Hello Tom,
When I first started reading up on the US test Eagles, I assumed the 1,000 pistols was in a consecutive range...M. Reese does not state this explicitedly, but I assumed this from his "reported list" of ~ 6100 to 7100...(but only 95 or so guns were in Reese's list in 1975...)
Since LF member, Ron Wood, has now tracked many low & high out-of-range Test pieces, it is obvious that the 1,000 guns were just pulled out of the commercial production, maybe somewhat at random.
To confirm this, I have the follow-up question :
Have 1900 Commercials (i.e. Germany stamped and with BUG proofs) been reported that displayed serial numbers in the 6100 to 7100 range ?
If yes, this would help support the fact that the Test Eagles were not consecutively made.
If no, maybe the thinking that the 1,000 Test Eagles were consecutive (at least the first 800-900 gun batch) should be re-evaluated...but then what about all of those reported out-of-range guns...(???)...
Regards,
Pete... <img border="0" alt="[typing]" title="" src="graemlins/yltype.gif" />