Identifying Pre-Ban Magazine

[4g63t]

Two part question:

1. How is a mag determined to be pre-ban if the magazine was manufactured pre/post 1994? Mfg dates aren't generally stamped on magazines.

2. What does LE / courts look for to prove it is pre-ban?

Just moving to MA from ME and trying to wrap my head around some of this. Thanks.

 

[Mass-diver]

Hint: if the manufacturer of the mag didn't exist before 1994, it's clearly post-ban, i.e. p-mags

 

[greencobra]

Well, a lot of manufacturers of 5.56 mags do date stamp. Brownell's does, or who ever makes them under their name. A lot of small manufacturers do. I can't speak for pistol mags or other types. Its just that since I've been looking for pre ban 5.56 20's I've seen a lot of date codes on recent stuff.

 

[RichM]

Also, if the magazines are marked "For LE / Military Use Only" then they are definitely not pre-ban.

There are threads about Glock magazines (although Glock says that you can't use design generations to tell, there are some distinctive features).

AR magazines are sometimes easy, sometimes not... look for the LEO stamp... plastic magazines are not pre-ban... you can also look at the manufacturers, as some of them were only around in the pre-ban era, and some of them came later. There are also sometimes stamps on the body or base plate, and sometimes on the inside of the body.

For AKs, you'll have to get someone else's advice...

For handguns, you'll need to do some homework.... when was the gun made? That's probably the easiest way to figure it out...

I hope that helps...

 

[drgrant]

Two part question:

1. How is a mag determined to be pre-ban if the magazine was manufactured pre/post 1994? Mfg dates aren't generally stamped on magazines.

Some mags are indeed, date stamped. Sometimes there are identifying marks, but in a lot of cases there is no way to prove something is post-ban unless it's a captain obvious situation- eg, if you have something like an S&W M&P, then all the "large capacity" (those are the words in the law, not mine) magazines for those guns are clearly not possession legal in MA (outside of the LE/Mil exemption) because the M&P only existed as of a few years ago.

2. What does LE / courts look for to prove it is pre-ban?

There is not a lot of evidence on the ground in MA for this, but typically, what's been seen in the past is the DA will try to call the gun manufacturer, or possibly the magazine manufacturer, to get them to rat on you or give them info to convict you with. Thankfully most manufacturers don't cooperate with this kind of crap, or there is no manufacturer to call. .

Chances are if you are ever in this situation you will have bigger problems to deal with than the provenance of your magazines.

Just moving to MA from ME and trying to wrap my head around some of this. Thanks.

You basically moved from the free world to a place like Venezuela. Don't bother trying to comprehend it- in MA gun owners are basically treated as criminals with a card that grants us some level of protection/immunity against the state, that's about it. The magazine/AWB issue is basically mouse turds compared to the other problems gun owners face in this state, namely the fact that your ability to own guns is basically controlled by your police chief- and he/she can more or less take away your rights at the drop of a hat, without due process. That's pretty frigging scary, by itself.

I hope for your sake that some day you can move back to Maine, or some other free state.

-Mike

 

[Alex9661]

Two part question:

1. How is a mag determined to be pre-ban if the magazine was manufactured pre/post 1994? Mfg dates aren't generally stamped on magazines.

2. What does LE / courts look for to prove it is pre-ban?

Just moving to MA from ME and trying to wrap my head around some of this. Thanks.

You need to research the mags for every platform you own.
Good article on AR-15 mags

http://www.rawles.to/AR-15_M16_Magazine_FAQ.html

For AK-47 any steel surplus mag with no markings can be safely considered pre-ban. Let them try to figure the country of origin and then obtain the manufacturing date from Polish or Hungarian Ministry of Defense.

 

[stinx]

Move back to the free state.

 

[RKG]

Two part question: . . .

2. What does LE / courts look for to prove it is pre-ban?

Just moving to MA from ME and trying to wrap my head around some of this. Thanks.

The burdens of proof are almost certainly on the Commonwealth, not the defendant.

 

[4g63t]

Thanks for the info, it looks like making a call on some unmarked steel AR-15 mags could be tricky.

I'm in the process of applying for my Class A, I have an interview on 12/15.

I'd love to stay in Maine but unfortunately there aren't too many engineering jobs up there and I own some RE down here.

 

[drgrant]

Thanks for the info, it looks like making a call on some unmarked steel AR-15 mags could be tricky.

There's nothing tricky about it. Make sure you check INSIDE the mag for markings as well as the floorplates.

-Mike

 

[RichM]

Thanks for the info, it looks like making a call on some unmarked steel AR-15 mags could be tricky.

This thread has some nice pictures.

More pictures here.

Good info in this NES thread.

This thread has some info on 10/22 magazines.

This FAQ has some very good information! It lists specific manufacturers and stamps.

OK... that's enough to get you started...

 

[Satcom]

What about Orlites or Thermold mags? Both are pre ban.

 

[RichM]

What about Orlites or Thermold mags? Both are pre ban.

OK, you're correct.

I like the quote from the Telegram... I gave it to my daughter to take to her high-school government class!