• Springfield Serial Number Xd
• Springfield Armory

As questions about N and NM serial number prefixs and 'Where is my pistol made?' are frequently asked, I figured a 'sticky' on this topic would be warranted. A fellow member, Cliff731, did such an excellent job addressing another member's questions recently that, rather than write my own post, I plagiarized Cliff's post, only editing it slightly to address general questions rather than to a specific individual.

Depending on the serial number, your Trapdoor could have been manufactured in 1878, but there is no such thing as an M1878. Sometimes the date was stamped on the hinged breech block either very heavily or with worn dies, causing the '1873' to look like '1878'. Springfield Armory. Enter your firearm's serial number and date of purchase to begin. Please Note -- Serial numbers can contain letters and digits. Springfield serial number lookup website?? A couple of years back I remember accessing a searchable database to look up serial numbers by model for Springfield produced weapons from the civil war up to WWII.

With a huge selection of pistols and rifles, Springfield Armory is the premier manufacturer of quality handguns for protection and competitive shooting. No part of this website may be reproduced without written consent of Springfield Armory. Prices and specifications are subject to change without notice.

Thanks, Cliff, for being a sleep-deprived chatterbox!
Tom
This comes straight from Deb/Vicky at Springfield... if > 50% of the work is done on one of their pistols in Brazil, then somewhere on that pistol it will be marked 'Brazil'. Should > 50% be done in Geneseo, IL, then it does not require a 'Brazil' marking.
That is where the 'MADE IN BRAZIL' rollmarks come from... placed above the serial number. That is one variety of markings that will show up on Springfield's G.I., Mil-Spec and Loaded pistols.
Another is the 'Geneseo IL USA' found just above the serial number. There's essentially two common variants of this... for example, in the Mil-Spec line, if it has a N serial number prefix, you will find 'IMBEL BRAZIL' or 'FI BRAZIL' laser etched in two places. The locations are the bottom side of the dustcover and underneath the right grip panel on the frame. If you find a NM serial number prefix, those markings are usually always absent and the 'GENESEO IL USA' rollmark still appears above the serial number on the frame.
Understand this part- ALL Springfield Armory 1911A1 pistols start their life in the forge presses of IMBEL in Brazil. There the frames, slides and barrels are forged... regardless of what markings are later applied or where the majority of the work is done.
See above... all SA 1911A1 pistols start as frame, slide and barrel forgings made by IMBEL in Brazil. It's been like that since day one for Springfield Armory... hence, there really isn't any outsourcing that was done to reduce labor costs. Springfield's higher line of 1911A1 pistols are all finished (> 50%) in Geneseo, IL. That's not changed. Doubt it ever will.
IMBEL is a major arms maker... world class. The Springfield 1911A1 pistols that are marked 'MADE IN BRAZIL' are equal in quality to any done in Geneseo. One of the best made and fitted Mil-Spec pistols I've seen lately had the 'MADE IN BRAZIL' rollmark. This reflects a very highly skilled and competent workforce... I doubt that IMBEL is using cheap labor (for Brazil).
Why does Springfield do this? It's simple... they simply cannot produce as many 1911A1 pistols in Geneseo, IL, as the market is demanding.
Please consider this... Springfield hasn't ever said that their line of 1911A1 pistols was exclusively 'made in the U.S.A.'... not ever. They've never advertised that or made such a claim. The Springfield and IMBEL relationship has been an upfront fact since SA went into the 1911A1 business.
I'll venture a guess that the workforce Springfield has at their Illinois facility hasn't ever been reduced... likely it's grown. In essence, Brazilian labor hasn't taken any jobs away in Geneseo... it's added to them by virtue of Springfield's increased sales. Even if the pistol is made in Brazil and completely finished there, it still must pass thru the Geneseo facility.
Regarding the photos you commented on, those are 'stock' photographs that illustrate a 'typical' model of that pistol. These photos are re-used on a continuous basis each year.
While it's reported that all G.I. pistols are likely being finished in Brazil, I believe you'll still see Mil-Spec pistols show up with 'Geneseo IL USA' on them. I have one... made in February 2007... a parkerized Mil-Spec with no 'IMBEL' or 'BRAZIL' on it anywhere (has NM serial number prefix).
Again, I believe a careful examination of all the facts will reveal that there hasn't been any 'outsourcing' of any production that was previously done in the U.S.A., other than having IMBEL supply an increasing quantity of finished G.I. and Mil-Spec pistols to meet demand.
About the history part... I'm not quite sure that applies. Springfield Armory USA has no connection at all to the original Springfield Armory owned by the U.S. military. The latter is on the Connecticut River in western Massachusetts and was closed in 1968. The former is in Illinois and began in 1974 when the Reese family obtained the rights to the Springfield name. They're very clear about this fact... and have never claimed to be the 'original' Springfield Armory. They do have the name... and rightfully claim to preserve the heritage. It's savvy marketing... which in its self is as American as apple pie.
One last thought... Springfield could produce their 1911A1 pistols entirely in the U.S.A. if desired. This would require that they forge (or contract to a domestic supplier) all frames, slides and barrels. You might feel better about the pistol... but you're sure going to pay more for it... and their production quantity would no doubt decrease too.
My apology for a somewhat long and rambling 'explanation'... but my coffee driven insomnia does make me a bit talkative...
Cliff
