with the "broken" magazine and I think it would continue to function, but you don't feel comfortable with such a damaged magazine, so it will probably end up in the spare parts box.

CONCLUSION: We particularly like the version with the viewing window (H3T ...I assume the "T" stands for "transparent") as it gives the weapon a modern look compared to USGI magazines or Magpul PMAGs. The position of the viewing window is ergonomically favorable, as peripheral vision provides a view of the magazine's status during firing. A minor drawback is that the magazine status is not precisely determinable, as there is no numbering or similar system, meaning the shooter only knows when the magazine is full ... and when they can't see any more cartridges in the window, they have less than 17 rounds left. The construction is solid and reliable enough for my needs, comparable to OA magazines, and the HERA magazines simply look - especially in a 15th model (but also in my OA) - extremely attractive.

The H3 variant differs from the H3T variant solely in the use of continuous black plastic instead of the viewing window. Therefore, no rough ammunition status can be read, which is not really relevant for most sporting purposes, but results in a slightly cheaper price.

HERA Arms recommends a price of 24.90 Euros for the H3T with a viewing window and 20.00 Euros for the H3 without a window, but you may find them at one or another dealer for 1-2 Euros cheaper or more expensive.

HERA ARMS on the web: hera-europe.com

Once again, many thanks to BigBen from Pulverdampf for the review!