Welcome to the Forum. First thing we have to know is when your revolver left the factory, in your case around 1895. Stock serial numbers were stamped since 1857, but changed to penciled or scratched serial numbers around 1900. The 44 Winchester Double Action Frontier was made from 1886 to 1913 so stocks had both the serial number methods depending on the age of the gun.

Second thing is to understand why the factory numbered the stocks in the first place. It is understood that the stocks were hand fitted to the frame before the frame was prepped and blued. They would have numbered every set since the stocks and gun were separated for bluing, then a person had to sort through maybe a hundred or more sets of stocks at a time to find the ones that were fitted to the gun. It would have been very rare that there were any stocks not originally marked, so this brings up other issues. If the gun was made before 1900 one would expect a stamped serial number and if made 1900 or later, they may have been scratched in or pencil. There is no issue with the stamped or scratched numbers and they are permanent, but the pencil era numbers are likely to have disappeared over the last 100 plus years.

Soooooooooo, it is very likely that unmarked stocks from pre-1900 44 DA Frontiers would be suspect as having been replaced after the factory, since factory stocks would have almost certainly had stamped numbers. Is it a huge deal if your stocks were not original? Maybe for some, but many would not even think to ask the auctioneer to check.

Lastly, when you stated that you checked UNDER THE LATCH, there are also numbers on the very rear end of the top-frame on both sides of where the top-latch inserts into the frame. You need a strong light and a good magnifying glass for that check. (I just saw that Mike already covered the top-frame numbers)

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Gary
SWCA 2515