Same Serial Number?

[red9]

I occasionally see the thread where consecutively numbered guns are re-united. Does anyone have a pair (or more) of different models with the same serial number? The problem I see is that while the consecutive numbers are likely to be the same variation and attract the interest of the same collector, a collector of .44 targets may not pay attention to the .32 Regulation Police with the same number unless he has all of his serial numbers memorized.

Bob

 

[larryofcc]

We may never know. Lots of folks here will not post complete serial numbers, or there are a lot of consecutive XXX marked guns out there. Surfing a gun site one time, I found the consecutive numbered M97 WW2 Trenchgun to mine. Problem was ,it was $5,000, $4,000 more than what I paid for the one I already had. I passed. No, everyone here knows I am not a fan of XXX's and I do not want to bring this overkilled subject again. Big Larry

 

[mikepriwer]

Its an absolute certainty that there are duplicate serial numbers across all the
different serial number series. If we say there are 20 different series, then there
will be 1000's of duplicated serial numbers. Just has to happen.

Consider the Model of 1899. There are two different serial number series for it -
one for the 38 caliber, and one for the 32-20 caliber. Those first 5000 or so 32-20
serial numbers will all be replicated in the first 5000 or so 38 serial numbers.

Then it gets even worse. Total production of 32-20's is around 140,000. Every one
of those 140,000 serial numbers are replicated in the first 140,000 38's .

In my view, there is nothing collectible about that.

Mike Priwer

 

[deadin]

It would be interesting to have a fairly large number of models with the same serial number. Just one or two not so much.......

 

[Alpo]

I can, kinda, see your point.

But there is also nothing "collectable" about having, for example, Colt SAA SN 83452 and 83453. They are just guns. But it's neat to have consecutive guns.

And if I owned a 38 M&P, SN 1234, and a 32/20 M&P 1234, and a 32 HE 1234 and a 1917 1234 - well, that would just be cool. Don't see how that would necessarily be "collectible" to anyone but me, but it would be neat to have.

It's like having a birthday gun. I have a pencil-barrel 38 M&P. It's just like thousands of other pencil-barrel 38 M&Ps - nothing special about it at all. Not in NIB shape - actually looks to have been rode hard and put away wet. But, like me, it was made in 1955 (I, also, am not in NIB shape). So it's neat to have.

 

[highpower3006]

We may never know. Lots of folks here will not post complete serial numbers, or there are a lot of consecutive XXX marked guns out there. Surfing a gun site one time, I found the consecutive numbered M97 WW2 Trenchgun to mine. Problem was ,it was $5,000, $4,000 more than what I paid for the one I already had. I passed. No, everyone here knows I am not a fan of XXX's and I do not want to bring this overkilled subject again. Big Larry

I have a early S&W CTG serial Number XXXXXX and a later CTG that has the same number, XXXXXX. Does that mean I have matching CTG's?

 

[jmace57]

Now cut that out high power!

 

[opoefc]

Don't forget, one of our famous members ( or perhaps infamous! ) has a great collection of guns, all with serial number 1. Last time I looked, there seemed to be around 50 guns in his stash! Some, but not all are S&Ws, of course. I collect S&W pairs, if they are serial numbers 1 and 2. Ed.

 

[rct269]

And I collect guns with all 1's as serial numbers. The closest I have so far is #11112--------but I'm working on it!

Ralph Tremaine

 

[bwade]

This may be kinda what you are wanting to see red9, they are not the older models, but they have all have the same digits, but different letter prefixes for the different models. There are 11 in total and are all later Lew Horton models, but all serial numbers are 0006. Registered Magnums 27-8 in first picture, the second picture top row are the 24s, then 25s, then 29s, and the last is the Ladysmith. These were all pulled for someone at Lew Horton and I acquired them as a set. I am now always looking for 0006 serial numbers to add to the collection. I do wish they were all 5 screw single digit serial numbers, but it is what it is.

 

[Mike McLellan]

I collect revolvers with cracked frames and bulged barrels. So far, I have one of each.

 

[arjay]

Poidh Mike [emoji1]

 

[H Richard]

When I inq. of Roy about a ship date for one of my revolvers, he advised me there were 2 with the same number. He called them a "double numbered" revolver. The one I have (a 5" K38 IL State Police) and evidently a same type revolver which he said shipped overseas.

 

[gmiller0737]

I have 2 Browning Limited Editions That have the Same Serial # (Less than 100) 1 is a Browning Model 52 Sporter & The Other is a Model 12 in .28 ga.

 

[Jim Watson]

There was the guy who had an inside track at Ruger and had all manner of their guns with serial number 9. Different prefixes or maybe 1000009 but definitely number 9 of that model.

 

[Absalom]

And on the flipside, someone has his gun stolen and either reports it or a gun-challenged officer or clerk enters it into the database as a "Smith & Wesson revolver, .38 caliber, serial number XXXXX (early all-numerical)", and it ends up in the FBI's NCIC database like that, there are suddenly a whole bunch of people with different models, same serial, that fit that description, who are in for a surprise if they try to sell the gun out of state or to someone who is a dealer or runs used guns before buying them.
Happened to me. A gun I bought in 2013 got caught on a theft report from 1967. Fortunately, a friend at my local PD got the reporting department to pull the old microfilm and discover that the stolen gun had a 2" barrel and was blue; the one I wanted was nickel with a 3.25" barrel, so they cleared it.
Since then, I see matching serial numbers as more of a nuisance.

 

[JSR III]

I was once at a LGS picking up a purchase that I found online. While there the owner asked me if I was interested in any other S&W's. I asked "why, what have you got?" he said I have a Texas Ranger Commerative in the box with the knife. Kidingly I replied, "if the serial number is number 5, (my lucky number) I'd be interested. He came back and the serial number was TR 555. The rest as they say is history.

Since then I have acquired several more S&W's with multiple 5's in their serial number.

Like I needed another reason to acquire more S&W's!!!

 

[tftech1]

Serial and Other Number Patterns

I have been fortunate enough over the years to have collected the following types of serial numbers:

1. Consecutives - a pair of RMs (consecutive REG but not serial) and a pair of 29-9s with blue finish (xxx 0100 and xxx 0101). Both members of these preceding pairs were acquired separately and serendipitously. Also I acquired a pair of nickel finished 29-9s (yyy 0011 and yyy 0012) together.
2. Patterns - one S&W with serial 1111 and one Mannlicher-Schoenauer with serial 11011.
3. Low numbers - one TL z4, one Winchester 52 w4w. I really am a sucker for low numbers - always looking for that one with one digit.

 

[rjb1]

I buy "palindrome" (reads the same both ways) serial numbers when I can find them and have several like the S&W 1111 and M-S 11011 mentioned above. I have one frustrating 1903 Springfield that is one digit (last) off from a true palindrome. Wish I could have gotten the one right before it on the assembly line.

 

[vrichard]

I know every one has seen these.One prefix letter one # 3 ser.# complete serial #.
Top 10-5 ser.# D 3
30-1 ser.# H 3
34-1 ser.#M 3 36--ser.# J 3