Printable View
The NO. was put on the receiver before the serial number. After completion the serial number was applied, and this being done at two different times accounts for some of the misalignment.
This photo shows that the UNITED STATES PROPERTY and NO. were applied before the receiver was sandblasted and phosphate finished, and the serial number was applied after.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../10mpnjq-1.jpg
And even when they did manage to get the serial numbers align relatively well with the s/n prefix, the indexing machines used to number didn't always line up the individual numbers.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../2mpzi2t-1.jpg
Remington Rand experienced other problems as well, especially early in production. This early Du-Lite blue 2nd slide address pistol apparently had the hole for the magazine release button punched with too large a diameter. They managed to close up the diameter of the hole to attain proper fit by using a punch to drive the steel inward. Notice the punch marks are under the original blue finish.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../2nb4n7l-1.jpg
Remington Rand wasn't the only manufacturer who had problems. All the makers experienced some issues periodically. On this Ithaca, the UNITED STATES PROPERTY and serial number prefix were rolled on way too low to begin with. That didn't look too bad...until they got around to stamping the serial number. The serial number is stamped where it normally goes. Look at all the space above the USP. Things just happened. As long as the pistols had a legible serial number and all the required markings, there was some tolerance for mistakes.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../2z4wu15-1.jpg
Thanks a lot for your very interesting infos, probably during this period end '43/'44 from 1300000 +/- until 1800000 +/- they did not care for such placement.
It concern only few of these RR, before and after the alignment was correct, maybe the armory crews fault. Who knows!
Its just a detail without importance that I've been remarked after having saw a lot of pictures. :thup: :)