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How can I determine the date of production of my FEDERAL HST .40 cal, 165 grain hollow points? I have five boxes of 50 rounds with #F173V42-F174V51 on the box and another five boxes of 50 rounds with #Q42K2B1U51266.

https://forum.cartridgecollectors.org/t/federal-ammo-manufacture-dates/5512

Found this on the Google.
Perhaps it will help.

Thanks, Ed! However, I found that one, too. All it did was confuse me even more and give me a headache! LOL This can't be all that complicated?!? Monday I'm going to try calling up Federal and asking them.

Since I bought the boxes depicted in the lower photo a few years ago I'm assuming they are later production. The boxes in the first photo seem to be the ones that are being sold at the present time. I just recently picked up those five boxes fearing the upcoming Russian ammo ban is going to drive up prices even more.

I called up FEDERAL today and found out that the ammo in the top photo (#F173V42-F174V51) was produced this year. The ammo in the bottom photo (#Q42K2B1U51266) is 2016 production which makes sense since I bought it about three years ago.

I have to say that the FEDERAL people are great. When I called up this morning the lady took my name, phone number, and the serial numbers on my ammo boxes. She said that someone would call me back. I figured that no one would call and she was just trying to get rid of me. In less than a hour a guy from FEDERAL called and gave me the dates of production and answered my questions about primer sealant.

BTW, when I asked how to determine the dates by the serial numbers on the boxes he told me that FEDERAL did not divulge that information. LOL

So why does it matter?

Holland&Holland wrote:So why does it matter?

Curiosity. I like to know what I have and when I shoot I want to use the oldest ammo first.