Re: [Leica] Actual Date of Build?

["Steve LeHuray" <icommag@toad.net>]

Bill,
Thanks for a plausible explanation, but, according to the list, today
(7/5/99) is the official Leica birthday of my Black M2 (7/5/60). So we are
going out to celebrate.
Steve
Annapolis
- ----------
>From: WILLIAM CALDWELL <sneeker@erols.com>
>To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
>Subject: [Leica] Actual  Date of  Build?
>Date: Sun, Jul 4, 1999, 11:30 PM
>

>SNIP -- 
>Steve LeHuray wrote:
>
>I just looked up the Camera Quest url and it is   www.CameraQuest.com/
>The Leica M & R serial number listings have the date of manufacture of
>every Leica since the M3 with how many cameras were made on that day.
>
>SNIP --
>
>Steve,
>
>Without question, Stephen Gandy tallied a coup with his publication of
>the Leica serial number and date data. From a user and enthusiast, he
>certainly has my thanks, and I plan to post a message to him.  
>
>However, while only Leica and perhaps Stephen Gandy can readily confirm
>or deny this point, I suspect that the dates given, are, in the main,
>the date serial number(s) were assigned to a particular body type,
>and/or the date that those serial numbers as a lot were released to
>manufacturing, and are not in most instances the actual date of build of
>an individual body.
>
>For example, on 3/21/56, a batch of 4400 M3 bodies are recorded.  Others
>will have a better handle on actual production rates in March of 1956,
>but common sense dictates that Leitz don't hand assemble that many M3
>bodies, 4400, in a day, and that the serial numbers were merely assigned
>to a production lot of M3s that went into production or assembly at that
>time, March 21, 1956.  
>
>[Of course, it could be yet another reporting date.  It could be the
>date that the assembled camera bodies of a particular lot were released
>from inventory, but that would mean the bodies were built in a period of
>time before that release.  From my limited manufacturing experience, the
>first supposition, a release of serial numbers for a scheduled or near
>future production run of a batch of M3s (or M4, etc.) over a period of
>time (more than a day), seems more probable.]
>
>Just my humble view from a reading of the assembled raw data -- --  ,:) 
>Please do not accord this reading as fact.
>
>Best Regards,
>
>Bill Caldwell
>Northern Virginia
>