Why these 2 sets of AHC L200 are different?

The chains looks so different. Are they manufactured at different stage?

A few years back when American Handcuff shut down we took what our supplier hand on hand, including L-200's. We still have two sets in stock. I looked at them and they have the large links. I don't recall selling sets that were made of the smaller links and we started in 1998.

My guess is that the small link style is older. The large link L-200 we have came from some of the last production runs American ever did. The photo of this product we did for the online store at www.erestraint.com was taken in 2000 and shows the large links.

The chains looks so different. Are they manufactured at different stage?

A logical reason to change to the larger links is that if a justice department is using a regular sized padlock to lock the belly chain, it's shackle may not fit through the small links.

The leg irons kept thier smaller links because this is how they were made as a stock item.

It is far easier to merely weld a set to the large connector chain than chance the entire linkage between the leg irons as well.

Steve Santini

The chains looks so different. Are they manufactured at different stage?

While discussing the AHC cuffs, I have seen the handcuffs and leg irons made with two or three types of metal, or perhaps plating or alloy, rather than metal. I have seen the cuffs in the various AHC models made with a more silvery looking finish (metal?) which shows scratches and rubs very easily, but can be polished out. Even polished, they have a matt finish. I have also seen the cuffs in a grey colored finish which does not show scratches and rubs very easily. They have a darker matt finish. And I've seen a couple of sets of cuffs that have both types of metal/finish (the bow is one type and the rest of the cuff is the other). Does anyone have an opinion as to why two different metals/alloys/finishes were used, apparently at the same time? Could they have just had parts made in two or more factories, then assembled in one or more factories? Steve, I think you had suggested this for another brand cuff. The cuffs with two different color finishes really look odd. But one set I auctioned off got me significantly more money than I expected.

And to add to the quandry, I have some old AHC and American Munition handcuffs and legirons that have a mirror like finish to them. The boxes for the AHC handcuffs have Speedmaster on them, and the box for the American Munition legirons have Speedking on it. I have one more set of AHC in a box with no label on it, but 'Big 94' is handwritten on it and the cuffs are the N-200 model. As I said, they all have a mirror finish to them.

I guess what I'm asking is, why the three different finishes, especially the two newer ones? What's the history of these changes?

The chains looks so different. Are they manufactured at different stage?

Hi,

A number of years back I was in close contact with Mr.Tobin over at AHC because he had asked me to try and develop a high security model handcuff for them.

To this end he sent me a large box filled with a variety of product for me to experiment on.

He told me that the cuffs he was sending were all rejects because the plating was not good.

Aparantly they had quite a few problems with thier plating and this is why various models show up with differing plating coats and finishes.

I still have one set of the leg irons where the surface metal plating has actually begun to oxidize and has a powdery white coat that comes off when they are handled.

Very odd indeed!

Steve Santini

The chains looks so different. Are they manufactured at different stage?

TO ALL ::: in MY opinion & more then likely the differences in chain linkage is due to WHO supplied the chain to THEM..... nowdays, more then ever manufactures are getting what they need from the LOWEST BIDDER supplier....1 time the chain will be thick, short etc & the next time the chain will be thin & long etc & so on.... anymore, i have my doubts that whatever company is selling THEIR OWN cuffs under their own name is actually having ANOTHER company (foreign no doubt) make the cuffs or at least make the parts & that is why there are so many differences in the metal, metal finish etc..... either that or they, like HIATTS did make so many different models & differences mainly for the collector field... seems to far fetched thou.....the different finishes could be the same reason above as the chain..... joe