Identity answers what the product is
An identity record keeps the maker, product name, exact variant, and published specifications that distinguish one item from another. It can support a useful catalog page without saying anything about compatibility.
This separation is especially important when sellers reuse family names, abbreviate model descriptions, or assign their own item numbers. PlinkBench does not silently convert a seller number into a maker part number or merge similar-looking variants.
An offer is a dated observation
A price record says what an approved seller displayed when the source was observed. It can be current, stale, a reference price, or unavailable. The date is part of the meaning because prices and availability change independently of the product itself.
An offer does not strengthen identity or fit. A product can have a recent maker-direct price and still remain Not verified for the selected rifle or receiver. Likewise, a verified pairing can outlive a particular price observation.
Compatibility is a relationship
A fit record belongs between the exact product and the exact rifle or receiver. It keeps the maker statement, its limits, the observation date, and the review result. That relationship is not a specification attached to the product forever.
When no qualifying statement is on file, PlinkBench shows Not verified. It does not fill the gap with matching measurements, marketplace language, or popularity.
Why the separation helps
Separating the records makes changes honest. A new price does not trigger a compatibility decision. A corrected identity can invalidate a pairing instead of leaving the old answer attached to the wrong variant. A source review can update fit without rewriting unrelated commercial information.
For a reader, the practical result is simple: use identity to confirm which item you are viewing, use the offer date to judge price freshness, and open the pairing evidence before relying on a fit answer.