Are Letters Worth it? Yep!

[DARE]

Have three guns that I have lettered. Feel like I got lucky on all three. Three more to go. Probably will not be as lucky, but you never know.
1st letter was on a REG Magnum. Probably a no brainer to letter. Got really lucky. The gun went to a distributor in San Antonio, Texas in 1935. It was sold to an FBI Agent that sent it in for repair. Without the repair letter, would not know about the law enforcement connection.
James C (Doc) White was not only a fairly prominent FBI Agent, but started his law enforcement career as a Texas Ranger. Our fearless leader, Lee Jarrett thinks the gun might be worth enough to pay off my small mortgage.
2nd letter was on a .38 M&P Target shipped in 1913. The gun has some proof marks on it that my dad thought were German. Turns out he was right. The gun shipped to an importer in Germany. Probably made it home as a souvenir after WWII. I feel like the history adds some value.
3rd letter was on a .44 HE, 2nd shipped in 1926. Went to Frank Gamblin a Deputy Sheriff in Potter County Texas. Was also an Amarillo, Texas police officer for a few years.
Next up is a K-22 Outdoorsman shipped in 1937. Asked Roy Jinks to look at the three I have left for anything interesting. Roy said all three went to distributors, so not shipped to individuals and no law enforcement connection.
The K-22 looks to me to be about a 97% gun with all matching numbers including the grips. No indication that it went back to the factory.
Next is a Pre-43 that shipped in 1955. I would say 98%, all matching numbers including the grips. My dad sent the gun in to S&W I think in the 80's to have RRWO sights added. S&W said they could not do that. My dad told them how to do it and the sights were added. No indication on the gun that it went back, and probably done too late for there to be any factory record.
The last gun is a 4 screw Model 53 that shipped in 1961. I think about a 97% gun. Has smooth Rosewood grips. Has 8 74 96 on the toe of the left grip frame. Possible the gun went back in 8,1974? The gun has a box that is cut out for the .22LR cylinder. Is the box wrong, or did something happen to the extra cylinder?
I'm interested in what I might learn about all three guns. I am in Texas. Are these Texas guns or did they come from somewhere else?
Don Mundell says he letters all of his guns, because you never know. Makes sense to me. I think the letter would add some value to the gun, regardless of how bland.
Definitely interested in some feedback.

 

[Drm50]

I would say some guns that letter can trace to a individual is worth the letter. I don’t feel that run of the mill S&Ws are worth a letter unless you feel a notable person owned them, ect. What is value of finding a model 10 went to certain distributor? None, at least to me.

 

[22hipower]

I would say some guns that letter can trace to a individual is worth the letter. I don’t feel that run of the mill S&Ws are worth a letter unless you feel a notable person owned them, ect. What is value of finding a model 10 went to certain distributor? None, at least to me.

I tend to agree but there are other factors too. I don't bother to letter most of my post WWII guns but if you want to know that an unusual configuration was factory original there's little other way to validate it. And in unusual, scarce, configurations the cost of the letter is well worth it in terms of confirming for a prospective buyer the originality of a piece.

Sometimes too we have "discussions" here about the originality of even a post WWII piece (has the barrel been shortened, are those original stamps, etc.) and while perhaps not monetarily valuable it is nice to have a letter confirm those items.

In the case of engraved guns we can get confirmation that they were factory engraved and sometimes by whom.

Another reason to letter a gun is if it is interesting for whatever reason, and you're doing as much research as possible on it or its owner, it is helpful to know where it went and when. I have a Registered Magnum that went to a California National Guard Captain back in 1937 and it was interesting to confirm that it had shipped to a San Francisco store that year.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

 

[Walter Rego]

My Model 53 is an early one, it shipped in June of 1961. It has an Evaluators sticker on the box so I have never lettered it figuring that I know where it went and the month and year was close enough. However, the cardboard piece is missing from the extra cylinder cut out on the box bottom. Was it shipped with a spare .22 LR cylinder ? There is no paper end label on one end of the box indicating what the original configuration was. I don't know if it fell off or never had one. The box is numbered to the gun in white grease pencil on the bottom. And it's not worth the cost of the letter to find out. Maybe some time in the five decades prior to my buying it somebody just pulled the piece of cardboard out.

 

[DARE]

My Jet was shipped May 1961, so close to your date. SN K441135. My box also has the cut-out for the .22 LR cylinder. No grease pencil number on the bottom of my box. Maybe I will put one there, ha ha. On one end of my box says .22 Magnum, Blue finish, Model 53, 6 inch barrel. Which matches the configuration of my gun. My best guess is that my dad acquired the Jet and got the box later.

 

[boykinlp]

Don Mundell says he letters all of his guns, because you never know. Makes sense to me. I think the letter would add some value to the gun, regardless of how bland.
Definitely interested in some feedback.

