Boxes

[Cities n Dust]

I have been seeing 2-piece Blue Boxes all over the internet for sale with no end labels in really good shape.
My question is are they fakes? I have heard from some people say that they came with guns that were originally sold with Presentation cases.
I believe this to be false. Please correct me if I'm wrong. I wonder if someone is out there making this as reproductions and passing them off as the real Mccoy?
I know Smith & Wesson doesn't throw anything away, But no end label. I've heard that someone was making fake Colt boxes back in the day just wondering out loud if this is the same case?

Cities

 

[chief38]

Although I have not personally seen a fake S&W box, I'b bet there must be some out there - especially since the vintage S&W revolvers have increased in value so drastically. I have seen many fake Colt boxes as those are pretty common. I have also seen fake S&W end labels being sold at gun shows. Without actually seeing or examining a specific box, I think it is impossible to tell over the internet. In contrast, I have also seen genuine labels that have been written over to correct mistakes and many have stickers and marks on them from the distributors and dealers.

General rule of thumb would be that if a box looks so pristine, cheaply made, off color, does not have the proper coloring or construction, I'd shy away from it and call it a knock-off. That said, I know back in the day many newly hired police officers picked up their guns at a local distributor, immediately took off the wooden grips and installed Pachmeyer's and left them at the store along with the original box. What happened to those original boxes is anyone's guess. I'm sure some were thrown out, some were sold and some were given away only to see the light of day decades later.

 

[kev74]

I got a factory repair returned wrapped in factory paper and in a factory box with no label. I sold it on eBay.

 

[Cities n Dust]

Kev74
That sounds more like the answer I was looking for a new blue unlabeled box as a return from Smith. I'm well aware of End labels being sold on Ebay. I wouldn't own such a piece of dung. It's dishonest and easy to spot anyways.

Chief
Thanks for your input educational as always.

Cities

 

[wood714]

Last gun I shipped to S&W for a recall was returned in the newer blue plastic boxes they use.

That was a few years ago.

 

[RT44nut]

I had saved this photo that was posted of a package from the early 80s. The revolvers were shipped in the plain blue 2 piece box along with the presentation case in a larger box with the label on the end of the larger box. I have a similar combination. There might be some reproduction boxes, but I haven’t seen one to know it. If there are reproductions, I’d like to see a picture of how to tell.

 

[nutsforsmiths]

I have shipped guns back to S&W and they have come back in current date boxes. I also have a blue box that came with a presentation case from 1979 and it doesn't have an end label.

 

[45Smashemflat]

I have a nickel 29-2 that was in a presentation box, which was in a plain cardboard box that was “just the right size” to hold the wooden presentation box. I’ll need to dig it out, but I THINK the cardboard box was labeled. Does that sound plausible? Or were all presentation sets sold with the revolver in one box, then it and the case in a larger box as shown above?

 

[Golddollar]

General rule of thumb would be that if a box looks so pristine, cheaply made, off color, does not have the proper coloring or construction, I'd shy away from it and call it a knock-off. That said, I know back in the day many newly hired police officers picked up their guns at a local distributor, immediately took off the wooden grips and installed Pachmeyer's and left them at the store along with the original box. What happened to those original boxes is anyone's guess. I'm sure some were thrown out, some were sold and some were given away only to see the light of day decades later.

It wouldn't have to be in a law enforcement setting either. A few years ago I was in a gun shop/hardware store and saw a bin full of gun company branded pistol boxes. I asked about the bin and on of the employees told me that frequently someone would buy and handgun and on their way out to their cars they would just toss the factory pistol box. So I made a deal to buy the whole bin full and took them to a gun show that my brother and I had made arrangements for a table at. I ended up selling enough of the boxes to make some money. One gentleman was very happy to find the box for a Interarms Firestar .45 ACP pistol that I had.

 

[Glenn R. McMannly]

it’s a freaking cardboard box.

All the golden yearers and boomers that care about those pretty paper boxes are due to die off anytime now lol. Guilty as charged. 92 years young.

 

[Thiokol]

I bought a new 29-2 many moons ago and the label was on the box that held the presentation case.