[Milsurplus] MS Connector Shell color

[WA5CAB at cs.com]

John,

I got together an AN/APN-1 connector set for someone a few years ago.  The 
main problem I encountered was that the AN310x connectors used include several 
alternate key locations, and in the end I had to re-key standard ones.  The 
only difference in the nomenclature is a suffix letter (X, Y, Z, etc.).  The 
standard keying also has a suffix letter but it was normally omitted when they 
stamped the nomenclature on the connector body.

One other vintage related thing that I forgot to mention earlier is that 
around the same time that the other changes were implemented, the color (and 
material) of the plastic inserts also changed.  The WW-II stuff and production into 
the mid-50's had black bakelite inserts (both Cannon and Amphenol).  After 
the nomenclature prefix change, most Amphenol ones are blue and most Cannon ones 
are tan.  I say most, because if someone ordered enough of them, I'm sure 
they would have supplied any color you wanted.

And BTW, if you get to making up connectors from other connectors, you can't 
mix and match Cannon and Amphenol parts.  The assembled connectors are 
interchangable but the piece parts are not.

In a message dated 8/21/2004 11:40:52 AM Central Daylight Time, jfor at quik.com 
writes: 
> I do't think the current matte finish is the same as WW II. AFAIK, some in 
> WW II
> were plain Aluminum, some pale green-yellow (iridite?) the came the 
> Astroplate
> (60's?) and the dark OD. I want stuff to match AN/APN-1 and AN/APN-2 stuff 
> which
> used the MS-310x,,,,, .

Robert Downs - Houston
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