I have found some of the recent aftermarket mags don't have a last round bolt hold-open capability, and some others are just poorly made, had to cut and dismantle on that locked in my carbine.

So watched their prices for a variety of original GI mags drop, and just got two of their grade 2 mags. For $31 each. Examining them, not in their original wrappers, they are as new, with some cosmoline residue, and NO rust or the like. They look perfect. Of course, will have a bolt hold-open capability.

Just a mention for anyone looking for really nice GI mags for a relatively good price. SF VET

Whose prices?

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Jim
Many K and N Frames

My understanding in GI 15-round mags didn't have a bolt hold-open, so perhaps you mean 30-round mags. If you found a source of GI 30-rounders for $31 each, I'm sure we would love to know where you ordered them from.
Of course, I'd be replacing the followers with non hold-open ones since the hold-opens apparently damage the bolt and magazines over time.
https://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/t...ine-revisited/

well, once again I am wrong, and properly instructed by more knowledgeable carbine enthusiasts. I just went out and checked my dozen assorted mags, plus my GI ones, and sure enough the GI 15 round mags do NOT hold the bolt open. I have two varieties of aftermarket 15 round mags, one does, and one doesn't hold-open the bolt, my 30 rounders do though.

None of mine are Promags, but from some other manufactures, having read when I purchased mags, that the Promags are lousy. The base plates on my 15 round mags and my 30 rounders are of three different configurations.

Just checked in my '44 Inland, and the GI mags are a much more snug fit. But all lock in fine.

So, I should have checked my mag assorting before posting my original comment. I closely examined my two new Midway 15 round mags, having the chance to really clean them yet, and they really are nicely blued and perfect. Funny, how these old but goodie mags are cheap compared to my H&K and other premium firearm mags.

When I was handling my Inland, I was reminded just how svelte these rifles are.

SF VET

An M2 mag catch goes a long way towards proper function with 30 rd mags

Just got two of their grade 2 mags from who?

The NIB Korean mags once sold by the CMP had bolt hold open followers. I use them and for the life of me I can't see where they "damage the mag or the bolt."

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S&W Accumulator

I thought it strange when I first read your comment. I have 15 of the 15 round original GI magazines, none of which have a bolt hold-open follower. I have a few of the 30-rounders hidden away somewhere, I don't know what kind of follower they have, but I sort of remember they did hold the bolt open. I would have to find them first, as I do not use them. Would much rather use the shorter ones.

Yes, come to think of it, the GI ones are from Midway, and my perfect 15 round mags, which are indeed "bolt hold-open" are Korean made. Can't recall where I got them a few years ago now.

M2's are nice carbines. SF VET

I think the M2's were all made by Inland, and were not initially or ever fitted with the folding stock.
[IMG][/IMG]

Two people ask this, but he didn't answer so I will.


Midway. They've got three types of magazines. New in the wax paper. They run between 60 and $80, depending on who made them. Old beat up and rusty. Those are about $20. And then there is the mid grade version, which runs between 30 and 35 dollars.


I'm pretty dang sure that he got two of the mid grade magazines from Midway USA.

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I always take precautions

That may be the most over the top chicken wing stance I have ever seen.

I much prefer the 15 rounders to the 30s, just from an ascetic perspective. I do have several 30s, but have never had any problems with the 15s. Occasional FTFs with the 30s.

Just my $.02. YMMV.

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Didn't realize they were worth that much now.

yeah, the 'trooper stock on my M2 was so worn and loose, the only way to keep it tucked in and shoot it was to form a sort of pocket with my arm up high. Gotta' do what you gotta do. I never took it out, only had I think one or two mags for it. On full auto it would climb right up and off my shoulder. Kinda wished I had smuggled at least the 'trooper stock back stateside with me.

I also had two French SMG's, one the classic short barrel one so identified with the French Indochina troops. And one not much larger than the squirt guns I played with as a kid. Plus an M3 Grease gun, which I gave to a Jesuit priest along the Cambodian border to replace his rusty revolver.

Bugsy Segal, the Las Vegas mobster was killed by a carbine shot when sitting by his window.

all the best... SF VET

I don't have any problems with the 8 original magazines I have. They don't hold the bolt open which is a feature, not a design malfunction. I don't use it in combat so I'm not going to die because of a magazine.

I bought a bunch of those original mags from a guy who bought a huge lot from the Austrian Gov't. I think I paid about $15/pc and they were all in used but good condition. I sold a bunch of those, maybe 20, and kept the Inland mags to match my carbine.

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That's just somebody talkin.

This is documented on the CMP forums:
"...over time and magazine use, it tweaks and weakens the magazine follower and feed lips. The follower gets torqued and stressed when the empty mag gets ripped force ably out of the gun. Over time this also results in a slightly misaligned magazine feed lips.

The second thing a bolt hold open magazine follower does over time is scratch the bottom half of the bolt face RIM. We have found this to be true. Not polishing. Scratching."
Carbine bolt hold open follower - CMP Forums
Interesting to note, some people find the hold-open is actually slower:
https://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/t...ine-revisited/

I carried a USGI M1 carbine as a LE patrol carbine for about 12 years starting around 2001 and I also have a humble collection of USGI M1 carbines and have shot them a lot.

Our sheriff's office bought several dozen surplus and I was assigned the task of servicing them and making them ready to issue to full time and reserve deputies.

While working on this project I learned a lot about M1 carbine magazines. The key takeaways were USGI issue 15 round magazines are pretty much trouble free. 30 round magazines, both commercial and USGI issue can be hit and miss on reliability, although if you know what you're looking for certain types of USGI 30 rounders work quite well. Problem is, the good USGI 30 rounders are highly desired on the collector market and can run over a hundred bucks each.

Commercial made 30 round magazines are so problematic that I don't use them at all. Seldom could we get 1 or 2 out of a dozen to work reliably.

The half dozen Korean made 15 round magazines I've tried seem to work as well as the USGI 15 rounders.

What I did find that works very well are commercial made 20 round magazines. The department bought over a hundred and we found they ran as well as USGI 15 round magazines. The 20 round magazines do have the follower which holds the bolt open, though I prefer carbine magazines without the hold open follower. I've not seen any commercial 20 round magazines in a few years and I don't know who carries them these days.

Pictured below left to right:

Commercial 30 round magazine; USGI 30 round magazine; Commercial 20 round magazine; USGI 15 round magazine.

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