What are the aluminum body color distinctions on early Colt 20rd magazines with the .223 marked floorplate?  Below are two of these magazines from different sellers on GunBroker that appear to both have the darker style .223 floorplate but one with a silver body and one with a goldish body.  All of my own personal early and near mint Colt .223 marked magazines have a more silver coloring but also have the lighter colored floorplates.  I purchased some other magazines from the second seller recently and was considering the goldish one just to have one with the darker style .223 floorplate.  I am guessing that the coloring on the goldish one's coating changed from age and use or has the silver one just been really polished up?

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/631087515

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/632682802

The golden color is the underlying anodized aluminum. Once most or all of the exterior finish has worn off, that's how the magazines will all look.

Actually, some are anodized silver and some are gold underneath the "Perma-Slik" dry lube stuff which wipes off like a crayon. When buying used Colt 20 round magazines, I always get the silver ones, then wipe off the remaining dry lube with an old sock soaked in Brake Cleaner. I end up with a good looking magazine with a durable finish. The gold just looks tacky to me, but I don't "do bling".

I like the gold ones for two reasons, I like the way they feel, and also because guys I have known who used them on active duty told me they thought the "golden boys" were good luck, and treasured them. Idk why someone drilled through this one, though - drainage?

That's a cool story about the "Golden Boys". Does the hole in that magazine align with the bottom round, to show a fully-loaded magazine?

I don't have that mag anymore, but I think the last round was below the hole.

Cool story and it makes perfect sense since the ones with the goldish tint in many cases probably also saw the most action hence how they got that way.  If they saw a lot of action and survived they really were the "golden boys".

I was happy when I went through my magazines and found that I already had a couple.

rubbing alcohol makes new non colt mags do the same gold color... it is very easy to make.

2010 centers do the same thing....

Good to know.