I received this serial search from Cody for a rifle I just bought. It is very interesting and indicates a return to the factory inventory 8 years after it was first shipped. Then it was reconfigured twice, and apparently sold as new again. The biggest mystery is why the second configuration only lasted a few months, and apparently never left the warehouse. Here is the sheet. It's a little hard to read, so I typed it below.
Originally: rifle, 40/70, octagon, plain trigger, shipped 5-24-1894
Other Remarks: Takedown;
Returned 1-8-1902 #128967;
6-16-1903 #189317;
Back in warehouse 6-19-1903 as Rifle - 50 Express - 1/2 Octagon - Plain trigger - 24 inches - Takedown - Nickel steel - shotgun butt;
Returned 6-29-1903 #190330;
Back in warehouse 10-8-1903 as rifle - 33 cal - round barrel - plain trigger - takedown - 1/2 magazine - shotgun butt, rubber butt plate; shipped 10-9-1903 #204774
So it is a bit of a mystery what transpired and why. But more interesting to me is that I have an 1894 mfg and shipped 1886 that correctly letters as a 33 wcf, considering the round wasn't developed until 1902.
I'd be interested to hear your opinions regarding:
Where was it for eight years - in a shop unsold?
Why a 50 EX for only 10 days? Or was it 4 months? But never shipped.
The rifle does NOT have the black powder "hump" in the receiver that an 88xxx receiver should have. I wonder if the receiver was switched out or re-milled?
When I get it (next Tuesday) I'll post some pictures. It has been reblued and had the butt cut and a pad added, so it's a shooter for sure, but with a unique history.
