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S&W Antiques S&W Lever Action Pistols, Tip-Up Revolvers, ALL Top-Break Revolvers, and ALL Single Shots


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Old 04-24-2011, 02:57 PM
fortrenokid fortrenokid is offline
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Question for Roy Jinks on S&W Letter of Authenticity Question for Roy Jinks on S&W Letter of Authenticity Question for Roy Jinks on S&W Letter of Authenticity Question for Roy Jinks on S&W Letter of Authenticity Question for Roy Jinks on S&W Letter of Authenticity  
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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!
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Old 04-25-2011, 12:28 AM
opoefc opoefc is offline
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Question for Roy Jinks on S&W Letter of Authenticity Question for Roy Jinks on S&W Letter of Authenticity Question for Roy Jinks on S&W Letter of Authenticity Question for Roy Jinks on S&W Letter of Authenticity Question for Roy Jinks on S&W Letter of Authenticity  
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Welcome to the Forum! Many of the members here are recovering Colt & Winchester collectors, so you are in good company. I'm sure Roy Jinks will be along here shortly to answer your question about factory letters,etc. Most of us would consider that the frame number on a S&W is the primary number and use it for a factory letter request, however in the the case of a parts gun (which is what you have) made up from different serial numbered parts, it's your choice as to what you wish to be lettered. An analogy might be the Colt SAA Artillery models, which most Colt collectors go by the butt number in requesting a letter, and if you're lucky you may get a letter from Colt with as many as three ship dates for an Artillery as it got altered and rebuilt over it's government life. All for one price ( $100+) for the letter. Personally, I would not bother to letter a refinished parts gun as , as you say, it's lost any collector value, so the letter's cost will not usually add anything to the value of the gun, unless it's just a curiosity issue, as all most all New Model No. 3s went to M.W.Robinson, NYC., S&Ws major distributor of these guns. It's your choice however - Good Luck. Ed.
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Old 04-27-2011, 09:26 AM
Driftwood Johnson Driftwood Johnson is offline
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Question for Roy Jinks on S&W Letter of Authenticity  
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Howdy

A couple of points in addition to the wisdom that opoefc gave you.

I too am lucky enough to own a New Model Number 3. I bought mine this past winter. Mine was factory refinished in 1965, so it looks brand new. I too am a Cowboy Action Shooter and plan on shooting my #3 in the occasional match. I know this will horrify some posters here, but I intend to treat the gun very carefully, and will not be shooting it at every match. I also will never shoot anything but Black Powder loads out of it. I don't know what you plan on shooting in yours, but I strongly advise you to only shoot Black Powder in yours, it was not designed for the pressure and concussion of Smokeless powder, even light cowboy loads.

The previous owner of my New Model Number 3 lettered it in 2005. The letter states that in addition to being factory refinished in 1965, it was originally shipped from the factory on August 15, 1882. It was part of a shipment of four guns, all of the same configuration. They were shipped to J. P. Lovell & Sons of Boston. They were billed at $13.00 each.
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