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Rad, I had to look long and hard many, many times before I felt sure I had gotten my Uncle's serial number right. That and use a little logic. I could tell from the casting date, as well as other things like I knowing that major parts had NOT been swapped out. Only the right side of the N showed up. So knowing that the N should be there AND that the serial number 175381 was made in 1949, not '48 as the casting date indicated I deduced that what looked like a one was just the right side of the N. The numbers can also be hit crooked. So you need to look carefully so you can tell the difference between a 3,5,6 or 8 where, on the right side, they all have a small circle on the bottom. 3 and 8 will be different at the top, since most number dies use a 3 that has a sharp angle at the top that is missing on the 8. While a 3 and 7 have the same sharp angle at the top the 7 will not have the lower arc, which is the right half of the lower circle. On the left side the 3 and 5 can look alike, but the 5 will have a straight line in the upper half of the die strike. I recomend a FLAT file, like a mill ba$tard file, to use to carefully work on the rust. NOT a wire brush as many people will say to try. The reason is that you are trying to preserve the sharp edges that the number dies make in the machined flat surface they are stamped into. A wire brush, being flexable, will tear away those edges making them harder to see. Sand paper is also too flexable, in my opinion, to keep from excessive abrasion of the edges. You have got to keep the file flat on the serial number boss as you work to clean that surface!! It is not easy to do but can be done, with perseverance. Remember the form of the number will be a star (unless it is an 8N-C on the block) 8, N, then only numbers with a star at the end. In the number segement you may have I used as a 1 and b as 6. 8N-C will have diamonds instead of stars since that is a CI sleeve block. Good luck,
Larry
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