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Thread: Enlighten me on the pricing of used S&W

  1. #21
    Boolit Grand Master Outpost75's Avatar
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    Knowledgeable shooters are willing to spend more for an old gun that works, than a new gun that doesn't.
    The ENEMY is listening.
    HE wants to know what YOU know.
    Keep it to yourself.

  2. #22
    Boolit Master Drm50's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Outpost75 View Post
    Knowledgeable shooters are willing to spend more for an old gun that works, than a new gun that doesn't.
    Exactly, that is it in a nut shell. One other thing I forgot to bring up on S&Ws is the Grip situation.
    Because the original grips are going for $100 up for nice targets, the dealers are replacing factories with Pachs or some other cheap rubber grips. They still want same money for the gun.
    A N frame that would bring $900 with factories, should only be worth $750 with rubbers. Over
    half the S&Ws I pick up have aftermarkets. I can't abide rubber grips and don't like to pay $100+
    for S&W grips. I always pick up aftermarket wood targets for mine. You can usually find good
    used ones for $40 up.

  3. #23
    Boolit Grand Master


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    Quote Originally Posted by Drm50 View Post
    I have a good many S&W revolvers, only 9 Rugers. What I have noticed the last few months is the
    stalling in S&W market. The prices on shooters has reached the top. Prices had been constantly
    going up. Dealers were playing this like the stock market. We are now at the place they are asking
    $1200 for the gun they paid $900-$1000. They are not selling. They had been use to flipping guns
    for $100-$200 and market has reached the bubble. The guns I'm talking about are shooters not
    collectors items. I have three m57s, 2 are 57-1s and are not P&R, there is no difference between
    them and my m57 from any practical stand point. I'm a shooter & hunter not a collector and found
    out a long time ago that S&Ws were a lot easier to shoot than most revolvers, with the exception
    of top of the line Colts. Im not interested in guns I can't shoot but having a good bit of money in
    my hoarde I don't want to buy guns that will be worth less than I paid for them. Also I don't want
    to buy a gun and pay to have it tuned and end up with as much in it as a good S&W. If you only
    have a few guns this may not be a consideration. Depending on what you are going to use the gun
    for is important too. S&Ws will not hold up firing hundreds of full power magnum loads, Ruger will.
    I have had several newer S&Ws ,all stainless steel and I'm not crazy about them. The lock means
    nothing to me. If it bothers you, you can get a plug to replace it. They are still out of the box
    slicker than Rugers. One of these can be found used more reasonable than a 57.
    That would make sense, and hopefully the price does come down some day. I never had a doubt the S&W is the better gun for me in 41, but I just don't feel like investing that much. I could save up more, but I think I'll pass for now. I'll just keep looking, I'd have no problem spending $900 on an older model, as long as I can hold it in my hand, and look it over real good first. Still, the 5.5" or 7" Redhawks look like they would serve me well too. Maybe one day I'll own both. This revolver would be for hunting, and I put little value of the double action trigger. Ruger's triggers in single action seem good enough to me. I've considered single action revolvers, but I never could warm up the grip style. I've got a 357 mag blackhawk, and that's a handful. I wouldn't want a heavy 41 mag in one.

    Anyway, I've learned a bit more about smith and wesson, so that's good. I still don't think they deserve the prices being asked, but so be it. It's not like you would loose that money, they hold their value.

  4. #24
    Boolit Master Drm50's Avatar
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    I get quite a few 57-1s in my area. I had one a couple weeks ago that a local wanted me to sell
    for him at Gun Show for $950. It didn't sell and I returned it. I later learned he sold it at Cabelas and I know they didn't give him near $950 for it. I would have gave him $800 had he offered. Not
    the 1st time something like that has happened. Guys don't like to let it be known they get ripped
    off.

    A lot of the N frame magnums are bought on impulse and most owners don't load. The biggest
    part of them are low round count guns and have been carried very little. These are the ones I
    look for. The Dirty Harry movie sold a lot of 29-2s that are one owner guns that are lucky to have
    100rds through them and have lived on a closet shelf since 70s. There are thousands of magnum
    pistols like that, you just have to keep your nose to the ground to find them. Everyone with a gun
    is not a gun nut. I've had guys really tickled because they sold me their gun for $200 more than
    they paid for it new. Individuals is where you find the deals. You never "find" much at gun shows
    because very few things are "lost".

  5. #25
    Boolit Master
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    A few thoughts on the new Vs. old. I have a fair pile of S&Ws, and only one gun with a lock. Yes, you can deactivate it, or even pull the lock and plug the hole. You are still stuck with the dumb little flag by the hammer, which drives me nuts, but many don't care. The MIM parts seem fine, but there is no way the finish compares to the old ones. Look close, you can see the injection lines and circles. It looks like the bottom of an old Matchbox car to me. Yuck. The one I have is a 625 that got pounded mercilessly for 30,000 rounds when I was shooting competition, and it was flawless, it just has some factory supplied warts you need to turn a blind eye to.

    By far the worst action on any S&W I own was on a Performance center gun, so don't think that always buys you a great action. Pretty gun, lousy trigger.

    The S&W factory made PLENTY of clunkers too, I'd look very closely before shelling out 1K for a used blued revolver. This is from a S&W fan.

    If this gun really is for hunting, I too think the Redhawk may be your best bet, stronger AND less expensive. I will gently suggest if the Ruger single action triggers seem fine to you as you say, you haven't handled many good triggers I haven't worked on a Ruger D/A gun, but their S/A triggers are very easy to tune. Good luck in your search.

  6. #26
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Had an interesting conversation with David Clements yesterday or the day before yesterday regarding Smith smiths. He said he got out of the market because of aggravation and didn’t really make enough for the aggravation. He works with Ruger SA exclusively now IIRC our conversation. When asked for a good Smith smith, he really didn’t have one. My fathers 57 no dash seriously
    Needs a tune up.

  7. #27
    Boolit Grand Master


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    Single action, I honestly can't tell much difference between the S&W 57, Ruger super redhawk, or blackhawk. I assume the Redhawk is similar. I wouldn't brag about any of them, but a 4 pound crisp trigger is not a hindrance at all for hunting. The double action trigger on the 57 is what really got me interested, but double action serves almost no purpose for hunting.

  8. #28
    Boolit Master

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    Not sure how far you live from your LGS but it never hurts to let them know what your interested in and check in often letting know your still interested. I stop in to my LGS on a regular basis and pick up cleaners or patches and chat with the older fellow behind the counter. This has made it nice when I'm looking for something in particular. Recently I picked up a 57 no dash and a little bit later a 3 screw Ruger in 41 at for a very reasonable pricing far below some of the prices listed above.
    Sometimes it takes a second box of boolits to clear my head.
    Feed back thread http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...?261449-jeepyj

  9. #29
    Boolit Master


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    Quote Originally Posted by megasupermagnum View Post
    Single action, I honestly can't tell much difference between the S&W 57, Ruger super redhawk, or blackhawk. I assume the Redhawk is similar. I wouldn't brag about any of them, but a 4 pound crisp trigger is not a hindrance at all for hunting. The double action trigger on the 57 is what really got me interested, but double action serves almost no purpose for hunting.
    The Redhawk doesn't have a bad trigger (no creep or grit), but it is much heavier than triggers in Blackhawks and GP-100s.

  10. #30
    Boolit Master Drm50's Avatar
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    There was a era that clunkers of any brand never were sent out for sale. The reason they had a
    lot of human hands on them from start to finish. Even something as mundane as a single shot
    22 or shotgun, which was about $20 when I was a kid, was expected to be well made and accurate
    Things started going south in the 70s as far as QC at the gun companies.

    I sold a lot of guns to PDs and took duty guns on trade ins and usually some they had stuck back
    with breakage. The S&W vs Colt departments were about even and I took a lot more problem
    Colts than S&Ws, in fact the few S&Ws I took in were victims of being run over, dropped or the
    number one cause of problems in all brands, Deputy Dolittle tried to take apart. Then couldn't
    put it back together.

  11. #31
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by osteodoc08 View Post
    Had an interesting conversation with David Clements yesterday or the day before yesterday regarding Smith smiths. He said he got out of the market because of aggravation and didn’t really make enough for the aggravation. He works with Ruger SA exclusively now IIRC our conversation. When asked for a good Smith smith, he really didn’t have one. My fathers 57 no dash seriously
    Needs a tune up.
    Call Mr. Bruce Warren at BC Armory. He has worked a couple Smith’s for me and his work is worth the money.

  12. #32
    Boolit Master

    Three-Fifty-Seven's Avatar
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    ... try it, you may like it!
    Last edited by Three-Fifty-Seven; 04-28-2020 at 07:33 AM.
    John 3: 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

  13. #33
    Boolit Grand Master


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    Quote Originally Posted by Three-Fifty-Seven View Post
    You need to put a Redhawk in your hand ... the trigger & hammer share a single spring ... so it is "different" than what you may be use too ... try it, you may like it!
    I've been wanting to, I've yet to see one in a local store in any caliber. I know a shop an hour and a half away with some, but I have yet to make it out there.

