HELP ME IDENTIFY THESE MAGS

[Michael566]

It's driving me nuts. I have 5 of these 308 mags based in the m14 magazine frame. They are not m14, m1a or fal. Please help me identify

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[ZA_Survivalist]

Looks to be FAL. Almost certain of it.

 

[Michael566]

Looks to be FAL. Almost certain of it.

They aren't. We tried

 

[Michael566]

This is the rear of a fal mag

 

[CamoDeafie]

Could they have been for bolt action .308s? Reminds me of the AICS short action .308 mags, specifically that rear catch.

 

[Michael566]

Could they have been for bolt action .308s? Reminds me of the AICS short action .308 mags, specifically that rear catch.

I have 308 aics mags. These are a bit wider

 

[CamoDeafie]

I have 308 aics mags. These are a bit wider

Right, I'm not saying they are AICS, I'm just saying they resemble the AICS' mag catch location. Not sure what other .308/7.62x51 rifles used similar rear mag catches. Most definitely not AR 308 type, all Ive seen have mag catch holes on the side and not on the back

 

[Ura-Ki]

Looks like Bushmaster or Armalite AR-10 pattern mags, not DPMS or AICS pattern.

 

[gmerkt]

Armalite AR-10

Well, I had an Armalite AR10 that took the "B" magazines, and they aren't those. The "A" mags for Armalite AR10 take Magpul LR 308, and they aren't those either.

 

[CamoDeafie]

Looks like Bushmaster or Armalite AR-10 pattern mags, not DPMS or AICS pattern.

Nope, while one of the AR10 models did in fact use modified M14 mag bodies, they all seem to include side mag release holes whereas the OP mags do not have them.

Edit. The Bushmaster BAR-10 uses FAL mags.

 

[gmerkt]

Something Israeli?

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Just a WAG here...
BM-59 magazines...?
Andy

 

[Char77]

Possibly M14 mags modified to fit an M77 (maybe specifically the original/M77B/RAK-308 rather than the current Zastava stamped one)? The front lug looks very similar to the surplus M77 mags.


The stamped out lug at the rear is different but if it sticks out enough and/or the mag body is long enough front-to-back it might still work.


There's also the Saiga .308 but those are even longer judging from how Csspecs makes them (looks like their M77 body but with slightly longer front and rear lugs welded on). The wear here does look like where an AK mag latch would make contact. The M14 rear lug doesn't go all the way up to the top so I don't think that's all wear or missing finish from where it was removed.

 

[TTSX]

What they are is a coffee table conversation piece.

 

[lucusloc]

They aren't. We tried

Did you try in both an inch and a metric FAL? Those look like inch pattern mags, and those do not always fit in metric pattern mag well. The opposite arrangement (metric mags in an inch pattern mag well) usually does work.

The issue is the stud in the front. It is bigger in the inch pattern.

See my reprint thread on the topic here:

FAL inch vs. metric differences (reprint)

Seems that a lot of the old FAL information out on the web has gone stale. I am reprinting the info from this thread, and am capturing the missing images from the wayback machine so that the guide can exist in one spot on the internet again (sorry, these were the highest resolution images I...

www.northwestfirearms.com

 

[CamoDeafie]

Did you try in both an inch and a metric FAL? Those look like inch pattern mags, and those do not always fit in metric pattern mag well. The opposite arrangement (metric mags in an inch pattern mag well) usually does work.

The issue is the stud in the front. It is bigger in the inch pattern.

See my reprint thread on the topic here:

FAL inch vs. metric differences (reprint)

Seems that a lot of the old FAL information out on the web has gone stale. I am reprinting the info from this thread, and am capturing the missing images from the wayback machine so that the guide can exist in one spot on the internet again (sorry, these were the highest resolution images I...

www.northwestfirearms.com

I think the issue is that the OP also shows rear locking tabs that are closer to the ones used by AICS and AW but not at all like a FAL magazine rear tabs.

They do remind me halfway of the mystery mags I also have, seen here.. though, a few had stickers stating "M14" on them.

These are cheap old commercial Chinese M14/M1A mags, right?

Picked up this lot at a pawn shop for $25 altogether, no mag springs. All seem to be blued steel, not deeply blued, 3 of 5 have polymer followers, 2 have steel, 2 of the 5 have unusual tabs, the rest definitely Norinco type stamped tabs. No markings whatsoever. Stickers on the 2 unusual tab...

www.northwestfirearms.com

 

[lucusloc]

I think the issue is that the OP also shows rear locking tabs that are closer to the ones used by AICS and AW but not at all like a FAL magazine rear tabs.

They do remind me halfway of the mystery mags I also have, seen here.. though, a few had stickers stating "M14" on them.

These are cheap old commercial Chinese M14/M1A mags, right?

Picked up this lot at a pawn shop for $25 altogether, no mag springs. All seem to be blued steel, not deeply blued, 3 of 5 have polymer followers, 2 have steel, 2 of the 5 have unusual tabs, the rest definitely Norinco type stamped tabs. No markings whatsoever. Stickers on the 2 unusual tab...

www.northwestfirearms.com

Huh, I see that now, though that was just another angle on the front. Was obviously not looking closely enough. I don't have anything with centered tabs on the front and the back. Checked the FALs, M1A, Ishapor Enfield and the KelTech native mags (FAL pattern) just to be sure. Those were all the mags that had either front or back tabs. None had both.

Perhaps it was for a Garand magazine conversion kit? That would effectively be two conversions in one, one to a box mag and the other to 308, but I do know both conversion existed, I am just not sure if they were ever mashed together. The 30-06 box mags do not look like these.

Along those same lines the STV-40 has tabs on the back and the front, but that is very obviously the wrong cartridge. The mag shape is wrong too. But if someone had a 308 conversion maybe it would use tabs like that?

 

[CamoDeafie]

Huh, I see that now, though that was just another angle on the front. Was obviously not looking closely enough. I don't have anything with centered tabs on the front and the back. Checked the FALs, M1A, Ishapor Enfield and the KelTech native mags (FAL pattern) just to be sure. Those were all the mags that had either front or back tabs. None had both.

Perhaps it was for a Garand magazine conversion kit? That would effectively be two conversions in one, one to a box mag and the other to 308, but I do know both conversion existed, I am just not sure if they were ever mashed together. The 30-06 box mags do not look like these.

Along those same lines the STV-40 has tabs on the back and the front, but that is very obviously the wrong cartridge. The mag shape is wrong too. But if someone had a 308 conversion maybe it would use tabs like that?

I dunno, the Beretta BM-59 (M1 Garands rebarreled to .308 and box magazine fed) looks like they used M14 mags with the spot welded rear tabs. But it ain't out of the realm of possibilities

 

[gmerkt]

Without having one in hand to look at, from the pictures the sheet metal looks lighter gauge than typical M14 magazines. Which might be a clue of sorts as to origin.

 

[Duneblaster]

Mitchell Arms M90 magazines.