Originally Posted by SixgunStrumpet

Have you checked with the Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation on this gun yet?

I believe that their amazing work is going to change the S&W collecting landscape as more people become aware of the potential for finding the documents regarding the factory re-working.

I personally became extremely keen on modified, or factory re-worked/finished guns, mostly due to my limited budget. Such guns have been panned by the more well heeled collectors for quite a long time. So I could get them on the cheap.

Thing is that with the potential for documentation existing from the point in time when the gun visited the service department, some extremely cool information can be attached to these guns, elevating them (in my mind) to a 'Poor Man's Registered Magnum'. The RMs having a part of their mystique of course being in how fine they are, but the other part in the likelihood of the gun being attachable to a particular individual, who's history is revealed by the gun continuing to live on well past the lifespan of it's owner.

It is my personal belief that the market for guns that have visited the service department, and have SWHF documents revealing ownership at the time, will attain a similar status to custom order guns with the same documentation.

I for one am very much looking forward to seeing more fantastic documents like the ones the SWHF has furnished me on a number of my guns now. The hand written letters are just a joy to read through. They add so much to owning the guns, and enjoying them.