Dating Your Bear Bows By EZADO The information below has been compiled from various resources including the internet, guides, personal experience and people we know. We hope that you find this information useful. Since we have the opportunity to sell a lot of different items through our eBay Drop Off Store certain things start to stick out that seem to sell extremely well. One item that sticks out are the vintage BEAR Recurve Bows. Recently on an out of town trip we stopped by an antique store like we usually do and saw this recurve bow in the corner. Since we were already somewhat familiar with how well bows have sold from selling them for a client we naturally gravitated to it.

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It looked to be in excellent condition and came with a quiver and 3 different sets of arrows. The asking price was $100.00 and we ultimately got all of it for $75.00.

Based on the dating procedures listed below we determined that this was a Fred Bear Kodiak Recurve bow from 1965 in excellent condition. It was a 60' bow with a 44# pull.

After we got the bow to our store we noticed that inside the big quiver was a smaller single quiver. Based on a light embossed marking on this smaller, leather quiver that we pulled out we were able to date it to the late 1940's. We decided to break this up into 3 different auctions and started all three at $9.99. The results of the auctions are listed at the end of this article. DATING YOUR FRED BEAR BOW There are several features and changes that were made to the bear bows over the years that will help narrow the age of your bow or your potential investment.

The first 'Bear' named bow was the Grizzly in 1949. The Kodiak and Polar appear in 1950. The Ranger continues but all previous model names are dropped.

The Serial Number: These bows usually have, what appears to be a hand inscription on one of the limbs that gives a serial number along with the length and pull weight of the bow. This serial number works very well for dating Bear Bows from 1965-1969 when the first digit of the serial number is the year of manufacture. For example, a serial number of 5L212 would be a 1965 Bow. Prior to 1965, the serial numbers for all Bear bows were started over every month, making these bows almost impossible to date by serial number alone. The 'K' series of serial numbers (for example KZ9672) were started in 1970. Patent Mark: Most of the BEAR Bows we have sold have the logo and the US Patents printed on it along with the date of CANADA 1953.

This date that is printed on all bows made between 1953 and 1972 is simply the date of the patent for a working recurve limb and has nothing to do with the actual model year. Decals & Silkscreening: In 1948 the small Running Bear decal was first and then was replaced by the large Standing Bear decal in mid-1953. The large Standing Bear decal also has the words 'Glass Powered Bow' under the Standing Bear. The large Standing Bear decal was used until 1955 when it was replaced with silk-screening the identification on the bows. By 1956 the silk-screening appeared on all bows. All Wood vs Laminate: If your bow is ALL wood (no laminations of any kind) then your bow had to be made before the mass productions beginning in 1949. If the ALL wood bow has a stamp that reads 'Bear Products' in some form it would have been made before the early to mid 40's.

If it is stamped 'Bear Archery' it would have been made AFTER the early-mid 40's and BEFORE 1949. Also wooden bows with a small 'Running Bear' decal can be dated to 1948 5. The Leather Grip: ALL Bear bows had leather grips until 1959. In 1959, the Kodiak Special removed the leather grip and in 1961 the Kodiak did the same, as well as the Grizzly in 1964. The Coin Medallion: Beginning in 1959 all Bear bows had a coin medallion of one type of metal or another. Below are the approx date ranges for the type of coin used. Copper Coin – 1959 Aluminum - 1960-1961 Pewter – 1962 Brass - 1963 – 1970 Nickel-Silver - 1971-1972 ALL coins were flush with the wood until 1972.

In late 1972 the coin was raised above the surface of the bow and came in both gold and chrome covered plastic and are still used in Bear bows today. Manufacturer Location: in 1978 Bear moved all manufacturing and offices to Gainesville, Florida. If your bow shows Gainesville on it then it was made after 1978 8. Model Of The Bow: Check the Model of the bow. Below is a yearly production chart for the most popular Bear Bows.

Browning year confusion. Messages posted to thread: From: Date: 17-Feb-13 Every time I think I've figured out Browning serial numbers and years, I'm not convinced.

The bow on the left is 'Baby' my Explorer I. The bow on the left is another Explorer I now in the shop and mid-way through a restoration. Which do you think is the older bow? From: Date: 17-Feb-13 Here are the serial numbers. Baby begins with a 4 the fixer-upper with a 1. From: Date: 17-Feb-13 i would say the one on the right is older.thanks From: Date: 17-Feb-13 The fancier one.

Before they started to cut corners to speed up production! Serial numbers arn't to reliable on Brownings.and like early Bears they started over every so often. From: Date: 17-Feb-13 The earlier Explorers (pre I & II) were 62' and solid wood.

