True "value" of a pre-ban mags

Joined
Nov 15, 2016
Messages
91
Likes
21
Location
Berkshires
Feedback: 2 / 0 / 0
After seeing many WTS/WTB posts for pre and post ban mags for very varying range of values I wanted to create a post so people can post their discuss the "value" of pre/post pan mags.

For example glock mags:
10 rounders
MSRP: $20, Normally goes for 20

15/17 rounders
MSRP $25, On here goes for 40-70

~30 rounders
MSRP $30, on here does for 100-140
 
I guess it's what you are willing to pay - as in Free Market (although there isn't one in Mass); and if you are willing to drive up to Riley's and just buy what you want with the knowledge that if the cops start checking your mags, you are already in bracelets anyway.
 
They're worth whatever you're willing to pay for them.

Personally, I think that if you pay more than $50 (and that's if you're desperate for mags and can't wait), you're a moron and/or lazy. If you're not in a big hurry, don't pay more than $40. The people trying to sell mags for $100+/ea on here can EABOD.
 
Limited supply + high demand

The true value is determined by the buyer and what they are willing to pay. I have seen people asking around $300 for the Glock brand 30 round pre ban which is crazy in my opinion.

Personally I think that <$50 for a U notch 15 or 17 round mag in good condition is reasonable.
 
They are worth the price point where the seller is willing to part with them for what the buyer is willing to pay for them. Done.
 
They're worth what people will part with them for not what you're willing to pay. If you want to try to get cheap mags put a wtb ad up and maintain it and see what comes in at the price you're asking.
 
nothing to discuss. too little supply, way too much demand. it's been the backbone of our economic system since day one, in the united states as well as here on nes.
 
They're worth what people will part with them for not what you're willing to pay. If you want to try to get cheap mags put a wtb ad up and maintain it and see what comes in at the price you're asking.

Read your first sentence to yourself real slow. you clearly don't understand micro economics do you?
 
Last edited:
Are you comparing the price of new production normal capacity magazines with the price of normal capacity mags that are at least 23 years old? That ain't apples to apples.
 
The value is established by what dumbasses are willing to overpay for them. It's a market based on perception of scarcity and because MA sucks people (esp pant shitter crowd) are often too willing to overpay for them.
 
In a free market economy a balance between supply and demand determine prices of goods.

Once gov't gets involved in any way, that balance gets tipped and prices react accordingly.

MA gov't chokes off the supply of goods people want, demand increases and thus prices increase.

Let's look at house prices for a moment:

Someone bought a house from a developer 20 yrs ago for $100K . . . what's a fair price for the same house today? Should they only be allowed to sell it for $105-110K since 5-10% gain is "fair"? Or due to most of the land being developed in a given community, prices have increased to $300K and thus the person should put it on the market and expect that for his/her house? As more and more houses get built, less open land is available for development, etc. the price people are willing to sell for or buy increase accordingly . . . supply and demand at work.

Why should it be different for guns or mags?

If MA were to rule the AWB/mag ban illegal (never will happen), the price of pre-ban guns and pre-ban mags would drop like a rock. This also means that those holding those items are at risk of losing real money vs. what they paid for them if gov't (or more likely USSC) were to change the game on the ground.

Bottom line is buy at what price you find reasonable and when you sell, you'll set a price you think is reasonable based on the risk that you took when you bought the goods. Don't like the price? Ignore the ad and move on!
 
I'm not a Glock guy, but I did buy 3 for my father. Holy crap the glock preban mag market is crazy. There was some time pressure so I maybe overpaid a bit, but they were in good shape and I didn't mind as much since they were a gift.

AR mags, 35 bucks is a high. I would say I'm still collecting those. I should pay more attention and just buy a bunch the next time someone unearths a huge box of them and sells them for cheap. I've just been lazy.

