To the moderator: this is my first posting. If I've placed it in the wrong section , would surely appreciate your relocating it to the appropriate section. This is a general question for Mr. Jinks on the authenticity letter that will be of assistance to me and , quite likely, others as well.
A bit of background. I used to think of myself as a collector of Colts and Winchesters, but, over the years, have accumulated a number of Smith & Wessons (hereinafter referred to as Smiths), ranging in age from very old to quite recent. I'm reaching the age where I am documenting my collection and determining who will receive various items (after they've been pried from my cold, dead fingers ... LOL).
Documenting the Smiths with factory letters appears to be in order. I have printed the form but before initiating the process, a bit of clarification from Mr. Jinks or another familiar with the process would surely help.
The first request to go out will be for a Smith New Model #3 that I recently acquired, to be mainly used as a shooter for Cowboy Action Shooting Matches. Now, its collector value has been compromised by a rebluing and some repairs possibly way back in the past. The serial number on the pistol frame and serial number of the barrel/cylinder do not match. Components have been switched at some point. Now, the serial # on the frame is a 15XXX and the serial number on the barrel/cylinder is 1XXX. The bore is excellent and it shoots just great and , obviously, gets lots of attention from other shooters.
My questions are (1) how to mention the two serial #'s on the form and (2) will I be charged a $50 fee for each serial # search or should I just send one $50 fee for the entire search.
For my other Smiths, the Request Form will be pretty straight forward and I firmly believe the letters will be a very complimentary means of establishing and documenting value for those shootin' irons.
Thanks so much for your consideration!