An old friend of mine called to let me know he's thinking of selling his guns. I've been able to help him with years and values except for one. He's an older gentleman and doesn't know how to send pics so I'm helping him out over the phone. He has 3 Light 12's. I've been able to figure out the year of two of them (1958 and 1971) but I am stumped on the third. He has the box which shows it as a Browning Automatic Light 12 in 12 ga, 28" barrel, Skeet choke, Vented rib, Grade I serial number 5G143. It has a round knob. He said it was a 72 purchased in 73. I had him verify that was the serial number on the gun. I'm hoping to get pics next month when his niece visits him. Info I found said round knobs were discontinued in 1967. If this was a 72 wouldn't the number be 72Gxxxx? Any help would be appreciated.
That's what I thought but he says that he has a sales receipt from 1973 saying it's a 1972 model. Maybe the place he bought it was pushing NOS as current? It also puzzles me that serial number 143 would be in 1965 when they started that single digit date system in 1958. I really want to see some pics. Thank you for replying! If I ever get some pics I'll post them.
Good deal. FYI some of the older guns were made way before they were sold. Sometimes they sit for awhile. I have a 1928 that was not sold until 1931.
SV doesn’t say it (at least my notes don’t), but I suspect with the addition of the date code serial numbers started over at 01 each year.
