AA MiniMag Collection - Part 4

[Jeritall]

Presidential inauguration maglites. What sizes, and what colors were they issued in?

[souptree]

Presidential inauguration maglites. What sizes, and what colors were they issued in?

1989 - Black AAA
2001 - Red AA
2005 - Blue AA

[sizzlechest]

I did the same. I predict 10% chance this will actually come to terms, but I'm in.

Well, I stand corrected. I got a confirmation call from bonds of london on my recent order!

[SG688]

An early camo pattern, all ano - no paint.

[turbodog]

An early camo pattern, all ano - no paint.

Doesn't look right. Pic makes it look like a sharpie was used. Notice the coloring over the bezel lettering.

DAGS on what will remove sharpie coloring.

[will]

DAGS on what will remove sharpie coloring.

lacquer thinner.. Keep it off any thing plastic...

[turbodog]

lacquer thinner.. Keep it off any thing plastic...

Yeah! That stuff is awesome. I've got a few gallons in the garage.

It's good for:

1. removing lacquer that I use for woodwork
2. removing DRIED latex paint from brushes
3. removing pretty much anything else you need removed

[sunspot]

I snagged this from eBay. The listing said it was from 1997.

[SG688]

An early camo pattern, all ano - no paint.

Doesn't look right. Pic makes it look like a sharpie was used. Notice the coloring over the bezel lettering. ...
.

Yeah, it does kind'a look like that. Honest, that's the way it came. Dye is dye.

The O.D. is in the lettering too.

Was there ever a plain matt olive drab light?

[turbodog]

Not that I've ever seen.

It could be a custom light done by a pro shop. I've seen one other light that Mag did not make, but the shop did such a good job that you couldn't tell the difference.

[Flipside]

Any 'factory' Mag that I've seen has the bezel lettering applied after the anno, either by laser or stamp. This displaces and / or removes the anno. The bezel marking on your light suggests that the anno was done after the stamp = custom / non factory.

[SG688]

Interesting.
The light is 20+ years old, off the rack, in the Mag packaging. So long ago that I can't begin to remember where I bought it.
Obviously well used.

[NeonLights]

I snagged this from eBay. The listing said it was from 1997.

Nice find! I've wanted one of those for quite a few years (haven't been actively looking for awhile though). I had a chance to buy some 6 or 8 years ago but kept putting it off, then the supply dried up. I do have the 3D version of that light though, one of these days I'll track down an AA MiniMag or two like that.

[turbodog]

Interesting.
The light is 20+ years old, off the rack, in the Mag packaging. So long ago that I can't begin to remember where I bought it.
Obviously well used.

It may be an unauthorized copy. There have been several instances of mag copying through the years.

[SG688]

Not being argumentative, but in the interest of science ...

[turbodog]

Look at the bezel lettering. It appears stamped. I'm looking at some minimags I have from ~20 years ago and they are laser engraved. And also... the lettering is always done after the colors are applied, making the lettering stand out white.

Hmmm...

Coming back to this again. I compared the bezel to a "D" maglite from 24 years ago. It matches. The letters are stamped. Moreover, the wording matches: Mag changed bezel lettering ~15 years ago to add "USA" to the bezel. Yours does not have this as my old "D" doesn't either.

It's a hard call. This could be an extremely rare camo that was later revised. But it could be a copy also. I swear the dark spots look like sharpie... If it IS legit.... why is this the only one like it? Camo was fairly popular so you'd think we would have seen other like it.

Also.... minimag colors started with black, red, blue. I wonder when camo was added.

The camo pattern you have looks strange. The background green color is like no mag color I've ever seen.

I assume the spare lamp holder is lost? The ones from that era were metal instead of the current red plastic.

[willrx]

Forgive me if this has already been mentioned, but has any interested party contacted Mag Instruments? They are usually very helpful when asked about identifying their products.

[turbodog]

Forgive me if this has already been mentioned, but has any interested party contacted Mag Instruments? They are usually very helpful when asked about identifying their products.

