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Hi all,
what would be the age of these Colt 20 rnd magazines for AR-15 rifle ?
Any difference of date of make between the 5.56 marked and the 223 marked ?
Thank you.
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.223 marked were first I think.
As I remember 223 mags were made up until 1969, 5.56 marked mags after that
The first Colt AR-15 magazine marked CAL..223 had the small letters/numbers, these magazines have been found in early Colt three digit SP1 rifles. Not very long afterward, the magazines with the large size CAL..223 became issue. The time period of these CAL..223 magazines is 1963-1968.
Photos show both variations of the CAL..223 markingAttachment 40669
There was one earlier, the Armalite AR15 Pat Pend. It was on the waffle mags and a few of the earlier non-waffles.
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Attachment 40699Attachment 40700Attachment 40701Here is a photo of the two pocket magazine pouch (early Air Force issue) there is also a four pocket pouch too. Also Cooper magazine which is junk
Early Colt SP1 in three digit serial number range also pictured
I have one of the early two pocket pouches like yours. I just wish I had two waffle mags to go in it!! I a bunch of the early Colt 223 marked 20s. I'll have to check how many are small 223 and how many are big. Personally, I am a fan of 20s. When I carry a featureless AR15 at work as a patrol carbine in my jeep, I usually have a 20 rounder in it, and 30s for back up. I have some of the later 5.56 marked ones with plastic followers, but I blocked them at 10 rounds for my evil retro 602 build (it would be too ugly as a featureless build).
I have one of those mags which completely lost the original finish.
Do you know how is possible to restore the original dark gray finish over the mag body ?
I tryed with Birchwood for Alloy but no luck.
Thank you.
It was some kind of oxidizing that they had the secret for. I've never heard of anyone re finishing the old Colt mags...
Some of the mags have this logo on one side, what it stands for ?
Thank you.
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