Not accepting requests for Letter of Authenticity until 2009?

[MikeKeyW]

I've just discovered I have a rare jewel, a S&W .32 Military and Police. A gun I was told didn't exist at first but then found out a batch of under 5000 had been produced, mostly 4" but a few 2" and 5". Mine is a 5". Wanting a Letter of Authenticity from S&W I saw that they were not accepting request until after Nov. 1. I could wait a few days. But then I heard that it's been pushed back to sometime in 2009 now!
The website still says Nov. 1 and I got the same answer when I called the S&W 800 number. My source is the gentleman that I dealt with over my 624 recall issue, since he is in the research section it stands to reason that he would know more about what's going on in that area then the front line customer service area.

Mike,
You have more information than I would be able to dig up.
I agree, a Roy Jinks letter would be well worth it.
He has a considerable backlog and is not accepting new inquiries.
Please check back with us in 2009.

Just to verify I asked what he meant:

Mike,
Yes, it was pushed back.

Has anyone else heard this?

 

[MikeKeyW]

I've just discovered I have a rare jewel, a S&W .32 Military and Police. A gun I was told didn't exist at first but then found out a batch of under 5000 had been produced, mostly 4" but a few 2" and 5". Mine is a 5". Wanting a Letter of Authenticity from S&W I saw that they were not accepting request until after Nov. 1. I could wait a few days. But then I heard that it's been pushed back to sometime in 2009 now!
The website still says Nov. 1 and I got the same answer when I called the S&W 800 number. My source is the gentleman that I dealt with over my 624 recall issue, since he is in the research section it stands to reason that he would know more about what's going on in that area then the front line customer service area.

Mike,
You have more information than I would be able to dig up.
I agree, a Roy Jinks letter would be well worth it.
He has a considerable backlog and is not accepting new inquiries.
Please check back with us in 2009.

Just to verify I asked what he meant:

Mike,
Yes, it was pushed back.

Has anyone else heard this?

 

[riptrack44]

I sent a letter on October 15th (before they changed their date). I still haven't received my letter and check back. It's almost laughable they won't get help for Roy (or maybe Roy refuses any help). They're trying to computerize the zillions of ancient documents but most of us will be pushing up daisies before that's done. Is Colt experiencing the same problems?

 

[VM]

There's something cooking in the back room, we all smell it, but nobody is talking.

Don't you know the "Super secret" handshake

 

[handejector]

Originally posted by riptrack44:
I sent a letter on October 15th (before they changed their date). I still haven't received my letter and check back. It's almost laughable they won't get help for Roy (or maybe Roy refuses any help). They're trying to computerize the zillions of ancient documents but most of us will be pushing up daisies before that's done. Is Colt experiencing the same problems?

Not exactly the situation.
Roy will not allow any help, having often stated that it causes more trouble than it is worth.
Letters are not a big concern at the S&W corporate level. "They", meaning S&W, are doing NOTHING to digitize the records, as they don't even OWN them. They belong to the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum.
The BEST hope for the future of S&W letters is to support the newly founded Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation, a public charity set up to digitize the records. ALL donations are TAX DEDUCTIBLE. Here is a lot more data:
S&W Historical Foundation

 

[MikeKeyW]

The reason I'm disappointed:
S&W .32 M&P

 

[austintexas]

I've got a .32 M&P that has been lettered, if your serial nlumber is close to mine the information on yours would possibly be the same. my serial no. is C54xxx, the serial range for these revolvers is C 49,000 to C 57,000. Manufactured 01/19/1948 to 02/03/1950. 4 inch was standard, 2 & 5 inch small quantity. Total produced 4813, most were shipped overseas. Mine was shipped 09/11/1950 to Western Metal Co., San Diego, Ca with 5 inch bbl, blued,and checkered walnut grips. Hope this helps.

 

[MikeKeyW]

Mine is C 687XX, Florida is getting closer!

 

[bmg60]

hi
i have a 5 inch also mine was shipped in 10/2/1950. Serial number C-54341
the letter reads as follows.
this gun was part of a special order for the mexican government. It was a overrun of that production and is relatively rare.
Thats why you don't see these guns in the US.
There were only 910 made in 5 inch barrel length. This information is from the factory records.

I would say that there is no reason to hurry to get a letter as it will say the same as you have just been told by all the posts.
leave the letter requests for something you don"t know about allready.
jim fisher
S&WCA member 1491.

 

[MikeKeyW]

Looks like we can start a little .32 M&P Club between us. It's interesting that those three are clustered fairly close together in relation to mine and that mine is outside the range stated by Roy in the one letter:

I've got a .32 M&P that has been lettered, if your serial number is close to mine the information on yours would possibly be the same. my serial no. is C54xxx, <span class="ev_code_RED">the serial range for these revolvers is C 49,000 to C 57,000</span>. Manufactured 01/19/1948 to 02/03/1950. 4 inch was standard, 2 & 5 inch small quantity. Total produced 4813, most were shipped overseas. Mine was shipped 09/11/1950 to Western Metal Co., San Diego, Ca with 5 inch bbl, blued,and checkered walnut grips. Hope this helps.

Mine is C 687XX, I wonder what that's all about? Can you all post some pictures for comparison?

 

[S&WIowegan]

Roy has no interest in getting help and he is getting older and less willing to bust his hump to eliminate the backlog.

As Lee says, our best hope is to get this stuff digitized ASAP.

 

[Denver Dick]

I, too, sent in a request timed to arrive on October 15, 2008 with my $50 check. I also included a copy of the web page that stating that requests would be accepted on 10/15/08. They cashed my check on 10/22.

Since they changed the website on October 16th or 17th to extend the time, it leads me to believe that Roy got a bag full of requests on the 15th that caused him to look like this

I suspect many folks were waiting, maybe with multiple requests, for the 15th to unload on poor Roy, and when he saw how many came in, they rushed to "change the website." But, I'm just guessing.