Surplus Magazine Manufacturing Equipment

regress · August 18, 2013, 08:00 PM

Out of curiosity on the front of manufacturing;

Does anyone know if any of the WW2 manufacturing tools for mags were ever surplused?

I assume these were likely simply melted down for materials once the war orders stopped and nothing was ever returned to the government?

Curious if any of these manufacturing gear that pumped out mags during the war still exists today?

I'm talking the stamping equipment and dies etc.

James K · August 18, 2013, 08:18 PM

I doubt it. The tooling used by companies other than Colt would have been worthless.

IMHO, the magazines made by the millions in those days were better than most of the ones made today. They were made under rigid specifications under the eyes of government inspectors. I have newer 1911 magazines, but the only ones I fully trust are those from the WWII era.

Jim

**4V50 Gary** · August 18, 2013, 08:30 PM

I doubt. I suspect that everything was sold as scrap. The gun culture was not into WW II small arms as it is today. There was plenty of surplus back in the '40s and '50s too.

I know the M-14 tooling was sold to Taiwan, but that's Cold War stuff.

Dfariswheel · August 19, 2013, 07:44 PM

A company named Scherer bought WWII M1 Carbine stamping dies from some war-time manufacturer and made Carbine mags for years.

As the dies wore, the quality of the mags fell badly.
I think they're still in business but now make other magazines.

August 18, 2013, 08:00 PM	#1
regress Junior Member Join Date: November 6, 2012 Posts: 9	Surplus Magazine Manufacturing Equipment Out of curiosity on the front of manufacturing; Does anyone know if any of the WW2 manufacturing tools for mags were ever surplused? I assume these were likely simply melted down for materials once the war orders stopped and nothing was ever returned to the government? Curious if any of these manufacturing gear that pumped out mags during the war still exists today? I'm talking the stamping equipment and dies etc.

August 18, 2013, 08:30 PM	#3
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,829	I doubt. I suspect that everything was sold as scrap. The gun culture was not into WW II small arms as it is today. There was plenty of surplus back in the '40s and '50s too. I know the M-14 tooling was sold to Taiwan, but that's Cold War stuff. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

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August 18, 2013, 08:18 PM	#2
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	I doubt it. The tooling used by companies other than Colt would have been worthless. IMHO, the magazines made by the millions in those days were better than most of the ones made today. They were made under rigid specifications under the eyes of government inspectors. I have newer 1911 magazines, but the only ones I fully trust are those from the WWII era. Jim

August 19, 2013, 07:44 PM	#4
Dfariswheel Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2001 Posts: 7,478	A company named Scherer bought WWII M1 Carbine stamping dies from some war-time manufacturer and made Carbine mags for years. As the dies wore, the quality of the mags fell badly. I think they're still in business but now make other magazines.