Any dustcover with numbers and no proofs is highly suspect, but look again and look closely. The proofs are small japanese characters and if not perfectly struck are easy to over look. As far as your list goes navybuff, it is a great idea. but I have some comments. In Nagoya I have seen 2 6th series guns with matched DC, 1 was at a local show long before I was taking written notes, so I don't have a number,as I also didn't have the cash (grinds teeth) And I have seen a rifle in the 57k of the 6th. I don't like how in kokura you have a high for the 23rd series and a high for the 24th. I believe as your number pretty much indicates that the entire 23rd series was issued with DCs. My noted high on Kokura is #104 in the 24th. I am not saying that there were none higher, but 99k is a really tough one to agree with. At this point someone is screaming about my hipocracy about saying I have a higher number here, but that high is baloney, and I agree it is. 99k of the 24th is a pretty advanced number in kokuras transition guns, about 20k before change to last ditch. In all other manufacturers the dropping of the DC apparently happened at least a full series before change to last ditch. This wouldn't be the first time I got flak on my number in the 6th, and I have every intention of focusing on the rifle next time I am near it and take pics (I know where it is) and I suggest whom ever has the 99k 24th really take a good look and possibly post pics. In the mean time as we don't want the possibility of some one turning down a rifle because they may think this chart is law, it should be stated that "some examples seen, no deffinitive number" implies that there are possibly some examples but need more info. I already mentioned above that this is a great idea, and I think we should have a decent FAQ or basic info section in the stickies. To be honest I never looked, I came here with a knowledge base, but I am sur I have heard others direct newbies to other pages for examples of this and that. Some of those pages are practically dead and floating in cyberspace. If we are the premier japanese rifle board we should have the info here, and able to be updated.