Proof Date Codes
Amongst proof marks are codes enabling one to determine the date of manufacture of many guns. Sample photos of their layouts are at the bottom of the page.
Liege, Belgium: A single letter, either Roman or Greek, upper or lower case, underlined or not. For corroboration, cross-reference with the proof house controllers' mark.
Birmingham, England: date code letter placement:
1921 - 1941: Letter at top of intersection of crossed swords. Number of dots beneath to indicate inspector.
1950 - 1974: Letter at left of intersection of crossed swords. B at right. Inspector's number underneath.
1975 - 1984: Letter inside upper left of circle. B at upper right. Inspector's number at bottom.
1985 - 1997: Letter at left of intersection of crossed swords. C at right. Inspector's number at bottom.
1998 - Letter at left of intersection of crossed swords. D at right. Inspector's number at bottom. Chart: Syntax of Birmingham proof date codes
London, England: LP over 2-digit year; beginning in 1973. Chart: Syntax of British proofmarks over time.
Gardone, Italy: Month and Year in Roman numerals until 1945. Sans-serif Roman numerals from 1945 until 1975, then a two-letter code surrounded by a small rectangle as per the chart below.
Eibar, Spain: Until 1994, a code amongst the proofmarks. After 1994, the last two digits of the 4-part serial number.
Suhl, Germany: Month and year, 3 or 4 numerals as required, with forward slash between month and year from 1921 until 1930s, as: 5/24 for May 1924. Afterwards without slash, as: 1163 for November 1963.
Ferlach, Austria: The proof house's number, followed by a dot, then by a 2-digit number for the year, as: 346.33 for the 346th gun proofed in 1933. Also, an individual gunmaker's code appears in the following format: a 2-digit number followed by a dot and then typically a 4-digit number where the two digit number is the code for the gunmaking firm and the four digit number is his serial number--see Chart. During the 1980s a three letter code was adopted, in Ariel typeface, where the first letter is the month code, the second and third letters are the year code. EDK, therefore, refers to the year 1992
Other Date Codes:PROOF | HOUSES | | | GUN | MAKERS | ||||||
Year |
Liege Belgium |
Birmingham, England |
London England |
Italy | Spain | Ulm, Germany | Ferlach, Austria (year code) | | | |
Browning (in serial number) | Remington |
__________ | _________ | __________ | __________ | __________ | __________ | _________ | _________ | | | _______ | ________ |
1921 | A | | | M | |||||||
1922 | a | B | | | N | ||||||
1923 | b | C | | | P | ||||||
1924 | c | D | | | R | ||||||
1925 | d | E | | | S | ||||||
1926 | e | F | | | T | ||||||
1927 | f | G | A | | | U | |||||
1928 | g | H | B | | | V | |||||
1929 | h | J | C | | | X | |||||
1930 | i | K | CH | | | Y | |||||
1931 | j | L | D | | | Z | |||||
1932 | k | M | E | | | A | |||||
1933 | l | N | F | | | B | |||||
1934 | m | O | G | | | C | |||||
1935 | n | P | H | | | D | |||||
1936 | o | R | I | | | E | |||||
1937 | p | S | J | | | F | |||||
1938 | q | T | K | | | G | |||||
1939 | r | U | L | | | H | |||||
1940 | s | V | LL | | | J | |||||
1941 | t | M | | | K | ||||||
1942 | u | N | | | L | ||||||
1943 | v | Ñ | | | MM | ||||||
1944 | w | O | | | NN | ||||||
1945 | x | I | P | | | PP | |||||
1946 | y | II | Q | | | RR | |||||
1947 | ʓ | III | R | | | SS | |||||
1948 | α | IV | S | | | TT | |||||
1949 | β | V | T | | | UU | |||||
1950 | γ | A | VI | U | | | WW | ||||
1951 | δ | B | VII | V | | | XX | ||||
1952 | z | C | VIII | X | | | YY | ||||
