Is there any value to Vietnam era 20 round M16 magazines? I've got some Colt 20 round magazines that are NIB from 1969 and 1970. I've done some searching online and I have found a few that are in the Vietnam era plastic bags but not in a box. These are new Colt in the individual cardboard cartons with the US Military numbers on the box.

maybe to a mag collector they're worth paying a premium. but for folks like me paying more then the market price  for one,  no

Maybe help to folks in ban states?

Yes, I've got plenty of 20 and 30 round magazines for shooting. I was going thru some of my tons of gun stuff and I came across these NIB ones that I bought years ago. I did a little research online but all I found were the ones in plastic bags, not boxes.

To collectors and the retro crowd, I'm sure there is some value.

To those of us who have to deal with MA ban-state regulations, they are a godsend.

If you decide to sell them, feel free to PM me a link to the EE ad. :)

Retro guys would know. Seems like anything Colt in factory packaging from that era would bring a premium over modern mags.

Plus remember there is no one making any new sealed in the box versions. As temptation strikes people to open one, that dwindling number drops yet again. So are they worth more ? Yes then again no, because the value to a lot is a 20 round GI magazine. No different than one made a decade later and newer ones may have improvements.  You'll have to wait if you want to get a little more from a collector  of magazines and/or retro rifle builders. Remember that saying about the 3 prices, one to sell today, one to sell within a month, and one to just let the world know you own it. In between the first 2 is the tricky part.  

Although, Everyone needs a triangle hand guard version of the AR/M-16 in their collection which the mags would display nicely next to. Retro and Vietnam surplus is drying up it it has been 4 decades and the DOD isn't releasing as much as surplus as they used to before it destroyed. leaving it as scrap metal. You can't go wrong with a classic.


If you want more detailed info posting photos here and/or in the retro forum at www.ar15.com/forums/f_3/123_AR_15___M_16_Retro_Forum.html  should help you with any. There is a special "appraisal thread" pinned at the top but it takes a little longer for people to notice the new post in it. Posting may also earn you PM from people offering to buy it. I think the retro crowd would like to see pictures of them , if for nothing else to add to the database of knowledge for any variations.


Also this post   http://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=3&f=123&t=577412  may be of interest to you.

The only USGI 20 rounders I am familiar with are Adventureline, Colt and Simmonds/Universal and all three are excellent. These last two (in my experience) are all marked with a UI stamp on the lower front of the magazine and I consider them to be just a tad better as they all drop free and seem to be finished with a really slick graphite or moly coating and in my rifles, the followers tend to engage the bolt latch more reliably than do the Adventurelines. Regardless of what the floorplate says, if the body is not UI marked they are not Universal or Colt magazines. All three of these will have the alloy followers which appear to be cast aluminum and are also graphite or moly coated. That being said I place a value of $20-$25 apiece for the Universals and about $20ish for the Adventurelines provided they are in unused/excellent condition. You may get more for them, but that is the most I would pay but I live in a non-ban state. I've never had any in the box so that does increase the value for collectors. How much? I don't know.