I could use some help with a YellowBoy

[The Avocado Kid]

About three years ago I made a purchase of a 1866 YellowBoy (Uberti) my date codes only go up too 2003,the only letter on my gun is an R behind the lever.I could use some help here,I would like to know the year it was made.Thanks,Dusty.

[Long Johns Wolf]

The Italian code for proof dates is a "2 capital letters" code since 1975, prior to that date it was Roman figures. Therefore the "R" is not the proof date, Uberti commenced producing the Yellow Boy carbine during the mid 60s. Early carbines had a brass barrel band.
Bootsie

[The Avocado Kid]

Bootsie,thanks for sending me the date codes and now I have the ones after 2003,THANKS! I looked the gun over real close and still could not find a two letter date code? It has all the proof marks and like I said before an "R" just before the lever latch but no two letter code anywhere on the gun. This has me stumped? Dusty. PS: if anybody knows where the two letter code is stamped,tell me! I put on my glasses and that didn't help.

[The Avocado Kid]

Well,it looks like Uberti didn't put a date code on the "YellowBoy" at least not the newer ones. I sent an e-mail to Dirty Dan who just got a new one and his is like mine-no date code. Dusty.

[litl rooster]

so how do the Letters translate?  There's a BA on my Henry's

[Long Johns Wolf]

BA, usually in a box, is the Italian date code for 1991.
Bootsie

[litl rooster]

BA, usually in a box, is the Italian date code for 1991.
Bootsie

   Yes it's in a box............thank you

[Long Johns Wolf]

Hope this helps.
Bootsie

[litl rooster]

   Thanks, for sharing that's useful info.

[The Avocado Kid]

Bootsie,no word yet from Uberti on the date codes on the "YellowBoy" as soon as they reply with info, I will post here. Dusty.

[The Avocado Kid]

Well,I received a reply from Suzanne Webb at Uberti and here is the deal about the date code on the 1866 YellowBoy(USA) ONLY.The date code is NOT two letters in a box but rather numbers,here is the e-mail I reveived from Uberti. The CODE is hidden somewhere on the gun. READ BELOW:

Thanks for your e-mail.
Your gun was manufactured on 24th March 2003 and sold to Taylors & Co. The code is 0229.

Thanks again for your support.

Best regards

Suzanne
A. Uberti Spa
e-mail: suzanne.webb@ubertireplicas.it
Phone: +39-030-8341824
Fax:     +39-030-8341801

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I found the expected "BU" on my 2004 yel;lowboy.  Where is that other number located?

[The Avocado Kid]

Sir Charles deMoutonBlack ,where did you find the "BU"on your gun? If I remember correct BU is 2004(I just looked, it is 2004)Bootsie sent me an e-mail saying a-lot of guns shipped to the USA are being sent without the two letter in a box date code,why?Who knows? Why they would ship a gun without this proof date code is beyond me??? or change what they do on this model(66) from what they do on other model's,its a mystery? All I can say at this point is this,the two letter date code on my Uberti box that my gun came in is different from the code Suzanne gave me-the box is 2002 and the gun is 2003. I don't know if I should send another e-mail to her or just say the heck with all this. Why they hide a four digit date code is another question,this code is either under the barrel and fore-stock or somewhere's else? Not much help is it? FUBAR! Dusty.

[The Avocado Kid]

I thought I would put up the Italy date codes here and these are up to date,you guys can thank Bootsie for these, he sent them to me. Dusty.                                                 1      1945      XXVI      1970         BF      1995
2      1946      XX7      1971         BH      1996
3      1947      XX8      1972         BI      1997
4      1948      XX9      1973         BL      1998
5      1949      XXX      1974         BM      1999
6      1950      AA      1975         BN      2000
7      1951      AB      1976         BP      2001
8      1952      AC      1977         BS      2002
9      1953      AD      1978         BT      2003
X      1954      AE      1979         BU      2004
XI      1955      AF      1980         BZ      2005
XII      1956      AH      1981         CA      2006
XIII      1957      AI      1982         CB      2007
XIV      1958      AL      1983         CC      2008
XV      1959      AM      1984         CD      2009
XVI      1960      AN      1985         CE      2010
XVII      1961      AP      1986
XVIII      1962      AS      1987
XIX      1963      AT      1988
XX      1964      AU      1989
XXI      1965      AZ      1990
XXII      1966      BA      1991
XXIII      1967      BB      1992
XXIV      1968      BC      1993
XXV      1969      BD      1994

[Will Ketchum]

Thanks Dusty.  I see my saddle ring carbine was made in 01.

Will Ketchum

[Dusty Morningwood]

My Navy Arms Military Henry was made in 1990.  Bought it unfired last fall.  That's a loooong time to sit around not making smoke.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

My poor memory!  I checked, and it is [BN]  That is 2000.  I also found that 4 digit #.  It is all on the lower tang, under the lever.

Mine never touched the Good Ol' USA.  In those days retailers in Canada could get stock directly.  Shortly after, Stoeger took over distribution and we couldn'y get a thing for years!

[The Avocado Kid]

Sir Charles,under my lever is just two proof marks,and a cat.# and the serial# then before the lever latch is an R which I think denotes "rifle" date code is hidden-a USA gun AND the box has tape around it with (BS)stamped which is 2002 BUT the gun code is 2003,I made the purchase new in 2005 from a big gun dealer in Phoenix,AZ talk about some sitting around time.I just thought of something, I have seen in other posts-these yellowboys and henry's are on back order or I had to order my gun and it will be 3-6 months-my gun sat at either Taylor's or in the gun shop two years before I made the purchase???Dusty.

[Long Johns Wolf]

One thing is for sure: proof testing does not normally take place the day after production.
There can easily be weeks in between, particularly during holiday periods. For example when a given gun is produced in December according to the serial number records of Uberti, it might well be proof tested at the Gardone proof house only in January the following year.
Likewise it is fair to assume due to production schedules that it takes a couple of weeks to months, to organize a consignment of different guns from Italy to the US distributor.
I have no idea how long it takes for the US distributor to have his paperwork done by his import agent and get that given consignment through costums and all that good stuff. But it takes around 8 weeks to get a gun purchased in the USA shipped over the Atlantic, due to that paperwork.
And after that consignment hits the distributors' warehouse he will have to arrange shipment to his dealers all over the US....
It's months or longer from production & proof testing in Italy til we have the gun in our hands.
Bootsie

[The Avocado Kid]

Bootsie,I think this may be why my gun made in 2003 was sold to me in 2005,I really don't think the gun sat at Taylor's for two years, maybe one? With all the cowboy shooters in AZ, I could not find a Henry or yellowboy in stock at the local shops the last time I looked which was about two months ago. Dusty.