Vintage carabiner questions

I found these carabiners as bailers and they don’t have any markings strength wise. Curious if they are strong enough for climbing or just vintage pieces of gear. 

Yes

YGD

I have a bunch of 'biners from the 70's with no weight-load-force ratings on them. Eiger and SMC carabiners. I also have a Clog oval (used to have several) that I think does have a rating on it. Probably just a little newer than yours. I can check it,  tomorrow,  if you like?

That would he great if you could check Eric! Thanks!

Stubai produced two steel oval locking biners. As one was more or less a scaled-up version of the other it's difficult to know which this is without seeing both side by side. The smaller used 10mm bar stock and weighed 4.5oz, the larger 12mm and 8oz. According to an old (c1969) Ellis Brigham catalogue the 10mm model was rated at 2300 pounds, the 12mm at 3850 pounds. I'm guessing that, if carried specifically as a bail biner, this would be the smaller one; by modern standards the larger one weighs a ton!

I had a similar flat profile bent wire Clog oval which was rated at 1600kg if I recall correctly but it seems to have disappeared. I'm guessing it dates from the early 1980s?

Certainly not just an accessory carabiner but not as strong as the small Clog Ds which were the mainstay of my rack at the time. I still have a number of the latter and, whilst they have been reluctantly retired from active duty, their action is still as smooth as their descendants in the current DMM range. I bet they would still test well too. 

It is almost certain that these carabiners will not meet the current standard for open gate strength.

That standard was raised (early 90s???), and this design is quite basic.  They probably meet the other standards.  And should be quite safe for toproping, for example.

Please stamp them: "For Bail Use Only" 

And then work hard to find a place to leave them...

Jonas Helton wrote:

That would he great if you could check Eric! Thanks!

Well I was wrong, no rating on it. The 1600kg guess up thread is probably close, if not right on. The USA manufactured ovals of the 70's ran 3000-3300 pounds(1400kg+/-), but were unmarked. Most of us had mostly ovals. Pitons rack nicely on them, they are easy to set up 6 carabiner rappel brakes, and in certain aid climbing applications they eliminate a disconcerting shift.

Another "modern" standard requirement is that the gate open under bodyweight.

dave custer wrote:

Another "modern" standard requirement is that the gate open under bodyweight.

This was considered an important feature in the 60's and 70's as well, for aid climbing.