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"W" Magazine Review

878 Views 26 Replies 13 Participants Last post by  mic52
So, I ran across an infamous "W" magazine at the gun show last weekend, and since the guy agreed to trade straight-up for an item that I had with me (that I had gotten for free)- I went ahead with the trade. Based upon all of the information I can find- I have a "fake" M14 magazine. However, I took it to the range yesterday- and as they say... the proof's in the pudding.

This mag holds 20 rounds without issue, it locks in solidly, there's no mag follower tilt issues, every round fed and ejected properly... bottom line: it performed no differently than any of the CMI or USGI magazines I've used in my M1A.

I will continue to test this mag, but as far as I can tell- it's equal to all of the other "known-quality" magazines I currently have...

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I have a few myself. They seem to work fine. I guess it's a case of mimicry being a form of flattery
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What is the history of the "W" mags? Where are they made? When were they made?
Lots of posts here going way back discussing this phenomenon...




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I have few myself and they seem to work fine.
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Westinghouse, I have a couple of them, they work as well as any other.
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I'd love to believe it is a Westinghouse mag, but I'm not holding my breath...
Westinghouse, I have a couple of them, they work as well as any other.
I have some old W magazines that appear to
Be real USGI that fit and work perfectly. I have run across some “fake or reconditioned “ W magazines being passed off as original USGI that are assembled from various magazine parts which are reparked with a thicker dark phosphate. They are sometimes harder to insert and remove but lock up tight and function.
Sorry to say, but it is not a Westinghouse magazine, it is a reproduction, copy or fake. That doesn’t mean its not a good mag, just means it is not USGI.

REN

MORE THAN A HOBBY, A PASSION!
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Sorry to say, but it is not a Westinghouse magazine, it is a reproduction, copy or fake. That doesn’t mean its not a good mag, just means it is not USGI.

REN

MORE THAN A HOBBY, A PASSION!
What are the tells that the above mag is fake. I have only one, thought I had a couple. With mine the W is much lower and the catch spot welds are only 4 and not 6 as above.
What are the tells that the above mag is fake. I have only one, thought I had a couple. With mine the W is much lower and the catch spot welds are only 4 and not 6 as above.
And those are the main differences my friend.

REN

MORE THAN A HOBBY, A PASSION!
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And those are the main differences my friend.

REN

MORE THAN A HOBBY, A PASSION!
Thanks for the info!(y)
I have 3 of those mags, and while the body and base plate seem fine, to me the springs are one 'loop' less than a USGI spring, and the follower is held together with two spot welds instead of three. I have 3 spare USGI mag rebuild kits, so I am swapping those two pieces once I re-park the “W” body and base plate.

Note: the “W” follower on left has only 2 spot welds holding the vertical spring guide part, whereas the USGI part on the right has 3 round spot welds, just hard to see. The metal is also slightly thicker on the USGI follower. Random observations.

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I got one as well picked it up cheap so it was worth the gamble, mine will hold a full payload and runs. Its a range mag maybe I dodged a bullet?
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^^^^^^^^^^Explain the KMT 7 and 9 spot welds^^^^^^^^^^^^^

IMHO, I don’t think Uncle Sam cared about the number of spot welds only there size that the front seam/spline couldn’t be peeled apart.
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Info is from the M14 files composed by "different" here on the forum
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^^^^^^^^^^Explain the KMT 7 and 9 spot welds^^^^^^^^^^^^^

IMHO, I don’t think Uncle Sam cared about the number of spot welds only there size that the front seam/spline couldn’t be peeled apart.
Phil, we are talking about the Westinghouse “W” stamped M14 magazine, which all originals had 12 +1. Kleen Machine Tool co. did make the two odd ball seven and nine welds but were the only ones to do so, ALL other USGI magazines had the 12+1 welds.

It is my opinion that KMTco. did not make many because they are extremely had to find.

I have had several fake M14 magazines one stamped with the “W” and the other stamped with “SA”, both exhibited the same weld pattern of the fake in the OPs original post.


REN

MORE THAN A HOBBY, A PASSION!
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