I recently picked up a lightly used S&W 686 revolver with a 2 1/2 in barrel.  The pistol is 3 years old and has less than 200 rounds through it.  I'm VERY happy with the price, condition, and performance of the gun.  While cleaning it last night I noticed that the model number listed under the serial number was 386-6.  Google told me that the 386 has a black finish and aluminum frame, but the 686 I have is a heavy, shiny stainless revolver so there was a problem somewhere.

I called S&W and the rep looked up my serial number and validated that I had a 686 that was made in 2015 and the 386-6 was a mis-stamp from the factory.  Sounded reasonable to me so I asked if he could send me a letter or e-mail confirming what I have just in case I decide to sell one day. 

"Nope, sorry.  We don't do that.  You can contact the S&W historical foundation and pay them $85 and they'll send you a confirmation letter, but we don't do that."

If I was contacting them out of idle curiosity I might understand charging for the confirmation letter (though not $85) but the only reason I wanted this was because of the mistake.  My rep contacted a supervisor and the supervisor said that they would send me a FedEx shipping tag and that I could return the gun so they could "fix the problem".  That would either be fixing the stamp or replacing the frame and giving me a new serial number.

I explained that this would be overkill and that in the event of a new serial number I'd need to go through the permitting, NICS, and FFL process, so it wasn't a reasonable option, but they wouldn't budge at all.

Does that seem kind of stupid to anyone other than me???

All I want is the information the rep is reading to me on the screen he sees.  Serial XXXXXXX is a model 686 manufactured on XX/XX/2015. 

Instead they want to boil the ocean.

I'm about 99.9% certain I'm not sending it back (or paying $85 for the letter), but is there any compelling reason why I should?

 

 

If it were a coin, it would be worth more.

I would agree that if they screwed up, the least they could do is offer you the paperwork for free or a "reasonable" amount.

I wouldn't be particularly concerned personally. Maybe you'll never sell it, maybe the next buyer won't care, maybe they'll like the story, who knows. Unless having a mismarked gun is illegal under federal law (it isn't defaced and still has all the markings, just the wrong ones), I would not give it any more thought.

Mismarked guns from the factory may command a small premium from collectors.  There are people who collect mismarked guns.  Keep it.  No laws being broken I can see.

Mis-stamps at the factory is not an uncommon occurrence at S&W, and while it is a curiosity, it doesn't have much, if any, impact on value.

The $85 letter is a service offered by S&W, by their company historian, Roy Jinks, to validate if collector Smiths are still in the original configuration and to whom/where it was shipped, not to correct factory errors.

Put it out of your mind. Shoot and enjoy your revolver.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

Yeah, this gun is quickly becoming one of my favorites, so I can't imagine parting with it anytime soon, so I doubt if I'll go through the hassle of sending it back.

It still boggles my mind a bit that they would prefer to go through the time and expense of paying for the gun to go back and forth and to potentially replace the frame when I simply wanted a letter confirming that I had a 686!!

 

Ill buy it in a heartbeat from you.  Pm me. Ill trade you a legit 686-6 and 85$ for it.