Not necessarily, David...A recently acquired K-22 Outdoorsman came to me with the pictured unnumbered Magnas which I originally assumed were post-purchase add ons...I've been told the patent dates did not appear on the early Magnas following their introduction in 1935...After lettering it, Don pointed out that the invoice indicated shipment of multiple Outdoorsman K-22's both with and without Magnas...It was also pointed out to me by another that in the absence of S/N's on the invoice to indicate which is which, it can't be determined which had the Magnas and which had the service stocks...But since the original purchaser from 1937 is not here to verify it, and since the fit of the stocks to the frame is so good, I will proclaim them to be original...Those wishing to challenge me, please meet me behind the barn after supper...
...Ben
Easy answer is that the factory changed serial number markings for wood stocks only three times in a hundred years or more. Serial numbers were stamped on stocks starting in 1857 and continued the process until 1900. For some unknown reason, a pencil marking was started and lasted until 1929 when the company reverted back to stamped serial numbers. Hard rubber stocks were a different story and their markings changed at a more random periods. One can find that pre-1900 hard rubber stocks were typically stamped, but there are also stocks with scratched numbers and/or pencil.
