About 10 years ago I bought 4ea. 20 round M1 Carbine Magazines and I have a question about them. When I got them they didn't have the stiffener that slides up into the mag well, they had the lock spurs but not the stiffener. I made some stiffeners out of stainless and JB Welded them on. Took them to the range to see if they would hold and they held. I shot about 30 rounds from each magazine. I bought them for about 3 bucks each and I think they were fakes. Has anyone here ever seen an M1 Carbine without the stiffener, just a smooth side opposite the lock spurs? They might have been made for some other kind of rifle, just wondering. Since then I have acquired 4 ea. 30 rounders,2 ea. 20 rounders, 4ea. 15 rounders and 8 ea. 10 rounders. I will use these until they break, what do you say? Guess the worst that could happen is they fall out of the mag well and then I will trash them except for the base plate, follower and spring.
MI CARBINE MAGAZINE QUESTION!!
- Thread starter 74man
- Start date
1KPerDay
Member
What do you mean fake? There were never any 20 round GI mags to my knowledge.
Hey Chief, what I mean by stiffener is the ridge that fits into the slot in the mag well. The Fake mags will take 20 rounds of 30 carbine so they must be fake, great price but unfortunately do not fit the mag well without my add on ridge. Most M1 Carbine mags have two like spikes on one side and a ridge which fits into the slot on the mag well, these don't have that ridge. Thought they might be for a different rifle.
NIGHTLORD40K
Member
Huh, interesting......got pics?
HEY 1KPDAY- I FOUND THESE ON GOOGLE!!I am so very old school, I don't have a digital camera or a cell phone, although I have been thinking of getting a cell phone for just for this application. The pictures are very helpful. They did make 20 round magazines. I punched it into Google and is shows them on the site, check them out!!! Mine will work until they don't, then they will either get a strip welded on of trashed, except for the spring and follower and maybe keep a base plate.
The 20 rounders were made by RELICORPS-
M1 Carbine 20 Round Magazine Original WW2 ON GOOGLE!! Might be fakes!!
I guess Midway did sell 20 rounders also: Now they are discontinued
National Magazine M1 Carbine 30 Carbine 20-Round Steel Blue-$14.94
MIL-SURPLUS COLLECTOR FORUM--Thread: 20 M1 Carbine Magazines for sale
The 20 rounders were made by RELICORPS-
M1 Carbine 20 Round Magazine Original WW2 ON GOOGLE!! Might be fakes!!
I guess Midway did sell 20 rounders also: Now they are discontinued
National Magazine M1 Carbine 30 Carbine 20-Round Steel Blue-$14.94
MIL-SURPLUS COLLECTOR FORUM--Thread: 20 M1 Carbine Magazines for sale
CapnMac
Member
Well, apparently, the interwebs are convinced that 20 (and either 4 or 5 round) round mags exist
No one seems to be able to define just what makes a 20 different from a 15, though.
The world of carbine mags is a mess, though--probably more knock-off/repro/fakes out there as legit "milspec" ones.
And, the magazine design of the Carbine (a very poor kluudge of the 32wsl magazine for war-time expediency) has always been a week spot/Achilles Heel of the Carbine.
No one seems to be able to define just what makes a 20 different from a 15, though.
The world of carbine mags is a mess, though--probably more knock-off/repro/fakes out there as legit "milspec" ones.
And, the magazine design of the Carbine (a very poor kluudge of the 32wsl magazine for war-time expediency) has always been a week spot/Achilles Heel of the Carbine.
dfariswheel
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I used to have the books "The War Baby" and "The War Baby Comes Home", by Larry Ruth, which are the standard collectors reference books on the Carbine.
These go WAY deep into the Carbine and all accessories, including all experimental material.
The US government only bought 15 and 30 round magazines for the Carbine.
The 20 round mags are a fairly recent commercial item.
They manage to get 20 rounds in by playing around with springs and the follower.
Most of the 20's are not very reliable being a hashed-up alteration.
The 15 round USGI mags in good condition are extremely reliable.
The genuine USGI 30 round mags in good shape are usually good to go, but when worn, not so much. You also need the M2 magazine catch with the extra lug.
The commercial 30's early on were made on surplus worn out stamping dies and were poor quality.
The newer ones are crap shoots since they're like most newly made magazines to fit older surplus guns, made to poor standards.
These go WAY deep into the Carbine and all accessories, including all experimental material.
The US government only bought 15 and 30 round magazines for the Carbine.
The 20 round mags are a fairly recent commercial item.
They manage to get 20 rounds in by playing around with springs and the follower.
Most of the 20's are not very reliable being a hashed-up alteration.
The 15 round USGI mags in good condition are extremely reliable.
The genuine USGI 30 round mags in good shape are usually good to go, but when worn, not so much. You also need the M2 magazine catch with the extra lug.
The commercial 30's early on were made on surplus worn out stamping dies and were poor quality.
The newer ones are crap shoots since they're like most newly made magazines to fit older surplus guns, made to poor standards.
JCooperfan1911
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Carbine magazines are junk.
Guys in the war would exchange them as often as humanly possible. They’re very flimsy to say the very least.
Guys in the war would exchange them as often as humanly possible. They’re very flimsy to say the very least.
BBBBill
Member
True!
Again, true! I have longed for a modern magazine design that is made of more substantial material that will feed reliably and last, even if it loses a couple rounds of capacity.
What Dfaris said...The GI 15 round mags will run well and is what was used the majority of the time during the war. My Dad was issued one and that is what he carried during the war since he was in Field Artillery. He always said it was much better than just a .45 when confronting the enemy during his time in France and the Ardennes...
