[JustinL]

Hello

I finally received my first Colt letter today and I thought I would share some information with you all.

1. Turn around time was 97 days. I had received a postcard from Colt's 1/29/08 estimating a 120-150 day wait so they are ahead of schedule.

2. The Colt serial number dates listed on proofhouse.com are not entirely accurate. I had dated my Diamondback to 1968 using that website, however, Colt states the weapon was shipped 12/6/67 so Proofhouse can be a little off.

I hope the above information is of some use.

[Old Fuff]

www.proofhouse.com and other serial number tables show the number span within which the maker's handgun/model should fall within a given year.

However it is not unusual to find that an earlier numbered frame was not finished into a complete gun and shipped until a later date. Also guns were not necessarily made or shipped in sequential order. To further confuse the issue, guns sometimes sat around in inventory, and were not shipped until months or years after they were made.

Regarding both Colt and Smith & Wesson, if you want an EXACT date a factory letter is the only way to know. Both companies go by shipping, not production records. :cool: