Post by TexasBAD on Nov 10, 2013 12:11:44 GMT -5
Quote from previous post:
"Title: Date stamps vs. Serial numbers / June 4, 2013 / odell23
On the FAQ page you'll notice that the Savage date code stamps run from 1949 to 1970 based on Schwing's work. The Gun Control Act of 1968 which took effect in October of that year is when serial numbers became mandatory and Savage started putting them on Model 24 guns.
My question is, does anyone have a gun that has both the date code stamp (from 1968,1969, or 1970) and a serial number? These would be the 24J-DL black receiver version, 24S-E, 24V-A, or 24D Series M. I know the very first guns to have serial numbers were the 24J-DL chrome receiver guns and did have stamps. But I'm unsure if they continued the stamps after serial numbers were the standard.
So check you guns if you would folks and let me know. Thanks!"
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Hello all, this post got me to thinking about the complexities of implementing a serial number requirement where one did not exist prior to it becoming law. The Gun Control Act of 1968 was signed into law on October 22, 1968, by President Lyndon B. Johnson.
The Act required all firearms manufactured in the USA or imported into the USA to be labeled with a serial number. This requirement was a relatively small part of the total Act. Generally when an Act of this type goes into effect and becomes Law, there is a grace period of time from the date it becomes law to a date by which compliance is mandatory and subject to penalty. From what I have found in researching this, I believe that there was a 12 month allowance for compliance to the Act. If this is correct, then all firearms sold on or about October 22, 1969 would have been required to have a serial number under penalty of law.
Consider this: There would have been thousands if not hundreds of thousands of firearms in the process of production, in boxes and ready to ship, already shipped, warehoused, in-transit, and in stock on the shelf on the day the law was signed.
My point is that it is conceivable that these firearms were being distributed and sold prior to actual firearms labeled with serial numbers under the Act to start showing up on the shelf and being put in the hands of the end users. Keep in mind that a lot of firearms produced prior the the Act were already labeled with serial numbers. I believe most higher grade firearms were already being labeled with serial numbers. While most of the lower cost utility type firearms were not due the the cost involved of labeling, recording, and records keeping of firearms with serial numbers.
Our beloved Mod. 24 falls into this latter category of cost grade firearms and that is what makes "odell23's" comments and request very curious indeed. Obviously, I am curious myself. Yeah, I know that is what killed the cat, I think I have a few lives left ;-)
