Shiloh Rifle Forums

Hi All. From a previous post:

Just received my new to me 1863 3 band rifle with patch box 45 caliber. Has a Lyman 100th anniversary scope on it. Just ordered some bullets and stuff from Track of the Wolf and can't wait to shoot it. Has a 30" barrel for serial number 24xx.
Can someone maybe verify for me? I am assuming this is a Farmingdale? Anyone have a guess for year of manufacture?

LOL, I am so I don't know what. Says Farmindale on the side of the receiver!

Anyway. Just curious. Any chance someone can give me an approx date of manufacture?

I call her my orphan gun. Just the vibe I get. Doesn't help her that there are 2 pair of screw holes on the barrel I had to find screws to fill. Also the pair of scope mounts, the forward mount is screwed in and the rear mount is dovetailed in. And has the pair of screw holes ( in the tang ) with screws most likely from the factory. Then 2 more screw in the tang that need to have screws installed.

Sometimes the early serial numbers are mixed up a bit and not necessarily perfectly sequential. Based on the two rifles (1874s) I bought in 1979, I would guess pretty close to 1980. The two i got in 1979 were 13xx and 16xx, both made in Farmingdale. The next one I got was in 1985 (Big Timber) and it was 74xx.

George

I have a three digit serial numbered 1863. It is, of course a Farmingdale and has the wolf head mark on the barrel. There is an article in the 1987 Gun Digest which sheds a little light on the serial numbers but not much!