Overlaps

Several threads mention the likelyhood of overlaps between some old and new part or mark. It is important to take into account the wide disperion of serial numbers in Assembly at any one time. It was true from the very first production at SA: serial numbers for the first 1500 delivered rifles extend above 2000. As a rough guess, the range of numbered receivers in the process looks like it could be more than 10% of monthly production. As that production ramped up, the dispersion got bigger. So, yes, there was real overlap, but there was also an apparent overlap caused by the wide range of serials being assembled at any one time. I'm thinking this applies especially to things like stock stamps -- there wasn't a big overlap of marking the stocks with different stamps at the same time, but many lower numbered rifles were marked AFTER higher numbers. That would make the overlap appear longer in time.

On another note,, I also had WRA 101660 with the low guide rib. This appears to have been change within the first 200 Winchester rifles but this one must have been taken off the line and put back a short time after being stamped with a 4 digit number. This type of thing has led me to believe that serial number 100001 thru 100501 did not mean it was a Educational and the Government only wanted 500 rifles with any numbers. May be wrong but who can say how the Government looked at these? Were they shipped out? I think the Government sent someone over to the factory with Springfield representatives and they went over rifles and approved it.

I guess what I am saying after seeing Bobs post is they didn't care about us collectors 65 years later and they did what they had to. I worked in a factory when I was young and seen sots of things go on so I think like that when it comes to assembly. The Government would pull items of the line and go over them keeping them for weeks sometimes years then putting items back on the line if needed. This type of behavior also could very well have put batches of older parts on newer ones. Rick B

So, following that theory maybe the reason for the hold was to test for interchangeability and that woud keep the rifles elsewhere for a time. As Rick says they didn't care about anything but serviceability.

I also agree with Rick that it is likely the Ed Contract serials blended with regular production, and it is probable that later serials were delivered as part of that Ed Order. It is a fact that Ord did not wait until WRA was finished with the first 500 before awarding a production contract, they had it well before they completed them.