I definitely wouldn't letter all of my S&W's. I have some more modern ones that I don't think would be worth the money to do it. Don does have an advantage with letters that the rest of us don't have.
Larry

 

[handejector]

The last gun is a 4 screw Model 53 that shipped in 1961. I think about a 97% gun. Has smooth Rosewood grips. Has 8 74 96 on the toe of the left grip frame. Possible the gun went back in 8,1974?

Are you looking at the assembly number? Show us a pic.

 

[DARE]

Here you go, Lee.

 

[DARE]

boykinlp,
Agree, I would not letter all guns. I probably draw the line at when the 4th screw went away around 1961. Have a few newer guns that I won't letter.

 

[two-bit cowboy]

Here you go, Lee.

Lee nailed it. That's the assembly number. I believe you'll find the same number stamped on the yoke.

 

[rubiranch]

I like having a letter for my guns.
I only have a couple more to go and I will have a letter for every gun.

I find it interesting where they were originally shipped to and where they ended up.

 

[JSR III]

Lee nailed it. That's the assembly number. I believe you'll find the same number stamped on the yoke.

That is interesting. I have never seen an assembly number stamped on the toe of the left grip frame, only factory return dates.

If someone had asked me without the benefit of this thread, I would have said 8 74 return trip to factory and inspected at one point by inspector 96. Normally the inspector stamps are closer to the rear of the left grip frame but who knows.

I was also under the impression that assembly numbers were placed on the yoke, on the frame at the yoke and under the side plate. If stamped on the frame at the yoke then no additional stamp would be needed on the grip frme.

Anyone know for sure???

 

[handejector]

I was also under the impression that assembly numbers were placed on the yoke, on the frame at the yoke and under the side plate. If stamped on the frame at the yoke then no additional stamp would be needed on the grip frme.

Anyone know for sure???

You're way behind. When Target grips became standard on premium Models like the 44 Mag, Combat Mag, 1955 Target, etc, the serial numbers began being stamped in the yoke cut as well as the butt so the number could be seen without removing the grips. Then, when model numbers were added to the yoke cuts, there was no longer room for the assembly numbers and they were moved to the left side of the grip frame.

 

[Club Gun Fan]

I definitely wouldn't letter all of my S&W's. I have some more modern ones that I don't think would be worth the money to do it. Don does have an advantage with letters that the rest of us don't have.
Larry

Larry
Before I got this job, I still lettered all my guns. Here is a "Plain Jane" Pre War .38 M&P. It is in it's original box. Would you get a letter on this?
I'll be back with my answer.

 

[JSR III]

Thanks Lee. Sometimes we just don't know what we don't know.

Second question then. Assembly numbers (when in the yoke area) appeared as one number like a serial number. The one shown by the OP appears to be spaced out as 8 74 96, hence why I postulated it as a return date and an inspector stamp.

Please edumacate me on that one.....

 

[JSR III]

Larry
Before I got this job, I still lettered all my guns. Here is a "Plain Jane" Pre War .38 M&P. It is in it's original box. Would you get a letter on this?
I'll be back with my answer.

I'm going to guess that it shipped to one of the Wesson's?????

 

[Club Gun Fan]

I'm going to guess that it shipped to one of the Wesson's?????

James
You WIN!!! Frank to be exact. I bought it because it was in almost mint condition in it's original box. You can sell me your .460!

 

[JSR III]

Although I love you, I still sometimes regret selling you the club gun. But then again, we can't keep them forever and we are only temporary caretakers.

Many of my prized family guns inherited from 2 grandfathers and my dad's WWII send backs will end up somewhere where there is no family connection. My girls live in NJ and CA and the grand kids were not raised around guns.

It pains me a little that future caretakers will know nothing of the family connections. Even if I write up their history and pass it along with the guns there will be no connection to the future owners.

 

[handejector]

Thanks Lee. Sometimes we just don't know what we don't know.

Second question then. Assembly numbers (when in the yoke area) appeared as one number like a serial number. The one shown by the OP appears to be spaced out as 8 74 96, hence why I postulated it as a return date and an inspector stamp.

Please edumacate me on that one.....

I dunno. Ask the guy that stamped it.
New guy?
Balky machine?
Loose jig?
Hungover?
Bad day?
They are usually not spaced like that, but location varies, and letters are sometimes in the sequence---

 

[glowe]

Let me make a plug for SWCA here. I have been a member for 12 years and normally do not letter guns. Having said that, there is a Ship Date Request feature where Roy will tell you the month and year your revolver shipped. What he also does is send out clues along with the dates of interesting guns. I have seen some replies from Roy stating that "this is an interesting gun", or better yet "this is a must letter gun". I have received such a note only twice and have asked for ship dates on every S&W I have owned.

This indicates to me that there are very few guns that were sent to someone or somewhere special and I believe that Roy alerts all SWCA members who happen to have one of those special guns. My last such ship date reply was one of those must letter guns. Bought on Gunbroker as a simple 38 M&P Target from the 1930s. Fortunately for me, it got no love from the bidders and I bought it for the starting price. Below is the gun, a picture of the former owner, and the letter. Worth considering sending in an application along with a few bucks to support this important site!!