These were donated to the Museum today

[Drado]

Snap! I wasn't paying attention there!

[kgehring]

Just got my navy tanks back from hydro. .9 on test. What shade of grey should they be painted?

[captain]

Just take one to the paint store and have them color match it. That looks like the original color.

[eskimo3883]

A while back I purchased a nonmag manifold that was pulled from worthless tanks that could not be filled. By the time I went for the tanks they turned to gold so I walked away. I was only looking at phtos but as I recall these nonmag tanks had no neck at all. It looked as if the threads were located in the dome of the tank wall. Do I have a bad memory or is there such a tank style?

[captain]

No your memory isn't wrong. The first generation tanks used the older 1/2" tapered pipe thread manifold and they had no neck. I have never seen the older manifold in black, they looked just like the standard manifold. I don't know if the were stamped with the low Mu symbol.
Also the DA Navy was the regulator that was used with them and again I don't know of any black DA Navy's with the MU stamp.
I have a supposedly ex Navy DA Navy with the stub hooka port with the satin chrome finish and no Mu stamp.

[eskimo3883]

Hi captain,
My 1/2" tapered manifold has the stamps and black paint. I have a black navy ( broxton style can) without any nonmag stamps but it does not have the non machined stub. One of my first regs turned out to be a frankenstein black navy. I bought a body with a stub and without stamps. I could de- frankenstien my black navy can with this body but i am thinking you reg is quite unique and not normal production. Have you ever seen another black navy with a stub? How about a nonmag that was not a DA?

[captain]

Interesting, I have a Navy diving manual from 1958 and there is no mention or pictures of anything non magnetic. I also had the 1956 Navy Aqua Lung instruction manual (Nav-Ships 394-005) that also did not mention non magnetic or picture any black manifold or regulator contrary to the 1970 manual which mentions and shows the non mag tanks, manifold and regulators and other non magnetic gear. Could be yours was some after production work to bring things up to a later specifications.
Ron Miller is more knowledgeable on the non mag stuff than me so he may have a better explanation.

[eskimo3883]

Hi Captain,

Correction:

I wrote the previous note from my phone but after getting home and checking my non-mag double manifold does not have tapered threads. I think it was made in 1962.

After I read my post I think I butchered the wording quite badly. When I said have a black navy (Broxton style can) without any nonmag stamps I meant to say it is a black-label navy (Broxton style can) without any nonmag stamps. The cans on this are not military black but are normal chrome. The body I bought with a non-threaded stub has no non-mag stamps and is in normal chrome.