I know the factory letter can tell me date shipped and where to, but what else can they tell me? For example if and when re-finished, was it factory repaired or modified? I know stamps on the grip frame might tell part of that story (as on page 17 of SCSW) but then again, they might not.

To me, most S&W destinations are not all that interesting - Rex Firearms, for example - although there are exceptions.

The primary value of a factory letter (as far as I am concerned) is to validate the original configuration of the firearm in question.

Mike

Actually Rex Firearms is one of the exceptions in my limited experience.
From what I've read Rex often got the rare models, finishes and many guns to be engraved. I do agree that most letters are pretty ho-hum and documenting configuration is an excellent reason, I do enjoy many of them and will continue to get them when I think I'll be keeping an interesting gun for years ahead.
Also, these days Roy includes a very complete history of the model on the first page. But mostly it is the last paragraph that cost $50.

I lettered a 4" model 14 to confirm it was an origional 4" bbl. and what area of the country it was shipped to. Also a 28-2 with a very even serial number to see if it went to someone special and found out it was an employee gun. Not sure you will find out any factory work done to it if it was returned for some reason. Most letters will let you know where it was shipped to but not whom it was sold to. The pre war letters may say if it was shipped to someone or a famous company. Larry

A factory letter is a way too find out a little bit about where it was shipped, what configuration, and time of manufacture, if you don't care about any of that, then don't get one! For all of us who buy old guns, half of it is the day dreams we have of "I wonder where this gun has roamed the earth" and the great quality and pride the craftsmen put into each and every handgun, like it was being built for themselve's! Pride in wormanship is not what it use to be, thats for sure, it is the bottom line! Dale Z in Canada!!

Will S&W include the assembly date of the gun--as opposed to the ship date--if you request it? Colt will do this.

__________________
inyomono

no....the shipping date,to my knowledge is all S&W retains...remember,they are in business to profit thru gun sales,not historical interest

__________________
SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

Howdy

Funny you should ask. I own a lot of Smiths, and some of them are pretty old. I don't letter them all. Usually I am just content with finding out when they shipped. But sometimes I run into one that I want to learn a little more about. I just got a letter in the mail on Saturday. Here is a link to my post about the gun. On the last page of the thread I posted the interesting information I found out in the letter. I am very glad I lettered this one.


New (to me) 38/44 Heavy Duty: Update

P.S. The finest gun I own is a New Model Number Three that I bought about a year ago. I did not have to letter it because the previous owner had already done so. He gave me the letter when I bought the gun. In addition to finding out that the gun was shipped in 1882, and refinished at the factory in 1965, the coolest thing the letter had to say was that my gun was one of a shipment of 4, and that the price was $13 each. That's why you letter a gun.

Attached Images

myNewModelNumberThree.jpg (57.8 KB, 12 views)

My opinion on the value of having a letter is that it sells better when you are ready to get rid of the gun if it is in it's factory correct configuration. I letter unusual guns, those that have non-standard features, unusual barrel lengths, target grips, etc.

I think collectors pay more for guns that can be documented as having scarce or rare features. There are too many S&Ws out there that have been to the local gunsmith for modifications over the years. I have lettered guns that went to individuals, one that went to Remington Arms, and the rest to distributors like M. W. Robinson.

Look at it this way, the factory letter is the certificate of authenticy for gun collectors.

No, a factory letter will not tell you about trips back to the factory. You only get the shipping date, where it shipped and how the gun was configured when it left the factory.

A letter from the Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation, if available for your gun, will tell you about any and all correspondence between the owner and the factory that was saved in company records. This will typically include repairs and or returns for modifications. You may possibly get information about a former famous owner, merely because he or she sent it back for some work. There is no guarantee that there is any correspondence for your particular gun and it is also possible that the records for your guns timeframe have not yet been digitized. This is an excellent reason for joining and supporting the SWHF so that someday, all existing S&W records can be made available for all future generations to research.

__________________
James Redfield
LM #497

Howdy Again

I respectfully disagree. Sometimes the letter will include those details. As I mentioned just a couple of posts previously, the letter about my New Model Number Three does state that it was sent back to the factory for refinishing in 1965. It also mentions that it was part of a shipment of 4 similar revolvers, and they each cost $13 when new. There is no guarantee, but sometimes some pretty interesting information is turned up, such as with the 38/44 I just had lettered. Take a look at what Roy had to say about it. There is a link to it in my previous post.