David Kennedy, former curator at Cody, is a careful fellow. I wonder if his data uses the polishing room records? That might account for a date that is earlier than the Warehouse date. For those readers here who may not know this, the naked receiver was serialized in the Polishing room before being sent off for assembly.
According to BATF, that is the date that determines whether or not the rifle has antique status. Most frames went into assembly immediately, but there are cases where a frame could sit around for a few years before being assembled. I have a Model 1876 where that happened. So relevant dates for any Winchester are:
- Polishing room date (unassembled receiver was serialized)
- Date it was received in the warehouse (usually within a day or so of completed assembly)
- Shipping date (anywhere from the same day to a year later after entering the warehouse).
The Cody Museum has started issuing letters with all three dates on them. As for me, the most meaningful date is the date it was finished, which is the warehouse date.
With regard to whether one can shoot a rifle so old, let me reassure you, Pigwacker, that you most certainly can. I went hunting this year with a Model 1876 made in 1886. I do a lot of shooting with Winchesters that are over 100 years old. Of course, I do it with care, avoiding bumping them on rocks and trees, etc.