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Okay, let me explain something for those who may be curious.
Magazines used to be made pretty much exclusively out of steel. M14s, FALs, M1 Carbines, etc. used steel mags.
Springs in that era could also have been carbon steel.
The HK and Armalites were among the first to use aluminum magazines. They will not rust, though they may corrode if exposed to the right elements (like salt water). The G3 aluminum mags are barely thicker then aluminum foil. IMHO, they are intended to be used once and discarded. The steel G3 mags are very strong, but significantly heavier.
Newer mag bodies will normally be either aluminum, or some form of plastic. As with anything else, some plastic (and aluminum) is better than others. New GI mags are among the best, along with the Magpul mags. Thermold and the other plastics, not so much. The new HK mags for the M-16 and M-4 weapons are steel.
If you see rust on your mag body, floorplate, spring, or follower, you should clean that component and give it a LIGHT coat of oil.
If the mag is new, put a refrigerator magnet on it. If it sticks, you have carbon steel and should keep an eye on it for rust.
As far as lubrication goes, more lube is not always better when it comes to guns. Any parts that appear to be shiny due to surface wear should be lubricated. In desert or arctic conditions, special lubes are required. In a temperate environment, most any oil intended for lubrication of metal on metal surfaces and corrosion prevention will work. In many cases, grease is a better lubricant and rust preventative. I am partial to TW-25B grease (I have used axle grease as well) and a variety of lubes including one homebrew my former gunsmith used to make that he called "Eel Snot". It was a mix of Marvel Mystery oil, STP oil treatment, and some other odd component. I have heard that Mobil Red Cap synthetic motor oil is a good lube, and I plan to try some soon. Even though it is an expensive motor oil, it will be a lot cheaper than buying 1 ounce bottles and tubes at $10 a pop. When lubricating a weapon, excess should almost always be wiped off, as the collected dust, grit, and oil is more of an abrasive than a lubricant. Some guns do like to be run wet internally though.
Hope that helps.
TR
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"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
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