Who Has The Oldest Roy Jinks Letter?

[22hipower]

I'm sure this isn't it but in leafing through some of my letters today that 1973 date did get my attention. I was on my first active duty assignment with VII Corps in Germany when this letter was written. That was about the time I bought my first S&W, an 8 3/8 blue 27-2 at the EUCOM Rod & Gun Club which I still have.

Let's see some of those old letters and maybe some stories about them or where you were when they were written. Oh, and the gun too if you still have it; this one is for a 1950 Target in 45 Colt in about 99% condition that I acquired last year with THE box.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

https://flic.kr/p/2qQ8KgChttps://www.flickr.com/photos/194934231@N03/

https://flic.kr/p/2pZDezi https://www.flickr.com/photos/194934231@N03/

 

[Jeep 1]

Here's what I have Jeff it's not as old as yours and I do not have the gun which almost brings me to tears to think about it but my friend Wayne Hazelrigg had it at one time And I guarantee that one of you have this in your position today if you would care to share, Please send me a private message if you are the owner!
Tom

 

[DARE]

I interviewed Roy Jinks for a Journal article. The article did not work out, but one of the things Roy told me was that he started writing history letters in 1966.
My dad owned a gun store and was also a gun writer. He met Roy Jinks at the Denver trade show and Roy kindly sent this info on his pair of kit guns.
I sold 5601, but here is a pic of 6211.

 

[Jeep 1]

Let's see some of those old letters and maybe some stories about them or where you were when they were written. Oh, and the gun too if you still have it; this one is for a 1950 Target in 45 Colt in about 99% condition that I acquired last year with THE box.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

Jeff,
This isn't Roy, but I think you'll find this kind of interesting.
Tom

 

[murphydog]

I have seen what I believe are called "courtesy letters" posted here, dating back to the 1960s and signed with the title of "(Handgun) Product Manager", as seen in post #2 above. I gather these were done at no charge. Later ones added "Historian".

 

[22hipower]

Let's see some of those old letters and maybe some stories about them or where you were when they were written. Oh, and the gun too if you still have it; this one is for a 1950 Target in 45 Colt in about 99% condition that I acquired last year with THE box.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

Jeff,
This isn't Roy, but I think you'll find this kind of interesting.
Tom


/QUOTE]

Indeed, very interesting. I didn't realize there were so many 5 inch 44 Magnums, wonder why they're so hard to find.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

 

[murphydog]

Let's see some of those old letters and maybe some stories about them or where you were when they were written. Oh, and the gun too if you still have it; this one is for a 1950 Target in 45 Colt in about 99% condition that I acquired last year with THE box.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

Jeff,
This isn't Roy, but I think you'll find this kind of interesting.
Tom


/QUOTE]

Indeed, very interesting. I didn't realize there were so many 5 inch 44 Magnums, wonder why they're so hard to find.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

Well, less than 500 examples is not a huge number. Some may have been destroyed or lost, or are sitting in a closet somewhere waiting for a family member to trade it in as an even trade for a plastic 9 mm pistol.

 

[DARE]

I came across a publication named S&W Sportsman dated Spring 1985. It was announcing the "Historic Research Service."
For a research fee of $10 the history of the gun is researched, and an individualized and personalized report is prepared for the owner.
The report is presented on an authentic, S&W watermarked reproduction of the stationary used at the turn of the century and embossed with a replica of an historic S&W seal.
When I met Roy Jinks for the first time at the Glendale Symposium, I asked him if this was the start of Factory Letters.
He said no, he had been doing letters since the 60s. This is when they began charging a fee.
So I think all letters were "courtesy" before 1985.

 

[rct269]

My oldest is not even going to make for honorable mention (1984) but the story it tells is priceless!

Actually it tells two stories. The first is pure human interest, the second lays out what the Registered Magnum program was all about.

The human interest aspect goes like this: The first edition of the letter was plain vanilla----as most letters are. The recipient took exception to what he felt was being short changed, and returned the letter along with his check for $15----for "additional research". He got it!! Along with the revised letter, he got everything you'd get today with a "deep dive" from the historical foundation-----and it was EVERYTHING---AND THEN SOME!! Oh, and Roy didn't cash the check----he returned it along with all the goodies.

The goodies are what tell the story. Chapter One tells us this is a first year gun ordered from a retailer, on to their distributor, on to S&W. S&W's initial marketing of the Registered Magnum was directed to individuals----and there was nothing in it telling buyers to see their local retailers. (THAT came later!!) The retailers and their distributors weren't cut out by S&W, it was that their pricing made their involvement decidedly unattractive. S&W's price to the distributor at the time was $47, leaving a whopping $13 to be shared by the distributor AND the retailer----a losing proposition for both no matter how you cut it-----pretty sneaky!!

