There's just something hard to explain about shooting anything that's been around better than a hundred years. I always wonder where it's been and who had it. I kinda get that funny feeling in the pit of my stomache, like I did at Christmas time when I was a kid waiting for Santa. Guess I'm just a gun nut. When possible I try to get a colt, winchester, or S&W letter for my own curiousity and it sure doesn't hurt the value. I've had a couple of wonderfull surprises over the years reading some of those letters. It's funny though how I didn't letter my 1898 in all the years I've had it, but I'll take care of that this week. I would think it was a first year manufacture since the serial# is just over a thousand. I'm glad that others enjoy shooting theirs as well with good results. After all that's what they were made for and they seem to have a greater longevity than we have.