Do I Have Nickle Mags Or Stainless??? (pics)

[DanTorz]

Hi all, I picked these up in Daves and I am wondering if they are the stainless model or just nickle? I picked them up for my IPSC rig I am building.

Here are the pics>>>

 

[G37]

I'd say nickle as it looks like a plating to me. I could be wrong.

 

[slicknick]

If it's plating, you should know after a few hard mag changes. My guess is stainless but I know nothing of these things, it's just a feeling

 

[DanTorz]

I do know stainless mags are very rare, I heard that Beretta even denies ever making them,

Was it Slavex that told me that? I don't remember....

 

[Slavex]

Beretta states that they have never made stainless mags. Mecgar may have, but they wouldn't be marked PB if that was the case. Those look like the nickel mags I've seen. Easy way to tell is with a magnet. Stainless mags (for other guns) I've seen have a low iron content, and magnets don't really stick to them.

 

[DanTorz]

Thanks Slavex problem solved magnets stick to them quite well.....

 

[Bartledan]

Thanks Slavex problem solved magnets stick to them quite well.....

The magnet trick has to do with the nature of the stainless. 400 series stainless, also known as martensitic stainless, generally chosen for it's mechanical properties such as hardness, tensile strength or sharpenability, will stick to a magnet.

Stainless steels in the 300 series, chosen for their ability to resisit corrosion, are known as "austenitic" stainless steels, and are non-magnetic.

In fact, austenitic refers to a difference in the crystal structure of the austenite itself. It is body centered cubic, rather than face center cubic... I bet I have that backwards.

Anyhow, regular mild steel becomes austenitic, and therefore non-magnetic, at high temperatures.

So, what are magazines?

 

[Six Star]

I have several "PB" marked mags for my 96 Vertec that look like they're stainless, but they are plated. A magnet sticks on them solidly. My XD mags, otoh, are indeed stainless and are not attracted at all by the magnet.

 

[magicchip]

These are nickel plated mags.