EB Serial numbers?

[45flint]

Is the Sidewinder the only other gun to have EB serial numbers?  I have EB Earl that does not and the Ranger 1 had BT.

[Ruger]

Great question. I would like to know the history of that also. 

[Bluelitenin]

INTERESTING
I just assumed that all early birds were serialized with  "EB"

[45flint]

Surprised one of the historians here hasn't checked his shoeboxes? 

[Uncle_Lee]

The only EB that I have are Sidewinders...

[heyjoe]

The only EB that I have are Sidewinders...

me too

[PaducahMichael]

This is my first experience with Early Bird offers. I missed the prior ones somehow.

[MR_22]

Does anybody have a list of all Early Bird NAA's? I don't think I participated in them all. The first one was the Guardian .380, which did not have early-bird-specific serial numbers. As far as I know, NAA offered the first early-bird program at my suggestion, after I found out that Kel-Tec did an early-bird program for the P32. I got the very first Guardian .380 to leave the factory as a retail sale, with a serial number under 15. All previous .380's were either sent to magazines for reviews or possibly kept by NAA employees.

Here's the EB list I know:

Guardian .380
Sidewinder
Ranger I
Ranger II

I'm pretty sure the Hogleg did NOT have an EB program, although I got one in the first ten serial numbers. I have participated in all of the above.

Were there others? What about the Sheriff? The Earl? I have the 4-inch Earl, but can't remember if that was a EB one or not. I didn't get the 3-inch Earl. Was that another one?

[Warthog]

The Earls, and Sheriff I have are early birds but they did not have EB as the prefix to their serial numbers.  I missed out on an early bird Hog Leg and still seek one.
I will say that there was a very nice lady who worked there at the time and she made sure that all of my early birds would have the same serial numbers on them, 79.  It doesn't have any significance to me but it was nice that she always worked that out for me.  I wish I could remember her name, she was so nice she even made me a spread sheet of all my minis and sent me updated ones after early birds came out.  I miss her, Jessica is very nice too but very busy.  I never asked the lady to do this for me, she asked for my serial numbers and I sent them to her and she did the rest for me, including all the model names and where they had been made.  Jessica, well I don't think I will even ask, she has way too much to do now.

[MR_22]

OK, here's the list now:

Guardian .380
Sidewinder
Ranger I
Ranger II
Earl 3-inch
Earl 4-inch
Sheriff

Any others?

[Warthog]

So the list has those with EB serial numbers or that they had an Early Bird program?

[MR_22]

So the list has those with EB serial numbers or that they had an Early Bird program?

Oh, this is just the list of official EB programs. Some of these did not have special serial numbers.

[Warthog]

OK, I was confused, I usually am too but thought I would ask this time.

[MR_22]

OK, let's add which EB's had special serial numbers to this list:

Early Bird Model       Special Serial Number?
--------------------      -----------------------------
Guardian .380           NO
Sidewinder                YES
Ranger I                    YES
Ranger II                   YES
Earl 3-inch                 NO
Earl 4-inch                 NO
Sheriff                       NO

[EDITED for Earl-3, Earl-4, and Sheriff]

[Warthog]

My Earl, both barrels and Sheriff were bought during the early bird programs and they do not have EB prefixes.  I am sure that others will be here and tell you what they have on theirs as well.

[MR_22]

OK, I fixed the list for Earls and the Sheriff.

[Warthog]

Still hoping to find a Hog Leg, I was told they don't make them very often and my LGS seems not to find any except one they found but the distributor wanted way too much money for it.  I can wait for the right Hog Leg, looking forward to trying out that 6 inch barrel.

[MR_22]

GunBroker has some. Not sure what your price point is for being too much. Depending on your state, you can sometimes trade paying local sales tax for shipping, as your local dealer isn't selling you the gun, just transferring  it, so he doesn't have to charge tax.

Anyway, that's another option. Some people don't like online sales and that's fine. I've bought WAY TOO MANY guns online and not just on GunBroker. Weird thing is, despite what all of the gun-grabbers out there are saying, I've had to have a background check call on every single one of them bought online. Huh. Strange.

[Bigbird48]

You mean when you go to your FFL he does a background check before releasing the gun to you. Right??The online seller can't do the check.

[cedarview kid]

You mean when you go to your FFL he does a background check before releasing the gun to you. Right??The online seller can't do the check.

Exactly. A local dealer typically charges $20 to $35 to make the transfer legal and ATF-compliant. They do the background check just as if you're buying the gun from them.

[lign]

100 years from now, someone is going to be really happy to find this thread. Sounds crazy. But seriously.

[Bigbird48]

I don't know what your state laws are but here in AZ if you have a CCW you can just buy a gun no background check anywhere from anyone.Make life simpler

[cedarview kid]

I don't know what your state laws are but here in AZ if you have a CCW you can just buy a gun no background check anywhere from anyone.Make life simpler

But they still call it in to make sure the CCW is valid, right? In Utah, the don't technically do the background check with a CFP, but they still have to call Utah BCI to verify it.

