How to ID Chinese mags?

The only Norinco M14 magazine I've seen is identical to the USGI except it has no makers mark on it. I didn't detail compare the followers or springs.

-- Chuck

gernally the chinese mags are lighter gray parkerizing, UAGI are dark gray to black. the small little folds, like the baseplate, on a USGI mag are neat and even. on a chinese mag those little folds are not even. also the spot welds down the from are usually not centered well like the USGI are. the edges of the feed lips on the chinese mags are noticably sharper on chinese mags than they are on USGI mags even after being used many times chinese are still sharper.

The norinco mags I have are lighter gray while the new BRW's are dark gray,actualy black. Identical otherwise. The makers mark isn't a good referance either. It is very lightly stamped on some and darn near invisible on others. Don't trust that as a difference between chicom and usgi.