Posted by SGT on August 23, 2007, 9:35 pm, in reply to "Re: Cody letter"
Jessica: I'm on your side and certainly meant no slap at you personally; obviously I did not re-read the entire post, opting instead to base my response on the post to which I responded in which the word transition gun was used. Neverless, I hope from my previous, and numerous other posts that you guys at Cody know I fully support and affirm your efforts. Now, to thicken the soup a bit, I do take some issue with your above statement "LC Smith did not produce transition guns". Although I am sure you did not mean that remark as it sounds, I must take issue lest the novice reader come away confused and bewildered; as we have discussed that topic a number of times on this forum. Evidence from surviving guns clearly indicates that the Smith gun did indeed undergo a "transition" from the Syracuse to the Fulton era as Hunter gradually changed from the original Syracuse quality/grade designations to the Fulton numbered grades. Numbers of surviving guns exist having a combination of features from both eras; and many were made without quality or grade stamps. Further evidence of this transition period is actually contained within early shipping ledgers (30,000-45,000) where numbers of serial numbers have no grade mark in the grade column; noting only the codes "XX" or "XXX" instead, which I am told designated "guns made without a grade mark" and guns "made into a different grade". If this information is incorrect, please advise and we will continue this thread.