AR-15 Mag Mystery

[HangEmHigh]

I'm having a weird issue with some AR-15 magazines. I have two AR-15 lowers. The first is a pre-ban Colt Hbar Sporter and the second a new DPMS Mod A-15. I have 4 mags that seat easily and fall free from the DPMS. I cant even get those same mags in to the mag well of the Colt because they fit so tightly. But all my other mags fit the Colt OK. And the doubly weird thing is that all four of the mags that don't fit the Colt lower are Colt brand. Any ideas?

 

[vellnueve]

The rifle is dangerously defective and should be transferred to me for immediate disposal.

Seriously, though, have the mags been refinished at all?

 

[LoginName]

Are these 20 or 30 round mags?

Reason I ask (and to the best of my knowledge), Colt only manufactured (with a rare exception), 20 round pre-ban mags (with the Colt logo on the floorplate).

If they're 30 round mags and have the Colt logo on the floorplate, they're probably a hair out of spec and some previous owner switched the floorplates.

But, all that is just a wild assed guess.

More info here...

http://magfaq.tripod.com/

 

[HangEmHigh]

I bought the mags at a gun show this year. They were in great shape and didn't show any signs of being refinished. They are all 30 round mags. How would I tell if the floorplates were switched?

 

[LoginName]

I bought the mags at a gun show this year. They were in great shape and didn't show any signs of being refinished. They are all 30 round mags. How would I tell if the floorplates were switched?

From what I posted...

I don't believe Colt manufactured 30 round pre-ban magazines with Colt logo floorplates (I am not 100% certain about that).

If that's the case, then someone took some after market (or possibly out of spec contractor mags), and installed some Colt floorplates (either intentionally or unintentionally).

In a certain sense, one can't judge pre or post ban status by the floorplates alone.

Anyone can buy "banned" post 09/13/04 mags (during ban mags will have a date stamped on the body), and swap out floorplates with only ATF and State Police firearms examiners being any the wiser to it.

 

[vellnueve]

Well, then you're just replacing magazine part, right?

Seriously, it is an issue though.

Colt did make thirty rounders, although the majority of USGI magazines by far are not Colts.

30 Round Capacity Magazines:

Colt early G.I. contract 30 round. Green plastic followers. Marked Colt
w/pony and "CAL. .223" on floorplate. Marked with part # 62667 on the side of the magazine body and 62665A on the follower. (Circa 1968 to 1969.) Usually $45+ each,
depending on condition.

Note: The general rule is that pre-1970 30 round Colt-made magazines are
marked "CAL. .223" and that 1970 and later production 30s are marked "CAL.
5.56MM"

Gun Show tip: As you walk around gun shows, look for Colt 30 round magazines
with dark green followers. (They are worth at least twice as much as other 30s,
even if made by Colt.)

Colt late G.I. contract 30 round. Black plastic followers. Marked Colt
w/pony and "CAL. 5.56mm" on floorplate. Circa 1970 to present. Usually $20+
each, depending on condition. Colt hasn't had a military contract in many
years. Most of these are sold to police departments. A few
make it out to the civilian market through police supply houses.

 

[OnTheRoad]

Sounds like your receivers are machined to slightly different tolerances. You get a variation in mag sizes and some receivers can accomodate it while others wind up being too tight. I picked up an EA stripped lower a few weeks back and I had a few mags that fit very tight and a few that wouldn't fit at all, and a few that fit just fine. All the mags fit OK in my Olympic AR however. Looking at the magwells next to each other you could see how they were ever so slightly different. I exchanged the EA lower for a newer model EA lower and all the mags fit fine.

If it's just a couple mags you have that don't fit, you may want to consider either not using them for this particular lower or working out a trade for mags that will fit.

 

[MassMark]

I had a Colt AR-15 that fit and fed all mags reliably except two Cooper USGI mags. I had to nearly, but not quite - force them into the gun. Following careful technical instructions from a US Army Armorer, I bashed the upper rib and mag body with a piece of 2x4 and they work like a charm. It's quite possible that during the mag ban, someone took cheap aftermarket mags and added Colt floorplates, (which I have seen for sale in bags of 20 or more), to make them more sale worthy. Colt also subcontracted their mags, so it's possible you have an out of spec batch.

 

[HangEmHigh]

Im new to the Ar-15 world so bear with a dumb question. What makes a preban a preban? Is it the lack of a date on the mag floor? On the body? Can bodies and floors be swapped legally in MA? What part of the magazine is considered the magazine?

Mark - Are you going to be at the Appleseed shoot at HSC this afternoon? Any chance you could bring your armorer approved hammer and 2x4 and give mine a few whacks?

 

[vellnueve]

give mine a few whacks?

For some reason this just seemed quote-worthy

Another alternative is to trade with someone who has mags that are too loose.