Spec Ord on boxes

[bigshot500]

Some of my boxes have a number below the Spec.Ord and others dont. Any idea what that means? Does Spec Ord stand for special order number or ??

thanks

 

[colt_saa]

That is the date of manufacture.

The first digit is the year and the remaining three digits are the date in Julian format. It does presume that you know what decade your firearms was manufactured in.

You should find this on most all S&Ws produced starting in the early 80s

Occasionally there are a few that do not decode correctly as the Julian date is beyond 365. Not sure why that happens.

 

[snw19_357]

...and others dont.

Which ones don't? Old or newer?

You should find this on most all S&Ws produced starting in the early 80s

Yup, they appeared when they switched from the handwritten label to the printed label around 1983.

Occasionally there are a few that do not decode correctly as the Julian date is beyond 365. Not sure why that happens.

When "Features" are "SPECIAL", the Spec Ord number is not a date but most likely has something to do with the special order. Whether S&W kept track of that, I don't know.

 

[bigshot500]

.....two are newer and are blank

Which ones don't? Old or newer?


Yup, they appeared when they switched from the handwritten label to the printed label around 1983.

When "Features" are "SPECIAL", the Spec Ord number is not a date but most likely has something to do with the special order. Whether S&W kept track of that, I don't know.

 

[snw19_357]

Interesting. I have seen a couple very early three letter prefix ones with "Spec Ord." but no numbers and then current production ones don't even have "Spec Ord." on the labels.