How could that be?

Only one of the guides lists serial numbers past 1971.....

Is this the page in the Drum Guide you are using?

Link.........................

A four year span there, '72-'76.

Guessing older, '72 shells w/ '76 badges. Selling some "old shells" around '76 with the badges they had.

According to the serial number guides in the Ludwig section of our Drum Guide at the link I provided, those are 1976 serial numbers. Only one of the three guides even covers numbers that high, or goes beyond 1971.

Follow the link, and you will see.

The badge guide has a pointy badge from '71 to '72 provided by O-Lugs, but those had no serial numbers.

Yup, '76 serial # badges on '72 shells that were'nt sent out in that year in '72. This kit may have been sent out in '76 or so w/ the '72 shells and '76 badges.

Yeah, the whole serial number thing is goofy. I have a 1971 Ludwig set, where the manufacturer stickers inside all the shells give an actual 1971 date, but the badges fit into 1972 using the chart listed above.

And to make things more complicated, I think the un-numbered B/O badges started out in 1970, so there is even more ambiguity. The badge numbering guide is fairly accurate, but it's a constant "work in progress", too.

I don't understand this at all.

Is there anything that points to the shells being from 1972?

I have read about that many times around here. A one year difference in date stamp and badged serial numbers.... also factory sets from '69 having both keystone and blue/olive badges.

Are there rerings on those shells? They might just be 6 ply shells, which would put them in a correct place on the timeline. Clear innerds and all.