[45flint]

OK, let's add which EB's had special serial numbers to this list:

Early Bird Model       Special Serial Number?
--------------------      -----------------------------
Guardian .380           NO
Sidewinder                YES
Ranger I                    YES
Ranger II                   YES
Earl 3-inch                 NO
Earl 4-inch                 NO
Sheriff                       NO

[EDITED for Earl-3, Earl-4, and Sheriff]

Ranger 1 serials were all BT not EB.

[Bigbird48]

Nope they don't call anyone. If I lay my CCW on the counter theres no check or call of any kind.

I don't know what your state laws are but here in AZ if you have a CCW you can just buy a gun no background check anywhere from anyone.Make life simpler

But they still call it in to make sure the CCW is valid, right? In Utah, the don't technically do the background check with a CFP, but they still have to call Utah BCI to verify it.

[cedarview kid]

OK, let's add which EB's had special serial numbers to this list:

Early Bird Model       Special Serial Number?
--------------------      -----------------------------
Guardian .380           NO
Sidewinder                YES
Ranger I                    YES
Ranger II                   YES
Earl 3-inch                 NO
Earl 4-inch                 NO
Sheriff                       NO

[EDITED for Earl-3, Earl-4, and Sheriff]

Ranger 1 serials were all BT not EB.

BT is a special number not used on any other model by the Early Bird Rangers. That's why it's on my list. Sorry if I implied that all of these started with EB. This list is just for Early Birds with unique serial prefixes.

Actually, can anybody confirm that the Sidewinder has EB-specific serials? I don't remember the prefix and I can't check right now because I'm at work. I was pretty sure they did, but I only have 2 early-bird Sidewinders, not a production version.

[cedarview kid]

Nope they don't call anyone. If I lay my CCW on the counter theres no check or call of any kind.

Seriously? How do they know your permit hasn't been revoked? So you can get a CCW, commit a felony, and still buy guns without a background check until your CCW expires?

[ikoiko]

The early bird sidewinders, as you've said, start with EB.

Looking at gunbroker, production ones start with "SW".

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/715124313

[cedarview kid]

The early bird sidewinders, as you've said, start with EB.

Looking at gunbroker, production ones start with "SW".

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/715124313

OK, there ya go. Brain fart time. Feels like a Monday. Can't help it, I'm here waiting to get my iPhone within the next hour. Can't wait to see it. I hope I'm pleased. Kind of like getting a new gun.

[Bigbird48]

As far as I know you could. I've bought several guns and never had anyone check on anything

Nope they don't call anyone. If I lay my CCW on the counter theres no check or call of any kind.

Seriously? How do they know your permit hasn't been revoked? So you can get a CCW, commit a felony, and still buy guns without a background check until your CCW expires?

[45flint]

OK, let's add which EB's had special serial numbers to this list:

Early Bird Model       Special Serial Number?
--------------------      -----------------------------
Guardian .380           NO
Sidewinder                YES
Ranger I                    YES
Ranger II                   YES
Earl 3-inch                 NO
Earl 4-inch                 NO
Sheriff                       NO

[EDITED for Earl-3, Earl-4, and Sheriff]

Ranger 1 serials were all BT not EB.

BT is a special number not used on any other model by the Early Bird Rangers. That's why it's on my list. Sorry if I implied that all of these started with EB. This list is just for Early Birds with unique serial prefixes.

Actually, can anybody confirm that the Sidewinder has EB-specific serials? I don't remember the prefix and I can't check right now because I'm at work. I was pretty sure they did, but I only have 2 early-bird Sidewinders, not a production version.

I hear you but kind of faulty thinking in a way, because there were early bird Ranger 1s and ones sold at retail.  I have one of each, all BT?  Just a small run?  No way to really tell where the early bird guns cut off, thus they weren't different.

[cedarview kid]

I hear you but kind of faulty thinking in a way, because there were early bird Ranger 1s and ones sold at retail.  I have one of each, all BT?  Just a small run?  No way to really tell where the early bird guns cut off, thus they weren't different.

Since the Ranger I, or Breaktop, never went into production, I consider all that were sold to be Early Birds. After all, didn't Sandy say that half of the Early Bird Ranger II's will be sold retail through distributors? I don't see the Ranger I as being any different.

[Uncle_Lee]

Who named the Break Top, "Ranger I"??

It is the Break Top that is why the serial number starts with BT..

[MtGoat]

Who named the Break Top, "Ranger I"??

It is the Break Top that is why the serial number starts with BT..

Sandy

Pat

[cedarview kid]

Who named the Break Top, "Ranger I"??

It is the Break Top that is why the serial number starts with BT..

Do you mean "Ranger" or "Ranger I"? I suppose I named it "Ranger I". The first one was just called "Ranger".