Review of The New Gun Mod: The Mag P3

If you loved the original Smok Mag mod, then you’ve got to check out the new and improved Mag P3! Both Mag mods have come under heavy criticism from the anti-gun crowd for their gun-shaped designs and sinister names, but the actual product has been a vaper favorite for a variety of reasons. The original Mag mod was released in 2017 (you can read our review of that mod here) and looked aggressive due to the pistol grip shape, firing pin design, and the battery release button. The Mag P3 tones that down a bit with a sleeker design and smoother feel. The original Mag device was sold either as a kit or as a stand-alone mod, but the P3 comes only as a starter kit. We’ll start out with the Mag mod and work our way up to the monstrous TFV16 tank. Let’s check out the new mod’s upgrades and see why this mod is even better than the original!

THE MAG P3: THE MOD

This mod truly is a beast that caters to even the clumsiest of vapers. It’s designed to be waterproof (up to 3 feet or 1 meter of being underwater for as long as 30 minutes), dustproof, and shockproof from the base of the mod all the way to the protective glass covering of the tank. While it’s possible to chip the drip tip and the painted parts of the tank, this starter kit is truly impressive and a must have for vapers who are constantly using their mod. One thing I must mention about this mod is the size...it’s definitely a big one. If you’re used to the 1200 pod mods released in the past year of the half, this one might take some getting used to. Even though it’s a monster of a mod, it fits comfortably in your palm, much like the original Mag mod.

This mod also offers a huge selection of features like temperature control, TCR, smart atomizer recognition, customer memory slots, balanced battery charging, bypass, and so much more. You can check out our previous review on how to operate temperature control mode here, but for now, this mod worked wonderfully in regular wattage mode. The mod has a firing time of .0001 second, which is incredible. The preheat mode is wonderful in that it doesn’t get too hot in HARD mode and is comfortable even in SOFT mode. Lastly, there’s a very fun feature called “My Mode” where you can set your preferred vape settings in case others are using it and mess up your settings.

No doubt you’re curious how this mod is pretty much clumsy-proof. I didn’t understand either until I held it in my hand. The entire mod is encased in a durable rubber, save for the touch screen and hinged battery door. The rubber is soft and smooth so it’s not like you’re gripping a cold/hot metal body and worried about chipping the paint. The front and rear grips are a carbon fiber layout of the soft rubber coating and features an integrated microUSB port that is also covered with this soft coating. The back of the mod has a beautiful carbon fiber inlay with the words “MAG PD3” boldly stamped onto the inlay. Regardless of which color you choose (it comes in Grey Black, Red Black, Green Black, Black Red, or Blue Black), you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more beautiful yet durable mod.

The touchscreen is absolutely stunning and offers a much nicer menu layout than its predecessor. Measuring at 1.9”, the screen’s high resolution display and uber responsive touch features make this such a joy to play with. You can even lock the mod with a four-digit passcode if you don’t want it to be used without your knowledge. The only downside is you can only view the screen in your right hand. I used the mod in either hand, and unless you want to constantly check your puff counter or wattage, it really isn’t that big of an issue. While the previous Mag mod came in either a right- or left-hand option, Smok simplified their mod by only offering a right hand option. You can use your thumb to fire the trigger button (and I have!) but it’s much easier to use and observe things like battery life and other settings with your right hand. The screen features an updated IQ-S chipset, which is simply a more modern menu layout than the original Mag mod. It’s very similar to the Morph219 mod, but doesn’t come with the option to change your background like the Morph219 does (honeycomb, carbon fiber, etc.).

One thing I was surprised to learn about this Mag was that Smok removed the metal button on the side that releases the battery chamber similar to a Glock magazine release. That was one of my favorite things about the original Mag! Smok decided to utilize a hinged battery door instead that releases after a firm press on the side of the mod (marked “push”). The original Mag was designed to look and feel like an actual gun magazine, whereas the Mag P3 seems to only want to feel like you’re holding the gun’s grip. Nothing else about the mod even remotely resembles a gun, especially the mod’s overhanging handle. In short, this probably shouldn’t even have “Mag” in the name, but it does have some similarities that Smok must have felt it needed to be renamed the Mag P3. Now that we’ve gone over the mod, let’s check out the tank that comes attached to this beast: the Smok TFV16!

THE TFV16: THE TANK POWERHOUSE

For months, the TFV12 was the largest tank available and was rightly named “the cloud beast king.” I reviewed it a few months ago as being one of my favorites (which you can check out here), but having tried Smok’s newest TFV16, I’m a happy customer! It’s currently one of the largest and most powerful tanks on the market, thanks to the innovative push-button swivel top and bulging glass e-juice compartment. The tank also has swivel airslots that are fully adjustable to give you as tight or loose of a pull as you like. Two coils are included in the box for you to use and decide which one you prefer more.

You can use the tank separately with other mods if you’d like, as long as they can accommodate a 28mm wide tank and can fire up to at least 90W. There are several options when it comes to coils, but since I like a higher wattage, I chose the 0.12 ohm coil and it lets me fire at 120W quite comfortably. I actually used this coil for over a month with great flavor even after changing e-liquids frequently. While I can’t guarantee every coil will be this great, I was delighted at the coil longevity, flavor, and cloud production.

One thing I will caution you on is that the tank’s push-release button can be easily pushed open accidentally in your pocket, resulting in the coil getting flooded and juice leaking out. This isn’t an issue with all the tanks, but mine would do this occasionally if I wasn’t careful. Loading the tank was easy though, thanks to the O-ring being located on top of the tank and the fill-port being large enough to fit a needle-nosed e-juice bottle tip in.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I vape pretty frequently (going through several tanks of e-liquid a day) so my usage is very heavy. I noticed that the batteries would last around 2-3 hours before needing to be recharged. You’ll want to keep freshly charged batteries on hand if you use your device as frequently as I do. Which brings me to an interesting question...why didn’t Smok design the mod to hold bigger batteries? On the I-Priv, you can use both 21700 batteries and 18650 batteries (if you use the included battery converter), but that mod was very large and very heavy. Perhaps Smok decided that this mod was already large and heavy enough, so they stuck with the common battery size.

Another thought was that since the tank and mod are sold as a kit, both the mod and tank are the same color. You can get away with swapping tanks and mods if you go with a black or white starter kit, but that bright green and dark red will be difficult to interchange mods since they’re color-coated to match.

Lastly, I loved that the tank had a capacity for 9mL. Thanks to the design, you wouldn’t be able to tell that just by looking at it. Several of Smok’s previous tanks have adopted the swollen bubble look on their tanks (building outward, not upward) to prevent the tank from being too bulky or awkward looking. It’s a large tank, and it does come with a rubber protective mask that can cushion a fall if you accidentally drop it. Unfortunately, it’s really difficult to see your e-liquid level through the protective rubber mask, even though the mask has diagonal cuts all the way around. You’ll have to decide if you want protection by using the rubber protective mask or if you want visibility by leaving it off.

Overall, I was extremely pleased with the Mag P3 from Smok. I missed some of the old features from the previous Mag mod, but the upgraded touchscreen, design, color, and usability made it a wonderful transition. If you’re a heavy vaper, make sure to keep batteries on-hand. If you’re okay with having a hefty mod that packs quite a bit of power, hopefully you’ll be as enchanted as I was! Drop a comment below if you’ve ever used this starter kit or are considering upgrading your current setup! As always, if you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out to us via email or phone! May your tank always be full of delicious e-liquid and may your clouds always be puffy and flavorful!