Been to Browning's website. I'll give them a call if I can find a phone #. I'm trying to get a manufacturing date but the serial number doesn't appear in their descriptions and comes up not valid with a search.
Found it. The woman who answered was very helpful.
Phone number for anyone turning this thread up in a search:
Browning/Winchester 800-333-3288
http://www.browning.com/customerserv...etail.asp?id=5
So,
1.) The serial numbers are not always where the manuals say they should be.
2.) They are not always in the format the Browning website indicates they should be (on one of my rifles, a "47" meant that the rifle was manufactured in 1974)
Thanks, Scorch, for the suggestion.
W