As a collector of only target guns (from beginning to end----the real beginning, my end), I had three NM #3's---up until not too long ago---and was satisfied I had all those that fit my definition of target gun. Those are #2163, a NM #3 Target, 32-44, shipped May 28, 1894; #1610, a NM #3 Target, 38-44, shipped May 13, 1893; #30261, a NM #3 with target sights, .44 Russian, shipped October 18, 1896. All those 6's are the same---nothing odd/unusual----look like 6's---or upside down 9's---and could not be confused with a 0.

Then along comes #3914, a NM #3 Target, "38 WINCHESTER CTG" (stamped right on the numbers matching barrel); shipped October 25, 1902. There was no sound reason to snap up this odd duck other than odd duck----and snap it up I did. It's 9 does not look like its cohort's 6's. To quote one who has forgotten more than I know about these things: "Without magnification the 9 might be confused for a "0" but upon closer magnification and checking against cylinder, barrel & latch numbers ... it is, in fact ... a "9""

In the for what it's worth department, the 9 (or 6 or both) on the bogus gun didn't look anything like this one on the 38-40. It/they were what I'll call highly stylized-----fancy. It/they were fancy enough to jump right out at you----and (clearly) cause me to note it/they were different---and to remember them/the experience.

And lest I be chastised for assuming 6's and 9's would be the same stamp (aside from orientation), I just now went out to my shop to check my set of number stamps. There are nine of them, the 6/9 clearly expected to do double duty---which proves beyond a shadow of a doubt---absolutely nothing.

Ralph Tremaine