Refurbing M1 Carbine Mags

[Cavtanker]

So I bought a mess of those rusty M1 Carbine mags that the South Store has by the front door for $5 each. I figured, what the hell. I like a good rainy-day project. They looked like crap at first, but as I cleaned them they didn't look so bad. Half of them had just the normal wear & tear of a standard workhorse mag and didn't look any different than the M4 mags I always see laying around our arms rooms. The rest of them have some pitting issues, but nothing a dremel tool can't handle. They're all servicable and function just fine.

Now to make them look pretty....

I initially had thought about doing this to them:
http://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=3&f=17&t=572545

But I thought I'd ping the group and see what kind of ideas you all had. What would you do with these mags to make them presentable again?

789

[Orlando]

If they were mine I would oil them heavily, maybe rub 600 grit wet/dry paper over the oil and rust spots, wipe off and use them.
JMO

[Cavtanker]

Yeah, I did that to half of them. They cleaned up real nice and will go in the range bag. I thought it would be fun to do something different with the ones with the pitting though.


If they were mine I would oil them heavily, maybe rub 600 grit wet/dry paper over the oil and rust spots, wipe off and use them.
JMO

[timshufflin]

I repark a lot of mags and don't really understand the need to. They are mags and they will always get scratched up from use. They are also expensive to park, to expensive for me to do my own.

[jak]

I thought it would be fun to do something different with the ones with the pitting though.

I had a pitted carbine mag and used this backing lacquer from Brownells. It didn't turn out too bad.

http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/metal-prep-coloring/paint-finishes/bake-on-aerosol-paints/aerosol-baking-lacquer-prod1143.aspx?ttver=1&psize=96

Usually a ugly magazine works just as well as a pretty one.

[Cavtanker]

I agree completely. I don't see a need to sink more money than necessary into these things. I was going to get a can of the Wheelers Cerama-Coat for some of my old beater USGI AR mags anyway. Thought about trying it out on these mags too. I might try it out on one or two for craps & grins and just reblue the rest of them just so I don't have any exposed bare metal after using the dremel to remove the pitting. I was just pinging the forum to see if anybody else had tried something different.


I repark a lot of mags and don't really understand the need to. They are mags and they will always get scratched up from use. They are also expensive to park, to expensive for me to do my own.

[Cavtanker]

Cool, thanks for the tip. That's a hell of alot cheaper than what Midway wants for a can of Wheelers....even with a dealer discount. And there are more colors to choose from as well.

I agree, function over-rides asthetics every time. I guess I'm just bored and my mind started to wander while tinkering in the gun room.


I had a pitted carbine mag and used this backing lacquer from Brownells. It didn't turn out too bad.

http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/metal-prep-coloring/paint-finishes/bake-on-aerosol-paints/aerosol-baking-lacquer-prod1143.aspx?ttver=1&psize=96

Usually a ugly magazine works just as well as a pretty one.