Parker Hale M85 Serial Number Checks & Provenance on Manufacture (Records)

[Lee Enfield]

Sadly, not recorded in the files I have.
Just waiting for Bill to get back to me who might have that answer, but its a long time ago now, and their memory would probably have been in most of the records being burnt in 2000!

The first M87 recorded in the files I hold having just checked is Rifle number 02100C on the 2nd December 1988 with rifle number 01811C produced on the same day so you can see what a numeric mess it was back then.
The first M84 recorded in the files I hold is rifle number 01726J on the 11th June 1986 with rifle number 01716J produced the same day!!
The first M86 recorded in the files I hold is rifle number 01785C on the 13th June 1986 with rifle number 01777C produced on the 16th December 1986 Only 3 rifles recorded as being finished in 1986 the rest in 1987 - 1989.

In the records you hold, are there any m84/86/87 actions with the same numbers?

I'm wondering if this series of rifles are all numbered consecutively, with only the letter designator to indicate if an action is a single shot or magazine fed?

Marlin did this during the 19th century - m.1889, 1891, 1893, 1894 and 1895 actions are all numbered together within the same serial group.
whereas Winchester ran each action as their own serial sequence.

probably the main purpose for use of this system is to inflate production numbers by giving the appearance of much higher production for each individual model.