This page is about M1 Carbine Magazines

If you are going to order a 30 round Magazine, make sure your magazine catch looks like this. If not, you need to replace yours with a M2 type catch. Even with 15 round magazines , the mag catch may be worn, or defective, and not hold the magazine up tight enough to allow good feeding of the rounds when the bolt goes forward. If yours does not feed properly, try holding the magazine up tight against the receiver. If it feeds better, your mag catch most likely needs replaced. This is very easy to do by clicking the below photo, and following the directions



Click above to see how to replace the Magazine Catch or Trigger Safety

Other Feed Problems are caused by the Magazine.

The 3 things that cause problems are first, weak springs, or it is installed backwards. To test, push at the rear of the follower where the primer would be, and notice if the follower goes down level. If it does, the spring is correct. If it does not go down level, the spring is most likely installed backwards. Simply remove the bottom, slide the spring out, turn the spring around, slip it into the follower with the end of the spring at the rear of the follower, and reinstall.

The second thing that can cause feed problems, is rough edges on the follower. These may need the edges lightly sanded.

The last area are the magazine Feed Lips. These can cause problems if bent, or impropperly shaped from the factory on some aftermarket ones. If you have a magazine that feeds good, use a few snap caps, and ease them out of the magazine with something like a flat tipped screwdriver, and watch it carfully and note its path. Now do the same thing with snap caps in the problem magazine to determine the problem.

I have tried M1 Carbine magazines made by several companies, including original USGI. The USGI ones are preferred to have a original as part of a collection, but for actual use, the ones made in Korea work Perfect, plus they are Cheap. They are made of thinner metal, but feed as good as any USGI magazine I have tried. The Korean ones have a single U on the 15 round and UU on the 30 round backs.

Below are some good places to buy the Korean Magazines.

Centerfiresystems 15 Round

Centerfiresystems 30 Round

Aimsurplus 15 Round

Aimsurplus 30 Round

Sarco 15 Round

Sarco 30 Round

Gunmagwarehouse 30 Round

Gunmagwarehouse 15 Round

Keepshooting 30 Round

Keepshooting 15 Round

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Magazine Markings

Inland Div of General Motors AI A1 IA II UI KI II [circled]

Saginaw Steering Div of GM KSG S'G' OI-S'G' G-S'G' SP-S'G'

--and some more Saginaw codes... U-S'G' O-SG K-S'G'

IBM SY-B OI-B OI B

International Silver IS

Irwin Pedersen K-IP I-P-K IP-I C-IP

National Postal Meter UN MN

Quality Hardware UQ QU G-Q

Rock-Ola IR R-C RO RC R-G UR

Seymour Smith SS SS-4 R-SS

Standard Products SO

Underwood IU LU UU IU [circled]

Union Hardware U

Wade Electric Products WEP [in curved type]

Winchester BW IW UW IW [circled]

C

UP

SI [circled]  International Silver

B [circled] subcontract from Bridgeport

Seymour Products SEY

Unidentified AYP

Unidentified J

Unidentified K

Unidentified M2

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