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Author Topic: Bowling ball serial numbers  (Read 83526 times)

spencerwatts

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Bowling ball serial numbers
« on: August 30, 2014, 01:39:21 PM »
Before I stopped bowling back in 1996, the first digit of a bowling ball's serial number was the way of identifying what year it was made (e.g., 5B112345). So I've been back bowling since January 2014, and I've noticed bowling ball serial numbers are different with letters as the first in the alpha-numeric string (e.g., HFL51988). How is it done now?
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Aloarjr810

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Re: Bowling ball serial numbers
« Reply #1 on: August 30, 2014, 02:18:36 PM »
This is the last info I have gathered from the forums:

Old chart of Brunswick Serial Number codes.

First letter is the month.
A - Jan. B - Feb. C - Mar. D - April E - May F - June
G - July H - Aug. I - Sept. J - Oct. K - Nov. L - Dec.

Second letter is the year
F - 1992 G - 1993 H - 1994 I - 1995 J - 1996 K - 1997 L - 1998 M - 1999 N - 2000
O - 2001 P - 2002 R - 2003 S - 2004 T - 2005 Y - 2006 Z - 2007 A - 2008

But now this has changed since they moved to Mexico.


Storm/Rotogrip, the year is the first two, followed by a three letter code for the ball
Followed by a batch code, then a ball serial number (the specific ball in the batch)



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charlest

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Re: Bowling ball serial numbers
« Reply #2 on: August 30, 2014, 02:19:54 PM »
That wasn't true for all manufacturers.
I know Brunswick's code had the first letter representing the month it was made,
Jan - A, Feb - B, Mar - C, April - D, May - E, June - F, July - G, Aug - H, Sept - I, Oct - J, Nov - K, Dec - L.

and the second letter represented the year.
2005 - T
2006 - Y
2007 - Z
2008 - A
etc.
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spencerwatts

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Re: Bowling ball serial numbers
« Reply #3 on: August 30, 2014, 02:31:43 PM »
Thanks. I should have clarified that my Brunswick and Radical equipment that I've purchased this year uses the alpha to start the serial number string.
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Ball speed avg. (18.25 mph)
Rev rate avg. (400-428 rpm)
Still refusing to accept AARP eligibility and membership cards

MI 2 AZ

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Re: Bowling ball serial numbers
« Reply #4 on: August 31, 2014, 02:39:15 AM »
Visionary uses SL (St Louis) then the next two numbers represent the year.
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