Quote:
Originally Posted by richardbrentm
I just aquired a minty kit 22/32 in blue with a 2" barrel with the original serial #'d S&W box. I know I am the 3rd owner, the second aquiring it in 1963 from the original purchase. My question is a factory letter needed with a gun that has it's provenance. Any comments?
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At this point, your gun has no provenance. That is, it has no verified documentation other than the box, just word of mouth stories. Ever hear the expression, "Buy the gun, not the story"? The fact that you claim to know the previous owners means
nothing to anyone else. Now if you got notarized statements from those previous persons detailing the guns history, you might then claim to have provenance.
A letter of authenticity from the S&WHF is provenance that is universally recognized.
Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation - Letter Process - Insuring that the rich history of Smith & Wesson will continue for generations to come It will typically provide the original configuration of the gun, its ship date and to whom it was shipped (usually a wholesaler, for a modern gun).
I'm not trying to be mean or dismissive, just telling you how it works. Undocumented stories likely will not affect resale value versus no story at all, whereas documentation might.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rct269
"-----------is a factory letter needed with a gun that has its provenance?"
....
There are three different kinds of letters-----------------
Plain Vanilla....
Special....
WOW-----I only have one of these. Most folks don't have any. ....
So, once again------what provenance? The answer is you don't know until you ask.
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I have one of those WOW letters, not so much as who it shipped to as its confirmed configuration.
Commercial 1917 Target - letter confirmed, post #13 - SWHF docs, post #15
One of only 5 (or maybe as many as 10) factory built target 1917s! As I mentioned above, "Buy the gun, not the story." The story in the original ad for this gun was that it was a King target conversion.