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At this point, I simply don't believe any of the sources of serial number/date info on the Model 1906. Yes, factories do "clean up" when production of a model ceases, but 100,000 "cleanup"? No way. If numbers were skipped (why?) in what range were they? It looks to me like none of the "experts" know; they just keep citing each other and no one has accurate information.
In fairness, that is not surprising. Prior to the passage of the Gun Control Act of 1968, serial numbers were not required on firearms, and many inexpensive guns did not have any at all. They were considered primarily a means of inventory control at the factory warehouse and by distributors and dealers. (That is why most factories recorded shipping dates, not manufacturing dates.) If a model underwent changes, they could be used by the factory to determine the correct part, but the Model 1906 remained essentially the same throughout production.
Jim
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