JCooperfan1911
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Magpul could probably make a polymer one if there was a market.
But these guns are historic relics and are now ultra collectible.
That, and .30 carbine is hovering at a dollar a shot these days. It’s very expensive to shoot if you don’t reload.
I imagine few shoot these antiques much these days. Just not enough demand for a good magazine.
But these guns are historic relics and are now ultra collectible.
That, and .30 carbine is hovering at a dollar a shot these days. It’s very expensive to shoot if you don’t reload.
I imagine few shoot these antiques much these days. Just not enough demand for a good magazine.
CapnMac
Member
I'm not sure there is a way to "re-engineer" Carbine magazines.
There's not a lot of room in the well, given the sheet metal design. And there's something of a "double whammy" in that the mag catch dimensions in the receiver reflect the sloppy dimensions of the magazines. "Correcting" for the "slop factor" in both of those is like to be complicated.
Oddly enough, there seem to be very few follower issues with Carbine mags (other than age related spring issues). The two big issues are the mag presentation based on the latch & latch hole, in tandem with feed lip issues. Which gets back to construction.
Getting polymer mag feed lips thin enough to both clear the bolt and also present rounds might be beyond material science.
There's not a lot of room in the well, given the sheet metal design. And there's something of a "double whammy" in that the mag catch dimensions in the receiver reflect the sloppy dimensions of the magazines. "Correcting" for the "slop factor" in both of those is like to be complicated.
Oddly enough, there seem to be very few follower issues with Carbine mags (other than age related spring issues). The two big issues are the mag presentation based on the latch & latch hole, in tandem with feed lip issues. Which gets back to construction.
Getting polymer mag feed lips thin enough to both clear the bolt and also present rounds might be beyond material science.
I bought an M! Carbine from Kahr Arms about 10 years ago and I also bought a Ruger Blackhawk in .30 Carbine. Kahr Arms makes both 15 and 30 round magazines and when I asked about the rifle they told me that they are manufactured to the same exact specs that all the M1 Carbines are made to. Everything I have bought for the rifle fit and it shoots to point of aim. I also bought 3-4K rounds of ammo back then and now I reload for both the rifle and the Blackhawk. What I am wondering is if there is another rifle out there that doesn't have the groove in the mag well for the spline on the back of the Magazine?
I have been generally pleased with the performance of USGI 15 mags. But, i have been very disappointed with the Korean made "U" mags. Ive had four of these fail at the range due to the failure of the mag's catch studs (nibs) presumably due to the lack of final heat treatment to achieve required hardness. New mag on left. Failed mag on right! Failures have occurred after about 4-6 loadings. Total garbage mags from my experience.
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amd6547
Member
Strange… I’ve used a couple Korean 15 and 30rd mags, and have had no issues at all.
When I bought my Carbine from CMP, they didn’t come with a magazine, and the Koreans were what used.
About a year after I got my Carbine, CMP emailed me that they had USGI 15rd carbine mags for sale… I believe they were 10 for $50. Gotta love the CMP.
Some of us (me) like the Carbine and it’s round for home defense, and don’t consider them old war horse collector items
When I bought my Carbine from CMP, they didn’t come with a magazine, and the Koreans were what used.
About a year after I got my Carbine, CMP emailed me that they had USGI 15rd carbine mags for sale… I believe they were 10 for $50. Gotta love the CMP.
Some of us (me) like the Carbine and it’s round for home defense, and don’t consider them old war horse collector items
Carl N. Brown
Member
I have a 1943 IBM made M1 Carbine with all the Korean War theater upgrades* which came with a 30 round magazine of South Korean make, gray parkerized to match the gun. Bought it after the Bush Sr. AW Import Ban before the Clinton domestic AWB 1994-2004. I have shot the gun for decades participating in the local military rifle matches.
The rib up the front of an original magazine is the result of how the original sheet metal was folded to make the magazine body.
I never heard of 20rd magazines for the M1 Carbine til now. It seems to me the opening post 20rd magazine bodies were formed of metal tubes without requiring the frontal folds. Not that there's anything wrong about that. But. To my mind that definitely implies commercial after market manufacture.
All the M1 Carbine mags I own (GI and commercial) have the folded rib down the front of the magazine.
My experience with the South Korean 30 rd magazines (sample of two) has been good.
__________
* (adjustable rear sight, flip safety, three nib magazine catch, barrel band with bayonet lug, oversized M2 stick with rough nonflective finish like Howa made for Japanese Self Defense Force carbines)
The rib up the front of an original magazine is the result of how the original sheet metal was folded to make the magazine body.
I never heard of 20rd magazines for the M1 Carbine til now. It seems to me the opening post 20rd magazine bodies were formed of metal tubes without requiring the frontal folds. Not that there's anything wrong about that. But. To my mind that definitely implies commercial after market manufacture.
All the M1 Carbine mags I own (GI and commercial) have the folded rib down the front of the magazine.
My experience with the South Korean 30 rd magazines (sample of two) has been good.
__________
* (adjustable rear sight, flip safety, three nib magazine catch, barrel band with bayonet lug, oversized M2 stick with rough nonflective finish like Howa made for Japanese Self Defense Force carbines)
Great idea, if I only had that skill and equipment.
Speedo66
Member
AIM Surplus sells 15 and 30 round Korean mags that work well at a good price.
Trash those 20 rounders and save yourself some headaches.
Trash those 20 rounders and save yourself some headaches.
