Lee: If you think the S&W practice of issuing serial numbers has been chaotic, Colt's system makes S&W look positively logical. I have a Colt Officers' Model Match in the same serial number range (shared with the Trooper Model) and it's date of manufacturer is 1961. I too share a slight distaste for the design and execution of the innards on Colt double actions, but when they work, they really work well. The feel of the double action pull through on my Officers' Model Match is the feel that I aspire to when doing action jobs on my S&Ws. My Colt's cylinder lockup is also one of the best I have ever experienced. ..... Big Cholla