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December 9, 2012, 09:41 AM | #1 |
Member
Join Date: November 16, 2011
Location: northeast ms.
Posts: 54
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S&W letter of authenticity?
What info do you receive back when you request this letter?
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December 9, 2012, 10:22 AM | #2 |
Senior Member
Join Date: July 20, 2005
Location: Indiana
Posts: 10,446
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You will, at the least, recieve the following information: the gun's original date of shipment, to whom the gun was shipped (usually a retailer or distributor), and the gun's original factory configuration (barrel length, sights, stocks, etc.). The primary value of the letter, other than to satisfy one's curiosity, is to authenticate the gun's vintage and configuration. This is particularly valuable to collectors who are buying, selling, or trading rare or desirable models.
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December 10, 2012, 08:57 PM | #3 |
Member In Memoriam
Join Date: March 17, 1999
Posts: 24,383
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Before anyone asks, a factory letter (except in rare circumstances) will NOT identify who owned the gun. So unless the factory shipped the gun directly to Wyatt Earp or Buffalo Bill, that name will not appear on the letter.
This may seem self-evident but on one site a man was highly perturbed because he paid for a letter and it didn't show the full list of owners of the gun. Jim |
December 10, 2012, 09:25 PM | #4 |
Senior Member
Join Date: August 8, 2004
Location: Alabama
Posts: 301
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That's good news for the OP!
When I did this for the grandfather's gun from Winchester, I got a letter from Olin that simply stated the year of manufacture, and thanked me for the inquiry.
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December 10, 2012, 09:45 PM | #5 |
Staff
Join Date: April 13, 2000
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 41,380
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"This may seem self-evident but on one site a man was highly perturbed because he paid for a letter and it didn't show the full list of owners of the gun."
Wow. Just wow. I wonder where he thought that S&W was going to come up with that information over the years, especially on a revolver that is most likely being lettered due to its age.
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"The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower. |
December 11, 2012, 04:35 AM | #6 |
Senior Member
Join Date: April 25, 2010
Posts: 174
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Well then - welcome to the brave new world of personal privacy laws.
State DMVs block the same info on prior owners of vehicles - such as who previously owned my '61 Corvette when I inquired. Get over it. |
December 11, 2012, 07:37 AM | #7 |
Staff
Join Date: April 13, 2000
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 41,380
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I know exactly who owned my 2006 Subaru before I bought it.
Guy left his business card case between the seats.
__________________
"The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower. |
December 12, 2012, 05:05 PM | #8 |
Senior Member
Join Date: April 21, 2009
Location: Denver area
Posts: 504
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Sometimes (depending on model I guess) you will get a little history of the particular model. I got a letter (came with the gun) on one of my Model 53's and there was a paragraph about the history of the 53 and .22 Jet.
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Jim Many K and N Frames |
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