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Middlesex, NJ
Jacksonville, AR
Hardwick, VT

The ATF Definition used in the AFMER Reports

ATF files a yearly report to U.S. Congress on the number of firearms manufactured by each manufacturer. This report is called the Annual Firearms Manufacture & Export Report (AFMER). This report states, 'For the purpose of this report only, 'Production' is defined as firearms, including separate frames or receivers, actions or barreled actions, manufactured and disposed of in commerce during the calendar year.' The phrase 'manufactured and disposed of in commerce' infers everything was manufactured and sold within the same calendar year, which is rarely the case in manufacturing.

All parts of a carbine, and all other firearms, are manufactured separately and completed at different times. When all of the parts are assembled into a functioning firearm ready to be sold, the date of manufacture of the firearm is usually the first day it is ready to be sold.

None of the companies that have used the Iver Johnson name have provided any of the information you see on this entire website, this page included.

Reconstruction of the dates of manufacture has been based on the history of the company, markings on the receivers, the firearm's serial number and the AFMER reports. Collecting and analyzing the serial numbers and their markings has been an ongoing process for many years. What's offered here may change slightly as more information becomes available.

The Charts

Since the two letter prefix that starts each serial number was based on the model and various models were manufactured concurrently, each two letter prefix has it's own chart showing that particular prefix's dates of manufacture.

Rather than guess a specific year for a specific serial number the charts below present a serial number range and the years that range started and ended based on the markings and additional resources. Most charts narrow the time frame to within a period of 4 years or less. Conclusions as to the specific year within the time frame a particular number was manufactured are left for the reader to decide.

A few receivers with the markings of Iver Johnson over NJ have been observed sporadically among the carbines manufactured in AR by both Iver Johnson Arms and AMAC. Surplus receivers in various states of manufacture, various markings, and s/n's bought from Numrich Gun Parts have been built into carbines by other companies and by owners.

ATF records indicate 4,524 Enforcers were manufactured/sold between 1978 and 1981. The higher serial number quantity may include rejects and those left over and sold to the Jacksonville, AR investors.

These were receivers with the New Jersey markings and AA prefix absent the serial numbers left over from New Jersey. Serial numbers were added by Jacksonville, AR in 1986. Jacksonville, AR selected these randomly for use as Enforcer receivers and added the E prior to the AA to signify the Enforcer model. The numbers should not be viewed as a sequence. These were built into Enforcers in the months preceding Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in October 1986.

All of these carbines have the markings of Middlesex, NJ, all are stainless steel. The A suffix indicates they were surplus obtained from New Jersey and sold by Jacksonville, AR.

Cartridge was caliber .30 Short, for export to France. Receivers with these markings were purchased from the Iver Johnson bankruptcy sale and sold by Numrich Gun Parts.

All stainless steel carbines with the name of Iver Johnson are marked Iver Johnson Arms over Middlesex, NJ over the breach. The one attributed to Arkansas has the Middlesex, NJ markings and can be identified as one Jacksonville, AR obtained from New Jersey by the A suffix.

The American Historical Foundation first advertised this commemorative in the January 1985 issue of The American Rifleman as a limited production of 2500. Production was based on each order received and completed before Iver Johnson filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy October 21, 1986.