Short answer: The collector’s choice would be a factory built standard model M1A rifle between serial numbers 0422XX and 063000. You can e-mail me for a complimentary copy of this in .pdf format.
M1A Serial Number(s) Comments
000001 to 003700 Texas era receivers tend to exhibit one or more dimensional flaws as identified by retired M14 gunsmith Art Luppino. Springfield Armory, Inc. in Texas assembled about 2000 complete rifles using USGI parts before it was sold to Bob Reese (Geneseo, IL). An additional 120 rifles were built for Elmer Bal lance by Glenn Nelson and Wayne Young before June 1974 using stripped or barreled receivers supplied by Elmer.
000001 to 063XXX Receivers machined by Valley Ordnance Co. were given a lot of hand grinding and polishing by Melvin Smith. Specifically, these areas were: 1) the exterior heel corners on the sides 2) the flat surface aft of the operating rod channel 3) the top surface of the left receiver wall from the cartridge clip guide to the barrel ring 4) the vertical surface on the right side behind the cartridge clip guide all the way back including the windage knob ear 5) the left side of the barrel ring forward of the horizontal scope mount groove 6) the magazine well aft of the feed lips and 7) the top surface of the barrel ring after all machining operations that located off the barrel ring had been done. This cosmetic detailing is evident as late as M1A serial number 062857 but was no longer being done by serial number 064922. Note that the hand polishing served to enhance the aesthetic appearance but did not add to the functional ability of the M1A receiver. As Melvin Smith moved to semi-retirement the receiver surfaces noted above were finished by machine. For example, the magazine well on M1A receivers was cut and broached by machine tool after Mr. Smith purchased Hillside Manufacturing.
000011 Receiver left side connector lock hole is present.
000049 Receiver left side connector lock hole is missing. Receiver heel rear end wall centerline thickness is ¼ “.
000377 Highest observed serial number with 7.62-MM marking on the receiver heel.
000440 Lowest observed serial number with 7.62-mm marking on the receiver heel.
000567 to 000708 Within this serial number range, Valley Ordnance Co. changed the receiver design. The rear end of the M1A receiver bolt right lug slot, located under the rear sight base cover, was extended 0.080 ' to the rear to prevent possible damage to the bolt roller.
001XXX to 002XXX Gray-Syracuse, Inc. becomes the casting supplier of M1A receivers.
002010 Receiver left side connector lock hole is still missing.
002068 Receiver left side connector lock hole reappears for good.
002709 Lowest known serial number (stripped receiver) sold by SA, Inc. located in Geneseo, IL.
002877 Highest documented serial number (complete rifle) shipped from Springfield Armory, Inc. in Texas.
002884 Receiver heel rear end wall centerline thickness is 5/16 “. Serial numbers after this have noticeably less steel cut away in the bolt raceways after of the cartridge clip guide.
002884 to 010048 At some point in this serial number range, the receiver design was changed to incorporate a hemispherical cut in the windage knob ear outboard side (commercial NM rear sight).
002903 Lowest documented serial number (complete rifle) shipped from Springfield Armory, Inc. in Illinois.
003306 Highest documented serial number (stripped receiver) shipped from Springfield Armory, Inc. in Texas.
003700 Highest documented serial number for receiver production while Springfield Armory, Inc. was located in Texas. Valley Ordnance Co. resumed receiver production on September 21, 1974 at serial number 003701. Springfield Armory, Inc. in Texas was sold around November 01, 1974 to Bob Reese in Illinois. During July and August 1974, Valley Ordnance was completing 75 receivers per week. Based on this output, the highest receiver serial number while Springfield Armory, Inc. was located in Texas is estimated at about 004075.
004357 to 004379 January 01, 1976: In this serial number range, a factory one year limited warranty is in force after the initial purchase of a rifle.
007XXX to 020XXX SOME receivers made from AISI 4140 alloy steel. The elevation serrations wear prematurely but can be repaired using an elevation disk. These receivers are serviceable, no other issues reported.
007XXX to 037XXX Springfield Armory, Inc. does not have USGI chromium plated barrels for assembly of complete rifles. Factory installed barrels in this serial number range will be commercial manufacture but machined by Hillside Manufacturing (Dallas, PA) using Wilson Arms blanks.
007041 A commercial unlined standard profile barrel and a commercial operating rod used to build standard model M1A.
0093XX A commercial unlined standard profile barrel, a commercial bolt and a commercial operating rod are used in the assembly of this standard model M1A. Hillside Manufacturing machined reproduction operating rods, trigger housings, flash suppressors, bolts, operating rod spring guides and barrels. No gas cylinders were made by Hillside Manufacturing or Valley Ordnance. It has not been confirmed but most likely the trigger housing and flash suppressor castings for M1A parts were also produced by Gray-Syracuse, Inc. since Mr. Smith was loyal to his suppliers. Valley Ordnance did the finish machining on cast semi-finished cartridge clip guides supplied to the firm. The reproduction bolts, operating rods and trigger housings were stamped at Valley Ordnance. The operating rod spring guides were made from plate steel using a punch press with progressive dies. The operating rods were supplied to Hillside Manufacturing already welded together. Hillside Manufacturing machined the operating rods to final dimension.
017XXX to 020XXX The 18 “ barreled M1A models first appear.
030061 Receiver heel rear end wall centerline thickness is 3/8 “.
0343XX Highest observed serial number with receiver bottom side right hand ridge.
038XXX About this time, large quantities of USGI M14 parts are imported into the United States and become available on the surplus market. Springfield Armory, Inc. and other firearms related businesses buy large quantities of these USGI parts.

