Factory letters......what is your most shocking/abnormal

[Dan M]

In the 50's the gun was converted to 38 Special by the factory I cant remember exact dates but it was when the laws changed about smooth bore handguns. the gun had a star next to the serial # on the butt and a diamond on the barrel. all parts serial numbered correct except the grips. Like I said I thought it was a Heavy Duty.

Roy said the grips were probably 1917 grips, so smooth service stocks

Dan

 

[CJS57]

Registered Magnum shipped to Mexico City with 1 of 1 early synthetic polymer grips that even Roy Jinks had never seen! The grips were long gone but the gun was near mint original. Sold the gun years ago before the RM craze started.............

 

[hotrod150]

...To me that's a significant amount of money to get a form letter telling me my gun shipped to a hardware store in rural West Virginia or a big sporting goods store in St. Louis. Mildly useful info at best. ....

Exactly my point. I'd rather save the $50 for a letter toward buying my next S&W.
As to "birthday guns", I was born in may 1957 but having a gun that shipped that month wouldn't be a big deal. If it had shipped on my exact birthday, that might be a different story. But it wouldn't become a keeper just because of that, unless it was also a keeper for other reasons.

 

[JustinL]

How about buying a 3.5" Model 27 from a forum member then getting it lettered as a 6" when it left the factory ......

I could see all the dollar bills I spent going down the toilette.

 

[Retired W4]

Letters indicated that my 27-5 started out as an "Outnumbered" but shipped without the embellishments as one of 234 that shipped in that configuration, and my 10 no dash did in fact have a factory butt swivel (LE over run). Both were worth the $50 to me. I also have letters from Colt and Westley Richards that provided very useful information.

 

[Messer]

I've only had one gun "lettered" - I did it to confirm a unusual configuration from the factory.

To my my surprise, it came back confirming it was shipped that way, but also as being shipped to an individual (with a noteworthy last name), not a hardware store.

I doubt I'll letter many more unless I pick up something unusual, but it was well worth the $50.00 to me.

Take care,
Bob S.

 

[Oyeboteb]

I've only had one gun "lettered" - I did it to confirm a unusual configuration from the factory.

To my my surprise, it came back confirming it was shipped that way, but also as being shipped to an individual (with a noteworthy last name), not a hardware store.

I doubt I'll letter many more unless I pick up something unusual, but it was well worth the $50.00 to me.

Take care,
Bob S.

Hi Bob,


What was it?

 

[JudgeColt]

Just knowing when and where a particular gun went, and in what configuration, is worth $50 to me.

Between my Colts, Smith & Wessons, High Standards, Rugers, Parkers, L.C. Smiths and Winchesters, I have hundreds of letters and thousands of dollars invested in them, but the letters add more to the enjoyment of my collection than the letters cost me.

(I wish there was a way to "letter" Remingtons!) (Ruger letters are about worthless, with no exact shipping date or destination provided. Much to my disappointment, Ruger did not have anything on a very early Mini-14.)

 

[jchodur]

Interesting subject and a heck of a suprise on the original configuration of Dan's Hand Ejector. I've never lettered one myself yet. I do have a beautiful .44 Hand Ejector Model 2 that I plan to someday. However, I'm writing my first post because I noticed a couple of things I believe amiss in the history segment of Roy's letter to Dan M. about his ".44-40 Hand Ejector/.38 Special Heavy Duty." Roy's letter states that the .44 Hand Ejector was introduced in 1915. I believe the correct year for the Model 1 (Triple Lock) introduction was 1908. Year 1915 is when Britain ordered Triple Locks in .455 to supplement her Webley revolvers. Revolvers for WW I would not have been ordered in 1920 as the war was over in 1918. If my history or facts are wrong please correct me.

Joe

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

Interesting subject and a heck of a suprise on the original configuration of Dan's Hand Ejector. I've never lettered one myself yet. I do have a beautiful .44 Hand Ejector Model 2 that I plan to someday. However, I'm writing my first post because I noticed a couple of things I believe amiss in the history segment of Roy's letter to Dan M. about his ".44-40 Hand Ejector/.38 Special Heavy Duty." Roy's letter states that the .44 Hand Ejector was introduced in 1915. I believe the correct year for the Model 1 (Triple Lock) introduction was 1908. Year 1915 is when Britain ordered Triple Locks in .455 to supplement her Webley revolvers. Revolvers for WW I would not have been ordered in 1920 as the war was over in 1918. If my history or facts are wrong please correct me.

Joe

Welcome to the forum.
I believe what Roy was referring to was the fact that the HE 2nd came out in 1915 since that was the actual gun being lettered.

