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.30 Carbine ammunition

JackiePapersJackiePapers Member Posts: 544 ✭✭✭
edited May 2007 in Ask the Experts
A buddy just gave me a box full of carbine 15 and 30 round mags that he got from somebody he knew... all loaded with cartridges. The two 30 round mags are both marked "K1 M2" Almost all the rounds are LC 51 but in one 30 round mag the cartridges are head stamped L - C - 4, and the bullet tips are painted red. Anybody know what I have here?

Thanks...
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Comments

  • nmyersnmyers Member Posts: 16,892 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The manufacturer of the mags is unknown, but they are definitely not USGI.

    The red tip bullets are tracers; do not fire them unless it is pouring rain.

    Neal
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  • JackiePapersJackiePapers Member Posts: 544 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    How about the head stamp? LC 4 ? '44? '54? They look pretty old.
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  • givettegivette Member Posts: 10,886 ✭
    edited November -1
    To Jackie: givette here. If you look closely and determine that the "K1" is really a "KI" then you have the manufacturers' code for Inland division of General motors. "KI" is found on both 15 and 30 round magazines. If it's KI, you have USGI. Hope this helps. Joe
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  • competentonecompetentone Member Posts: 4,696 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Excellent read about M1 Carbine magazines:

    http://www.odcmp.com/Services/Rifles/Carbine_30_Round_Magazines_May_2007.pdf
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  • JackiePapersJackiePapers Member Posts: 544 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    givette... with a magnifying glass it STILL looks like K1 over M2... I'll have to read up on them.

    Thanks...

    After reading Competentone's link I think that my 30 rd mags are USGI... The author describes the right-hand upper bar of the "I" can be missing due to a worn die making it look like a "1" ... they are also "hard back" mags... and heavy and well finished. Very interesting reading. Thanks again! [:)]
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  • Laredo LeftyLaredo Lefty Member Posts: 13,451 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    LC is for "Lake City", the ammo plant that loaded them. The 44 and 54 are the year they were loaded.

    A lot of the USGI carbine tracer ammo had orange tips. The M2 on the mags, I believe, means for the M2 select fire carbine. The 30 rounders were made for the M2.
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  • JackiePapersJackiePapers Member Posts: 544 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Lefty...

    Yeah I know LC is Lake City... I was wondering about the single number "4" on the headstamp. Is it for 1944 or 1954 or...? No biggie... Just curious.
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  • Tailgunner1954Tailgunner1954 Member Posts: 7,734 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    1944
    It's fairly common on "double digit" years to only have 1 number showing. Think about it, all they had to do was grind off the "3" from the previous years bunters, instead of making all new ones.
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