The Factory Letter

by
posted on February 4, 2013
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
wiley-clapp.jpg

Any good (or better) quality handgun from Colt or Smith & Wesson probably deserves a so-called “factory letter” to go with it. Both companies offer this service and while it is getting expensive, it may, in the long run, add to the value of the gun. Basically, a factory letter is derived from the shipping records of the company and reports the basic description of the gun, any special features, the day that it left the factory and to whom it was shipped. Today that means a gun store with an FFL, but in older times, guns sometimes went straight to the end user.

My buddy, the late Chuck Karwan, once advised a local handgun enthusiast to get a factory letter on his pre World War II Registered Magnum. He did and it came back as having been shipped to Ed McGivern, a famous handgunner of the 1930s. This tripled, at least, the value of the gun. If the gun in question was made before WWII, it never hurts to spend the money and get a letter.

As a matter of fact, so many people have “lettered” their early Colts and Smith & Wessons that the letter is actually displayed with the gun on a high-end gun show table. I bought a Single Action Army recently and its letter came with it. It had been with the gun for a long time, since it is dated in the 1950s. Smith & Wesson letters have a capsule history of the model, as well as the shipping data on the individual specimen. Preserving arms history is always a good thing and the factory letter is a big part of the process.

Latest

Gotw Influencer X Web
Gotw Influencer X Web

Gun Of The Week: EAA Corp. Girsan Influencer X

We're on the range with an M1911 that is one of the smoothest-shooting versions we’ve shot in recent memory. And best of all? It’s incredibly affordable, to boot. This is the EAA Girsan Influencer X.

The Armed Citizen® Aug. 8, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Hopkins & Allen: The Armsmaking Giant That Didn't Survive

Founded in 1868 in the northeast U.S., Hopkins & Allen grew from a friendly business venture into a prolific maker of affordable guns for brand names such as Merwin & Hulbert and Forehand & Wadsworth.

Burris Optics Celebrates 50 Years Of Fullfield Riflescopes

Firearms and ammunition ballistics have changed greatly over the last half-century, but one of the biggest leaps in performance hit the scene five decades ago, when Burris Optics introduced its Fullfield line of riflesopes.

I Have This Old Gun: Heckler & Koch P7

In the mid-1970s, the German federal police sought a replacement for its existing World War II-era sidearms and put out stringent guidelines for what it wanted in a handgun. The result was the Heckler & Koch P7.

New For 2025: Smith & Wesson Shield X

Smith & Wesson's new Shield X micro-compact handgun combines elements from the company's M&P Shield Plus with some cues from its smaller Bodyguard 2.0 design.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.