Here is a argument I found on anouther site. I thought it was interesting.
post 16
The records are available at Cody up to just under 400,000. All shipping records after that number are lost. I don't when the fire actually occurred. We also know that the Date of Mfg. list that are in use are inaccurate because of verified shipping dates from outside sources. We know that guns in the 1,33X,XXX range were shipped to Canada in 1943. We know that guns in the 1,240,XXX range were shipped in the summer of 1940. So how would 1,200,XXX have sat in a corner for 3 or 4 years to be shipped in 1942? It is possible but I cannot believe it unless verified.
Another strange fact, That same incorrect DOM list show the highest numbered 94 made in 1894 was serial number 14,579. The factory records at Cody show the highest assign SN was 1674 but the highest number shipped was SN 1380. Who do you think is correct?
post 17
I would venture ( someone else's ) guess , that while working on whatever Winchester was for the war , that lever guns were not much of a priority and the assorted parts were warehoused for the most part. Bins and crates may have come out of storage backwards ( higher #s last to go in and first to come out ) A receiver made in '40 could very well not have been matted with barrel , stock ect. and shipped out for several years.
But like I said , just a guess someone else made and it seemed to make sense the way they wrote it.
post 18
You are talking about a few guns being out of sequence, indeed that did happen. I'm talking about the DOM list being incorrect which has nothing to do with guns getting misplaced at the factory