I tested two 2009 vintage Korean M14 magazines today. These were sent to me by a fellow M14 fan in Kansas. I will return them in the next day or two. I will take a bunch of photos to update the Pictorial M14 Magazine Idenfication Guide.

Here's three photos so you can easily identify the Korean M14 magazines:

The floor plate is marked HNR: http://www.imageseek.com/m1a/gallery/albums/closeup/HNR_floor_plate_a.jpg

The front side has nine plus one small diameter weld dimples: http://www.imageseek.com/m1a/gallery/albums/closeup/HNR_front_side_a.jpg

Here's a photo of the Korean M14 magazine NIW: http://www.imageseek.com/m1a/gallery/albums/closeup/HNR_mag_NIW.jpg

The Korean magazine latch plate has six weld dimples and there two alignment holes behind the latch plate that are visible from the interior of the magazine tube/body. The two magzines sent to me measure 0.945 " using a dial caliper above the Y - Y line. The USGI drawing F7790181 requires a dimension of 0.93 " - 0.02 ". Thus, you may find the Korean magazines to be very snug in a Chinese or LRB Arms receiver. They were snug in the two SA, Inc. M1A rifles I used to test them. Both of these rifles have never had any issues with USGI, mainland Chinese or CMI magazines. The receivers were made in 1974 and 1984.

The Korean HNR M14 magazine springs measured 0.059 " diameter. The USGI drawing specification is 0.063 " + or - 0.0005 ". I measured some unused (never installed) CMI M14 magazine springs. The CMI magazine springs measure 0.059 " diameter as well. The Korean HNR M14 magazine springs have eight coils as they should.

Both magazines were sent to me NIW. I took photos of them NIW before opening. Both magazines had grease applied along the interior front and rear sides of the magazine tube/body. The phosphate coating looks good. The springs appear to be coated. The magazine followers are not marked but have three small weld dimples. I removed the grease with a soft, clean white t-shirt before using them.

HNR magazine # 1 - HNR magazine # 1 was tested in both rifles. This magazine worked flawlessly in semi-automatic and automatic fire. The bolt locked open each time after the last round was fired. The bolt remained locked open when I removed the empty magazine each time.

HNR magazine # 2 - With twenty rounds of Portugese surplus in the other magazine, the first round failed to feed when I released the operating rod handle. The first round fed about half way into the chamber. I removed the magazine and the half-fed cartridge fell out of the chamber. I cleaned the cartidge and put it back in the magazine. I then inserted the magazine again and let the operating rod handle fly. Same thing, it fed half-way into the chamber. I removed the magazine and left the top round out of the magazine. I re-inserted the magazine and fired nineteen rounds in semi-automatic fire without any problems.

I loaded HNR magazine # 2 again with twenty rounds of Portugese. I fired the first two rounds in semi-automatic. There were no problems with the first two rounds. I then used burst fire for another eight rounds, two or three rounds at a time. With ten rounds left in the magazine, the bolt had closed but the cartridge had not fed into the chamber. I pulled the bolt back and locked it back. I checked the cartridges to see that there were properly positioned. I then let the operating rod handle go. The top cartridge fed. I then used burst fire. The bolt locked open. I noticed the last cartridge was sitting on top of the feed lip but had not moved forward.

I loaded HNR magazine # 2 with another twenty rounds again. I fired two rounds and then three rounds in automatic. I pulled the trigger for the third burst. No bang. I put it on safe and pulled the operating rod handle back. The bolt moved to the rear to reveal an empty chamber and the cartridges sitting under the feed lips but the top round had not moved forward. I let the operating rod handle go. I proceeded to empty the magazine again using short bursts of automatic fire. The bolt locked open and the last cartridge was sitting on top of the feed lip but had not moved forward. This was a repeat failure in the same magazine.

I just got back from the Crossroads of the West Gun Show held at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. Executive Summary: Buy CMI M14 magazines from 44mag.com or Palmetto State Armory. Save the gasoline and entrance fee if all you are looking for is M14 magazines at a fun show.

There's literally piles of all types of semi-automatic rifle and pistol magazines available at the shows in Las Vegas. I only study the M14 but it seems almost all of these magazines are new aftermarket manufacture. If they work for you, great. Anyway, here's what I noticed regarding M14 magazines:

5 and 10 round magazines - All the ones I examined today at the show are Mystery Origin. They are not CMI manufacture. I didn't even have to look hard at these. The follower sits jacked up and canted to one side looking at the magazine from the rear. The latch plate dimples are lightly struck or have non-USGI patterns, i.e., three large vertical dimples. Prices were not displayed for five and ten rounders, odd IMO.

Korean 20 round magazines NIW - These are exported by RWB, LLC. The wrapper label states "Made in Korea" so at least you know what you're buying. One magazine dealer had these for $19.99 each.