1953 | ϑ | D | IX | Y | | | ZZ | ||||
1954 | λ | E | X | Z | | | A | ||||
1955 | μ | F | XI | A1 | | | B | ||||
1956 | ξ | G | XII | B1 | | | C | ||||
1957 | π | H | XIII | C1 | | | D | ||||
1958 | ρ | J | XIV | D1 | | | E | ||||
1959 | σ | K | XV | E1 | | | F | ||||
1960 | τ | L | XVI | F1 | | | G | ||||
1961 | φ | M | XVII | G1 | | | H | ||||
1962 | a | N | XVIII | H1 | | | J | ||||
1963 | b | O | XIX | I1 | GD | | | K | |||
1964 | c | P | XX | J1 | GE | | | L | |||
1965 | d | Q | XXI | K1 | GF | | | M | |||
1966 | e | R | XXII | L1 | GG | | | N | |||
1967 | f | S | XXIII | M1 | GH | | | P | |||
1968 | g | T | XXIV | N1 | GI | | | R | |||
1969 | h | U | XXV | Ñ1 | GK | | | S | |||
1970 | i | V | XXVI | O1 | HA | | | T | |||
1971 | j | W | XX7 | P1 | HB | | | U | |||
1972 | k | X | 72 | XX8 | Q1 | HC | | | W | ||
1973 | l | Y | 73 | XX9 | R1 | HD | | | X | ||
1974 | m | Z | 74 | XXX | S1 | HE | | | Y | ||
1975 | n | A | 75 | AA | T1 | HF | | | RV | Z | |
1976 | o | B | 76 | AB | U1 | HG | | | RT | I | |
1977 | p | C | 77 | AC | V1 | HH | YY | | | RR | O |
1978 | q | D | 78 | AD | X1 | HI | YT | | | RP | Q |
1979 | r | E | 79 | AE | Y1 | HK | YD | | | RN | V |
1980 | s | F | 80 | AF | Z1 | IA | TO | | | PM | A |
1981 | t | G | 81 | AH | A2 | IB | TW | | | PZ | B |
1982 | u | H | 82 | AI | B2 | IC | TK | | | PY | C |
1983 | v | J | 83 | AL | C2 | ID | TR | | | PX | D |
1984 | w | K | 84 | AM | D2 | IE | TF | | | PW | E |
1985 | x | L | 85 | AN | E2 | IF | TM | | | PV | F |
1986 | y | M | 86 | AP | F2 | IG | TH | | | PT | G |
1987 | z | N | 87 | AS | G2 | IH | TY | | | PR | H |
1988 | P | O | 88 | AT | H2 | II | TT | | | PP | I |
1989 | N | P | 89 | AW | I2 | IK | TD | | | PN | J |
1990 | L | R | 90 | AZ | J2 | KA | DO | | | NM | K |
1991 | I | S | 91 | BA | K2 | KB | DW | | | NZ | L |
1992 | H | T | 92 | BB | L2 | KC | DK | | | NY | M |
1993 | K | U | 93 | BC | M2 | KD | DR | | | NX | N |
1994 | L | V | 94 | BD | N2 | KE | DF | | | NW | O |
1995 | R | X | 95 | BF | Ñ2 | KF | DM | | | NV | P |
1996 | S | Y | 96 | BH | O2 | KG | DH | | | NT | Q |
1997 | A | Z | 97 | BI | P2 | KH | DY | | | NR | R |
1998 | V | A | 98 | BL | Q2 | KI | DT | | | NP | S |
1999 | W | B | 99 | BM | 99 | KK | DD | | | NN | T |
2000 | α | C | MM | BN | 00 | AA | OO | | | MM | U |
2001 | β | D | 01 | BP | 01 | AB | OW | | | MZ | W |
2002 | γ | E | 02 | BS | 02 | AC | OK | | | MY | X |
2003 | F | 03 | BT | 03 | AD | OR | | | MX | Y | |
2004 | G | 04 | BU | 04 | AE | OF | | | MW | Z | |
2005 | 05 | BZ | 05 | AF | OM | | | MV | A | ||
2006 | 06 | CA | 06 | AG | OH | | | MT | B | ||
2007 | 07 | CB | 07 | AH | OY | | | MR | C | ||
2008 | 08 | CC | 08 | AI | OT | | | MP | D | ||
2009 | 09 | CD | 09 | AK | OD | | | MN | E | ||
2010 | 10 | CF | 10 | BA | WO | | | ZM | F | ||
2011 | 11 | CH | 11 | BB | WW | | | ZZ | G | ||
2012 | 12 | CI | BC | ZY | ||||||
2013 | 13 | CL | BD | ZX | ||||||
2014 | 14 | CM | BE | ZW | ||||||
2015 | 15 | CN | BF | ZV | ||||||
2016 | 16 | CP | BG | ZT | ||||||
2017 | 17 | CS | BH | ZR | ||||||
2018 | 18 | CT | BI | ZP | ||||||
2019 | 19 | CU | BK | ZN | ||||||
2020 | 20 | CZ | CA | YM |
Typical Italian proof date code: BA, for 1991. Typical London proof date code: LP/87, for 1987. Typical German proof date code: 6/38, for June 1938.
Beretta dates of manufacture are available here: http://www.berettasupport.com/applications/tech_data/schematics_search_2.htm
The best single reference for deciphering proomarks is Wirnsberger, Gerhard, The Standard Directory of Proofmarks, Jolex, 1975 Translated by R. A. Steindler
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