As many of you know, the waiting time for a letter of authenticity is sixteen or more weeks. Roy Jinks and I have discussed the backlog and have agreed the best way to reduce it is to initiate a moratorium on letter requests. Beginning on Monday, September 27, any request for a letter of authenticity postmarked on or after this date will be returned for resubmission at a later date. Requests for a letter of authenticity will be accepted again on Monday, January 24, 2022. Also, beginning on January 24, only one request per week will be accepted.

In the next few days, access to the request form for a letter of authenticity will be removed from the S&W Forum, and the S&WCA and S&WHF websites.

I realize this action is an inconvenience for collectors, but it is necessary to allow the Historical Foundation to eliminate the backlog and better serve everyone in the long run.

Bill Cross
Chairman, S&WHF

Makes sense to me. Thanks Bill.

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

I love the Factory Letters..and I have always been amazed that I could order 3 at a time, and all responses were decent info and timely generated by Roy.

I believe a "breather" for Roy and associates who assist is long, long overdue and salute the Board for setting this moratorium.

A special thank you shout out to Roy, Don, Bill and you folks that research and do the documentation backup that locks the guns requested into their proper place in history, even if it went to a hardware store....like Paul Harvey said " Now we know the rest of the story"...and because of you folks.."so will future caretakers of these factory lettered guns".

Thanks for all you do, and enjoy the "catchup time out".

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Charlie B
SWCA#3083, SWHF#570

Makes sense to me.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

I have hem hawd for years on filing a letter. Have had this 38 for 62 years . Trigger is better than my model 41 , has a wide trigger and wide hammer also a stamped star at end of serial number. Bought at a pawn shop Tampa Fla . 1958. Hopefully I will still be kicking and stop procrastinating. This is first time I have put any thing on this site.

Would it be unreasonable for someone in the Historical Society to assume the task? Or, quite possibly for the Society to hire an outside firm to deal with this responsibility?

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... fortunate son...

The Historian and Assistant Historian of the Foundation are responsible for researching S&W firearms and issuing letters. During the moratorium we will be evaluating actions to be take to minimize the backlog in the future.

Bill Cross

A really big thanks for posting this!!! I submitted my letter request last February and my check cleared the bank on February 25th. I sent a follow up letter on August 23rd and hadn't heard a thing. I was unaware of a big backlog. Still, I'd like to hear something. "Working on it". "Sent it and it's lost in the mail". "It got dropped next to the secretary's desk and we just found it". "Jocko dropped his meatball sandwich on it and we have to re do it". "Big backlog and we're working as fast as we can". Something. Is there any email or other point of contact that folks waiting for letters can check progress? If not, maybe there should be. Of course, I could be wrong. Hell, I'm wrong all the time.

Shout out to all of you who work to provide those letters.
Roy, Doc and everyone else...
A big THANK YOU !!

Send me a pm. Without your proper name I have no idea who you are. By the way, I don't eat at my work station.
Don

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Don Mundell

All I can say is thanks for your help. The letter arrived today.

He was talkin about Jocko, not you, Don, but you oughta try the meatball sammich. It's great!

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

Postmarked and documented an envelope/request today. I hope the plan allows folks to catch up. Since my requests (2) appear to be about the last allowed in, I figure I’ll get letters back January 2022. That’s not too bad since I’ve been gonna send my request for a year!

Eh! don't hold your breath,, its says post marked on or after 9/27/21?? so keep your hopes up, but not to high???

Storm2
Your go to go! Go NAVY!!!

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Don Mundell

I have nothing to add. I've been postponing getting a factory letter for pre-war 38-44 so I guess I will wait awhile more.

I just wanted to say howdy to the Senior Chief.

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Come and take it!!

Hello to the Senior IS.

I am in no hurry for the letter. The LOAs will just trigger the Historical Letter requests. I’m figuring a long wait. I once had 3 guns at Colt for a collective 5 years for minor work. I also figure the entire two letter process will change during this holding pattern period. Perhaps there will be an additional price for the second letter added to the process. It is to our advantage that the second letter not be free. Think about it.

Not sure what you mean by the second letter being free?


The letter request form has space for up to three letter requests.


You pay for each letter requested on the form not just once for the form.


Is that what you are asking?

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Chris S.
Fort Lauderdale, FL

The Historical Letter. You must request/receive/include the Letter of Authenticity (LOA) (first letter) to request the Historical Letter, “The Second Letter”. I read the Historical Letter instructions to read no fee for it. There are two forms, two sets of instructions.

