My point is, and this has been discussed numerous times, that if you try to look
for close correlations between serial numbers and shipping dates, then you do
not understand the manufacturing process.
The manufacturing process was based on batch-production of frames, as well as
other parts, in anticipation of eventual orders for completed guns. No one is
quite sure of the size of these batches, but the best estimates are in the
vicinity of 100 to 500 frames, and sometimes more. There is evidence that they
were sometimes about 1000.
At some point in the manufacturing cycle, when the frames were sufficiently
completed to allow serial numbering, they were serial numbered in these large
batches. The serial-numbering machine was self-incrementing, but sometimes it
was not started at the right serial number, for a particular frame. If it was
set too early, then duplicate serial numbers would result, and there are
numerous examples of these in the records. If it was set too late, then a gap
appears in the records. Sometimes this gap was noticed later, and was filled.
As the frames were serial numbered, they were placed into large bins, or boxes,
or barrels. Because of this prodedure, the first in were the last out. And,
sometimes, the bins or boxes or barrels were not completely emptied before
another batch of frames was dumped on top of them. And, sometimes , a box of frames
would get misplaced, only to be found several years later, and used at that time.
As part of the factories scheduling, a sizeable number of guns were always being
made up, and placed into inventory, in a large holding area. There seems to have
been no plan as to first-in, first-out. As collectors, the only date available
to us is the shipping date, not the manufacturing date. So, here again is another
opportunity for the serial number to be completely irrelevant to the shipping
date. I have owned identical consecutively-serial-numbered 1905's, shipped 8 years apart.
Over long periods of time, lower-serial-numbers are shipped before higher-serial-
numbers. But this is only over long periods of time, like several years. But over
shorter periods, like months or even one or two years, the order is likely to
be anything.
It is also well-known that Colt in particular, and quite possibly S&W on occasion,
would reverse the order of the serial-numbers being shipped. Colt did this to
give the illusion that their production was higher than it actually was. On
occasion, S&W may have also done this.
So, in answer to this question: "With all due respect, why do you care? "
I care a lot. What I care about most is that collectors understand what they are
doing. I care enough to learn what the production process was all about, so
that I don't go off on illogical tangents. I care enough to take the time, over
and over, to help people to understand these things. I care because I don't like
to see mis-leading conclusions being drawn from mis-leading data. Some collectors
will read this mis-leading data, and think there is something important there.
That is what I care about.
Later, Mike Priwer
