+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 4 1 2 3 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 32

Thread: Are USGI M1 carbine Magazines better than the aftermarket magazines?

Click here to increase the font size Click here to reduce the font size
  1. #1
    Legacy Member southfork's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Last On
    02-23-2022 @ 07:52 PM
    Location
    Idaho Falls, Idaho
    Posts
    17
    Local Date
    03-28-2024
    Local Time
    05:03 AM

    Question Are USGI M1 carbine Magazines better than the aftermarket magazines?

    Hello, I'm kind of new here, but have looked in on this forum from time to time. My interest in military surplus rifles, etc stems back to the end of the Vietnam conflict. I was reassigned to Germanyicon after SE Asia, and made a habit of climbing through the blown up bunkers of the WWII Seigfried Line on the border between Franceicon and Germany. I talked with my old German landlord and he told me exactly where the allied forces fought through his villiage and blowing up the bunkers. I found quite a few artifacts from US GI's and also from the German forces, but nothing too valuable. My best prize was a field-find USGI M1icon carbine of Rock-ola manufacture and some rusted allied bayonets.

    I now have several milsurp rifles including a newly acquired pair of USGI M1 carbines that I would like to shoot. I was wondering if the 60+ year-old USGI carbine magazines are really superior to the the ones being made today. I would like to get some reliable 15 round magazines, and don't want to have to deal with the frustration of ones that will not work reliably. Advice please??? If anyone has some reliable M1 magazines that they would sell me, then please PM me. Thanks! By the way, my father is 94 years old and he carried a a low-digit Inland M1 Carbine as a Marine on Guadacanal, Vela Lavela, Peliliu, and Okinawa. He keeps telling me to stay on a lookout for the WWII M1 carbine that he carried in the Pacific theater from 1942 through 1945: Inland, serial # 238548.
    Information
    Warning: This is a relatively older thread
    This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

  2. Thank You to southfork For This Useful Post:


  3. # ADS
    Friends and Sponsors
    Join Date
    October 2006
    Location
    Milsurps.Com
    Posts
    All Threads
    A Collector's View - The SMLE Short Magazine Lee Enfield 1903-1989. It is 300 8.5x11 inch pages with 1,000+ photo’s, most in color, and each book is serial-numbered.  Covering the SMLE from 1903 to the end of production in India in 1989 it looks at how each model differs and manufacturer differences from a collecting point of view along with the major accessories that could be attached to the rifle. For the record this is not a moneymaker, I hope just to break even, eventually, at $80/book plus shipping.  In the USA shipping is $5.00 for media mail.  I will accept PayPal, Zelle, MO and good old checks (and cash if you want to stop by for a tour!).  CLICK BANNER to send me a PM for International pricing and shipping. Manufacturer of various vintage rifle scopes for the 1903 such as our M73G4 (reproduction of the Weaver 330C) and Malcolm 8X Gen II (Unertl reproduction). Several of our scopes are used in the CMP Vintage Sniper competition on top of 1903 rifles. Brian Dick ... BDL Ltd. - Specializing in British and Commonwealth weapons Specializing in premium ammunition and reloading components. Your source for the finest in High Power Competition Gear. Here at T-bones Shipwrighting we specialise in vintage service rifle: re-barrelling, bedding, repairs, modifications and accurizing. We also provide importation services for firearms, parts and weapons, for both private or commercial businesses.
     

  4. #2
    Moderator
    (Deceased Nov 16th, 2019)

    JimF4M1s (Deceased)'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Last On
    01-14-2023 @ 10:08 PM
    Location
    USA
    Age
    74
    Posts
    3,439
    Local Date
    03-28-2024
    Local Time
    05:03 AM
    USGI magsazines are better and still very available. Though the cost has gone up over the years. I would call a local gun store, or try and go to a gun show. Seems the online prices are a bit high.
    Good luck.

  5. Avoid Ads - Become a Contributing Member - Click HERE
  6. #3
    Advisory Panel browningautorifle's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Last On
    Yesterday @ 10:05 PM
    Location
    Victoria BC
    Posts
    29,836
    Real Name
    Jim
    Local Date
    03-28-2024
    Local Time
    05:03 AM
    I always found the USGI 15s to be faultless and the 30s not quite as good, but then I didn't always get USGI 30s. Aftermarket is a crapshoot...
    Regards, Jim

  7. #4
    Legacy Member jimb16's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Last On
    Yesterday @ 09:19 PM
    Location
    N.E. Ohio
    Posts
    1,151
    Real Name
    James Barchok
    Local Date
    03-28-2024
    Local Time
    08:03 AM
    The only really decent commercial mags are the new Korean ones marked with a U. The marking is similar to the U marked GI mags, but a bit larger. Go with GI mags if you can find them.
    When they tell you to behave, they always forget to specify whether to behave well or badly!

