Lead slinger,

I have always thought that the Roman numerals were cut with a rotary cutting instrument like a Baldor dental lathe; just one touch for each stroke of the number. The cut is symetrical, that is, shallow at each end and deepest in the middle. With the proper measurement it would be possible to determine the radius of the cutting wheel.

I've never seen any correlation between the numbers and the serial number of the gun. I think they are simply to keep the two sides together; just like the fitters numbers on the frame of the gun.

Bob