The Forum at Handcuffs.Org

American Handcuff Model N 520

15 visible archived posts · 15 preserved total · topic ID 3037

Anthony 15 May 2009

If anyone has a pair of American Handcuff N 520 oversize handcuffs/leg irons - or any other item from another manufacturer that corresponds to same - I'd be totally delighted to hear from you.

Tom 15 May 2009

I have a set in my collection. How can I help you?

The Amazing Michael 15 May 2009

http://handcuffwarehouse.blogspot.com/2 ... -from.html

Anthony 16 May 2009

... how much do you want for them? I'm too busy to go searching on eBay every day.

(I hope this doesn't break the rules around here)

It's just that I happen to own this "custom-made" connector chain (about 14" long) with large enough rings to fit hinged handcuffs (which I also already have, of course) inside the ring. So now all I need is the hinged leg irons (or oversize cuffs that could double as same) and think of the possibilities!

Tom 16 May 2009

Sorry their not for sale.

Anthony 17 May 2009

How do the Hiatts 2054 and 3154 compare to the N 520?

John Brown 17 May 2009

These models at from the "big guy" series, and are about 17% larger shackle than the 2050s. I'd say the Hiatt model closest to the N520 would the 4050, which unfortunately is no longer in production.

Anthony 20 May 2009

But isn't the Hiatt 5010 the biggest of all?

They're chained - not hinged - I know; and while they're no longer in production they do seem to still be available in many places.

John Brown 20 May 2009

You are correct, the 5010s are the largest handcuff HT have ever made and you can still find around, but as you state, they are not hinged. Hiatt Thompson also do a 9010, which is the 9000 leg iron shackle with a short chain.

Edward 22 May 2009

#10

Has anyone heard that American Handcuff went out of business due to quality control problems? I thought they just couldn't keep up with S&W, Peerless, & Hiatt. I have a set of N-105's and they're very well built, I can't see any quality control issues. Is their any truth to this rumor?

Steve Santini 22 May 2009

#11

I was sent a number of cuffs by them in the hopes I could design a high security model of cuff for them. At that time Mr. Tobin told me they were having major problems with the plating on the restraints. Perhaps this contributed to them stopping production. That aside, I had also heard that the Tobins went through a divorce and this led to the dissolving of American Handcuffs.

Steve Santini

John Brown 22 May 2009

#12

I don't know if quaility was the cause of their demise, but I have heard from a few sources that in their final production there were quality issues with the plating and rust as a result. I recall reading a blog from someone I believe was in the Air Force advising of the problems, and the advice they were given from American Handcuff was not to keep the cuffs in a handcuff pouch for longer than 8 hours. They worked 12 hour shifts so this wasn't possible.

I recently picked up a pair of American Munition cuffs from the 60s and they are far superior quality compared to the American Handcuff versions I have that are around 10 years old. It was like opening a new box of cuffs in comparison.

I recall seeing a pair of AH cuffs used on an episode of COPS a year or so ago, so there must be some still out in use. It's possible the quality issues could be related in individual batches etc, probably combined with some diehard fans in the police.

Edgeplay_Cgo 22 May 2009

#13

A year or so ago, I bought the last half dozen or so Americans that one supplier had. There are still some out there, but the well is going dry.

I've always liked them because of the radiused profile of the bows, a feature that ASP adopted when they bought the marque.

But the Americans were always zinc plated rather than the more luxurious nickle of Smith & Peerless. I suspect that rusting would be a problem. The eight hours in a pouch rule is bullcrap. There's nothing to the corrosion issue that can't be dealt with with a cleaning patch and a drop of gun oil, just like your service pistol. Of course, we know how well some people perform maintenance, and cuffs are tools that tend to get stuffed into a pouch and forgotten until needed.

The Amazing Michael 23 May 2009

#14

Dennis, I remember you buying up all of those American cuffs.....I just bought a pair and about an hour later, you posted (here on the forum) that you got the rest of them. If I had more money at the time, you wouldn't have got any of them; I would have bought the whole lot! LOL!

Cheers, Mike D~C/

Edward 23 May 2009

#15

Thanks for the responses, my N-105's are a great cuff and NO rust!