I picked up ten "New Colt Mags" at a firearms show in Allentown, PA last month, and due to the fact that I was new to the AR scene, I just took the sellers word for it.  They appeared new, and I don't doubt that they were, but now I realize that they aren't Colt mags.  The price probably should have been a giveaway, 10 for $100, but I didn't know that at the time.

I noticed that the green followers were sticking every time, about halfway down the mag body, so I purchased some of the Gen II Magpul followers.  When I tried installing them, I can't even push them through the mag with my hands, so obviously the spring isn't going to be able to do it.  They feel twice as heavy as my roommate's surplus mags (steel?), and the powdercoating looks very thick.  I'm guessing that this is not allowing enough room for the follower to move up and down properly.  

There are absolutely no markings anywhere on the mag or floorplate, and as I've since learned, they therefore cannot be Colt.

Any tips on what to do with them or what they are?  I've read that lubricant is a bad idea, and these are tight enough that lube isn't even going to work.  I thought about shaving down the followers, but I know from past experience that mags are not something to take a chance on.  I'm guessing I just have $100 worth of paperweights.  

If they are steel, they could be good SA-80 mags from England or Singapore.  These were available during the ban years.  I bought probably 20-30 of these.  However, I never saw any that had the green followers.  SA-80's usually had black or dark blue.  Unless someone replaced them.

Or, you may have some "trash" Western or other off brand steel mags.

Have you tried loading them?  Does the coating on the look like someone painted them?

Pics would really help.

As far as the price, you can get excellent D&H mags on the EE from Bravo or 44 MAG for about the same price you paid.

Good luck

Yes, they definitely feel like steel to me.  But don't look hand painted, unless someone did a very thorough job.  I took pics, but just realized that I can't upload them without posting them to an secondary webpage, and I don't have one available.  I guess I'll just check out the equipment exchange, because I'm guessing these are a lost cause.  I'd like to run into that vendor again, and ask him if the small profit he's turning on these is worth lying about the manufacturer to gullible buyers like me.  

Quoted: Yes, they definitely feel like steel to me.  But don't look hand painted, unless someone did a very thorough job.  I took pics, but just realized that I can't upload them without posting them to an secondary webpage, and I don't have one available.  I guess I'll just check out the equipment exchange, because I'm guessing these are a lost cause.  I'd like to run into that vendor again, and ask him if the small profit he's turning on these is worth lying about the manufacturer to gullible buyers like me.

Photobucket.

Photobucket or Imageshack are free and have tutorials.

I use Imageshack - www.imageshack.us

A magnet should tell you whether they are steel or not.

Good call on the magnets, but I think I'm the only american in this US with none on the refrigerator, and I can't think of any in the house.

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/7331/magsjt5.th.jpg

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/9973/mags001od5.th.jpg

http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/3088/mags004lf6.th.jpg

Have any speakers you can unscrew? Theres magnets on the back of those.

Those don't look like the cheap asian crap I got taken with during the ban.  Mine were smooth powder coat over steel and were so shitty that I couldn't upgrade to a green follower because it wouldn't even fit.

Well, it's still partially true. The green followers don't truly fit, they bind up halfway down the mag.  And the magpull followers bind up only an inch into the base.  And I believe this is powdercoat over steel, I don't have any speakers to do the test, but they can't be aluminum just based on weight.

do they look at all disfigured compared to other mags? They could be defective or damaged.

No, on the contrary they look perfect.  But I think the inside width is just slightly too small to keep the follower from jamming.  The rounds won't cycle properly because they get caught in the mag too low for the bolt to push the into the chamber.  I'll probably just throw them out, it just seems like such a waste for 10 mags.  Well, actually I'll probably keep them for the followers, springs, and floorplates.

Quoted: No, on the contrary they look perfect.  But I think the inside width is just slightly too small to keep the follower from jamming.  The rounds won't cycle properly because they get caught in the mag too low for the bolt to push the into the chamber.  I'll probably just throw them out, it just seems like such a waste for 10 mags.  Well, actually I'll probably keep them for the followers, springs, and floorplates.

Keep the bodies too even if you only crush them.  If a new ban comes you can use them as a basis to build "new" mags.  During the old ban I scrounged every trash mag I could find then bought replacement bodies to rebuild them with and it was perfectly legal.  Hang on to all your old mag bodies because if another ban comes and they still allow you to rebuild existing mags, then you can buy the bodies and make good mags out of the trash mags.

They aren't magline or some other brand of steel mag, are they?

I'm pretty sure those are made by National. Is the floorplate real thin?

they look OK to me, I would just clean then, lube them and see if they work then.

They look like C Products AR15 30rd .223 mag w/ Green follower



They are at aim surplus for $10 a pop

Quoted: they look OK to me, I would just clean then, lube them and see if they work then. They look like C Products AR15 30rd .223 mag w/ Green follower www.aimsurplus.com/acatalog/magarcp30.jpg They are at aim surplus for $10 a pop

Mags shouldn't be lubed.  The lack of floorplate markings is also suspect that they are not CProducts.

Quoted: they look OK to me, I would just clean then, lube them and see if they work then. They look like C Products AR15 30rd .223 mag w/ Green follower www.aimsurplus.com/acatalog/magarcp30.jpg They are at aim surplus for $10 a pop

 Nope.  C Products floorplates are marked.  The finish is not the same.  
Lube does not belong inside a magazine.  

Quoted: Quoted: they look OK to me, I would just clean then, lube them and see if they work then. They look like C Products AR15 30rd .223 mag w/ Green follower www.aimsurplus.com/acatalog/magarcp30.jpg They are at aim surplus for $10 a pop  Nope.  C Products floorplates are marked.  The finish is not the same.   Lube does not belong inside a magazine.

Bingo... you don't want a lot of lube around your ammo.

Your fridge closes with a magnetic seal.

They look kinda like the 40 rounders I got from Forrest Inc (do not buy from them)...they said (IIRC) pacific was the maker, but I never found any oifo on them.

Quoted: Good call on the magnets, but I think I'm the only american in this US with none on the refrigerator, and I can't think of any in the house. img204.imageshack.us/img204/7331/magsjt5.th.jpg img204.imageshack.us/img204/9973/mags001od5.th.jpg img517.imageshack.us/img517/3088/mags004lf6.th.jpg

If anyone is using a Sonicare electric tooth brush you have magnets in the house.  There are two small but very strong magnets in the head.  When you discard a old head look inside and you will see two small magnets.  They are only held on by their magnetic pull so just remove them and you have two very strong tiny magnets.

Powdercoat?
Powdercoat is a heavy application of paint.
If the inside of the mag is powdercoated, it's no wonder that the followers stick.
Thanks.

Looking at the photos it looks like the front to back deminsion varies.  I do a few gun shows as a dealer and I can assure you there are many snakes in the business.  greater then 50% in my opinion. A real buyer beware scene.