Factory letters

[Gary W. Strange]

I have started getting factory letters on a lot of my older guns. A letter from Colt takes a little over three months to get and you can do the request on line now. I mailed in a request, just by first class, snail mail, two weeks ago. I got both of them back Saturday. The letters from Colt are just basic information. The letters from Smith and Wesson, that Roy Jinks, are very informative. He goes into detail about the model and about spin off models. Sometimes they will be two pages before he even get to the information on the gun you are requesting information on. I have letters from Colt, Smith & Wesson, Browning, from the Cody historical society, on Winchesters. I am trying to find out if it is possible to get a factory letter from Savage, for a model 99. If anyone has information on a Savage, I would appreciate if, they would pass it on. I have heard people say a factory letter was just a waste of time. I find it interesting to know when and where it shipped to and if it is still like it was when it shipped. It is neat to have.

 

[jjadurbin]

This is a worthy pursuit that can add to the value of older guns ...the man who started it all for Colt Manufacturing has become a folk hero to collectors who covet any historical letter signed by Martin S. Huber, who went to war against top management to save Colt's massive collection of records and documents. Interesting story:



Going back to the 60s and 70s members of my family would write for records to document various firearms, mostly those that had been brought home from the family's hardware store. One reply from Mr. Huber for a 1920s era Pocket Positive detailed a shipment of five pistols sent to the same small town with final destinations that included names and addresses ...the hardware, the feed and grain, the corner gas station ...and the ladies beauty parlor. The last gun listed Colt custom pearl grips.

 

[22250Rem]

It's a fascinating pursuit. I've only had it done once ( in 1998), concerning a Savage Model 23-D that I got from the second owner. Back then their historian was John T. Callahan and I don't recall how much it cost me. My gun turned out to be made sometime between 1939 and 1943 and by that time Savage had simplified their record keeping. So in that era Mr. Callahan was unable to pin it down any further. The second owner ( he got the gun about 1966), told me that the first owner said he got it "back in the 30's" so I'm going with a 1939 date. I've seen factory letters on Winchesters that were incredibly detailed showing when the gun was shipped and to who. It's amazing a lot of those records survived. What a treasure trove for gun folks.

 

[stonebuster]

I recently had what I thought was a hard to find special contract Ruger old revolver that I got lettered for $10. I got my letter about a week after I requested it. It confirmed the designated model number, which agency it was made for, production month & year as well as month/year shipped and to where. I was told that model is sometimes faked so it was well worth $10. If I sell the gun I've got proof what it is and more.

 

[Dunross]

I have a couple of Model 28 Smiths and a Colt Official Police I'd pay to have letters for.

Who do I contact for these?

Thanks.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

I have a couple of Model 28 Smiths and a Colt Official Police I'd pay to have letters for.

Who do I contact for these?

Thanks.

Joy Jinks has now left S&W and is operating as their historian with their blessings.

Please read the entire page carefully and fill out the information carefully and fully as you can.

http://www.swhistoricalfoundation.com/info.html

I have not done any Colt's recently so can not speak to their current operation though someone will in short order, I'm confident.

Todd.

 

[Gary W. Strange]

I have a couple of Model 28 Smiths and a Colt Official Police I'd pay to have letters for.

Who do I contact for these?

Thanks.

Go to Smith and Wesson 's website. Go to customer service and it will give you a link to download the form. I mailed in for letters on 2 revolvers, a model 18 no dash and a .22\.32 Hand ejector and had the letters back in about 2 weeks. The letters are neat. They are signed by Roy Jinks, which I think is very neat. He goes in a little detail and history of the model before he gives you the information on the gun. It's neat that he takes the time to do that. It makes the letter more personal and I believe it shows he enjoys providing this service. If for some reason you have trouble getting to the link for the form, let me know and I will see if I can upload it as an attachment.