The date of a gun could be lots of things.
The date the frame was stamped.
The date the gun was finished
The date the gun was proofed
The date the gun was sold
Probably more dates, too. Keep in mind that most gun companies kept an inventory of completed guns "at the factory" and filled orders for same when the orders came in. Most of these were lower priced "stock" guns, but others could be inventoried , too. Another caveat is having a numbered frame sitting around at the factory until that "special" order came in so it could be used. So if you want a date of a gun from a serial no. list, exactly what date does this give us ? Pictures in catalogs that show a serial no. could be helpful, but only to the extent that one might know the gun was made before the catalog. If the catalog picture is an illustration or drawing, the helpfulness of the date showing is diminished.
