I'm hoping to enlist the help of my fellow collectors out there in seeing when the Poles stopped using the early "Archer" logo, approximately how many rifles were made each year based on letter prefixes and total number of rifles in a lot, and how many letter prefixes were used.

If you could simply respond to this thread, or email me, with your details I will add it to my database. I would like the following-

Logo- (Archer or oval 11)
Year- 1949-1960
Serial number-
Importer- (if you know, if not no big deal)

I already have over 50 in my database and would like to add to it with your help. Absolutely NONE of your personal information will be recorded or kept by me or anyone else. Pictures are not necessary but a nice touch. I will also be launching a sticky on nothing but the Polish Wz-48 around early- to mid-February.

Regards,
Eric

Here's mine...

Oval "11"
1954
KB08133
Unknown?/None


Das Banner

Thank you, Das Banner. If you look at the left side of the receiver you will most likely find a very tiny little line of script usually starting with Gibbs. They were the importer. It is so small that most folks think they're rifles don't have import stamps. I fell into this catagory till I found out where to look.

Regards,
Eric

Question for Preachere Love the poster. Are they available and if so where

Eric,

You sir, are correct! I needed my 10 power jewelers loupe to read it. Looks like "GIBBS MARTBURG W Va" The upper 1/2 of the stamp is legible. The bottom 1/2 fades out. Must not have held the stamp square when they stamped it. I wish ALL importer stamps were this tiny!

I bought her a few years back on a lark. Got it from a dealer at a show here in the N.E. He had three. I bought what I considered to be the peach. All matched numbers and only one small, well done patch grafted into the (beech?) stock. All metal is very nice. Shoots very well with no misfire problems as yet. Paid $175. and worth every penny!

I have a number of other .22's but only one other trainer, a Harrington and Richardson Mod 65 Reising. It was a horrible looking mess when I bought it. Someone had slathered varnish or shellac all over the stock and spray-painted all the rest of the metal parts. (Probably to hide what looked like rust all over the barrel and receiver. After I removed the paint I rubbed the "rust" with acetone applied gently with a 000 steel wool pad. Came back to like brand new. Parkerizing is a tuff, wonderful thing.

Best of Luck with your data collecting!

Bob

Bob- Martburg is actually an abbreviation for Martinsburg. The stamp you describe is typical. I'm getting responses here and there which is a good thing. The more numbers I have the better idea we will all have as to total production on these fine little trainers. I hear that more are going to be imported but they won't be sold for $160 like last time, they will be sold for more. Nobody is saying how much more yet, but certainly more due to the fact that anyone that has one knows the quality and accuracy of these trainers. And you don't have to worry about cheap military surplus ammo drying up for it. I missed the boat on these within the last year or so when AIM had a batch they sold for $160 each and sold out within two days!

Regards,
Eric

Oval 11
1950
B2452
AR T OS ???? Can you figure that one out?

Eric, here`s mine. It`s from the batch AIM had for 2 days in November 06.





I`m looking forward to your sticky. There`s not much info to be found on these.

I'm really excited about the article. Look on the mother site, Surplusrifle.com, for the February articles, it will be there first. At some point after that I will post it here. It's got lots of pictures, too.

Also, thanks to everyone who has contributed so far to the database. It's still too early to draw any real conclusions from but it is shaping up nicely.

Regards,
Eric

youve already got mine .when you get the database up post a link.

Will do. As a matter of fact, the article was submitted and accepted to be released on the mother site in about a week! I can't wait. Once I get the green light I can then post it as a sticky here.

Regards,
Eric

One more:

Oval 11
1954
KB01594
Gibbs

With D in a circle and OW in a diamond on the buttstock between buttplate and sling opening.

My rifle has the following:

Cicle 11
1954
KB03216
TGI Knox

Fred

Thank you guys! Keep 'em coming. So far this is what I have-

1948, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1957, 1958, 1959, and 1960 have no entries.

1949, 1953 and 1956 are both not very well represented either, with 2 entries for 1949, 1 entry for 1953, and 2 entries for 1956.

1950, 1954, and 1955 are by far the best represented years to date with loads of entries for each year.

Regards,
Eric

Great article Eric. Here's info from mine...

Oval eleven
1954
AB04422
TGI (bottom of barrel)

I see what looks like the diamond stamp on my barrel bands