In trying to understand why certain lists of serial numbers have gaps, yet links state records for a research letter are available, I had a great conversation with The Birthday Boy ( Our Research Chairman) yesterday.
The root of the issue is that certain STOCK books are missing, so that when data was being collected, guns below a certain grade (3, or D), were omitted for expedience. That didn't mean the info was missing, in only meant that SN was not listed.
My dilemma was trying to understand why the information on a serial number I was specifically interested in, was the only one of dozens in the immediate proximity, not available, yet nearly all of the other missing numbers, were actually in the original records of the ORDER book.
The answer was found by Chuck, through diligently cross checking several entries. The SN immediately before the one I was trying to document, not on lists, had the exact same attributes, equally rare, as the gun I was researching. That entry also stated it was part of an order for Two guns. So, the next number, which isn't necessarily in chronological order "Appeared" to be unrelated, but in fact, the last digit was partially obstructed, and was in fact the number for the gun is question. To verify it, the assumed number was checked and was unrelated. The previous gun (XXX86)had a red line through the top of last digit, a "6", and the next gun also had the red line through the top of it's digit making it look like a "1", when, In fact, IT WAS A SEVEN. BINGO!!!!!
I know this all still sounds confusing, but it's so simple in reality, and only the way I'm describing it makes it confusing.
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