Mr. Rawles,
I’m confused about the two-letter date codes that are stamped on many [Heckler und Koch] HK [firearms] magazines. How does the date code system work? I’m not asking you this because I’m a collector that’s into arcana or minutiae. It is because I live in [New York,] a state that restricts civilian ownership of mags that were made after September of 1994.
By the way, I’ve also got some 40 round [aluminum] alloy HK93 magazines with no markings whatsoever on the mag body, but they do have followers with “78” mold marks. What is the story on those magazines? Are they HK factory made? (The guy that sold them to me said that they were HK-made for some secret contract before 1980. Was he BSing me?) Thanks, – Perry Noid
JWR Replies: First, for the sake of SurvivalBlog’s overseas readers, let me present a bit of clarification on magazine legalities: The Federal “high capacity” (11+ round) magazine ban was in effect on the US and possessions only from September of 1994 to September of 2004, when it thankfully became null and void because of a 10 year “sunset” clause. But New York has its own state law, which effectively extended the Federal ban for New York residents. Hence, they are not allowed to possess any 11+ round magzine made after 9/1994. A similar situation exists in California, where any civilian caught with a 11+ round magazine that they did not own on Dec. 31, 1999 could be charged with a felony. (My California pioneer ancestors are undoubtedly rolling in their graves.)
According to the knowledgeable folks at the HKPRO Board, the following is true for HK magazines, but not for receivers, frames, or pistol slides:
IR =1993
IE=1994
IS=1995
IK=1996
IO=1997
ID=1998
II=1999
OR=2000
NP=2001
AC=2002 (assumption)
AD=2003 (assumption)
AE=2004 (assumption)
AF=2005 (assumption)
AG=2006 (assumption)
AH=2007 (assumption)
AI=2008 (assumption)
The date coding of HK pistol slides has always been much more straightforward: A=0 B=1 C=2 D=3 E=4 F=5 G=6 H=7 I=8 K=9. (So a slide marked “KD” was made in 1993.)
Apparently, starting in 2002, HK switched to harmonizing the slide, frame, and magazine date coding systems, but as yet this has not been confirmed by officials at HK or HK-USA.
Those 40 round alloy HK93 magazines with no date stamps that you asked about were made for the Anastasio Somoza Debayle government of Nicaragua (pre-Sandinista.) These were for a “semi-sterile” contract. No company markings were used because the Somoza government was in disfavor internationally at the time. The Somoza government fell to the Sandinista revolutionaries in 1979–before a large number of those HK93 magazines could be delivered, so they were eventually diverted to the civilian market.