Vintage Mag-lite

This post should probably be in B/S/T posts. I have a 1935 Eveready 3 cell model #2354. I'm bragging. I'm keeping it.
 
Are you looking for a specific design? The earliest (1979 or so) Mags were different, but as far as I know the ones from 1983 were the same as the ones until 1990.
 
My main criteria is that it be from before 1983. How different were the Mags from before then?
 
Slightly off-topic but isn't the rarest maglite the 7XD cell that mag made for police sales? I had one that I bought at a gun store that catered to LEO's and it was around '75-'76. I do know that the early mags had thicker bodies.
 
I got my 4D in the late 80's (or early 90's) and it's definitely beefier Al than the newer versions.
 
Mags started being made around '79. They were kind of a mixed lot (lots of different engraving, designs, etc) for a couple years. Everything got straighted out around 1981. They moved to Ontario in 1982. That design was the standard one until it was modernized in 1989. The 7-cell models were also dropped in '89. They're not the rarest--the rarest are the different head sizes made very early on.

By before 1983, are you looking for a light with a non-Ontario addess?
 
I was rummaging through some old stuff today and I found an old "Flashlight Skin" that was made in the '80's for Maglites by Safariland. It was a fairly thick neoprene, (same as dive suits), grip enhancer that slid over the body of Mag D cell lights. I remembered having several of these in the old days for my Mag D cells and they were a ***** to install without liquid soap and much, much tugging. This remaining skin proves how much thicker the old Mag bodies used to be.

I have an approximately 20 year old 4XD cell Mag and the skin wouldn't even BEGIN to to fit the body without the struggle mentioned above. I also had access to a new 2XD cell Mag and this same skin was WAY TOO BIG for the body! It just dropped right over the body from the tailcap to the head with plenty to spare! I didn't measure the difference of the old and new bodies but just an eyeball measurement looks to be at least 2mm or more. It's amazing that our machinists here can still bore these new Mags seeing how much thinner they are today!

ABTOMAT,
Thanks for the info on the 7XD cell Mag and also that 1979 was the year Mag launched it's product. It's funny because I could have sworn it was earlier. Time sure does fly! I remember the early different size heads and have seen them for sale from time to time but have never seen a 7XD cell Mag for sale anywhere and that's why I asked the question in the first place.
 
My Boss has an old style 5D mag. Not sure what year it's from, but it has the larger diameter body, and larger diamter threads on the head. Is this worth collecting to someone, with normal "truck light" scratches? If so, he'd trade it for a newer style 5D, so we can swap it to LED.
 
Shows you how much people pay attention around here sometimes. I tried and tried to sell a 4d mag..... the very age you are looking for. Finally ended up throwing it away in the trash.
 

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