Dunno. I've talked to them several times, but they have stated more than once that they don't maintain a color list.

[greenLED]

It's a hard call. This could be an extremely rare camo that was later revised. But it could be a copy also. I swear the dark spots look like sharpie... If it IS legit.... why is this the only one like it? Camo was fairly popular so you'd think we would have seen other like it.

The spots don't look like Sharpie to me (except the one on the head, from the pic), but lets assume for a bit that they are. That doesn't explain where the dull "military green" color came from. It kinda reminds me of HA-NAT color, a similar shade being used in the newer digital camo.

Maybe a custom job (from years and years ago??), plus the stamped bezel (you don't see those every day!).

It's definitely old stock, since it has the o-ring in the tailcap.



I know what it could be!! A partial deanodizing job! That'd explain the "inky" black patches (they look like spilled dye to me) and the "faded" (?) background color. I'm pretty sure you could mask the "black" patches, and dip the light into NaOH for a few seconds (I'm used to high NaOH concentrations) and then rub off the original anodizing.

Another hypothesis for y'all. I have to admit that doesn't explain why the black patches look to me as if they were added onto the dull background.

Definitely one of a kind!

[will]

I have used a sharpie to color some brass keys. The sharpie will leave 'brush' marks where one stroke overlaps the next. While the object is in use, the sharpie color will wear away.

[SG688]

Look at the bezel lettering. It appears stamped.
...

I assume the spare lamp holder is lost? The ones from that era were metal instead of the current red plastic.

The lettering is stamped. This is the lamp holder, indentical to my early black mini.

[greenLED]

That is too cool!

[turbodog]

The lettering is stamped. This is the lamp holder, indentical to my early black mini.

I've _NEVER_ seen that before. Spare holder has always been red plastic or metal thingy.

Mag's not much help with colors, but *that* tailcap should stand out.

[Jeritall]

I was curious about the stamped lettering on this light and remembered that a "Bronze" I purchased from the swiss dealer, Zimmerman-Waffen also had stamped lettering. I checked and sure enough the tail cap has the old style "o"ring and the spare bulb holder is integral to the tail cap, not a plastic or metal "thingee". I bought that light in 2007.

[turbodog]

I was curious about the stamped lettering on this light and remembered that a "Bronze" I purchased from the swiss dealer, Zimmerman-Waffen also had stamped lettering. I checked and sure enough the tail cap has the old style "o"ring and the spare bulb holder is integral to the tail cap, not a plastic or metal "thingee". I bought that light in 2007.

Ok... another data point in the chart.

Time to go check some of my old ones.

[SG688]

I think this was my first Mini-Mag. The roll stamped lettering is black; the wear on the high spots make it look otherwise in some places.




I don't remember seeing a "metal thingy." I went straight from this to the red plastic.

I bought this light in about ... 1983... or ?? What was the first year? The Mini isn't shown in my 1982 Mag ad.

[Burgess]

Well, i bought (errr, received) my first Mini-Maglite on 11/14/1984,

purchased from Eddie Bauer's Christmas catalog.


That was the very first that i'd heard of 'em.


Mine was Black, of course.


How long was it before Red and Blue colors were available ?

_

[souptree]

CSI Ontario.

[turbodog]

I think this was my first Mini-Mag. The roll stamped lettering is black; the wear on the high spots make it look otherwise in some places.




I don't remember seeing a "metal thingy." I went straight from this to the red plastic.

I bought this light in about ... 1983... or ?? What was the first year? The Mini isn't shown in my 1982 Mag ad.

I had a minimag that had the standard hole for a plastic bulb holder, but had a metal holder instead, just like a solitaire.

Or maybe I'm on crack. I dunno.

[SG688]

I had a minimag that had the standard hole for a plastic bulb holder, but had a metal holder instead, just like a solitaire.

Or maybe I'm on crack. I dunno.

Well, ... not mutually exclusive ....

I'm certainly not saying there wasn't a "metal thingy."