Are Pre-Ban Glock Mags Still In Demand.....

[Joe_Pike]

.......or have any or all of the states that allowed them since changed the laws to ban those also?

 

[jmstr]

California changed its laws last January to block the importation of 'magazine parts kits', as too many people illegally assembled them into new magazines.

Before that point, many liked the pre-ban Glock mags as a reassembled one could be passed off as having been owned since Dec 31st of 1999, when it was legal.

That path is now blocked for those who wanted to do so.

As such, there isn't as much 'market' for the pre-ban Glock Mags.

 

[hartcreek]

Just how do you figure that there is not much market for a high capacity mag?

 

[TMD]

God bless Texas. No silly restrictions here.

 

[JDBerg]

God bless Texas. No silly restrictions here.

I live in Pennsylvania but I work in New Jersey, the poster child for silly stupid handgun restrictions!

 

[BillM]

There are only a half dozen or so states with magazine capacity
restrictions. Of those, not all allow possession of "pre-ban" normal
capacity magazines. Those states that do are your current market.
Chances are, even those will want proof that the mags are pre-ban.

So to answer your question---no. No market for them.

 

[Joe_Pike]

Well, the three that I have are easy to identify as pre-ban as they have no caliber markings (apparently they were not marked because at the time Glock only made 9mm handguns).

 

[g.willikers]

Not much call, other than like any other used ones in the states without capacity restrictions.
i.e. not very valuable - new ones are not expensive.

 

[Joe_Pike]

Well, I decided to look on Gunbroker and apparently there is still some demand as they seem to be selling for roughly $40-$80 a piece with most of them in the $40-$50 range for the magazines like I have. I guess maybe I'll put them on Armslist and try to get out of them what I can buy a new one in the store for. That way someone in a restricted state might be able to get into a larger than 10 round capacity magazine for the same price as a current one.

 

[Sharkbite]

Except its ILLEGAL to buy them if you live in a restricted state.

Im in Colorado, 15 round limit. Good luck finding someone to buy illegal mags from some anonymous person on gunbroker

And if those are 1st gen mags, as you imply. Not many people want them as they are notorious for sticking in the gun. Hence the newer mags are fully metal lined and work much better

 

[g.willikers]

Are they actually selling for that price on gunbroker?
There's lots of stuff there without any bids, just a high asking price.

 

[Joe_Pike]

Are they actually selling for that price on gunbroker?

Yes, they are. Not a bunch of them, but some are. I don't want to ship anything illegally though, so, I need to do some research. It seems every restricted state differs in their laws.

 

[jmr40]

Just how do you figure that there is not much market for a high capacity mag?

"Normal" capacity magazines made prior to the ban sell for a premium in a handful of places where magazines made prior to November 1994 are banned. For most of us "Normal" capacity magazines are plentiful and cheap.

 

[Brian48]

They're still in demand here in MA, but ask any cop and they will tell you the same. Unless the mag says "LE Only", they can't tell the difference between a pre-ban versus a new mag.

It's all BS that they know can't be enforced, but it makes the liberals feel better.

 

[manta49]

God bless Texas. No silly restrictions here.

God bless this part of the UK no mag restrictions.

 

[Jonesee]

""Well, the three that I have are easy to identify as pre-ban as they have no caliber markings (apparently they were not marked because at the time Glock only made 9mm handguns).""


This is not true. I purchased a Glock 21 (.45) with high capacity mags prior to the ban. The reason I purchased the gun was getting it ahead of the ban going into effect.

I just pulled the mags out and they are marked ".45" at the top, back of the mag. Their capacity is 13. The AWB of 1993 considered high capacity as greater than 10.

Second Gen Glocks including the G21 began production in 1988.

 

[JimmyR]

Well, the three that I have are easy to identify as pre-ban as they have no caliber markings (apparently they were not marked because at the time Glock only made 9mm handguns).

This is not true. I purchased a Glock 21 (.45) with high capacity mags prior to the ban. The reason I purchased the gun was getting it ahead of the ban going into effect.

I just pulled the mags out and they are marked ".45" at the top, back of the mag. Their capacity is 13. The AWB of 1993 considered high capacity as greater than 10.

Second Gen Glocks including the G21 began production in 1988.

I think what Joe was saying was that, when his magazines were made, Glock only made 9mm mags. As such, the absence of the caliber proves that HIS mags are "pre-ban," not that it was a way to prove that any other mags are "pre-ban."

 

[JohnKSa]

Correct. When Glock made only 9mm pistols, they did not mark the magazines for caliber. After they started making other calibers, they began marking the caliber on the magazine.

Since they started making additional calibers well before the ban went into effect, any factory Glock magazine that is not marked for caliber is a 9mm magazine that was made before the ban went into effect.

There were also factory Glock magazines marked for caliber that were made before the ban, but there's no easy way to tell for sure whether or not they were made before or after the ban.

See Dragline45's post below for a way to tell if caliber marked mags are preban or not.

 

[jmstr]

My understanding is that the 1994 ban on Hi Cap magazines made it illegal to MAKE any more hi-cap magazines after that date UNLESS it said For LE ONLY.

However, I seem to recall Glock and a few others ramped up production of high cap magazines before the cut off date to give themselves a large reserve of them, as it was legal to buy a high cap magazine, UNLESS it said LEO ONLY on it, after 1994.

So, it is possible to have bought a 13 round magazine in 1997 that did not say LEO only- as it would have been one made before 1994.

I know of people who did this- I have seen the magazines.

 

[carguychris]

However, I seem to recall Glock and a few others ramped up production of high cap magazines before the cut off date to give themselves a large reserve of them...

Correct, and IIRC companies also were able to lawfully import pre-ban standard-capacity* magazines and resell those taken in as part of LE pistol trade-in programs. I've read that Glock actually resold a large number of pre-ban 59-series S&W and P-series Ruger magazines that they took in on trade in the late 1990s!

*Footnote: They're standard-capacity and NOT "high-capacity" – don't use anti-gun propaganda terms please!