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Gents, I have a 99f in .358 Winchester. It has a serial # which indicates manufacture in 1957 according to your reference chart, but also has a lever date code which is "H" which I have seen to be 1956. I have read in multiple sources that the .358 Win was introduced in 1957 so why a lever boss stamp of "H"? Any help is much appreciated!
Most likely a receiver that was milled and sat on the shelf for awhile before being used.
That would be my guess. They don't make them one at a time. They assemble them from components on hand.
Having worked at several production plants - a work order calls for a number of parts and they go into a box. When the box gets low another order goes out and the new parts might go on top of the couple older parts still in the box.
Then, guess I could call her a 56 1/2:p It's a lovely old rifle in near new shape but does have a rather hefty recoil. It came to me by way of a friend who passed away some time ago. I am nearing the end of my active hunting days (age) but have used for several years a 30-30 Handi rifle. Easy to shoot and no deer ever ran away from it. I know a couple other 99/.358 owners who use them almost exclusively for Black Bear here in Pa. Nothing is faster for a follow up shot that packs that power with the exception of a Remington 7600 in .35 Whelan.
I like the old 99 for eye appeal, not a speck of plastic on it!!
I had a Model 110 PEL that had a 1962 serial number and a 1966 date stamp. Made no sense at all until I asked Bob Greenleaf about it. The reason for the 4-year span was because the engraved PEL receivers were made and shipped over to Germany to be engraved and they had to have a S/N to be exported. Took the German's 3+ years to engrave all of the receivers and ship them back and by the time it was assembled into a compete rifle 4 years had passed.
Still kinda regret selling that one, but I made a nice profit so I can't complain.
Thats neat Jim, never heard of that before but it came from Bobs lips so it makes sense.
It's part of the reason why the later PE's were engraved in Japan and the engraving was shallower and less detailed - the turn around was much, much faster.
BTW, I found out about a month ago that Bob Greenleaf passed away last summer. Here's a link to his obituary:
http://obits.masslive.com/obituaries...&pid=186123918
If you ever met or talked to Bob on the phone you've probably heard him joke about how he shot down 3 airplanes at Pearl Harbor and that he was pretty sure at least one of them was Japanese. He would then comment on how the Navy pilots didn't find the story quite so funny.