Identifying P229 40 S&W pre-ban magazines

[boltonguy]

Does anyone have information that would be useful in identifying P229 40 S&W pre-ban magazines vs post-ban P229 magazines?

I live in MA and it is a felony to posess post-ban high-capacity (>10) magazines. I called Sig Arms and they were not able to help.

I'm thinking of buying some pre-ban magazines on the internet and want to be certain that I won't be inadvertently committing a felony upon receipt.

Thanks.

 

[Len-2A Training]

If SigArms claims that they can't tell the difference pre/post ban, that would say that nothing changed in their mfg process and what you buy (assuming no "LE Only" banner) would be OK. That's the situation we're in with Glock mags, according to Glock-US.

 

[boltonguy]

Folks on SigForum have told me that the prebans they have are all marked 229 40 cal since they didnt make the 357 sig back then.

Can anyone confirm or deny this?

Thx

 

[jon]

If you look on the bottom of the mag on the plastic part there is a date stamp on it.

I asked the same thing just a few weeks ago.

Is this the guy over on sig forum that is selling them (kind of a store but fly by night?) if so they are post ban. Not pmarked LEO but date stamped after the ban sunsetted.

Jon

 

[pmb44]

But the floorplate is removable and only the body of the mag is considered the "magazine". So a post ban floorplate foesnt necesarilly mean anything. But it just comes down to if your comfortable with it or not.

If you look on the bottom of the mag on the plastic part there is a date stamp on it.

I asked the same thing just a few weeks ago.

Is this the guy over on sig forum that is selling them (kind of a store but fly by night?) if so they are post ban. Not pmarked LEO but date stamped after the ban sunsetted.

Jon

 

[MikeD]

I have yet to see any 12rd mags that have a date stamp on the floorplate, the 10rd mags are date stamped. My pre-ban mags are marked on the body as P229 .40cal. As these were made before Sig introduced the .357 Sig round. No markings on the floorplate.

 

[jon]

of the two 12 rds mags that came with my 229. (I lived in a free state at teh time and they stayed there.)

both were date stamped on the floor plate. one was LEO from during the ban and the other was post ban.

 

[drgrant]

Folks on SigForum have told me that the prebans they have are all marked 229 40 cal since they didnt make the 357 sig back then.

Can anyone confirm or deny this?

Thx

IMO this would be "relatively" reliable, as the newer ones say
both .357 and .40 on them. The newer factory mags also
tend to have a glossy finish on them.

There might also be some mags that just say "SigSauer" on the
side as well, with no caliber marking. I have some P226 9mm
prebans that are like that. It's plausible that early P229
mags did not mention a caliber because IIRC when it was
initially released, the whole point of the P229 was to cater to one
cartridge- the .40 S+W. I don't think the 9mm came out
until later. (FWIW, the P229/9mm takes P228 mags... the P229
.40 and .357 guns have a physically larger frame... )

I think the 7 that I have all say SigSauer and .40 S+W or just
say "SigSauer" on the side...

Edit: while this is true of factory mags, no telling what is on
the outside of aftermarkets, etc. AFAIK MecGar didn't really
make any unbranded P229 .40 mags in the preban days, but it's
not completely impossible.

Edit2: Anecdotal, but potentially useful... NONE of the old sig
factory mags have mold date stamps on the floorplates. Most of the
newer mags you see, do have them, even on the 10 round cripplemags.

-Mike

 

[Lugnut]

Folks on SigForum have told me that the prebans they have are all marked 229 40 cal since they didnt make the 357 sig back then.

Hmmm.... Most of my preban's only say .40.. but I have a couple that have .357 on them as well, don't say LEO only and look like the older zipper backs as well....

 

[boltonguy]

Thanks for all the info - unfortunately I am having no luck finding the mags. Anyone have a lead on a source?

 

[drgrant]

Thanks for all the info - unfortunately I am having no luck finding the mags. Anyone have a lead on a source?

If you're a member on Sigforum, you might want to try looking in
the classifieds section. I'm sure there are folks out there in free
states who would be more than glad to sell old prebans to those of
us behind enemy lines.

-Mike

 

[drgrant]

Hmmm.... Most of my preban's only say .40.. but I have a couple that have .357 on them as well, don't say LEO only and look like the older zipper backs as well....

Since .357 Sig came out in '94 or thereabouts, there is a possibility
that there are a bunch of .357/40 marked legal mags that were made
before September. It's just that showing provenance lot easier if
the mag only says .40 on it.

-Mike