[G.T.]

Hi Bill, I would venture to say that you are probably right, in the majority of cases, on the tracking of P.08's by serial range. I think this method is the only means now available, because most first hand knowledge has long since passed on.....continuous serial no. tracking does give one an excellent overview as to what is correct for a variation and what is not! There is one fly in the ointment.....actually two, The first, is that there is no way to prove that any manufactured item is assembled in the sequence that is used as a tracking device.......the second is, incomplete tracking data compiled by collectors.....there are many gaps and inconsistancies in these data banks, but, they are improved as time passes along ....there is actually a third fly....and that is as Tracy pointed out.... the parts bin theory, many times in manufacturing, as new parts come on line, they are simply thrown in on top of older new parts! Especially in the area of non critical parts where retrofit is not an important part of the agenda......these parts can then be covered by other parts and so on, and so on.......there is no way to know when they were introduced or when they were used...I for one, would not pass on any war trophy byf with black plastic grips and mag, if the condition was excellent, regardless of the serial range....till....later....G.T.