Mystery Origin 20 round magazines (bare) - They were piles and piles of these unmarked and unwrapped magazines with new phosphate coating. The latch plate dimples and the front side dimplese are very lightly struck. Typical price on the Mystery Origin 20 rounders was $18.99 each. Good luck.

Mystery Origin 20 rounders in greased wax paper inside plastic zip lock bags - Due to the wrapping, I could not examine these. These were tagged at $21.99 each.

20 round magazines NIW with fake contract markings - This is getting too easy. These 20 round magazines are packed in brown kraft paper with contractor markings (Covalence Coated Products). The paper contractor label is dated AUG 2002 with the "2002" covered over with a black ink marker. However, you can still read the "2002." The wrapper is also marked with the fake magazine contract data: DAAG-111-42 OMINC-AB dated 2/71. Amazingly, all the dealers had these and all for the same price, $39.95 each.

I checked all the magazine dealers. Only one dealer had three real deal USGI M14 magazines. The three real deal USGI magazines were very well worn and marked BRW S-I. There was no price for these and they were buried in the piles of aftermarket magazines. I did not see any Check-Mate Industries M14 magazines at the gun show.

Question for Different...

It seems that every link (both hot & cold) posted both in this thread as well as on your M1A page for the magazine ID guide has gone defunct. I was wondering if you perhaps you have a new or updated link or host for it???

Thanks in advance...

ETA: After searching "M14" on the Lulu site, I found the guide on this page (address):

http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/pictorial-m14-magazine-identification-guide-version-12/7188721

Thanks again Different for all the great help that you have provided in this arena over the years...
Mike(FlDiveCop71)

Copy and paste: www.lulu.com/m14rhad for the link to the free download of the Pictorial M14 Magazine Identification Guide Version 1.2.

Different,

Several years ago I purchased 3 mags off of a guy on the Battlerifles Board. I can't remember the guys name...They were the "W" mags as described on Page 199 of your the Mag guide. They are CMI mags and they are exactly as the pictures of the mags you used as samples.

I have a couple of questions for you. The springs that were in the mags with 9 coils are bogus, correct? And, can you tell me if the floorplate was bogus as well?

Thanks

Thanks Diff...Your guide now makes it a simple task to spot the fakes.

I had bought some of the mag bodies from Elite K9, they had told me at the time, 3-4 years ago, that they were coming from Israel, and were original BRW, Israeli surplus military. All were in perfect unused condition. All of them have the horizontal line you are writing about.

My question is this: Why would CMI put fake marking on their mags? Wouldn't they be flirting with legal troubles, i.e. counterfeiting?

Review of Mega-Mag twenty round M14/M1A magazine

I purchased one Mega-Mag twenty round M14/M1A magazine for testing and evaluation.

Evaluation

Price - $19.95 + shipping & handling from an online vendor

Finish - blued steel

Follower assembly - plastic follower with no stop

Spring - nine coil oval race track like ones found in SOME mystery origin magazines

Floor plate - not heat treated, easily bent with light finger pressure

Magazine tube - holds twenty-three (not twenty-five) cartridges,5/8 " longer than a genuine 1960s USGI OM marked magazine, does not appear to be heat treated, two 5/32 " holes on the rear side just below the stamped latch plate, six punch dimples along the front side seam plus one punch dimple on either side of the magazine catch slot

Testing

I don't feel like I need to. My $0.02, pass on this opportunity.

Pictorial M14 Magazine Identification Guide Version 1.3 is now available. You may download a free electronic copy at www.lulu.com/m14rhad DO NOT post this document anywhere else on the Internet. This is for personal use only, not for resale, not for distribution by anyone else. The hardcover version is offered AT COST. That's zero cents and zero dollars to me.

The Pictorial M14 Magazine Identification Guide is a collaborative non-profit effort to identify all types of M14 rifle magazines. The purpose of this publication is to assist the collector in knowing what he is buying in the commercial market. Pictorial M14 Magazine Identification Guide covers both U. S. government contract and commercial aftermarket M14 rifle magazines manufactured from 1959 to the present day. Version 1.3 is 248 pages. The .pdf file is 70 MB. New material from the last version includes updated narrative excerpts from M14 Rifle History and Development Fourth Edition, and photograph studies of the Mega Mag and CMI stainless steel twenty round magazines.

The magazine body is not genuine Taiwan T57.

In terms of the market choices for high quality magazines, these are truly golden times we're in compared to the 94-04 time. With that in mind, I can't understand why anyone would skimp on an off-brand magazine to save a few bucks.

thanks for all the info

Pictorial M14 Magazine Identification Guide Version 1.4 is now available for free download at www.lulu.com/m14rhad It's a 71 MB .pdf file for those of you on dial up. I've revised and updated the text. This guide is 248 pages with 441 color photographs. It's also available in hardcover at publisher's cost (zero profit to me or Nolan, my co-author).