But no 5/16' accessory insert. Mine is a 1966 (I believe) and the serial is as the image: From: Date: 18-Feb-13 I agree with SB. IF.we buy into the first digit being the year the right bow must be a '71 because I don't think they were being made in '61. I'd always assumed Baby was a '74, partly because Stab bushings didn't become common until around 1970. But having a later built bow with so much more cosmetic detail seems somehow wrong. Unless somebody knows more, I'm now thinking Baby is a 1964 putting it ahead by a few years of the other brand top-model bows with black/white riser overlays.

But Stumpkiller's '66? Doesn't have the bushing, but mine does.hmmmm. Rick From: Date: 18-Feb-13 I have most of the Browning catalogs and around 30 Browning bows. I am certain that the bow with overlays was made later than the other bow. The 4 does mean 1974 and the 1 is a 1971. I really love those Explorers and also the Cobra II's.

From: From: Date: 22-Feb-13 Thanks Golden Trout. Here's what I now 'think'. Brownings were first 'officially' introduced in 1963, but there may have been a few produced earlier as the deal between Browning and Gordon Composites was developing. We still don't know exactly what Harry Drake's role was whether designer only or hands on production/bowyer. This is the first 1975 I've seen.

In those pre-computer days, a 1975 catalog would have to have been type set in late Summer of '74 so was likely finished before AMF decided to stop producing them IF indeed it was AMF/Wing making them. And I'm leaning more and more toward yes they were.

AND, I'm beginning to doubt the repeated rumor some of the Colt Firearms trade bows were made by Pearson as well as Wing. The Colt Huntsman above has the same riser lamination design as some Wing Presentation models. AND check out this photo I picked off e-Bay this morning.

Based on this, it appears Wing was making at least one Pearson labeled bow, the Pearson Cobra. Who'da thunk it that Wing was making some Pearsons? But it sure looks like it.

From: Date: 22-Feb-13 Here's another. Identical markings on this Pearson as on the Wing/Colt From: Date: 22-Feb-13 It is my understanding that until 1973, when Browning bought out Gordon Plastics bow making facility entirely, GP was producing bows for any number of companies. This might be why many of the Browning models and others are so close in design and looks. FROM THE GORDON COMPOSITES WEBSITE on the history of Gordon Plastics: In 1973 they (Gordon Plastics) sold the bow company to Browning Arms. Their archery accounts during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s included all of the leading companies – Root Archery, Bear Archery, Wing Archery and Ben Pearson Archery.

From: Date: 22-Feb-13 Wasn't it 1963 instead of 1973? From: Date: 22-Feb-13 Thanks Jaz, that too makes some sense, although I can't think of a Bear model that would 'fit'.

Rick From: Date: 22-Feb-13 True enough Lon, Even if the Gordon site says '73 and not '63 as we all believe to be true, we can't trust web sites. Heck, the last time I looked the Martin site couldn't even get Damon Howatt's death year correct. Rick From: Date: 22-Feb-13.Wasn't it 1963 instead of 1973?. Gordon Plastics began building bows for Browning in '63 (And had been and continued to build for others as well).

In '73 Gordon Plastics wanted to focus solely on providing laminates for other makers and sold their entire bow manufacturing to Browning. My guess is you won't see the types of similarities this thread addressed after 73. From: Date: 22-Feb-13 The plot thickens. Ok, sometime after '71 we find some Brownings, notably the Explorer I and II got much improved cosmetics and as I look very closely at Golden trout's '75 it has one more limb lamination (5) vs. My '74's (4), both signify high quality. The question then is by whom and where were the later ones built?

Browning buying the bow building business doesn't necessarily mean they ran the San Diego shop. And including a reasonable amount of inventory, you could fit the whole shop into a single truck. Well.Wing seems the most logical.

We know Wing built the Colts in the '60s and we have an identical Pearson, and the Colt Huntsman riser I show plus the Pearson, match the lamination pattern of some '60s era Wing Presentations. That does not explain why the Browning Explorer is a match of these other bows however, other than these guys really DID copy one another and both came on the market at the same time (as far as I can tell). Anybody else know something?

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Rick From: Date: 22-Feb-13 It has been more than ten years ago but I recall someone selling a partially finished cobra riser on ebay. The seller claimed he pulled the riser out of a dumpster behind a shop in San Diego while he was serving there in the Marines in the late sixties. He said the shop 'made bows for Browning' and that the riser was a prototype. Wish I knew who that seller was today. I have a 1968 Explorer II that has taken an impressive number of animals. I'll never sell that bow because it has so much sentimental value.