  14. #34
    Boolit Grand Master
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    FWIW
    I have a new M29 and have never even given the lock a second thought
    never even notice it but thats just me I guess
    shoots everything I feed it just like the look and feel of the Smith
    shrouded barrel MIM parts makes no difference
    get what you like and shoot it and enjoy lifes short
    Hit em'hard
    hit em'often

  15. #35
    Boolit Grand Master FergusonTO35's Avatar
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    I like the Redhawk, it is real old school Ruger. Built like a tank, innovative design, and reasonably priced.
    Currently casting and loading: .32 Auto, .380 Auto, .38 Special, 9X19, .357 Magnum, .257 Roberts, 6.5 Creedmoor, .30 WCF, .308 WCF, .45-70.

  16. #36
    Boolit Master murf205's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Three-Fifty-Seven View Post
    You need to put a Redhawk in your hand ... the trigger & hammer share a single spring ... so it is "different" than what you may be use too ... try it, you may like it!
    Which means "don't replace the spring or you may/will have problems with primers not igniting when you drop the hammer!!" MY quotes from experience. Now, with all that said, the stock Ruger SRH or RH is a heck of a gun that I wouldn't be without for a hunting gun. And this comes from a guy with a serious S&W habit.
    IT AINT what ya shoot--its how ya shoot it. NONE of us are as smart as ALL of us!

  17. #37
    Boolit Buddy dogdoc's Avatar
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    I own many Smiths mostly older but several newer, many from the 60s,70s and 80s. I purchased a new 57 classic in 41 magnum last year. I think it is better put together than many from earlier periods. Locks up tight, side plates fitted great, barrel gaps small, and good finish. Most important ,it shoots great. A lot of what you hear on the internet is nostalgia. All generations of Smith’s I own have imperfections and I think I can find some on every one I own and that is a lot . Some of the worst were from the 70s and 80s. I do not like the lock but I am past that now . The new classics are really nice and more durable as a shooter than many of the earlier pre 1990s models. The 57 I purchased was not perfect either as it had a rough spot on the end of the barrel but it did not affect the crown or shooting. I fixed that myself. Most would not even notice it but I am a perfectionist. Other than as a collector gun, I do not think you can not go wrong with a new one as a shooter and I would buy another in a heartbeat. A new smith 69 is on my short list. Older is not always better.

  18. #38
    Boolit Buddy



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    I have a very modest collection of S&W Revolvers only one is not a Pinned Barrel (a 64-4 2"). There are still some real bargains on used Smiths to be found. While the Pinned barrel revolvers are getting more scarce thus more expensive they can still be found. I have the opposite opinion about the new production pricing. A new production Model 10 sells for $600+ while very nice older Model 10's can be found for under $400. Some of the fun is searching for the right revolver at the right price.

    rick

  19. #39
    Boolit Buddy dogdoc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jumbeaux View Post
    I have a very modest collection of S&W Revolvers only one is not a Pinned Barrel (a 64-4 2"). There are still some real bargains on used Smiths to be found. While the Pinned barrel revolvers are getting more scarce thus more expensive they can still be found. I have the opposite opinion about the new production pricing. A new production Model 10 sells for $600+ while very nice older Model 10's can be found for under $400. Some of the fun is searching for the right revolver at the right price.

    rick
    Seems to depend on caliber and model. Most k,l,and n frame magnums sell for more than new ones in many cases on the internet. In local stores , I can often find older revolvers priced much less than new ones . Looked at an excellent model 67 yesterday priced at 405.00and I could most likely get it for less but I do not need another k frame 38 special so somebody else can have it. The old ones seem much higher on gunbroker a lot of the time. A few months ago I picked up a 686 no dash with box and papers for between 400 and 500, can’t remember exactly but a whole lot less than internet. You just have to ready to pull the trigger when you find them

    Dogdoc

  20. #40
    Boolit Master Walkingwolf's Avatar
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    I have two S&W revolvers with the IL, I love both of them. They are high quality beautiful handguns. Of course if I were to sell them I would play up how they are worth more than a old model, and if I had a old model I would play up how much better a old model is. Get were this is going? HYPE controls the market, it is even more prevalent today than before the internet. Unless I can get a used gun for significantly less than a new one I am going with a new one, and have no problem thumbing my nose at those who may get upset because I am ruining their market for older guns at extremely high prices.

    About the only gripe I have with both Smith, and Ruger is their insistence of selling guns with slightly longer than 4 inch barrels. This was the only thing that kept me from buying a new 64, as to buying a older model with a true 4 inch barrel. It also has kept me from buying 67, and a 686. The Jordon style holsters I prefer are made for no more than 4 inch barrels. In fact the last new gun I bought was a Taurus 82 because it had a 4 inch barrel, and to give haters heartburn. As much as I hate to admit it, I love giving fanatics heartburn.

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