Bear Grizzly ???

[tracker12]

Looking at Bear Grizzly with serial # KR43766.  Can someone tell me what year it was produced.

[woodchucker]

1970's... K- Serial numbers aren't as easily determined as the 1960's. A couple good pictures could help narrow it down though!

Try posting this on the Collector's Forum!!!  

[tracker12]

Knowing 70's helps.  Person offering the bow thought it was a 60's bow.

[woodchucker]

Nope... 1960's, the 1st number of the serial# indicated year of manufacture. Early 1970's mostly had solid wood risers. Early mid-70's (1973-4ish) started the two-tone "Futurewood" risers. I believe the "Blue Stripe" Futurewood risers started about late 1975, for the 1976 BiCentenial.

Pictures would help confirm...

[Longtoke]

Some people who really know their stuff can help u narrow it down by the color of the glass and wood. The guys on the collectors forum helped me narrow mine grizzly down to either a 75 or 76 by best guess

[dbd870]

2 tones were out in the early 70's as well.

[yeager]

Is the medallion flush or raised above the surface? Flush would be a 1970/1971. In '72 they went to a raised medallion.

[mangonboat]

My first guess based on post-1969 production numbers would be 1973 but photos might help.

[woodchucker]

Yeager, Are you sure about the medalions??? If so, Then my 2 "matching" '72 Grizzlys, are 1971s...

[Blackhawk]

Only Bear bows from 1965-69 denoted year by the first digit of the serial.  Even with that, a pic or description may be needed.  Many Bears of the earlier years began the serial with numbers that did not reflect year made.

[59Alaskan]

1970 is 56" with a light maple lamination in it
1971black glass, shedua, bear grizzly silkscreen on back
1972 black glass, shedua, bear grizzly silkscreen on belly
1973 green / brown two tone started
Somewhere around 1976 the two tone switched to two tone Browns.

The raised coin started in 1973.  I hear you can find 1972's with the raised coin but I have not seen one

[dbd870]

Mine is brown glass and raised coin and has the 1953 pat pending on it. So yes.

[59Alaskan]

The 1953 patent silkscreen was on every Bear from 1953 until they moved to Gainesville.

What color is your riser?  Pictures of Grizzlys are always nice to look at!

[dbd870]

Nope the 1953 date went away sometime during 1972 according to what I have read. Go on the auction sites and look at the green 70's Grayling KMags and KHunters; they don't have the 1953 date on them.

[59Alaskan]

Stand corrected on that.  What color is your riser?

[dbd870]

[59Alaskan]

Nice bow.  Based on the picture and your description it's likely a 1973 or there abouts.  Per the catalogs that is the year the two tones started.

They shoot great!

[dbd870]

Has to be a 72 as it has the 1953 pat pending

[59Alaskan]

Just saying the 1972 catalog did not offer the two tone.  Could be like cars though.  The 1973 models were likely coming off the line in 1972.

[dbd870]

Yeah, could be. Oddballs are fun