Or, why I should always verify things with my own eyes and never assume anything.

I had a consecutive pair of original design (aka prototype) X-FIVE Facettes (71-226-018068 and 71-226-08069) bought NIB from MMBI. #68 was field stripped initially for detailed pics. The proof year was 2018 (BI date code). This one was shot. I sold it recently.

#69 remains unfired and was never field stripped. Only external pics were taken. I had always assumed that, since they are consecutive, they must have been proofed the same year, 2018, right? Wrong! So, I was field stripping it today to verify something else, and imagine my surprise, the date code was BK (2019). So, what happened? Have no ideas, but I guess they proofed #68 at the end of 2018, took the New Year break and proofed #69 right after.

Here is the pair together.





This is #68 (BI date code):


And #69 (BK date code):

That's very cool Q. What where you doing up at 2:30am

quote:

Originally posted by Blue Dog:
That's very cool Q. What where you doing up at 2:30am

Obviously, Taking pics of guns!!

quote:

Originally posted by straightshooter01:

quote:

Originally posted by Blue Dog:
That's very cool Q. What where you doing up at 2:30am

Obviously, Taking pics of guns!!

Sun's down. Dracula's up.

Those Facettes pistols are fascinating. It took me a while staring at them but I concluded the diamond pattern is the same on both pistols. I can only guess it is done by laser or wire EDM. EDM seems more like it to me. I know of no American pistol Smith or any Custom Shop who would ever come up with such a design. They truly are among the nicest X guns ever made.

They were done by laser, David.

This is very interesting. Last fall there was a CZ 75 for sale on GB with a proof date of 1984 and the SN is EXACTLY 50 pistols later than my CZ 75 which has a proof date of 1985.

Some more interesting factoids on the Facettes. From the letter by the former Head of Sales at SIG DE (Hendrik Geissler), there were a total of 25 of the Facettes ever made. There were two variants, the original design/prototype and the production gun. The quartz crystal patterns are the same on both, but the real eye-catching differences are in the several roll marks. Below pics point them out. Other minor differences are the stainless grip screws and the extended mag release on the prototype.

Prototype definitely the better looking option, IMO.

Beautiful works of art! So fantastic to locate a year break point. I keep looking for the same evidence all through the serial lists.Your correction is up.

And no useless front slide serrations. Hoo ray!!! Off hand I don’t recall that being the case for any other P226 X5 (or X6) model.

But also no useful rear slide serrations.

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:
Prototype definitely the better looking option, IMO.

Totally agree. The production gun looks too much like a billboard.

quote:

Originally posted by Udo:
Beautiful works of art! So fantastic to locate a year break point. I keep looking for the same evidence all through the serial lists.Your correction is up.

Thank you!

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
And no useless front slide serrations. Hoo ray!!! Off hand I don’t recall that being the case for any other P226 X5 (or X6) model.

But also no useful rear slide serrations.

And look, Ma, at that massive dust cover. No rail.

December and January babies?

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:
December and January babies?

Yeah, gotta be. Only reasonable, logical explanation.

Are the dates stamped only on the barrel? If so, maybe the barrels were produced over the dates as you said while the guns were just consecutive.

I feel that all the text on the frame and slides, including inside the slides, is laser engraved. You cannot achieve the text clarity and squareness by a round cutter or engraving tool, CNC. I have further thought on the markings shortly as I need to gather my thoughts.

quote:

Originally posted by SigSAC:
Are the dates stamped only on the barrel? If so, maybe the barrels were produced over the dates as you said while the guns were just consecutive.

You can see the codes in his photos, BI and BK.

The BI barrel shroud codes are applied using a method called pin point marking or dot peen marking. I have marked parts on a basic machine as such. Look closely at the text and you can see dot,dot, dot,dot,dot. The BK barrel shroud code looks exactly like a roll stamp with raised material around the text.

quote:

Originally posted by David Lee:

quote:

Originally posted by SigSAC:
Are the dates stamped only on the barrel? If so, maybe the barrels were produced over the dates as you said while the guns were just consecutive.

You can see the codes in his photos, BI and BK.

The date code indicates the year the gun was proof tested and passed. The gun has to be assembled into completeness, tested, and if passes, receives the proof mark and date code. The barrel doesn't just receive the marks on its own. In the old days, SIG Sauer put the date code on the chin of the slide. Then, some years later, they changed location to the barrel hood.

The German P210s get their date code on the side of the slide.

We need a picture of that P210 now..Wow! Bring it Q..