+ 1 on what ddeanjohnson stated. The problem with some of these interpretations is that even the ATF doesn't agree on all of them. You can ask a question of your local office and receive one answer and then a different answer from the Washington, D.C. office. (Been there, done that)
The C&R license involves "curios" and "relics". Curios by definition are things that are odd or curious and are therefore found on the published list or on the ATF website. Relics are things that are old, like me, and have reached an age of 50 years old or older.
Any S&W shipped before October 24, 1961 is now considered a relic and therefore can be shipped to a C&R holder directly. As someone stated earlier, most S&W's were model marked in 1957/8 so any S&W that is not model marked is typically C&R eligible. One can always call S&W to verify the shipping date, however, pre model marked is usually a safe bet.