 

[Neal39]

Just knowing when and where a particular gun went, and in what configuration, is worth $50 to me.

Between my Colts, Smith & Wessons, High Standards, Rugers, Parkers, L.C. Smiths and Winchesters, I have hundreds of letters and thousands of dollars invested in them, but the letters add more to the enjoyment of my collection than the letters cost me.

(I wish there was a way to "letter" Remingtons!) (Ruger letters are about worthless, with no exact shipping date or destination provided. Much to my disappointment, Ruger did not have anything on a very early Mini-14.)

I have a Remington .22 five shot pepperbox, ring trigger pistol mfg. by Remington and Sons with a Remington letterhead letter stating the date of mfg and configuration of grips etc. It appears that Remington did letter guns at one time. The letter came with the pistol when I purchased it.
Neal39

 

[hotrod150]

I hope the guy who counterfits Colt boxes doesn't read this thread-- we might see a run of forged S&W factory letters on ebay.

 

[opoefc]

Group, I think we sometimes lose our perspective on the perks we S&W collectors enjoy like factory letters and we take them for granted. S&W is a bottom-line corporation and if something isn't contributing to the bottom-line in a positive manner, it can become history very quickly. The position of Factory Historian, held by Roy Jinks, is contractual. The revenue from the factory letters supports that operation. S&W management changes like we change our socks, and bottom-line thinkers are not always sympathetic to S&W history and collecting. There have been times in the past that S&W management considered elimination of the position for cost reasons and Roy has had to use considerable persuasive talents to keep the operation going. I hear complaints in the above postings that "it's expensive, etc " to get a letter. Perhaps, but I can imagine the howls if the factory letter program was cancelled by S&W as not being cost effective. If $50 is too much, just be glad you are not a Colt collectors having to pay what Colt charges! Plus, compare the information you get in a S&W letter with a Colt letter - With S&W, you get the history of the Model and it's design, etc. as well as the shipping and the original gun configuration specs. info. With a Colt letter, just the configuration and shipping info. Nice, but "no cigar" compared to S&W letters. Just my opinion. Ed.

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

Well said Ed!!!

 

[jrs70]

Good point ED. I have one I will now letter.

 

[jchodur]

Welcome to the forum.
I believe what Roy was referring to was the fact that the HE 2nd came out in 1915 since that was the actual gun being lettered.

You're right, 1915 was the year of introduction for the model 2 and this is probably what Roy was referring to. I didn't make the connection because the revolver now resembles a model 3 with the shrouded ejector rod.

And thanks for the welcome. I see this is my 2nd post and not the 1st. The other must have been a while ago because I don't remember it. I'll have to do a search.

Joe

 

[ditrina]

Some times a " Letter " leads to lot of " Other STUFF"

RM # 379, 11 pages of documentation..

JOIN THE HISTORICAL Society ..

Click on the first pic.. then " Next Picture"

Smith & Wesson Forum - ditrina's Album: REGISTERED MAGNUM # 379

 

[hotrod150]

A smooth-bore 44-40, must have been special-ordered for someone planning some exhibition shooting eh? Glass balls, balloons, etc. I've read that such shooters often used blackpowder blanks, the powder was what actually broke the targets.

 

[JudgeColt]

If $50 is too much, just be glad you are not a Colt collectors having to pay what Colt charges! Plus, compare the information you get in a S&W letter with a Colt letter - With S&W, you get the history of the Model and it's design, etc. as well as the shipping and the original gun configuration specs. info. With a Colt letter, just the configuration and shipping info.

Personally, the history of the model is already known to me, or easily researched in the Supica/Nahas books, and much of it applies to earlier or later versions than the gun I am lettering. The last paragraph contains the information about the gun I am lettering, which is what I really want, and that content mirrors what is in a Colt archive letter.

Colt letters now cost at least $75, many cost $100 and others cost several hundred dollars. All take four to five months to receive. Every time I letter a Smith & Wesson for only $50, I feel like I am getting a bargain! And the letters usually arrive in three months or so!

So my Smith & Wesson friends, don't complain! Be thankful!

 

[lawandorder]

Inbound letters to Smith & Wesson.............

.............several years ago I purchased a bundle of vintage letters from customers inbound to S&W. They were mostly ordering or inquiring about various revolvers or calibers, with a lot of them from Law Enforcement.

Some very interesting stuff but I realized they should be with Mr. Jenks and sent them to him. Do wish I had copied some of them, really neat stuff.

Here is an earlier thread that talks about them and one I kept that a friend gave me later. Wish I could find the gun and Smith's reply to the City Marshal.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-ha...23-interesting-letter-s-w-customer-1920s.html