Decoding metal 302 housings

[poplar1]

Most metal 302 housings have a code stamped into the metal, other than the H-1, H-3, etc. Some have suggested that these are to mark the die number. Here are a few I looked at today:

Housing:        Base:
(none)...........12-37
(none)...........1-38
B103.............2-38
B221.............3-38
C42...............3-38
C93...............3-38
D81...............4-38
D132..E132.....6-38   [corrected]
F141..............6-38
G-61..............7-38
L131..............1/39
B271..............2/40
L13................12/40
A3 2...............1/41
C72................3/41
H2 2...............8/41
H253..............8/41
J201..............10/41   

Rearranging them by month instead of chronologically:

January:  --,  L131
February: B103, B271
March: B221, C93, C72, C42
April: D81
June: E132, F141
July: G61
August: H2 2, H253
October: J201
December: --, L13

Notice a pattern now?

If we assign a letter to each month, then A=January, B=February, ...L=December (12th letter for 12th month). In each of 15 metal housings with markings, the letter stamped matches the month for the base, or it is just one month off.

Also, the earliest housings (37-38) have an unpainted edge around the inside (Achilles' heel?). And  H-1 is stamped on the outside of the housings, above the "mouse hole" for the mounting cord, in most 1937-38 housings, instead of printed inside.

   

[poplar1]

So far, 3 housings out of 15 were made during the month prior to the date on the baseplate. Of those 3, at least 2 phones were  assembled early in the month following the "date" on the housing.

E132  (not F for June): 6-38 Base  6-3-38 receiver, 5-24-38 receiver cap
L131   (not A for Jan.)  1-39 Base  1-11-39 receiver.
B221  (not C for March) 3-38 Base (no handset present)

Perhaps you can now determine if the metal housing month "matches" the rest of your 302.

[Scotophor]

From this, I would gather that the letter prefix designates the month the housing was cast. The more familiar date code would have been applied after the housing was painted, which could have been very soon or quite a while after the shell was cast, depending upon production schedules, problems and demand.

[poplar1]

The metal housings usually have no date at all. That's why it's been so frustrating trying to figure out when they were made.

Now to figure out if there is any rhyme or reason to the numbers which follow the letter.

[Scotophor]

It looks like the final digit is only ever 1, 2 or 3. I wonder what that could signify.

Ignoring the final digit, the other 1 or 2 digits only seem to go as high as 27.

[poplar1]

C'mon guys. Check your metal 302s. We need more examples.

[rp2813]

I have a 302 E/G  (in vermillion on the bottom) with chassis dated 8/38. 

The stamp inside the housing is L81.

Looks like maybe the phone's base components aren't as matching dates as I thought, but it's also possible that many years ago when I was using it as my only household phone, I switched out the housing with another one (that I no longer have) because it was in better shape.

Somewhere out there is a housing stamped Hn(n)n that's likely covering a 12/38-41 base.

[rp2813]

Since the last digit is either a 1, 2 or 3, I suspect they could indicate the shift during which the housing was produced.  The one or two digits following the letter could indicate the day of the month.

Decoding under those assumptions, the B271/2-40 was a close call even if 1940 was a leap year, and the L13/12-40 could have sat for nearly a month before it was paired up with its base.

I think it's plausible that some housings didn't get matched up to bases for a couple of weeks as suggested by the ones coded B221, E132, and L131.

Could the D132 housing (on the list) and the E132 in the second post possibly be the same item? 

[poplar1]

Thanks A.J. and Ralph for the comments.

[poplar1]

Housing:        Base:

H1-3 or H1 stamped in metal outside over the "mouse hole"
Small Plungers:
(none)............4-37         
(none)............7-37
(none)...........7-37
(none)...........10-37

Standard plungers:
(none)...........11-37
(none)...........11-37
(none)...........12-37
(none)...........12-37
(none)...........12-37

(none)...........1-38
(none)...........1-38
(none)...........1-38
B103.............2-38
I2 2...............2-38**
B221.............3-38*
C4 2..............3-38
C8 3..............3-38
C9 2..............3-38
C9 3..............3-38
D4 1..............4-38
D8 1..............4-38
D131.............4-38
D252.............4-38
E6 3..............6-38*
E103.............6-38*
E132.............6-38*   
F141..............6-38

H1 stamped inside in vermilion ink:
G6 1.............7-38
L8 1..............8-38**
K221.............11-38
K301.............12-38*
L283..............12-38

L131..............1/39*
A231..............1/39
A272..............2/39*...(H4 tel set mounting)
(none)............2/39
C1 2...............3/39
D212..............4/39
E242...............5/39
F5 3................6/39
F6 3................6/39
G113..............7/39
H233..............8/39
H281..............9/39*
J302...............10/39
K131..............11/39
K163...............11/39
L152...............12/39

