Mag ID help

[3154tm]

while researching something else i came across a reference to hardback and split back mags. more research and i'm still confused. here are a couple of mine, can someone tell me what i've got. they are both stamped SEY.
thanks.

Information

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[303tom]

M1 Carbine !................

[jimb16]

One is an early hardback and the other is a later split back. Most likely both are original.

[browningautorifle]

M2 carbine, not exactly M1...made by Seymore, unless it's fake... The hardback is good. M1 / M2 Carbine Magazine FAQ

[3154tm]

thanks for the info. these were part of a group of 12, eight 15 rnd and 4 thirty rnd i bought without seeing them. i was told they were USGI. looks like 2 of them are the "hardback" style. the 30 rnd mags were $17, maybe i should have gotten more.

[browningautorifle]

Would have been a good deal. The 15s almost always work flawlessly too. I'd sell the hardbacks to collectors...

[3154tm]

i had planned to use the 30 rounders in my M2 conversion. is there any reason to prefer the hardback over the splitback version other than collectability. do they feed better in full auto? what's the going rate for hardback mags? i couldn't find any for sale to compare. if they bring a premium over the splitbacks maybe i should sell them to buy ammo to feed my M2.

[browningautorifle]

Hardbacks are early and I'd expect someone will give you a price soon, I'm in Canada so my prices aren't applicable. There shouldn't be a difference in serviceability. I just found that 15s were all military and worked every time as compared to the 30s that may be repros and could be flakey. Until recently, you couldn't find a repro 15 in Canada. Now there's a few makers...

[USGI]

I'd say $100 plus on the hardback - it's in better condition than any of mine. - Bob

I bought (3) of the Korean "PW' 15rd. mags recently. I've only tried one of them, and it doesn't work as well as a GI. It's doesn't take rounds easily from a stripper clip and also fails to feed at times.

[browningautorifle]

No replacement for a USGI 15 rd mag...they all seem to work.