Anonymous
The difference in these ball lock pins has everything to do with the standard that they have too meet.
1. Who owns the standard — and why that matters
| NAS | MS | |
|---|---|---|
| Acronym | National Aerospace Standard | Military Standard (MIL-STD / MIL-SPEC) |
| Managing body | Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) | U.S. Department of Defense |
| Original intent | Civil & commercial aerospace hardware | U.S. military hardware procurement |
2. Series mapping — the pins themselves are the same metal, same tests
| Handle style | Legacy MS series | Interchangeable NAS drawing(s) | Current NASM (after DOD transfer) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Button | MS 17984 | NAS 1333 – 1343 | NASM 17984 |
| T-handle | MS 17985 | NAS 1333 – 1343 | NASM 17985 |
| L-handle | MS 17986 | NAS 1333 – 1343 | NASM 17986 |
| Ring | MS 17987 | NAS 1333 – 1343 | NASM 17987 |
All single-acting pins above must pass the same strength test in NAS 1332 and have identical diameters, grip lengths and shear ratings (e.g., ¼-in pin, 0.80 in grip → 9 200 lbf two-shear).
3. Status update — many MS specs are now cancelled in favour of NASM
DoD has been transferring ownership of hardware specs to AIA since the 1990s:
• MS 17984F ➔ NASM 17984 (current)
The physical pin didn’t change; only the paperwork did.
All our ball lock pins that are stainless steel from the following series:
Single acting:
Push button handle
L handle
R handle
T handle
Double acting:
R handle
T handle
L handle
Are all according to NAS and MS regulation and conform with the requirements / exceeds it.