A262..............1/40
E1 2...............1/40**
B271..............2/40
E1 2...............5/40
F103..............6/40
I 43................9/40
J243..............10/40
(none)...........10/40
K1 3..............11/40
K1 3..............11/40
L1  3..............12/40

A3 2...............1/41
A281...............2/41*
B243...............3/41*
C7  2..............3/41
F3  3................7/41*
H2 2...............8/41
H3 1...............8/41
H253..............8/41
I113...............9/41
J201..............10/41
(none)............11/41

A8 1...............1/42
B2 1...............2/42

CCC...............3/46
CCC...............4/46
CCC...............6/46

* made in month preceding chassis date
** out of sequence

=========================================================

---------------------------

Housing	Base
	1937
H1 stamped	into metal on outside over mouse hole
Small	Plungers
(none)	4-37
(none)	7-37
(none)	7-37
(none)	10-37
Standard	Plungers
(none)	11-37
(none)	11-37
(none)	12-37
(none)	12-37
(none)	12-37
	1938
(none)	1-38
(none)	1-38
(none)	1-38
B103	2-38
I2 2	2-38**
B221	3-38*
C4 2	3-38
C8 3	3-38
C9 2	3-38
C9 3	3-38
D4 1	4-38
D8 1	4-38
D131	4-38
D252	4-38
E6 3	6-38*
E103	6-38*
E132	6-38*
F141	6-38
H1 stamped	inside shell in vermilion ink
G6 1	7-38
L8 1	8-38**
K221	11-38
K301	12-38*
L283	12-38
	1939
L131	1/39*
A231	1/39
A272	2/39* - H4 Mount
(none)	2/39
C1 2	3/39
D212	4/39
E242	5/39
F5 3	6/39
F6 3	6/39
G113	7/39
H233	8/39
H281	9/39*
J302	10/39
K131	11/39
K163	11/39
L152	12/39
	1940
A262	1/40
E1 2	1/40**
B271	2/40
E1 2	5/40
F103	6/40
I4 3	9/40
J243	10/40
(none)	10/40
K1 3	11/40
K1 3	11/40
L1 3	12/40
	1941
A3 2	1/41
A281	2/41*
B243	3/41*
C7 2	3/41
F3 3	7/41*
H2 2	8/41
H3 1	8/41
H253	8/41
I113	9/41
J201	10/41
(none)	11/41
	1942
A8 1	1/42
B2 1	2/42
	1946
CCC	3/46
CCC	4/46
CCC	6/46
NOTES:
	* made in month preceding chassis date
	** out of sequence

---------------------------

[rp2813]

The mention below of solid core vs. hollow core F1 handsets prompts another question.

I thought maybe there was a connection between those two types and the terms "Made By Western Electric" (solid) and "Manufactured By Western Electric" (hollow) on the grips, but I checked and found one of my solid core types has the "Made By . . ." on it.  So much for that theory.  Why would they even go to the trouble of changing that one word?  I've always felt that "Manufactured By . . ." indicated an earlier handset. 

This change may be too esoteric to ever figure out when it was made, but I thought I'd throw it out there. 

[poplar1]

The mention below of solid core vs. hollow core F1 handsets prompts another question.

I thought maybe there was a connection between those two types and the terms "Made By Western Electric" (solid) and "Manufactured By Western Electric" (hollow) on the grips, but I checked and found one of my solid core types has the "Made By . . ." on it.  So much for that theory.  Why would they even go to the trouble of changing that one word?  I've always felt that "Manufactured By . . ." indicated an earlier handset. 

This change may be too esoteric to ever figure out when it was made, but I thought I'd throw it out there. 

You can probably tell when the F1 handle was made. If the date is not stamped in ink (1930s), then the numbers stamped at the top of the handle, above the receiver cavity, will indicate the date of manufacture. For example: "20" would indicate 2/40 or 2/50. "100" would mean 10/40 or 10/50. You can then probably eliminate one of the two years: if it is solid core, it is the older date.

[Sargeguy]

Since the last digit is either a 1, 2 or 3, I suspect they could indicate the shift during which the housing was produced.

I don't think that WE was stamping out housings around the clock, the number probably indicates the mold, or the plant, or something like that.  This is true for plastic housings as well, which also have a number 1-3. 

[Scotophor]

Hmm, I see a couple of _28_ codes now, but no 29, 30 or 31. With so many examples, you'd think that if rp2813 is right about that part of the code being the day of the month, we'd have found one of those by now. Unless all the plants shut down production the last few days of every month for maintenance, retooling, etc. ...

[Greg G.]

L281 A281 with a 2-41 base date.  This is a non-dial phone.