Number 1 Second Issue ship date

[johngross]

Does anyone have a letter on a No. 1 Second Issue in the 26000 +/- range?

Neal and Jinks book shows a serial number range of 22481-27889 for 1862, which would make me GUESS that a 26000 range revolver was late 1862. However, I know the sn range quoted in the book is approximate.

Thanks, John.

[Masterpiece]

Originally Posted by johngross

Does anyone have a letter on a No. 1 Second Issue in the 26000 +/- range?

However, I know the sn range quoted in the book is approximate.

John,

I don't have any that "Letter" shipped in 1862, but the Serial No. Ranges in N&J were from taken the Sales Records...not the Date of Manufacture...and have always found those I have "Lettered" to be in the Ranges noted so I'd think your estimate will be very close!!

The only exception to the above being one I owned yrs ago that had shipped close to the end of a specific year noted...Can't recollect which year at the moment though...Sorry!! Hope this helps!!

[glowe]

31XXX shipped in 1863 and the N&J book states the same year. I do not think that the ship dates in the book are estimates, but rather specific and accurate sales dates. Now as for manufacturing dates, I am not sure that a letter on this model will yield a correct date since, if I remember correctly, many of the early records from the factory were lost.

[Masterpiece]

Originally Posted by glowe

Now as for manufacturing dates, I am not sure that a letter on this model will yield a correct date since, if I remember correctly, many of the early records from the factory were lost.

Gary,

Just to make mention, I own...or have owned...a few that "Letter" with Specific Info...Destinations, Finish, Dates of Shipment, Etc...although most were shipped after the Civil War ended!! All of those "Lettered" prior most often just stated the Year Shipped...Every so often also the Month!!

[opoefc]

Lettering Model Ones has always been a bit dicey as Roy often has to extrapolate info from the sales invoices to arrive at a reasonable estimate of the ship dates. From the era of the Model one up to almost the 1930s the factory did not keep official manufacturing records, as such, the Floor Foreman kept their own tally books showing gun completed, by serial number sequence, and date. They were paid by the factory for the guns completed and then they paid their contract workers by piece rate. The factory kept an inventory record of the guns sent to the vault that is pretty close to the manufacture dates, but those inventory records are gone. Roy has only the shipping records, plus sometimes an invoice, to provide the info. on the factory historical letters. Some of the Floor Foreman's Day Books are in the hands of private collectors and sometimes manufacturing dates can be supplied from them.Ed.