From: Date: 22-Feb-13 'Ok, sometime after '71 we find some Brownings, notably the Explorer I and II got much improved cosmetics. ' That is a matter of taste.;-) I don't think you can beat solid rosewood without plastic/Phenolic contamination. I put the earlier Explorers at a premium. From: Date: 22-Feb-13 Not sure if this will work. Kind of disappointing, for some reason, I always thought Brownings were made in Morgan, Utah. From: Date: 23-Feb-13 Nice story.

Doesn't bother me. Browning was a brilliant gun/rifle designer, but other folks knew a lot more about bows.;-) I had a Browning rifle that was made in Belgium. Wish I had kept it.

From: Date: 23-Feb-13 Thanks Goldentrout. It answers a lot. But it also adds confusion. What is the date of the article?

Obviously in the early 1960s, but conflicts with Jaz's comments about Gordon making the bows for many companies including Browning. From: Date: 23-Feb-13 Stumpkiller, OK, beauty is in the eye of. How about: Sometime in the early '70's the Explorer received a new cosmetic treatment with a laminated Rosewood riser and overlays that became popular on the top model bows of others such as Bear and Wing. From: Date: 23-Feb-13 The story is from the Jan-Feb 1967 issue of Bow and Arrow Magazine.

Thanks to Shawna for providing this info. From: Date: 23-Feb-13 Looks like an Explorer on the cover shot too. Rick From: Date: 23-Feb-13.but conflicts with Jaz's comments about Gordon making the bows for many companies including Browning. It's not my comment.it came straight from the History tab of the Gordon Composites website.

From: Date: 24-Feb-13 I talked to Don Gordon at the AMO show in Columbus, O. Several years ago about my Gordon collection. He told me he sold his bow division to Browning at the end of 1963, and they moved it all, including the boyers, to Utah. Tom Frick From: Date: 24-Feb-13 That's very strange. The article I posted suggests a NEW facility and a new 'Browning Archery Division' located in San Diego. The story mentions the Challenge (target bow), which my source indicated was not cataloged until 1967.

But clearly there were browning bows prior to 67 - I have an electronic version of the Browning 1963 catalog - the cover of the catalog says 'Introducing Browning Archery Equipment', suggesting 63 is the first year of Browning bows. Also, in the catalog there is mention of a Browning 'Archery Division'. The address for Browning is given as St. But I seem to remember that Browning made their bows in Morgan, Utah (but that could have been just compounds? I really don't know).

Could Browning have moved their production from Morgan to San Diego in 67? Or, is it possible that Browning opened up a SECOND manufacturing facility in San Diego to accommodate growing demand? When did the San Diego facility close? There is the possibility that there are elements of the story that are just flat-out wrong! From the Browning website: 'The Browning line of bows and archery gear were actually manufactured in large part at our own facility in Morgan, Utah a few hundred yards up the road from our business offices.'

Also from the Browning website: 'In 2001, for assorted business and competitive reasons, Browning entered into an agreement with PSE in Arizona to have them take over the license for Browning Archery products. At that point production ceased in Utah and was moved to PSE facilities.' (in Arizona I presume) So, at some point, Browning did make bows in Morgan, but we just don't know what bows, or during what time period.

Tom's conversation with Don Gordon suggests recurve bows were made in Utah, and the Browning website suggests bows of some sort were made in Morgan, Utah from??? Really, I need to drive up to Morgan, find the offices of Browning, and start demanding some answers! Better, yet, one of us needs to hire someone like the 'History Detectives'. The history of Browning Archery is just too complex, there are too many unanswered questions. From: Date: 24-Feb-13 I think its pretty clear the 'Wing' angle is wrong anyway. And the article published in '67 makes it pretty obvious they were still in San Diego (Gordon's home) at that time.

In my research for my books, I've found that Web pages are unreliable, especially since a generation or two passed between the history and there even BEING Web pages. Don Gordon could have easily meant 'sold' in '63, which we all agree was the first year a catalog appeared; EVENTUALLY moving to Utah and that might not have actually happened until the '70s. We still don't know. Heck, Is it significant or just co-incidence that I've yet to see a Browning dated '73? '71, '72, '74 and '75 yes. Rick From: Date: 24-Feb-13 I have a Nomad Stalker I, 52', 50#, ser. No stabilizer bushing.

I try to mimic this bow's grip when modifying other bows.Joe From: Date: 24-Feb-13 Thanks JLB. From: Date: 24-Feb-13 I think a lot of this speculation started,when quiver inserts(in the limbs)and stablizer inserts began to appear on Browning's in the 70's.Several Companies used these type quiver inserts,made popular by Wing Archery.So it was assumed they made the Bow's.The explorer design shared by several companies(colt,Pearson,Browning etc.)was a Harry Drake design.Just knowing the reputation of Browning quality,as evidenced in their guns,it's hard to think they would trust their production to someone else,but you never know though.