Can any of you guys tell me about what I have here (other that the obvious - 10 pieces of crap)? I wanted to run it through the boards first before addressing the matter further.

I bought 10 "pre-ban 30 round mags" from a fellow, and upon their delivery discovered that none of them will fit in my guns. I own a pre-ban Olympic Arms (not a rebuild) and a brand spankin new Rock River Arms.

When I say they wont fit, I mean they will barely seat using extreme force (shoving with the rifle braced in my other hand - pushing the two together).

Removing them is almost impossible without bracing against the gun with my body weight against the table, and pulling VERY hard.

They are black in color (the finish looks like the kind found on steel AK mags)and there is no manufacturer stamp other than "AR15" on the bottoms. They are about 1/4" longer than a USGI mag, and are slightly "wider and deeper" (obviously) that them as well. The the fit of the bottom plates is very irregular, some being offset lengthwise, others squared up, some off to one side.

When I contacted the guy about the problem, he replied that "one of them were snug in his Bushmaster AR15E2, but all of the others worked just fine". He said the reason they were longer than a USGI is for better spring duration.

He said that had no idea why they would not work, especially in my Olympic Arms.

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer in my attempt to give him some "educated opinions" to back up my case against him.

Scott

Is the weld pattern along the seam any different from a USGI mag - assuming these are not?

Yes the pattern is different. There are 5 weld marks instead of 6 (spot welds?) The USGI mags have large round spots, and these have small "pock marks" instead.
Thanks for the reply!

I pulled one out of the box I threw them into, and noticed that they are also marked "Made in U.S.A" on the bottom - that is all, no logo at all.

It also looks like the rear curved side (the side that faces me when the mag is inserted and the gun is held in a firing position) has been "hammered". I am struggling to explain this clearly, but it almost looks like they were hammered into shape.

[FLASHING RED LIGHTS] USA MAGAZINE WARNING!!!![/FLASHING RED LIGHTS]

I'm guessing these are blued steel mags? Check out Troy's mag FAQ tacked at the top of the page.

IMO USA mags are junk. I would get a refund if possible.
   FREE

I hope you didn't pay a lot for them.  G-Code is right, they're USA mags and not USGI mags.  If you didn't pay a lot for them you could have some fun and use them for target practice.



You could ask for a refund but if the guy did not misrepresent them in his ad he has no reason to take them back.  You said you bought "pre-ban 30 round mags"...did he ever say they were USGI mags?

Man that sucks!  Shoulda read the mag FAQ.

If you can't get a refund, they make expedient targets.

Thanks for the help everyone - I am not going to play victim here, as I am ultimately responsible for my lack of magazine knowledge.

I have lived with the 4 aluminum mags I have for about 4 years - and then decided to buy some more mags. I just assumed they were all the "same".

I am not even going to tell you what I paid for them...yes they are blue steel, and the guy said they were made by DPMS.

Is there any way these would fit in his Bushmaster properly - assuming they are in spec and not modified? I suppose they could if is mag well is slightly larger than ones on my Oly & RRA.

Shame on me for not reading the tack before purchasing.

Maybe they would be good skeet targets? [;)]

Right there you have grounds to demand a refund. Those mags were NOT made by DPMS, therefore he lied to you.

Edited to add: Not to make you feel bad, but USA mags typically sell for about $10 new, even today. That is, if the seller can find anyone willing to buy them.

if you cannot get a refund.  You can crush these magazines bodies and buy good replacement bodies and reuse the floor plates.  Or take your chances with LEO mags using the destroyed mags to claim as repaired.  Maybe a way to save some of your cash outlay.

Thanks skypilot! I had not thought of that. I might as well save the springs and floor plates before using them for target practice.

(imagine junky usa mag here)<-----[sniper]

Are you a pilot?

you could get a dedicated 22lr upper and weld the lower portion of your junkie mags to the 22lr mags so they look like 30 rounders.  then you can practice cheaply with authentic feeling mags.  that's what i'm going to do with my 7 crappy steel mags i purchased before reading the mag FAQ.  

I was a sub driver during the cold war.  They fly like planes but underwater.

If you plan on using the replacement bodies, don't bother saving the springs 'cause they're junk. DO hang on to the mag bodies however (be sure to render them unusable, crush them, etc.), so you have proof that you have not 'manufactured' a new 'hi capacity' magazine.

The floorplates from that USA mag may or may not fit a USGI mag body, but I'd recommend using USGI type floorplates anyway.

Just keep the smashed bodies in a safe place and you should be good to go.

P.S. Try to think of it this way: You will have done the entire country a favor by turning useless junk into usable mags! [:D]

For all of us military-style firearm enthusiasts, I'd like to say, thanks. [:)]

Who sells replacement mag bodies?

USA mags work great!!! But the only way they work great is as a single stack for my .458 SOCOM.  The 40 rounders will hold 15 of those big 300 gr bastards!!  

For a weapon that needs a double stack you need to stay with the real thing!!

[beer]