AK mags...I haven't bought any in forever but I think 25 bucks was the max I would pay. That's the one preban mag I really hate to see overpriced, because there are just so many steel 7.62 mags around. You need just the tiniest amount of patience to find them cheap. AK74 mags required a bit more patience, but I still found them at a gun show for cheap. Those are ones to be patient on. I scored BIGTIME on VERY nice mags for cheap. Probably went a little overboard considering I only have one 74. :D

SIG mags were a bit of a pain in the ass to find but I didn't overpay either. 40 bucks maybe?

CZ seems to be a real bitch to find preban mags.
 
In most other US states, we call "pre-ban" magazines by their real name -- used, standard capacity mags. Or if you're lucky, "new old stock".

When I run across some in my piles of spares, I look up the price of a brand new OEM replacement, sell the old ones for what'll cost me to get new ones, because that's all they are worth to me.
 
Well, I'll need some clarification on this one.....What, exactly are the tenets of the existing 'ban'? I don't see any real evidence of a 'ban' - if I want high-capacity magazines, they're everywhere both in-state and out-of-state for every gun that interests me....? Do some mag purchasers just not have a car?
 
[popcorn][popcorn]
Well, I'll need some clarification on this one.....What, exactly are the tenets of the existing 'ban'? I don't see any real evidence of a 'ban' - if I want high-capacity magazines, they're everywhere both in-state and out-of-state for every gun that interests me....? Do some mag purchasers just not have a car?
Ibtl
 
Well, I'll need some clarification on this one.....What, exactly are the tenets of the existing 'ban'? I don't see any real evidence of a 'ban' - if I want high-capacity magazines, they're everywhere both in-state and out-of-state for every gun that interests me....? Do some mag purchasers just not have a car?

Not sure what your question is. You can buy lots of things that are illegal.
 
Asking prices for Glock 9mm preban mags have skyrocketed the last year. More than doubling. Not sure what is going on there.

At current MA prices, it almost comes down to choosing between: (ie) two 20 year old 15 rd mags vs ten brand new 10 rd mags. 30 rds vs 100 rds. Those 5 rds per mag are apparently worth the premium to many.
 
Asking prices for Glock 9mm preban mags have skyrocketed the last year. More than doubling. Not sure what is going on there.

Election fears plus post-sandy-hook numbskull gun owners = sucking for shit prices = rapists increasing prices.

-Mike
 
I'm guessing that part of it is also that after all these years any liquidity left in the pre-ban market is starting to dry up as more people get the guns in question, hunt down prebans (at whatever price), and just keep them. I have a couple of prebans for my 19 and seeing them go for $100+ doesn't make me want to sell them, it makes me appreciate that I was able to get them at lower prices, and that I don't need to shop for more.
 
CZ seems to be a real bitch to find preban mags.

The problem (IMHO, actually a blessing in disguise for a bunch of reasons that become patently obvious) is that CZ mags (and their clones like tanfo, etc, some of which are cross compatible, some with follower changes) are often completely unmarked. In past years I used to find some CZ and clone mags in junk bins, etc. Problem is that I bet a lot of these mags get "graded out" and put in lower tier bins at most gun shops because the shop personnel don't really know what they are.

-Mike
 
The problem (IMHO, actually a blessing in disguise for a bunch of reasons that become patently obvious) is that CZ mags (and their clones like tanfo, etc, some of which are cross compatible, some with follower changes) are often completely unmarked. In past years I used to find some CZ and clone mags in junk bins, etc. Problem is that I bet a lot of these mags get "graded out" and put in lower tier bins at most gun shops because the shop personnel don't really know what they are.

-Mike

And good luck telling a pre ban CZ mag from a post ban one.
 
And good luck telling a pre ban CZ mag from a post ban one.

That's a feature, IMHO.

Reminds me of the stuff with AK mags. Unless its a plastic AK mag with a mold clock on it, good luck narrowing down the
provenance of the mag.

-Mike
 
Back
Top Bottom