Federal and Winchester primers manufacturing date

[MAXM]

I'd like to know the manufacturing date of some lots of large pistol primers:
- Gx666 (Federal Champion)
- FBL328G294 (Winchester, white box with orange/red stripes)
- DKL820G (Winchester, blue box)
- TAL235G (Winchester, blue box).

Thanks a lot!
Maxm

 

[gamestalker]

I think about the only option to get a date of manufacture would be to run those number by the manufacturer.

Is there some reason you're concerned about manufactured date? Primers will last for many, many, many years if they didn't get contaminated. And even if they got wet, but didn't sit in water for an extended period of time, thus allowing the compound to dissolve, once completely dry, they should still function. So if age is your only concern, don't be.

GS

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I agree, the manufacturer is the one to ask.

In what part of Italy do you live?

 

[MAXM]

Hello Gamestalker and ArchAngelCD,
I'm only curious about the age of my primers. I'm sure d'Artagnan knows the answer to my question, and I hope that he will read this thread.
I live in Liguria.
Bests,
Maxm

 

[d'Artagnan]

GX666 X=2010, 666-400=266=23 September 2010
Winchester started including the L, presumably for lot, in primer lot numbers after WW2 but I don't know when. I think the first two letters equate to year and month. I haven't figured out how to get the day yet.
FBL328G294 F='52 or '72 or '92 or 2002, B=February, I'm pretty sure its February '92 because of the box which changed from white to blue about 1999
DKL820G D=2010 K=September, September 2010
TAL235G T=2002, A=January, January 2002
As for getting such information from manufacturers, they consider it proprietary information (company secrets) and aren't going to tell you. That's why I decided to figure out their lot number systems on my own and give that information away freely.

 

[MAXM]

Thanks d'Artagnan!

 

[Slamfire]

Based on the dates I wrote on Winchester primer boxes when I bought them, I think this is how the lot code can be used to estimate manufacturing date.

[SIZE="3"]Lot Number year code date	Type
				
		 	1986	
		 	1987	
DBL 7246779	D	1988	WLP
		E	1989	
		F	1990	
		G	1991	
		H	1992	
IML 224G	I	1993	WSR
KAL 071G	K	1994	WSR
		L	1995	
		M	1996	
		N	1997	
		O	1998	
		P	1999	
		Q	2000	
		R	2001	
		S	2002	
TCL 058G	T	2003	WSP
				
URL 526 G	U	2004	WLP
				
WCL 249G	W	2005	WLP
				
XDL 451G	X	2006	WSP
				
[/SIZE]

 

[d'Artagnan]

You shudda been at last year's St. Louis International Cartridge Show (SLICS), I gave a talk on this very subject. The lot number system presently used by Winchester is, in fact, a slight variation of the Western Cartridge Company's, in use by them since the early 1900's. Winchester had its own lot number system through about 1958, when it moved from New Haven, Conn., to the same location as Western Cartridge Company -- East Alton, Ill. -- then all Winchester and Western ammo and primers used the same system. Initially, the primers got the same lot numbers as the ammunition. But at some point I haven't determined yet, the primer lot numbers changed with the addition of an L in every lot number. I presume the primer lot numbers retain the same year and month designators as ammo but the day has changed and I don't know IF the primer lot numbers still contain the day.
For ammo the years are (note A, I, J, O, Q, and Z are skipped):
B - 1948 1968 1988 2008
C - 1949 1969 1989 2009
D - 1950 1970 1990 2010
E - 1951 1971 1991 2011
F - 1952 1972 1992 2012
G - 1953 1973 1993 2013
H - 1954 1974 1994 (2014)
K - 1955 1975 1995 (2015)
L - 1956 1976 1996
M - 1957 1977 1997
N - 1958 1978 1998
P - 1959 1979 1999
R - 1960 1980 2000
S - 1961 1981 2001
T - 1962 1982 2002
U - 1963 1983 2003
V - 1964 1984 2004
W - 1965 1985 2005
X - 1966 1986 2006
Y - 1967 1987 2007

 

[d'Artagnan]

For Winchester ammo the months are:
A - January
B - February
C - March
D - April
E - May
F - June
G - July
H - August
I & J - skipped
K - September
L - October
M - November
N - December
I note in SlamFire1's post the primer lot IML224G. I do not know what to make of that because I've not observed an I on any of the thousands of Winchester/Western ammo and hundreds of primer boxes I've observed.
For ammo, a Winchester 40 S&W (introduced in 1991) box with the lot number 95HD21 equates to line 95, H=1994, D=April, 21=12 (the day numbers are reversed)
49DG22 equates to line 49, D=2010, G=July, 22=22
27DK40 equates to line 27, D=2010, K=September, 40=04