RM Vivas
US Veteran
One of the great things about the Registered Magnum is that unlike most other guns, the identity of the end user is often available. This allows the collector to research the sort of fellow who ordered the gun and perhaps even discover some of the (mis)adventures the purchaser might have embarked upon with that particular arm.
Another marvelous thing about the RM is that the Registration Certificate tells us exactly how the gun was configured when it left the factory.
One thing I have learned while going through RM records, and a point that I can not stress enough, is that a Registration Certificate should not be considered the end-all-be-all for documentation.
When a RM would change hands, the new owner could have the certificate re-issued in their name. The seller would endorse their Certificate over the new owner who would then send it to S&W and have a new certificate issued. Many times, the seller would contact S&W directly and mention that they sold their gun and list who it was sold to.
This particular document that I stumbled across is pretty typical of these transactions. What is NOT typical is that when the correspondence was digitized, the ORIGINAL certificate was digitized as well!
Since Registration Certificate did not survive as well as the guns they documented, I thought I would include this letter and the certificate.
One point I would like to make extremely clear is that a lot could happen to a gun after it left the factory that might not be reflected on a Registration Certificate.
I have seen correspondence on dozens of guns that were sent in for a barrel bob and then returned to the original owner. The Certificates won't reflect. Just because a guns current configuration does not match the Certificate and the Invoice & Order forms does not necessarily mean the gun is 'wrong'. The only way to know if it was a factory job would be to order a Deep Dive, something one should be doing anyway on a multi-thousands of dollars gun!
Anyway, RM1306-48626 changed hands and the original certificate was returned and a new one issued.
These documents came from the Smith & Wesson Historical Association; you**™re a member, aren**™t you?
Membership – Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation
Best,
RM Vivas
Another marvelous thing about the RM is that the Registration Certificate tells us exactly how the gun was configured when it left the factory.
One thing I have learned while going through RM records, and a point that I can not stress enough, is that a Registration Certificate should not be considered the end-all-be-all for documentation.
When a RM would change hands, the new owner could have the certificate re-issued in their name. The seller would endorse their Certificate over the new owner who would then send it to S&W and have a new certificate issued. Many times, the seller would contact S&W directly and mention that they sold their gun and list who it was sold to.
This particular document that I stumbled across is pretty typical of these transactions. What is NOT typical is that when the correspondence was digitized, the ORIGINAL certificate was digitized as well!
Since Registration Certificate did not survive as well as the guns they documented, I thought I would include this letter and the certificate.
One point I would like to make extremely clear is that a lot could happen to a gun after it left the factory that might not be reflected on a Registration Certificate.
I have seen correspondence on dozens of guns that were sent in for a barrel bob and then returned to the original owner. The Certificates won't reflect. Just because a guns current configuration does not match the Certificate and the Invoice & Order forms does not necessarily mean the gun is 'wrong'. The only way to know if it was a factory job would be to order a Deep Dive, something one should be doing anyway on a multi-thousands of dollars gun!
Anyway, RM1306-48626 changed hands and the original certificate was returned and a new one issued.
These documents came from the Smith & Wesson Historical Association; you**™re a member, aren**™t you?
Membership – Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation
Best,
RM Vivas
