Gr8Bndini
Member
Hello my name is Jason
I've joined your forum to try and obtain information on my S&W 539 and maybe try to obtain some things for it from the classified section, by no means am I a collector or ever plan to be, I have other expensive hobbies, another I dont need.
I'd like to tell you all the crazy story behind my weapon though. Some might not believe it, and to be honest, if I hadn't lived it, I probably wouldnt either.
In 1983 my dad passed away (I was 6 at the time), and my mom was scared as it was just her and I.
So she went and purchased a new S&W model 539.
In 1992 our house was burglarized and the weapon was stolen, she hung on to its original box and paperwork for sometime after, but eventually she threw it all out.
Last year she called me one day and said "I have a letter here from county evidence saying I have 30 days to come claim my property, and the description says Smith & Wesson". I told her "mom that was over 20 years ago that thing was stolen, theres no way, give me the phone number so I can call them." My thinking was there must have been a part of it with the serial number on it that was confiscated at some point.
Mind you we're in Illinois, land of FOID cards and my mom is riddled with rumatoid arthritis, so she let her FOID lapse years ago.
So I call the number she gave me, and explain to the woman on the other end the situation, and then ask "is there actually a gun there? Because this thing was stolen over 20 years ago." To which she says "yes I know, in 1992, I have the file right here. And yes there is a gun here."
She then tells me that I have to sign some paperwork signing the gun over to me because mom no longer has a FOID.
So off to the courthouse I go, fill out all the various paperwork, and she hands a sealed evidence envelope over to a police officer, who escorts me out of the building and places it in the trunk of my car.
Now what do I do? So I thought I'll take it to mom and let her be the first to see it in 27 years.
I take it to my mom let her open the envelope, she reaches inside and pulls out her pistol, and is almost in tears, the thing looked horrible, hadnt been oiled in lord knows how long, and looked as though it had been carried in a barbed wire holster. At this point she hands it to me and says "well its yours now." To which I said, "I know mom, I have the paperwork to prove it, see?" (Lol)
At this point I have no idea what to do with this, part of me wanted to keep it as is just because it told the story, but the more I handled it, and looked at it I just got this eerie feeling as according to the paperwork inside it had been on the streets for 7 years, and lord only knows what kinds of things it had been involved in, not to mention the fact that mom was almost in tears when she saw it.
So I poke around and find out about S&W restoration service, send it to them to be bead blasted, re-blued and test fired.
Got all that done but the grips were shot, beat up, one was cracked at the screw hole etc.
Well I won an ebay auction a couple days ago for a pair of original, mint condition grips and received them yesterday and I am pleased to say that she looks as good as the day mom bought it in 1983.
Sorry for the novel of a first post, hope those of you who stuck it out till the end enjoyed the story as much as I enjoy telling it.
I've joined your forum to try and obtain information on my S&W 539 and maybe try to obtain some things for it from the classified section, by no means am I a collector or ever plan to be, I have other expensive hobbies, another I dont need.
I'd like to tell you all the crazy story behind my weapon though. Some might not believe it, and to be honest, if I hadn't lived it, I probably wouldnt either.
In 1983 my dad passed away (I was 6 at the time), and my mom was scared as it was just her and I.
So she went and purchased a new S&W model 539.
In 1992 our house was burglarized and the weapon was stolen, she hung on to its original box and paperwork for sometime after, but eventually she threw it all out.
Last year she called me one day and said "I have a letter here from county evidence saying I have 30 days to come claim my property, and the description says Smith & Wesson". I told her "mom that was over 20 years ago that thing was stolen, theres no way, give me the phone number so I can call them." My thinking was there must have been a part of it with the serial number on it that was confiscated at some point.
Mind you we're in Illinois, land of FOID cards and my mom is riddled with rumatoid arthritis, so she let her FOID lapse years ago.
So I call the number she gave me, and explain to the woman on the other end the situation, and then ask "is there actually a gun there? Because this thing was stolen over 20 years ago." To which she says "yes I know, in 1992, I have the file right here. And yes there is a gun here."
She then tells me that I have to sign some paperwork signing the gun over to me because mom no longer has a FOID.
So off to the courthouse I go, fill out all the various paperwork, and she hands a sealed evidence envelope over to a police officer, who escorts me out of the building and places it in the trunk of my car.
Now what do I do? So I thought I'll take it to mom and let her be the first to see it in 27 years.
I take it to my mom let her open the envelope, she reaches inside and pulls out her pistol, and is almost in tears, the thing looked horrible, hadnt been oiled in lord knows how long, and looked as though it had been carried in a barbed wire holster. At this point she hands it to me and says "well its yours now." To which I said, "I know mom, I have the paperwork to prove it, see?" (Lol)
At this point I have no idea what to do with this, part of me wanted to keep it as is just because it told the story, but the more I handled it, and looked at it I just got this eerie feeling as according to the paperwork inside it had been on the streets for 7 years, and lord only knows what kinds of things it had been involved in, not to mention the fact that mom was almost in tears when she saw it.
So I poke around and find out about S&W restoration service, send it to them to be bead blasted, re-blued and test fired.
Got all that done but the grips were shot, beat up, one was cracked at the screw hole etc.
Well I won an ebay auction a couple days ago for a pair of original, mint condition grips and received them yesterday and I am pleased to say that she looks as good as the day mom bought it in 1983.
Sorry for the novel of a first post, hope those of you who stuck it out till the end enjoyed the story as much as I enjoy telling it.
You'll enjoy it here.
There is no reason that you need to go full nutbar and spend tens of thousands on this hobby, but you may find that there is a reason so many of us are so deep in to this stuff. It is a whole lot of fun.
...Ben