To follow up on my original post, my check did clear so I know I’m in the door….somewhere.

STORM2...There is no fee for a Foundation Letter if we research your S&W firearm and do not find additional information or documents. If additional information and documents are found, you will be notified. The cost of a Foundation letter for a S&WHF member is $45 plus $5 per copy of each document provided. You would be advised of the cost and agree to it before the letter is written.

Bill Cross
S&WHF

I understood all of this.
Letter Process – Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation
It’s why I paid my SWCA and Foundation memberships.

Great...I am glad the information on the website was clear.

Bill

Thanks for posting this I just mailed in a Request for a Letter with a check on 10-14-21 had no idea. I guess S&W will send it back and I will mark 1-24-22 to mail it back. Appreciate the info thanks all!

A thanks from me to for posting this. I have 2 coming I sent in July and was going to order 2 more as soon as per 27 arrived. I can wait till January. Have a Happy Holidays out there

Quick question. I'm in the middle of a move and got a letter request in before the moratorium.

The letters are sent back via USPS, correct? Just wanting to make sure my change-of-address at the post office catches it.

Letters of authenticity are mailed USPS.

Bill

I was expecting this to happen...repair requests are out to seven months +!

I have two newer S&W revolvers (both 22-4, one a 4” and the other a 5-1/2”), too new to really worry about a letter for, I think.

However, I have just gotten an HE2 in .455, thus the revolver would’ve been made between 1915 and 1918. So am I correct that, come late January, I can request a Letter on Authenticity, but, as the Historical Letter range begins with 1920, then it is only the Authenticity letter that would be available?

LNBright...Your conclusion is correct.

Bill Cross
S&WHF

Why can't these records be digitized?

Thanks: I simply didn't want to send someone on a wild goose chase looking for info that's not there.

I mean, knowing it is a .455 HE2, based on its number, I'm going to guess made in 1916, sent off to England via Enfield, and ended back up in America via some path. It only has the stack on the back corner (broad arrow /crown /inspector mark / E / II), and the crossed pennants on the barrel socket above the yoke, but otherwise, only has its own numbers; it doesn't have the double-arrow for being sold out of service the way a lot have, and it's not covered over in lots of marks like the bursting bomb logos that so many have. I suppose I probably already know as much about it as can be known.

I'll request the Authenticity letter come early February or so, but I there's no rush; I might even wait until later, for any pent-up demand from the hiatus to subside.

Thank you again for confirming,

-L

Good to know. Roy & Co. have been great! Many thanks to you for putting up with us collectors. I will hold off with more requests until the new year. Even then there's no big hurry. I appreciate getting the letters whenever they do arrive.

I have just received the above and am trying to find out the manufacture date. I did find something that stated all numbers were pre WWII. Don’t know if this is correct. The best I can tell the serial number on the butt is 466010. On the barrel top…smith & Wesson, Springfield, mass. Under that are 3 different patent dates…feb 6 06, sept 3,4 09, dec. 29 14. Can someone give me some history on this gun?

Today I received the three letters I requested before the moratorium, all signed by Don...Very informative...Thank you gentlemen, I'll have more requests next year......Ben

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Cogito, ergo BOOM!...

Ahh!!! I will be anxiously awaiting the approved January 2022 date to apply for info on a REG Magnum I lucked into recently...!

Meanwhile, other than ogling and fondling it, is there any other prudent "work to be done"?? This purchase was a "gun only", w non-original S&W grips - but no additional goodies such as box or paperwork... but overall condition is VG+ Still... feel incredibly luck to have found it! Barrel length is exactly 8" so first order of business will be to verify / document as to how it left the Factory! SN suggests 1936 vintage...

I know... send pics... Will get on that - but am curious it there are other avenues to pursue to discover any other cool details about these guns...

Thanks!!

Bill, I suggest you start a new thread with your questions in the “S&W Hand Ejectors: 1896 to 1961” sub-forum.

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Terry Lester

Mailed my check to the S&W Collectors Assn so believe I'll just await the January date and pursue the letters...

Follow-Up to #13 above:
The letters (2) arrived today.

In anticipation of requesting a Factory Letter to confirm my REG Magnum, how soon will the Application From be made available?

Thanks!!

I have asked the letter of authenticity form be posted on the Forum, the S&WHF and S&WCA websites just prior to January 24, 2022.

Bill Cross

Perfect! Many thanks Bill!