When I bought my M1A, I also got 3 30 round mags. From what I have read, there mags do not work. I am planning to try to get out and try them this weekend. If they don't work, and I am they won't, what do I do with them. Can they be altered to work. Can I pull the guts out and buy some 20 round bodies and maks some new mags using the 30 round followers and cut down springs. Thanks for the help. Eagle308us

Eagle, the US never made 30-round magazines for the M14, hence, the ones you have are after market and generally referred to as crap.  If they work, you are lucky, but personally, I would never want to depend on them.  Go to Cole Distributing and get yourself a bunch of USGI mags.  You will never be sorry.

www.coledistributing.com/

you might be able to do some filing to get them to work if they dont.  If not you are stuck buying mags from coles because officially you would be constructing a new mag although what the Government doenst know cant be used against you

When I take my 30 rounders apart, are the followers, baseplates, or springs worth keeping. Can a 30 round spring be cut down to use in a 20 round mag. Are the followers from my crap mags close enough to milspec to use in a USGI mag. If I could use the followers and/or baseplates, could I order the spring and mag body and 'recondition a used mag'. I am not sure what the law says.

The followers and base plates might be worth keeping, but probably not the springs.  There is no way of telling whether the base plates and followers are decent without comparing them to USGI versions, then testing them in a USGI mag body to see if they will work.  The other problem you will face is that USGI mag bodies are very hard to find.  Eagle, I realize you are trying to save money and use what you have efficiently.  Keep in mind though that magazines are critical for reliable functioning of auto loaders and the M1A is no exception.  Another option to consider is Chinese mags.  If you attend gun shows then look for them there.  They will be wrapped in rice paper and grease.  These were made in Taiwan on U.S. Govt. tooling and are very good quality.  I have seen them for as low as $20 dollars each.

I'll buy the crappy shells for 5 bucks each.  Email me at:

[email protected]

I had trouble giving the 2- 30rd mags away that I inherited :-) they are JUNK!!