My test fire date precedes my manufacture date???

[MPressive 9c]

Hi All,

First, just a little background. I'm new to this forum as well as to Smith and Wessons. Having both Sigs and HKs, I just bought my first two S&Ws, an M&P 9fs and an M&P 9c.

Although I haven't shot the 9fs yet, I purchased the 9c first, and put 200 rounds through it prior to installing the Apex DCAEK, and about 150 rounds since. IMHO the DCAEK was well worth the price, and I plan to install the DCAEK in the 9fs as well.

Now for my question. After reading about the code for the manufacture date, I decided to check and see when mine were made. It turns out that the 9fs, which I purchased on 1/15/2013 was both manufactured and test fired back on 7/13/2012. The 9c however, was test fired 12/12/12 and the manufacture date was 3002 (1/2/2013), three weeks after it was test fired, and two days before I purchased it.

I understood the test firing takes place the same day, or perhaps a few days after, the manufacture date, but certainly not before. I thought the gun was manufactured and given a manufacture date, and then test fired. Did I misunderstand how the process works? Is it the other way around, fire date then manufacture date? Might this this indicate there was a problem at test firing, and it was sent back to manufacturing?

I guess it really doesn't matter since it operates flawlessly, but if anyone can clarify the dating procedure I'd appreciate it.

Thanks,
Randy

 

[2tango2]

That certainly is odd...but then again I'm not sure how much stock to take in the numbers on the box that supposedly tells you when the gun was made.

If I go by the numbers on the box, my FS 9 was made in June of last year but not test fired until late October? That doesn't make sense

 

[murphydog]

Unless the factory has changed its record keeping system, the code you see on the label is not the day of production, but the shipping (or sales) date. Popular guns are probably made and shipped close in time, but there are instances in S & W revolver-land when guns have sat on shelves for years and sometimes decades before shipping.