King Arms 15 Round CO2 Magazine for M1A1 Series Gas Blowback Rifles

"This was my first airsoft gun. As far as the carbine goes, I could not be happier with this gun from King Arms.
Disclaimer: I am new to airsoft and my knowledge is primarily based in black powder firearms.

Magazine: I have now fired around 1500 rounds. I didn’t know I should pre-lube the co2 canisters for about the first 1000 rounds but am doing now. The seals have held up good overall. There is a slight hiss if you do not screw the plug in fast but I found with a bit of practice I can keep it from happening.
The magazine feeds every time without fail each time. I don’t know if there is a better way of loading but using your thumb to pull down the pusher rod is not easy and scratches the finish. I don’t know if there is a better way to load but if there was something protruding just a bit more it would make it easier to load (especially for my kid). Although this seems to be the normal design as compared to my 1911.
The paint does scratch easy and after a few months of steady shooting has shown wear. Most notable is all the edges. I’m thinking as easy remedy is to spray paint...
Overall the seals are holding still and use a drop of oil on the top of co2 canister to keep the seals lasting longer and discharge the canister BEFORE you replace it to keep it lasting as long as possible.
Is there another alternative to this magazine for my King Arms M1 carbine? I don’t know, but both work great and I love this gun! My only wish is for the magazine to be easier to load and maybe a higher capacity magazine even though 15 rounds is the period-correct size.

"The finally fixed the magazine issues!

I ordered a replacement magazine and received it today, it seems that King Arms has been listening to the feedback on the M1A1 Carbine magazines as this one was redesigned.

The first thing you notice is that the cap that holds the CO2 cartridge is twice as thick and now uses a 6mm hex key to screw it in. The first Co2 Cartridge I put in made no noise, no gas pushing through the holes in the cap, I thought maybe I did not tighten it enough. However, when I loaded the magazine in the gun it fired, I was able to get 4 reloads off of one CO2 cartridge! I did this with 4 more CO2 cartridges and all functioned flawlessly and I averaged 3 reloads before it was totally expended.

Pros:

-The fixed the issue with the CO2, hopefully they fixed the quality control issues on the whole assembly line
-Evike Customer Service, Thank you for the help trying to work through the issues with the original gun and magazine.

Cons:

-As another reviewer stated you have to bang the bottom of the magazine to free the spent CO2 cartridge, I will take this vs it not sealing at all. I believe it is due to the seal on the pin through the tin on the top of the cartridge. I used Peloil(just a drop) on the cartridge before installing and it came out without an issue, or only a few taps on apiece of wood.
- Should come with a 6MM hex key but it does not.

Conclusion:
I hope King Arms fixes the issues with the gun itself as I am now on #2 and it misfeeds, jams, and fires on full auto. If you have a good gun with an old magazine I would replace it with one of the hex key magazines(maybe King Arms will send you an updated cap), HUGE IMPROVEMENT!

"Works well with my Springfield Armory M1 Carbine. I ordered 3 magazines, with one coming dead on arrival with peices of the seal missing. Too late for me to get my money back, so whatever.

"The mags are pretty good, don't even try to fit them in carbine mag pouches. I have yet to fit one in a rigger pouch well enough to stay in while moving, but it'll happen eventually. People say they spray the co2 out immediately and that they suffer from quality control, but I've had only one problem with them so far - the co2 canisters get stuck very easily. I've determined that Crosman canisters come out with a firm smack on a wood desk, but any other brand you'd be better off not using in these mags. I am almost certain that it is the shape of the canister and not the mag itself.

Pros:
-Co2 efficient (can get at least 90 rounds out)
-Sturdy
-Holds the correct amount of rounds
-Fits in mag well nicely, no wobble

Cons:
- Too heavy for the original weight
- Too big for original size, won't fit in carbine pouches
- Canisters are a pain to get out
- Expensive. Like, REALLY expensive. Especially for the issues it had/has

"These magazines have a hard time retaining gas if they are not maintained and lubricated properly. If you want to get the most efficient use of them, please ensure that you lubricate the inside of the CO2 cartridge hole with silicon spray and oil. Other than that, these magazines are not terrible. The only problem with them is that their not very consistent: their gas reservoirs are somewhat.. selective about how much CO2 they want to retain.

In conclusion:

Pros:
- Good solid magazines; heavy weight and can take a fall.
- Solid performance if maintained properly

Cons:
- Tend to be selective with how much gas they hold.
- Won't work out of box; need maintenance to work properly

"These magazines are terrible quality as I have done a total of 4 returns for defective magazine. The last replacement sent I wasted through 3x CO2 capsules. The last CO2 capsule I had to tightened as fast as I can, still wasting at least 25% to 30% of the gas till it stopped. To replace the original CO2 capsule it was stuck and had to wedge it out and bang it onto a hard surface to let it drop out. This is something I should not have to do. There is something definitely defective about these batches of magazines including the one that came with the original M1A1 Paratrooper Carbine. In comparison to the Marushin M1/M2 magazines, they don't exhibit the same issue as King Arms does considering it is an exact clone of the Marushin M1 system. I can tighten and not have any major long leaks and without over tightening. The rifle is so far good and I use my Marushin CO2 Magazines on them.