M1 Carbine magazines - fully loaded wax sealed

[essayons21]

I recently came into possession of a paratrooper stock M1 carbine. The serial #'s put its date of manufacture in 1944. It has no import markings. The person I got it from told me he bought it from a guy who claimed his uncle brought it back from WWII.

It also came with 2 15-rd blued steel magazines which feel fully loaded and are sealed with wax or something similar. The only markings I can find on the magazines are a U stamped on the side.

Anybody have any idea of history of these magazines?

 

[Swampman]

Could you post photos of the magazines?
I've seen quite a few carbine mags that came from the factory wrapped in waxed or oiled paper, but an actual wax seal is a new one on me. I don't think they ever shipped loaded mags from the factory but I could be mistaken.

Maybe a previous owners idea idea for long term storage?

 

[essayons21]

I'm not sure if it is formed wax or some sort of rubber based material that has just been on there for a long time.

 

[Mauserguy]

That's not wax, it's a rubber weather seal. Just lift it off and you're good to go.
Mauserguy

 

[HOWARD J]

Thet look like they have a rubber cap of some kind pulled over the top of the mag
Did you try to remove this ???

 

[Reloadron]

The single letter U on the rear of the magazine would represent Union Hardware manufacture. I believe that to be correct anyway. I have a few with the U marking. Union Hardware made millions of those magazines. They made them independently as well as for rifle manufacturers. For example a magazine marked UU would point to a Union Hardware magazine manufactured for Underwood as the rifle manufacturer. U-SG would be for Saginaw Gear division of GM. I have a few marked U but no wax and ammunition in them.

As to the wax? Beats me as never saw any sealed like that. My best guess is that if a GI took it home, he may have applied the seal to a few loaded magazines to preserve them with the rounds in them. Pure speculation on my part though.

<EDIT> You posted the pictures while I was looking for a few of my own magazines to compare. Yes, that is just a rubber protector as mentioned. </EDIT>

Ron

 

[essayons21]

I finally got one of them off intact. It took a quite a bit of loosening and prying with a thin bladed knife. It looks like it was either sealed with or soaked in cosmoline.

The ammo is Winchester '53 headstamp

The magazine was loaded with 16 rounds. It should be interesting to see if it still functions after been kept overloaded for the past 50+ years.

 

[kBob]

Looks like your plain jane magazine dust covers to me. Used to have one on a 30 rounder I had with a "car gun" I kept in my trunk in the early '70s

Thing is if they have been on for a long time they may well have damaged the portion of the magazine they cover.

I believe you can still find them at places like GUn Parts Corp/Numerich.

I mistakenly about five years back gave away a small pile of black oiled paper/cloth wrapped and sealed 15 rounders thinking they were still as easy to get as when I got the bucket of them in the early '70's.

-kBob

 

[Tommygunn]

Those are just rubber covers. I have some myself but have never used them.

 

[7thCavScout]

essayons21, I'd love to see a picture of your new Carbine!
-Chuck

 

[Dr.Rob]

My guess is whatever gun oil or solvent he used back in '53 degraded the rubber and made the dust covers tighten up. That COULD mean some got into the rounds (unlikely). Be sure to listen for rounds that sound low powered.

In fact, if it was me I might set that old ammo aside.

At the least I'd save a few of them for 'conversation' or display.

 

[BigG]

Those don't look like GI mags that I've seen.

 

[Reloadron]

Those don't look like GI mags that I've seen.

Why not? They have the correct manufacturer's markings on the back side. How should they look? They look normal GI to me.

This thread got me off my butt to look for .30 Carbine mags I knew I had somewhere. So far I found a bunch, including about 10 of the 30 round variety. Even a few of those protector caps. Thought I had seen some of them around here at one time.

Ron