FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
Compiled using 1.6 or 1.7, Execution environment 1.6/1.7 JRE7 (JDK7u1)

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
When I try to set a date on Calender object to a post Gregorian Calendar cutoff date, date with JRE6 jumps from Oct 5 1582 to Oct 17 1582 while that with JRE7 jumps from Oct 5 1582 to Oct 15 1582.

Is behavior of 1.7 a bug fix or a regression? I could not find release notes talking about this change.

REGRESSION. Last worked in version 7

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
import java.util.Calendar;
import java.util.GregorianCalendar;
import java.util.Locale;
import java.util.TimeZone;

public class getDateRepro {

public static void main(String[] args) {

long tm = 0;
        GregorianCalendar cal = new GregorianCalendar(TimeZone.getDefault(), Locale.US);
        cal.setLenient(true);
        cal.clear();
        
        for (int i = 577735; i<= 577738; i=i+1)
        {
            cal.set(1, Calendar.JANUARY, 1 + i, 0, 0, 0);
            cal.set(Calendar.MILLISECOND, 0);
            tm = cal.getTimeInMillis();
            java.sql.Date dt = new java.sql.Date(tm);
            System.out.println("Days since base date " + i + ": " + tm + " *** " + dt.toString());
        }
}
}

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
// With JRE 6 Java EE 1.6
// Days since base date 577735: -12219436800000 *** 1582-10-03
// Days since base date 577736: -12219350400000 *** 1582-10-04
// Days since base date 577737: -12219091200000 *** 1582-10-17
// Days since base date 577738: -12219004800000 *** 1582-10-18

ACTUAL -
// With JRE 7 (Java EE 1.6 OR 1.7)
// Days since base date 577735: -12219436800000 *** 1582-10-03
// Days since base date 577736: -12219350400000 *** 1582-10-04
// Days since base date 577737: -12219264000000 *** 1582-10-15
// Days since base date 577738: -12219177600000 *** 1582-10-16


REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.