The papers are like the Camillus tangs, they were used for several years. And were only changed a couple of times. It may be that the knife you are researching may been made around paper changes or while they were the same.
Unless you are 100% PLUS sure your box and papers are original then I would be cautious. I have encountered many, many NIB stated knives with incorrect papers, missing papers or non-original era box.
To be dead-dog sure of an exact year, you would have to have original papers and box and then know the dates of box and paper changes to go along with the tang stamps.
Joe Houser has written some BCCI newsletter articles on this situation.
Brass liner changes were only recorded by collectors and the Camillus factory. With the close-down of the factory and the death of a dedicated employee, the production order record cards have been destroyed. Collectors who would have recorded such details on these models back then were few and far between. I was in high school. Some old Buck records (not 300s) were lost during the factory moves. Some old computer tapes still existed at one time but no one had the old machinery to read them. Joe may have hidden them away for a archeologist to find.
Just as a side note, for the standard model pictured above it was shipped from Camillus to Buck in a Camillus supplied box with multiple knives wrapped in individual tissue paper. Buck then re-boxed them in Buck boxes. The two Winchester stamped models (301 and 311) were a special order of 1,000 each. Provided in a paper sleeve, given to Winchester employees as gifts and to give out by Winchester Reps as gifts to contacts. SMKWs may have gotten hold of some of them but I have never seen the advertisement in a SMKWs catalog if they did. If you find one in a Buck box it will likely be considered 're-boxed'. 300
