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Could any body tell me when american munitions changed from chicago to fdl wis. also peerless change mass to ma. and does anybody have mod 300 with 5 digit serial number or has one number just rubbed off. any help would be good. thanks martin

The following was related to me by Tom Tobin, owner of American Handcuffs, in 1995.
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Tobin Tool & Die Co. bought American Munitions from an individual who was assembling handcuffs in the Chicago area. The volumes were very low. This occurred in about 1965. We developed a relationship with the defense department and sold the majority of our product about 25,000 pair/year to them. We controlled most of that market until the recent defense cutbacks. Except for the Gary Hart period.

During the Gary Hart period a manufacturer in Colorado won the bid even though he had never made cuffs b4. He bid ~ $8/pr to the feds. While we were at $9.35 and got the order. We know his first contract was all late and lots of pairs had 2 left hands....................[handcuff company name]. I believe they went out of business or just gave up the work ..too cheap a price.

We totally ignored the commercial market(mostly the last generation and myself) until my wife Linda started investigating it about 3 years ago. We could see from looking at other peoples product that we had a long way to go to be even competitive in design features with the other guys. Why did we ignore the commercial market? Because we didn't understand the potential and didn't know how to market.

We now see the potential and are learning about marketing.

As you know our designs have evolved this year and I think we have a very competitive product. We will submit for NIJ approval in Jan.

One other thing of note. We changed our name to American Handcuff in 1968. The physics building at the University of Wisconsin- Madison had been blown up by Vietnam war protesters and my father thought that the munitions name might attract some protest or bombs..................so the name change.

Could any body tell me when american munitions changed from chicago to fdl wis. also peerless change mass to ma. and does anybody have mod 300 with 5 digit serial number or has one number just rubbed off. any help would be good. thanks martin

FYI---The info. that I have from Tobin Tool & Die is:


1962: Tobin Tool & Die - acquired the American Munition Chicago Co.

1970: Changed name from "American Munitions" to "American Handcuff Co."

Could any body tell me when american munitions changed from chicago to fdl wis. also peerless change mass to ma. and does anybody have mod 300 with 5 digit serial number or has one number just rubbed off. any help would be good. thanks martin

wht would a 54 mean on them