Danged 3 letter date code

[serger]

I've been looking for the last 2 hours in the 4th edition and can't
find a date range for the BEJ sequence. It looks like it's between
1989 and 1991. I'm sure it's there on page 491 but I just can't
see it.

Can anyone get closer than that?

 

[BaldEagle1313]

You aren't blind; it isn't there. My copy is electronic on my Kindle, so I just told the computer to search for "BEJ". Came up with bupkis. Not there. The 1989 and 1991 serial number prefix train appears to go from BEH to BEK, with no stops at BEI or BEJ. 1990 goes from BEH to BEN.

I presume your question is due to you having a BEJ prefix gun?

 

[Kernel Crittenden]

The BEJ serial number prefix was being used by the factory in.....

January of 1990.​

Give or take a month either way. Which is normal.

The problem is with the Standard Catalog is not the triple alpha s/n. It's the way the catalog is written. I have my own data base independent of the Standard Catalog. In the real world the prefixes were issued by date in a near perfect alphabetical sequence.

S&W did throw a few curve balls with the serial numbers. Probably to confuse their competition from extrapolating Smith's production numbers and manufacturing capabilities.

 

[serger]

Thanks guys. I thought I was blind.