Originally Posted By: bumpI just bought a Model 7 in 6MM. I was checking the barrel code for date of manufacture and the letters didn't match the years shown for the 6mm. So I called Remington and talked to very nice lady. She asked for the SN and the gun was made in 1994.
I told her that according to the Remington website the 6mm was only produced in 83/84.
He response was that they must have made a special run in 6mm.
The letters are RO which means Nov. 94.
A good example of why the barrel code usually is the key to production dates.
Remington has never published serial number data for the general public to determine production dates like another company like Winchester did for years. Instead Remington has relied on the barrel code to age date rifles.
In many instances, Remington has produced special runs of rifles that do not show up in their general web site history information, but the barrel code is usually very reliable in dating the rifle. If the rifle has been re-barreled by someone, unless one gets access to actual serial number data which Remington has not always readily provided, its tough to date a rifle.
In the past couple of years you hear more and more of instances where Remington is sharing individual rifle production data based on the serial number for consumers. That has not been the norm in the past. In the past, and even today, the barrel code has long been the most reliable information key for age dating a Remington rifle .