Chapter Two is the distributor's very clear reaction to this pricing. The retailer sent the order to the distributor the same day they got it---September 12. The distributor sat on the order for TWO MONTHS before forwarding it to S&W in November. My imagination comes into play here as to what was going on during those two months-----and I reckon yours would do the same.

What was going on was the distributor was building an army of other distributors to go to war with S&W about this pricing------and the distributors won that war! The $47 suddenly became either $38 or $39, and they all lived happily ever after!!

My interpretation of the bits and pieces go together to make this story start with the fact this fancy, God awful expensive gun came to be smack dab in the middle of the great depression when damn near everybody (almost) was hurting-----BAD!! This God awful expensive gun ($60 at retail) cost S&W a whole $17 to make, leaving every last penny to go into S&W's pocket if/when they could deal direct with the end buyer----and it stands to reason S&W was in desperate need of those every last pennies-----just like damn near everybody else!! Almost everybody else of course. The buyers could clearly handle the task! This gun was one of three identical pieces, one for the buyer, the other two for Christmas presents. I reckon the presents made it into Santa's bag just in time---having been initially ordered by the buyer on September 12, and arriving at S&W on November 8---and finally shipping on December 19. An interim delay was in between the initial order which specified the only grips available (with grip adapter attached) before the Magnas came out, and our buyer decided he wanted the Magnas instead. That took some doing, and ate up additional time.

Ralph Tremaine

 

[Jeep 1]

Let's see some of those old letters and maybe some stories about them or where you were when they were written. Oh, and the gun too if you still have it; this one is for a 1950 Target in 45 Colt in about 99% condition that I acquired last year with THE box.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

Jeff,
This isn't Roy, but I think you'll find this kind of interesting.
Tom


/QUOTE]

Indeed, very interesting. I didn't realize there were so many 5 inch 44 Magnums, wonder why they're so hard to find.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

I thought maybe some of you guys would catch that and realize there's still more buried treasure out there. Wayne Hazelrigg showed me this one time and then I received it with a bunch of his papers after his passing.
Tom

 

[boykinlp]

Let's see some of those old letters and maybe some stories about them or where you were when they were written. Oh, and the gun too if you still have it; this one is for a 1950 Target in 45 Colt in about 99% condition that I acquired last year with THE box.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

Jeff,
This isn't Roy, but I think you'll find this kind of interesting.
Tom

That is very Cool!
Larry

 

[Hair Trigger]

Mine isn't as old as any of the ones shown so far. I got this letter when I bought the revolver it is for, about two years ago. The letter is addressed to the original owner, and the letter is dated just 5 months after the revolver shipped. The gun is ANIB.

 

[22hipower]

There must be S&W letters older than 1973. Let's see some!

Jeff
SWCA #1457

 

[AC Man]

I only have one letter of all of my guns. It is a 1957 pre model 29 It is signed Don Mundell LOL. Who is he and Where was Roy Jinx?

 

[Memphis]

I had at one time a letter that came with my 3rd model single shot that was signed by "F.J. Longtin" (and I'm going from memory since that gun and letter are long gone). I just find that name interesting since it wasn't the Jinks name.

Roger

 

[Nightowl]

I once had a letter signed by Fran Longtin as well! Somewhere in my moves, it has disappeared as well. RATS!

I'm thinking he was Service Manager back in the late 60s.

 

[Doc44]

The oldest factory letter I have a copy of and know of is dated in 1968 and signed by Mary Roseoff. I believe she was an administrative assistant in the Sales Department. The letter describes the eleven Persona Non Grata revolvers that were shipped from 1958 into the early 1960s.

Bill

 

[jeffrefrig]

I only have one letter of all of my guns. It is a 1957 pre model 29 It is signed Don Mundell LOL. Who is he and Where was Roy Jinx?

1957, my birth year! Please don't tell me it was shipped in March of '57!!

 

[Doc44]

F J Longtin letter...1975

Letter is over fifty years old.

Bill

 

[Memphis]

Wow Doc! That letter for the gun shipped on June 21 1956 is EXTREMLY interesting to me....since "I" was shipped on June 20, 1956 myself!!

As a side note, I still have a pre Mod 20 (with the long barrel) that Mr Jinks had said shipped in June of 56 and for some reason I haven't lettered it. I really need to get it lettered. It's for sure a birth month and year for me.... and who knows, it MAY have shipped on the 20th!

I love this forum

Roger