When to get a letter?

[glowe]

S&Ws returned to the factory for refinishing, repair, barrel replacements, etc. after 1920 will often have documentation and letters from the owner about the needed repair. They may also have shipping addresses for returns to owners. Good chance to pick up police department names, target shooters names, famous personalities, etc.

I can state that there is documentation for guns made before 1920, but the Foundation has yet to digitize them and searching is difficult to impossible to find a particular serial number. I truly hope that they see fit to do the job soon before I am too old to care. This is an important segment of S&W history, but I believe they are going for more recent records? I have stated in the past that those pre-1920s records contain way more important historical names and records than those after WWII.

 

[raljr1]

S&Ws returned to the factory for refinishing, repair, barrel replacements, etc. after 1920 will often have documentation and letters from the owner about the needed repair.

I thought this was true till my letter said this.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

What is the criteria you use to decide weather to send in for a letter or not?

The majority of my collection is from right after WWII to the early 60's. None of them have any kind of law enforcement markings or any other markings. I'm just wondering if any of them deserve a letter.

Great question, IMHO.

Most of my collection came from the LGS and the used revolvers were just standard issue. Of course the pre Model Number revolvers have a great collectors following.

 

[Vettepartz]

This thread has a lot of opinions, which I think is great. Other people's opinions often change my way of thinking, but not always.

As to letters, the majority of the ones I have gotten have been very helpful. For instance, I have a Pinto and the letter says it left the factory that way when it was brand new. So many have been made into Pintos as an after thought.

And occasionally we get a downer. I have one pistol that is "open on the books". No charge on that one. And I have a model 66 that has the 6 1/8" barrel, but the letter says it was shipped as a 6" barrel.

Getting a letter is like opening a Christmas present. Almost all of the time it is something useful. Just MY opinion.....

 

[Muley Gil]

This thread has a lot of opinions, which I think is great. Other people's opinions often change my way of thinking, but not always.

As to letters, the majority of the ones I have gotten have been very helpful. For instance, I have a Pinto and the letter says it left the factory that way when it was brand new. So many have been made into Pintos as an after thought.

And occasionally we get a downer. I have one pistol that is "open on the books". No charge on that one. And I have a model 66 that has the 6 1/8" barrel, but the letter says it was shipped as a 6" barrel.

Getting a letter is like opening a Christmas present. Almost all of the time it is something useful. Just MY opinion.....

Barrel lengths on S&W revolvers often have a 1/8" difference, plus or minus. I've seen a number of 4" barreled M28s that measured less than 4".

 

[Vettepartz]

I understand about the 1/8" difference, but never have seen or heard of one that was longer, other than the model 66. That is even mentioned in the standard catalog, volumes 4 and 5.

 

[glowe]

I thought this was true till my letter said this.

View attachment 717286

You know that there is no such thing as always or never in S&W speak. Sure, there will be some holes in 100 year-old documents, but sometimes you will find interesting correspondence.

 

[raljr1]

You know that there is no such thing as always or never in S&W speak. Sure, there will be some holes in 100 year-old documents, but sometimes you will find interesting correspondence.

I agree.

Hope springs eternal. Just got a letter on a 32 HE target that has been modified. Date stamps, 1.27 and 11.58. Letter says no records available for those dates. Sent both in for deep dives, hoping to find something interesting.