First Serialized Firearms?

[InTheField]

What manufactures first routinely placed serial numbers on their guns? I imagine it may be Colt on their percussion revolvers. I have set of Smith and Wesson "tip ups" (six models ranging from late 1850s to about 1880) and all are serialized. These early Smiths may be the earliest serialized U.S. cartridge guns. I know some maker's serialized their expensive stuff, but not their cheap stuff (like Winchester). Springfield Armory evidently did not serialized their Civil War arms.

I know factory made handguns have been federally required to be numbered since the 1930s and long guns since 1968.

 

[The Night Rider]

I know that colt was putting serial numbers on their Patterson revolvers from the beginning

 

[CapnMac]

Probably somebody's Royal Armoury to keep track of the firelocks issued out.

With hand-fitted firearms, serializing all the parts to the same arm means being able to reassemble it properly, too. And many were the years that arms were so made.

 

[tactikel]

Serial numbers mere not mandated until 1968. Many arms were issued serial numbers for: warranty, inventory control, military control. I have a Montgomery Wards .22 rifle bought in the early 1960’s with no serial number.

 

[tws3b2]

If I remember correctly. Before 1968 American manufacturers didn't serialize firearms to be sold here but did serialize guns to be exported.

 

[12Bravo20]

Colt and IIRC, S&W did put serial numbers on their firearms for a long time even before it was mandatory. And I know I am forgetting others that used serial numbers when not required too.

 

[Riomouse911]

Military arms makers maybe?

Numbers as proof of contract fulfillment, armory inventory numbers? Just guesses.

Stay safe.

 

[tmd16556]

I would suspect the Ottoman Turks were putting identifying marks on hand cannons in the 1300s.

People invented writing to track stuff of value, and firearms fit that bill. Some folks may not want Uncle Sam knowing the numbers on their guns, but probably like a way to track their own Polymer 80 collection.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

Firearms may bear serial production numbers, assembly numbers, accession numbers, rack numbers, unit numbers, or some combination thereof.

Rack numbers are basically the same as accession numbers. One is used by military and police units, the other by collectors and museums.

Unit numbers are mostly self-explanatory. On Swedish Nagant revolvers (I own two) it is common to see a refinished area on the right side of the frame below the hammer where an old unit number was removed and replaced with a new one.



I don't have a clue where and when serial production numbers started to be a thing, but my guess is that it was something related to military production runs. Possibly as early as the 18th century and coinciding roughly with the Industrial Revolution, but that's just a guess.

I suspect that manufacturers used assembly numbers earlier than serial production numbers (or markings of some other sort), since the purpose of the former was to identify and reunite hand-fitted parts separated for finishing.

 

[patmccoy]

My Remington 1894 12ga (built 1909) and 1885 Winchester (built 1912) both have serial numbers, but 1939 built Remington 341p rifle does not. Some used serial numbers before they were mandatory, some did not.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

.... With hand-fitted firearms, serializing all the parts to the same arm means being able to reassemble it properly, too. ....

The WWII Reising Model 50 submachine gun (each gun was hand fitted) would have had a better military reputation if the parts were serialized.

 

[Mauser lover]

My guess? The first guy to build a second copy of his firearm. It all depends on what you mean by “routine”.

 

[codytrucker]

My guess would be Eli Whitney . Would need to keep track of numbers built and sold , and for quality control .

 

[herrwalther]

I would look into Beretta. They didn't make their first pistol until the WWI time frame. But they started making musket-type barrels in the 1520's.

 

[lysanderxiii]

If I remember correctly. Before 1968 American manufacturers didn't serialize firearms to be sold here but did serialize guns to be exported.

There are many millions of serialized US manufactured and domestically sold firearms that prove this to be false.

 

[lysanderxiii]

While probably not the first, but definitely one of the the first was the Colt Patterson made revolvers. Production started in 1837 with serial number "1".

So, what companies were producing serialized stuff prior to 1837?

 

[lemaymiami]

Told this story before - but it's worth re-telling... during my career in law enforcement I was assigned to run our property room for two years -and as part of my daily routine had to check any firearms that came in by serial number in NCIC (to see if they were stolen or wanted in connection with some crimes...) as they were impounded and sent to me each day... Received a modest bolt action 22 rifle, ran the number entered on the property receipt, - and got 15 or more "hits" where the number had been entered as a stolen gun - around the country (and going back more than a few years...). Definitely a puzzle - until I looked closely at the rifle and realized - it didn't actually have a serial number at all... since it was made before 1968.

Seems that various officers around the country- had been entering the "serial number" reported by various victims in each case - but the number given was actually the patent number on the barrel of the rifle (and the same long patent number in each case...). None of the reporting officers had ever seen the stolen item and over the years more than one modest .22 cal rifle had been improperly entered with the patent number... as reported by the victim in each case... so much for bureaucracy.

That stint in our property room also taught me a bit about human nature since I quickly learned not to disclose the job I had - after more than one individual lit up like a neon sign when I mentioned that I was in charge of all the contraband my agency took in... Fortunately only one guy ever got around to seeing if I might be okay with a bit of extra money... and I cut off any contact with him right then. I didn't find out that he'd been operating with a false name for some years until a few years later when he was caught, along with a customs officer in an importing narcotics case... Of course the moment he got caught his first step was to testify against the officer - that he'd bribed...

 

[Coyote3855]

I think Winchesters were serial numbered starting with the 1860 Henry. Winchester name wasn't added until the 1866. Springfield Armory, the government one, started using serial numbers in 1865. Those records are so good that Trapdoors can be dated to the calendar quarter they were produced, and by extrapolation sometimes to the month.