Any one know if there ever where any 30 round mags that functioned flawlessly?

I have heard of experiments by the millitary but all rumor.  Anyone know for a fact?

Need to put this controversy with friends to a rest.

thanks

Hi

Background

I work on the week end at a gun shop and just purchased a polytech M14. Well everone said it wouldn't work very good. Had a box of 30 rounds mags they said would make good boat anchors..

What Happened

The Poly Tech is a great looking well built
gun...and the mags well I have used two of them and the function is flawless (in my gun..I will try the others I have and if they function and you want one I will sell it to you for what I paid 10.00+ shipping. They were being sold for thirty five dollars each except no one would buy them because someone said (no one now knows who it was had said they were no good) you know how that goes. Any way perhaps there is hope for some which may work.

Gary

I have several but only want to part with a few and only after I shoot them to assure that they work. They are new in the package and I do not know who made them. I do know that they work.

Thanks for your reply.

For that price, I would love to try them out.  
What could it hurt?  Please check your mail.

BTW, the polytech m14 is a fine rifle.  


Still looking for info if USGI 30 round mags exist.  I have heard that there were test mags made and that there are few of them out there.
Just interested in the facts if someone can enlighten us, that would be great.

Quoted: Thanks for your reply. For that price, I would love to try them out.   What could it hurt?  Please check your mail. BTW, the polytech m14 is a fine rifle.   Still looking for info if USGI 30 round mags exist.  I have heard that there were test mags made and that there are few of them out there. Just interested in the facts if someone can enlighten us, that would be great.

I am not aware of any existing.  When you consider the time frame that the m14 was phased out as a main battel rifle 20 round mags were common place.  The m16s that replaced them also used 20 round magazines.  Although there were some Colt 30s around 1969 it wasnt til the mid 70s when they became mainstream items.  I believe it was around 1975 that the 30s phased out the 20 rounders.  Since the m14 had been replaced for almost 10 years there was no need to create a higher capacity magazine.  This is only a composition of some facts along with my opinion mixed in but my best guess would be that there were never any GI contract mags on a large scale (im sure some small experimental stuff was out there at one time)

From my website http://m14.freeservers.com/about.html

Experimental Items for the M14 Rifle - In 1961, the experimental breech loading X-1 40 mm grenade launcher was built for the M14. It attached to the gas cylinder and bayonet lug. Aiming was performed using the standard M15 grenade launcher sight. Two hundred aluminum M14 magazines were produced by Mathewson Tool Company and tested by Springfield Armory in 1962. That same year Harrington & Richardson produced experimental promethium flip-up rear and front night sights. In 1962, Springfield Armory developed five versions of a folding stock designated as the M14E1. The designs included both underfolding and sidefolding stocks for the M14 rifle. Springfield Armory experimented with white, black, brown, green and tan colored stocks in the first half of the 1960s during development of the synthetic M14 stock. Some disposable plastic pre-filled thirty round M14 magazines were reportedly made and tested by Rock Island Arsenal in the early 1970s.

My source regarding the thirty round M14 magazines made by Rock Island Arsenal is Mr. William J. Ricca.  Mr. Ricca is a U.S. military small arms expert and surplus dealer.

Lee

you are certainly are the m14 man.  i should have just emailed you.

thanks for the info.  

FWIW I tried some 30 round mags in my SA NM M1A.  They didn't work worth beans.  The bolt would just skip over the top most round and close on an empty chamber.  If others work - Great!  But mine didn't work for be.  To be fair, I just threw them all in a box and havent touched them since.  I didn't try all that I bought.  Maybe a good project for next weekend......