What does lettering a gun mean?

[Crazywader]

View attachment 777442Here is my first letter surprise gifted to me this week by my sneaky amazing wife for our recent July 1st anniversary….very interesting to see where they shipped and then to where we acquire them along the way….mine was purchased by me in Tx, and now we reside in Ca. Shipped to Shapleigh Hdw in St. Louis Feb 17, 1920…..although, the bbl is not 6”, it is 5” with matching ser# and no evidence of shortening or mentioned of factory replacement…maybe that’s as close as they can get. Worth the investment if you are curious enough but may leave you wondering a bit if things don’t match like the bbl info on this one.
Cheers

What a nice gift! And pretty cool the letter is dated on our nation's birthday! To your point about how it was shipped to one location and you acquired it quite a ways away is always intriguing and leaves your imagination left to fill in the gaps!

I'm intending to have a K-22 lettered that I'm hoping confirms my father ordered it (first and only 'owner') - we'll see. It was the first pistol I shot. Years after he passed and it sat in the back of my safe never having fired it in all that time, I decided to sell it. A year later I woke up and realized what a huge mistake I made . I called the FFL I went through and the guy who was supposed to buy it never picked it up! After hearing my story, he agreed that I should consider it a lesson learned and I was able to buy it back . I share this because I don't have a plan for any of the items in my collection other than to have them stuffed in my coffin when I go. Knowing this group of S&W collectors exists will be factored in to my solution in advance of the day I 'move on'. A factory letter along with me documenting its story after it shipped hopefully ensures the next care-taker gives it a good home.

 

[DWalt]

What a nice gift! And pretty cool the letter is dated on our nation's birthday! To your point about how it was shipped to one location and you acquired it quite a ways away is always intriguing and leaves your imagination left to fill in the gaps!

I'm intending to have a K-22 lettered that I'm hoping confirms my father ordered it (first and only 'owner') - we'll see. It was the first pistol I shot. Years after he passed and it sat in the back of my safe never having fired it in all that time, I decided to sell it. A year later I woke up and realized what a huge mistake I made . I called the FFL I went through and the guy who was supposed to buy it never picked it up! After hearing my story, he agreed that I should consider it a lesson learned and I was able to buy it back . I share this because I don't have a plan for any of the items in my collection other than to have them stuffed in my coffin when I go. Knowing this group of S&W collectors exists will be factored in to my solution in advance of the day I 'move on'. A factory letter along with me documenting its story after it shipped hopefully ensures the next care-taker gives it a good home.

While possible, it would be extremely unusual if the letter indicated that the K-22 was shipped directly to your father by S&W. With rare exceptions, shipments from S&W were usually made only to various wholesalers, distributors, and retailers, also sometimes to local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Don’t expect anything and you won’t be disappointed.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

For me.....Nothing.....I'm still going to use it and shoot it.......Irreguardless of whom may owned it before.