For the magazines, I place the label on the bottom. Most every mag. I can place the label to the right or left of the detent in the middle of the mag. (for those that have them), but for the few that can't I just put the label over it. I also try to minimize how much info. goes on the label to keep it a short as possible - ex. 92C for Beretta 92 Compact; 45C for HK45 Compact; etc.

I've got a lot of different pistols and never had a problem determining what magazines went with them, so I've never labeled them.

If I have a problem with a mag, I put a piece of painters blue tape on it until I get the problem resolved.

quote:

Originally posted by vthoky:
I have access to the laser marker at work.

Does this work on plastic as well?

I take those free address labels every charity sends you and trim them to the size of base plates. Add a number with a sharpie in case of issues with needing to trace malfunctions.
What is nice about this method is :
Your name is one the magazine. At a match if you lose track of the magazine, it is easily identified as yours and returned to you
If they wear and start to peel off, the supply is almost endless.

I also use silver sharpies but then I put all of my mags by the same firearm into Ziploc bags and label the Ziploc bag according to firearm I Use a tape label on each bag

I Usually keep 4 to 6 mags for each gun

I use an engraver (I think the brand is Dremel).

I put my initials and a number on the magazine. Sometimes on the baseplate, sometimes on the tube, depending on the make. It won’t come off, and if you want some more visibility to it, can fill in with paint or even a crayon.

I use a paint marker, but specifically a water-based acrylic. Obviously impervious to oil (like gun oil which will be all over your gun), but interestingly also insoluble to water once it's cured. A fairly permament solution due to the solvent resistance.

(Sharpie metallic markers may be oil-based or water-based.)


Posca Markers by kpkina, on Flickr


Posca Paint Markers on Amazon

quote:

Originally posted by Broadside:

quote:

Originally posted by vthoky:
I have access to the laser marker at work.

Does this work on plastic as well?

I've done some plastic marking. What do you have in mind? I'd be glad to try it for you.

In fact, let me look around here -- I'll try to find an example of marked plastic and put up a pic or two.

- - - -

For larger things (AR mags and ammo boxes, for instance) I've 3D printed stencils and just used spray paint.

- - - -

Edit: adding pic.

Last winter I monkeyed around with 3D printing some magazine carriers, then put the laser to a few of them. Here are two examples.


Email me... I'd be glad to help if I can.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

quote:

Originally posted by Chowser:
I was making little labels ...

quote:

Originally posted by marksman41:
I use a label maker for my mags...

Neither of you ever had a problem with the labels coming loose or scrunching-up and interfering with the mag dropping or insertion?

Label maker with the labels on the bottom of the mag. I use a Brother P-touch. It's only a number, so it is just a little patch of a label. I always used the #1 mag as the first one loaded in competition, and that one always got dropped on the ground. The label on it got a little worn looking after a while, but still readable. The labels (plastic flexible labels, not paper or cloth) lasted a good long time before needing replacement.

Paint pens. White for dark colored mags, and black paint for light or metalic mags. I put the caliber or cartridge, and the firearm or firearm family. (for example, a G17 mag also fits the G34, 17, 19, 26, etc, but is just labeled G17, etc). It saves grabbing the wrong mag when all the calibers or sizes look about the same.

I also use the same pen to contrast-highlight the information that's relived on the mag such as the caliber, or cartridge witness hole numbers, and so on. I paint-pen over the number, wipe it off, leaving paint in the number, then wipe the mag off with hoppes 9, for a crisp, clean looking number.

The paint pen markings are somewhat permanent, but wear, and are easily refreshed.

I also use the pens to mark the firearm. Some firearms, like Glocks look alike, so I highlight the caliber listed on the slide, wipe the excess, and clean with Hoppes 9. It makes the caliber stand out enough that a quick glance when grabbing the pistol, and the mags, avoids mixing and mismatching.

I tinkered with the laser for a few minutes this morning. Here are a couple of quickie examples, by way of my bad cell phone photography skills:

That's cool, vthoky.

It’s not very pretty, but it works: dots of orange Testor’s model paint on the basepads of these Wilson Combat 1911 magazines.

I carry 1911s predominately, so I don’t have different ones to keep up with, but I do have a pile-and-a-half of these mags. I’ve numbered them or “dotted” them like this with orange paint most recently. I’ve had success numbering the base pads with a paint pen, too.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
That's cool, vthoky.

Thank you.
Here's another, done last fall.

I've always used one of those electric engraving pencils. Less showy but permanent.

On my SubGuns I just put a label from a label making machine at the bottom/side of the mag.

silvery sharpie...cheap, easy and lasts a good while. kinda sounds like me

Electric pencil on the body of the mag

vthoky - what's the laser and associated equipment that you use to mark your magazines? They look great and permanent and, in my opinion, are the best, cleanest way to mark a mag., but don't know how much it costs to get that result.

quote:

Originally posted by marksman41:
vthoky - what's the laser and associated equipment

The setup here is a Telesis E-series laser (8 watts, I think -- will have to verify). It's not cheap enough for the average home user-- this system was about $35K when we purchased it about six years ago. I'm looking now at a smaller system for a new production line, but it's still going to be about $30K.

That said, I'm considering asking the boss if I could "rent some time" on the laser for non-production work. There aren't any consumables, aside from the electricity the system consumes (110-volt, 15A circuit). It's a thought...

With polymer floorplates I use a Dremel and write numbers on the bottom of the floorplate, very shallowly etched. On mags where I want the markings extra obvious - like I have one otherwise crappy 229 mag I use only for training that is marked with an asterisk not a number - I put a little pigment in the etched part. Colored marker works. On the training only mag I used whiteout, white asterisk is hard to mistake.

Never did work out a way I was happy with to mark metal floorplates. I don't think putting markings on the side of a pistol mag is a good idea, don't want stuff rubbing off.