Soldered or Welded Carbine Magazines

I posted this photo in the Carbine Photo of the Day thread, but there were no comments made about the magazine. I think this could be a unique photo, as I do not recall seeing a vintage photo of a soldered or welded magazine.

I'm leaning toward the magazine being soldered, because I think it would be tricky to weld a Carbine magazine. In black and white, the joined magazine area certainly looks shiny, as I would expect soldering would.

So, has anyone ever seen another similar photo? Does anyone have a magazine like this?



Thanks!

David Albert
dalbert@sturmgewehr.com

Five or six years ago I acquired an Inland that came with a pair of 30 round magazines soldered together, side by side. At the time I thought it was a pretty awkward setup. Not too practical for target shooting. I was able to separate them but they were badly corroded under a really ugly solder joint, possibly from the acid flux that was used. I cleaned the solder and corrosion off as best I could and hit them with a coat of semigloss black paint. I kept the one that looked the best (see below). I gave the uglier one away.

If I was unclear in my original post, this appears to be two 15 round magazines soldered together to make a higher capacity magazine.

David Albert
dalbert@sturmgewehr.com

@David,

A similar fusion to that pictured was actually tried during development of the 30 round carbine magazine. But the pictured magazine is not bent more than 2 degrees. And, without the hardened lugs which came later, likely didn't last too long either.

From "Design and Development of the U.S. Carbine Thirty-Round Magazine" by Frank Iannamico in Small Arms Review (August 2005)

www.smallarmsreview.com/display.article.cfm?idarticles=1838 wrote: In December of 1944, U.S. Army Major Fargo submitted two modified carbine magazines to the Infantry Board. One of the magazines had a thirty-round capacity. This magazine was constructed by welding two standard fifteen-round carbine magazines together. Because of the carbine round’s slightly tapered case, the magazines were joined together at an eleven-degree angle.

Check out this after action report. It mentions "improvised" magazines.

http://s798.photobucket.com/user/karls42/slideshow/PDF%20TEST%20SHOT

I had one of those soldered double mags decades ago! Just like the Marine in the initial post (David Albert) and the GI in the recent post (Matt_X and New2brass). I found it in a pile of old parts at a gun show. I wish I knew what I did with it!

I would've bet money that I did an article on it for the Carbine Club newsletter, but I cannot find it in the newsletter index...Well, hell! I know I took B&W photos of it, and I'll look for them...if only to prove that I'm not a complete idiot.

Regards, Marty Black

Well, as incredible as it may sound, I found my pics of the soldered double mag! Pictures are very dark, unfortunately. The two mags were not perfectly aligned, so this contraption was a bit crooked. Well worn, rusty and tarnished, which led me to believe that this was a WWII GI mod, and not the product of some tinkerer in his garage. The top mag was marked circled IU and the bottom mag was UN.

I'll attempt to attach 6 photos. Regards, Marty Black

Ahh, shxx...Dan, why am I not seeing the paperclip icon to attach photos?

Thanks Wayne! Here goes. I may need more than one reply to get all 6 photos in. Marty B