  8. #5
    Legacy Member garrettbragg12's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Last On
    03-25-2024 @ 11:50 AM
    Location
    Texas, US
    Posts
    281
    Real Name
    Garrett Bragg
    Local Date
    03-28-2024
    Local Time
    08:03 AM

    Are USGI M1 carbine Magazines better than the aftermarket magazines?

    Post pics of that field find carbine sometime?


    M1icon/M3 Carbine: late '44 Inland
    M1 Garand: late '44 Springfield

  9. #6
    Legacy Member Bruce McAskill's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Last On
    01-17-2023 @ 09:10 PM
    Posts
    1,880
    Local Date
    03-28-2024
    Local Time
    07:03 AM
    The Korean made magazines are as good as USGI magazines are. After all they have had over 700,000 carbines they had to have magazines for that worked as well as USGI magazines do. These magazines are marked as JimB said with a large U and some are also marked with UU. Both markings can be found on the 15 round and the 30 round magazines. In general the after market magazines made here and in China are junk.

  10. #7
    Advisory Panel
    USGI's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Last On
    @
    Location
    Oregon, USA
    Age
    78
    Posts
    2,187
    Real Name
    Bob
    Local Date
    03-28-2024
    Local Time
    05:03 AM
    I've heard that Korean 15 round magazines marked KCI work as good as USGI. Does anyone here have experience with them? Thanks! - Bob

  11. #8
    Advisory Panel Patrick Chadwick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Last On
    06-25-2023 @ 06:36 AM
    Location
    Germany
    Posts
    5,032
    Local Date
    03-28-2024
    Local Time
    02:03 PM

    Get the original mags!

    Quote Originally Posted by southfork View Post
    I would like to get some reliable 15 round magazines, and don't want to have to deal with the frustration of ones that will not work reliably.

    I shoot competions where you fire 3 shots at each of ten targets. If you get one too many on a target, the best shot is struck out. Not wishing to ruin my nerves with counting (up to three, no less!) I simply bought so many 15-shot mags that I can use one per target, each loaded with 3 rounds. Fairly foolproof. And the mags all work perfectly after 1) checking that the spring is the right way round (they all were) and 2) in some cases, bending the lips back a touch into shape. This was the only problem, and easy to fix if you have a couple of proven good mags to serve as reference. I also feel that using only 3 rounds in a 15-round mag means that the spring is only working over a small part of its range (i.e. much less variation in spring tension), and this seems to help in slick, consistent feeding. The less you have to worry about in a competition, the better.

    The 10 old, greasy, but functional GI mags cost me about as much as 2 new and shiny aftermarket mags would have done.
    Last edited by Patrick Chadwick; 12-28-2012 at 06:28 PM.

  12. #9
    Advisory Panel
    USGI's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Last On
    @
    Location
    Oregon, USA
    Age
    78
    Posts
    2,187
    Real Name
    Bob
    Local Date
    03-28-2024
    Local Time
    05:03 AM
    In the US, it's the other way around - 2 new shiny ones for the price of a USGI 15 round mag. - Bob

  13. #10
    FREE MEMBER
    NO Posting or PM's Allowed
    stickhauler's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Last On
    08-30-2015 @ 03:51 AM
    Location
    Dayton, Ohio
    Posts
    119
    Local Date
    03-28-2024
    Local Time
    08:03 AM
    Last I checked Southern Ohio Guns, they still had used 15 round USGI magazines for around $10.00 each.

+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 4 1 2 3 ... LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. M-1 carbine magazines
    By DarrylS in forum M1/M2 Carbine
    Replies: 21
    Last Post: 07-04-2011, 03:31 AM
  2. USGI 15 Rd Magazines
    By jackthesmib in forum M1/M2 Carbine
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 02-01-2011, 06:50 PM
  3. WW2 Magazines
    By Magnum Mikie in forum M1/M2 Carbine
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 11-27-2010, 08:00 PM
  4. Question about carbine magazines
    By RBruce in forum M1/M2 Carbine
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 02-12-2010, 09:43 AM
  5. Loading Carbine Magazines
    By Brasidas in forum M1/M2 Carbine
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 10-05-2009, 12:21 AM

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
Raven Rocks