Springfield Serial Number Xd

038770 Highest observed factory built select fire model
040XXX Receiver was redesigned to move the barrel chamber slightly forward to increase bolt lock up time.
042201 Lowest observed serial number without the receiver bottom side right hand ridge. The bottom side ridge was removed from the design as part of the changes made for economic reasons. It meant two less machining cuts but it also had the benefit of a better fit with various makes of stocks.
042201 to 063000 This is the serial number range that I refer to as the Golden Age of the M1A. The receiver design had fully matured by this time. The receivers were hand finished by the original designer and master craftsman, Melvin Smith. Springfield Armory, Inc. was awash in USGI parts during this period. Thus, factory built standard model M1A rifles in this serial number range were built with a very high USGI parts count.
0630XX 7.62mm caliber marking is on the receiver heel.
063112 7.62mm caliber marking no longer appears on the receiver heel.
064872 Rear lugged receivers are now available from the factory.
070005 to 072074 January 01, 1993: In this serial number range, a lifetime limited warranty is now in effect for the original buyer of a factory built rifle.
07157X to 075XXX Factory shipping boxes change from green and white to blue and white.
072XXX to 073XXX By this serial number range, the operating rod rail dimensions have been narrowed for a tighter fit with the operating rod tab.
0748XX Late version SA, Inc. commercial manufacture operating rod now used to assemble complete rifles.
081004 Built at the factory with the following USGI parts: TRW trigger housing, HR-N hammer, TRW bolt, Winchester barrel, and WCE USGI rear sight elevation and windage knobs.
084000 Generally accepted highest “safe” serial number for pre-’94 AW ban rifles. Since about this serial number, no M1A rifles have been factory built with lugged flash suppressors.
097726 The last completed receiver from Valley Ordnance Co. is shipped to Geneseo, IL.
098XXX The loaded standard model is debuted.
100042 Highest observed serial number with Gray-Syracuse, Inc. pour lot marking
102570 Change in pour lot markings indicates the change in casting supplier for receivers.
124XXX The factory is installing commercial manufacture forged bolts (F prefix series) in rifles.

Springfield Armory

136XXX to 165XXX Some receivers in this range have scope mount grooves too narrow for side three point scope mounts offered by other companies, e.g., Sadlak Industries, Smith Enterprise, etc.
139XXX Use of USGI parts in factory built rifles begins to noticeably drop.
161920 With rare exception after this serial number, commercial unlined barrels are installed on standard model M1A rifles. SA, Inc. machines the barrels from Wilson Arms supplied blanks.
162708 Lowest observed serial number for the M1A SOCOM series.
165XXX About 300 receivers in this serial number range have heels stamped AROMRY instead of ARMORY.
166761 Highest known serial number for a complete rifle built during the ten year federal Assault Weapons ban.
192260 Factory built standard model with all commercial parts except USGI fiberglass (with black crinkle) stock, operating rod spring guide, trigger housing and hammer. Fit and function meet my expectations. I would buy this rifle and be proud to own it.
218XXX About this serial number, M1A rifles may be assembled with new manufacture polymer stocks as the inventory of USGI fiberglass stocks (with blank crinkle) have been used up.
241552 Most recent manufacture date (November 2009).
By January 2010, 22 “ standard profile barrels, muzzle brakes and lugless flash suppressors are manufactured by Dasan Machineries, Ltd. (Jeollabuk, Korea).