P90 Magazines

In the other P90 modification tutorials we learn how to modify the LPEG airsoft P90 into an accurate Stargate SG-1 prop. But just having a shiny new receiver isn't going to hold back waves of replicators! To make your prop complete you will need to load up with a magazine. But, which one should you get?

There are several options available for prop builders to add this finishing touch to their replica gun. We'll go over each, and then depending on how much money you want to spend, or what kind of look you want to have, you can decide what's best for your Stargate prop P90.

LPEG P90 Mag

The cheapest and easiest option is to use the magazine that comes with the LPEG P90. Since one of these mags is included with the P90, you don't have to spend extra money to buy one. Another really nice benefit to using this mag is that it was made to fit on the LPEG P90, so you don't have to modify the gun at all.

The drawback to using this mag is that there are no faux rounds inside of it, so it always looks like you have an empty gun. Also, there's a rather imposing knob on top of the mag for the BB loading slot. Luckily though, both of these details could be fixed with a little bit of work. The lid/knob for the BB door is held on with just one screw, and so can easily be removed. And with a little bit of ingenuity you could make your own fake bullets to put inside of the magazine (it easily opens).

Tokyo Marui P90 Mags

There are two types of magazines made for the high end Tokyo Marui airsoft P90s, and I will cover them both here just to be thorough. I will start with the high-capacity mag because you probably won't use it, and then we'll talk about the low-capability mag--which is the best option available for using with a Stargate SG-1 or Atlantis prop. In general, you can get a nicer look by using one of the TM mags, but it will require that you modify the gun to make it fit.

The TM hi-cap is similar to the LPEG mag in that it is designed purely to hold BBs, and doesn't have any faux rounds. Nevertheless, the TM hi-cap does have nice trademarks which give it a realistic look, and the plastic looks less toy-like than the LPEG magazine. These cost around $38 from airsoft shops in the U.S., which means they cost more than the low-caps (discussed below), and look less real because there are no fake bullets.

As I mentioned before, the magazine that is the best choice for an SG-1 prop is the Tokyo Marui low-capacity magazine. For airsoft purposes this mag only holds 68 rounds (versus the 300 rounds that the hi-cap holds!), but what makes it nice are the faux 5.7mm rounds. The fake rounds give this mag a very real look which is awesome for use as a prop or as part of a Stargate costume. And, of course the low-cap mag has full P90 trademarks too. This mag costs about $30 in the U.S.

Final thoughts

In this article we've only talked about using airsoft magazines, but if you're the adventurous type then you could buy a real steel FN Herstal magazine and load it up with actual 5.7mm rounds (either live rounds or de-milled ones). It would be expensive to do this, and it would be impractical for use with a costume (because of the added weight and the fact that most convention halls will not allow any type of explosive ordinance). It would make a neat display piece though ... if you have the desire to go through the extra trouble.