M1a mags

[KY DAN]

I bought these https://www.buymymags.com/m1a-m14-308win-20rd-gi-spec-magazine-mkd-w/ becuse they were advertised as military surplus and well they are acting funny. I have loaded and fired two mags of the five mag lot with out issue, the other two I loaded and shot today failed to feed on the last two and the last 10rds of the other mag. The followers tilted and crapped out. I took one apart and there are massive burs on the broached square hole and stand off from what appears to be spot welding inside mag. To recap my rounds are nose diving forward in mag and followers tilting. The bodies are marked W, is there anyway to check if these are real military surplus?

 

[bfoosh006]

Oof.... I thought those rip offs were all gone.... and they are not USGI, or surplus

Those are poorly made counterfeit mags> https://m14forum.com/ammunition/136445-w-marked-mags.html
Purchase Checkmate mags and don't look back. FWIW, Checkmate supplies SAI, and Uncle Sugar with M14 and M1A mags.

All of the various sized Checkmate mags work.

https://checkmatemagazines.com/product/m14-m1a-magazines/

 

[Charlie98]

Checkmate (or better known as CMI.)

I don't really understand the desire to go through the trouble to manufacture and sell counterfeit junk... but if the crooks can make a buck, I guess.

 

[General Geoff]

Yep, Checkmate Industries makes the best m14 mags in the business. Accept no substitute.

 

[Tommygunn]

CHECKMATE! In case it needed to be repeated.

 

[rodinal220]

Vintage USGI (Vietnam era) and CMI (Checkmate) are the only real choices you have for M14/M1a mags.

 

[Merle1]

IIRC (which is somewhat suspect) a few years ago "made in Taiwan" mags were available - I heard they were pretty good, but have no personal experience.....

 

[bfoosh006]

IIRC (which is somewhat suspect) a few years ago "made in Taiwan" mags were available - I heard they were pretty good, but have no personal experience.....

I have quite a few of those... they are GTG. Blued finish, and function as well as USGI. Scuttle butt at the time was they were made on old US / Springfield tooling and machinery for the T57

And while they worked fine, I dedicated the Taiwan ones for the shooting range.... I trust the USGI and Checkmate mags for the end of the world stuff.

Even the Taiwanese T57 mags have fallen prey to shady M1A mag sellers.... so I don't believe any true T57 mags are readily still around.

In other words... don't gamble on M1A mags.. Buy Checkmate

 

[bfoosh006]

Oops... "If" anyone still decides to buy crappy M1A mags... a tell tale sign of crap mags are the front and back splines.

A gentleman named "Different" has the MOST thorough M14 mag guide I have ever seen.
https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/m14rhad

 

[GBExpat]

I bought these https://www.buymymags.com/m1a-m14-308win-20rd-gi-spec-magazine-mkd-w/ becuse they were advertised as military surplus ...

I just looked at that link. They are not listed as military surplus. In one spot it states "GI SPEC" and in another "New Surplus Stamped "W"".

That's is how they get folks; creative wording that suggests that the product is something that it is not.

Sorry to hear that you got taken.

 

[KY DAN]

Well snap dragons, I got taken and I hate it lol. What you one get for being cheap.

 

[GBExpat]

Well snap dragons, I got taken ...

<chuckle> It is a BIG club. I am a member and so are many here ... some who probably would not admit to it, although, in general the membership here seems to be pretty forthcoming about such potentially embarrassing things.

 

[Merle1]

<chuckle> It is a BIG club. I am a member and so are many here ... some who probably would not admit to it, although, in general the membership here seems to be pretty forthcoming about such potentially embarrassing things.

yep, rest assured you are not paddling that canoe all by yourself....

 

[792mauser]

Yup.
Years ago I got suckered into 2 at a gunshow.
Shot em full of holes and bashed em into unrecognizable-ness then recycled em.

 

[Charlie98]

Years ago I got suckered into 2 at a gunshow.

I've kind of gotten away from buying stuff at gunshows... there is just SO MUCH junk on those tables, sometimes it's hard to tell what you are looking at. Re-label, re-wrapped, 'USGI', 'MilSpec' (one of my favorite lies...) and the list goes on.

 

[MechAg94]

I tried a couple of cheaper M1A mags back in the day as well. They never worked 100%. It wasn't worth the price difference. I asked on forums what the best mags were and was told about Checkmate Industries. IMO, the amount of money you save isn't worth the hassle.

CMI's shiny stainless steel mags are actually pretty nice.

Honestly, I went through the same learning experience with my first AR-15 as well as a couple of pistols. Poorly made magazines can really screw with a gun's reliability.

 

[Speedo66]

Same for Mini-14, factory and one or two others, rest are garbage.

 

[792mauser]

Thankfully I bought them CHEAP. I even at the time figured they'd jam or something. Still don't know what possessed me to buy em (probably the 6' something smoking hot blonde working the table).

Kept em for a few months as a reminder. Then filled em full of holes.

Now I have about 10 CMI mags, a few Taiwanese and the 10 and 20 that came with the M1a.

 

[Charlie98]

and the 10 and 20 that came with the M1a

Which are... say it with me, now... Checkmate magazines!

 

[Swampman]

I bought a Thermold M1A magazine for less than ten bucks 8 or 10 years ago, it was always smooth feeding and trouble free for me (I gave the M1A to my son a few months ago).

I never kept it loaded except when I was actually going out shooting, and I'm sure it wouldn't be as resistant to damage as a USGI, Checkmate or T57 mag, but it was reliable.