Had this on layaway for a while. The only original S&W break tops I have seen are pretty rough. This one I am told has never actually been fired. Went thru 2 owners before making its way to the shop. Its a small TN town everybody knows everybody. The gun had been put away forgotten about for quite a while, until the son took over and said these guns have to be on the books. No rust, original blueing, sharp edges on the cylinder pawl, no lines on the cyl. Debating about even shooting it.
Very pretty! Thanks for sharing. I did not realize these were out there in this condition.
Very cool but if you want to shoot, I would buy a shooter and keep that one is as good of condition as possible.
Tim
Words are weapons sharper than knives - INXS
The pen is mightier than the sword - Edward Bulwer-Lytton
The tongue is mightier than the blade - Euripides
I doubt you will find to many in this condition. But guess there have always been those who buy guns and put them away never to be used. All the ones I see are pretty bad when it comes to finish, and tend to be a bit loose, more of collectors than shooters.
Shoot it and enjoy it. Keep it well lubed, and you will lose minimally on your money, and get the enjoyment out of using it. Just my opinion.
Very nice! Congrats!
Sweet ! Those , long barreled and nice condition, are getting very hard to find.
That barrel has to be at least 6 inches if not longer. Most were ordered short and the long ones got shortened by "gunsmith's" or the local blacksmith.
Amazing it is still in it's long form and excellent condition .
My grandfather's 4th model S&W has a 5 inch barrel , but it was rode hard and put away wet many times. Well worn and no finish .
My mom told me that gun and the small game her daddy killed with it , kept them from starving slap to death in Depression era East Texas. The Armadillo's , rabbits and squirrels helped feed their large family during those hard times .
Gary
Wheres a good place to list that pistol? Armslist doesn't seem like a good place.
Gunbroker.
Last month I was in a LGS and there in the case lay a mint condition Luger made in 1920 with all matching numbers including the magazine. It was in 30 cal and looked like it had never been fired. The price was $1800. I was in the shop two weeks later and it was gone. I think the pistol would easily bring 4K. I can't help but think of the ones I sold for what seems like pennies today.
A GUN THAT'S COCKED AND UNLOADED AIN'T GOOD FOR NUTHIN'........... ROOSTER COGBURN
Tack, that is EXACTLY the kind of gun that REALLY brings a premium to collectors! I'm a shooter, and even I wouldn't fire that one. Anyone who loves firearms and history would know that the proper place for that type of one in several million finds if for the safes of true historian/collectors. I suspect one like that would bring some very substantial bucks, WAY above what a std. model like that would ever bring. You need to have it valued by a REAL collector, and not just somebody with one of those Blue Book of Gun Values and an opinion. Guns like that are VERY rare today, because most folks that had one had heirs that didn't know what they were doing, and shot it, let them rust, etc., etc., so your gun will only get MORE valuable with age. But in the current firearms-not-so-friendly envirionment, I don't think really collectible guns are a great "investment." At the stroke of a pen, they can all become contraband, potentially. I love the old guns, but .... not as an investment, but as shooters. What you have is extremely rare and NEEDS to be kept for posterity, and any future gun nuts and designers and historians, etc. to study.
Treat it with the care and respect it's due, and remember, you need a really sophisticated collector to rate the value on something that rare. That's the kind of gun that brings big $$$ at auctions, IF it's the right auction where serious collectors gather in numbers, and have to bid against each other. Hope this helps?
Agree, it is apremo collector piece which should bring top dollar. I don't know if S&W still will research rcords and provide a factory letter, but if this were mine, I would inquire and do so. If the family has the original box and paperwork, it is a $2000 gun, without box, if bore is as pristine as the rest I wouldn't even consider any offers under $1500. This is a treasure!
The ENEMY is listening.
HE wants to know what YOU know.
Keep it to yourself.
Agree, it is apremo collector piece which should bring top dollar. I don't know if S&W still will research rcords and provide a factory letter, but if this were mine, I would inquire and do so. If the family has the original box and paperwork, it is a $2000 gun, without box, if bore is as pristine as the rest I wouldn't even consider any offers under $1500. This is a treasure!
The ENEMY is listening.
HE wants to know what YOU know.
Keep it to yourself.
I would go to the classified section on the Smith & Wesson forum. http://smith-wessonforum.com/forum.php That would be your target market.
Stu
De gustibus non est disputandum
very nice! I have a bubbaed chopped 44 russian i need to redo someday.
PaGunBuilder. Learning to build the guns that shaped our country.
"Stand your ground! Don't fire unless fired upon! But if they want to have a war, let it begin here!"
As I am told, the original buyer was a local man here in TN, when he got old, it was passed onto the man who traded it to the local shop. The owner of the shop has known the guy for a long time, the owner only recently semi retired from the shop to spend more time fishing. Any box or paperwork is long gone, it was 130 something yrs ago. I want to put a few rounds thru it, but know I shouldn't. Be nice to sell or trade it for one I can shoot.
That is a MASTERPIECE! Wow!
I personally wouldn't drop a round in it or rotate the cylinder around. It's just too nice and rare to find one in that condition. I'd for sure have some tape on the cylinder to protect it from drag marks. I would really cherish a gun like that, not many have the privilege of caring for one that nice. I don't understand some of the the "I won't own a gun I can't shoot", crowd that then goes out and buys rare unfired guns and shoots them. We are all temporary custodians of our collection and some things are best left in the best possible condition. It would be the honorable way to go to find a shooter grade gun and let that one remain as is. YMMV.
I have a 1967 Winchester 94, Canadian Bicentennial that is in pristine, unfired condition. It will stay that way as long as I am the caretaker of it.
If you still want a really pretty shooter, Cimarron and Uberti make a nice reproduction.
Last edited by Mytmousemalibu; 11-02-2016 at 07:59 PM.
~ Chris
Casting, reloading, shooting, collecting, restoring, smithing, etc, I love it all but most importantly, God, Family, The United States Constitution and Freedom...
God Bless our Troops, Veterans and First Responders!
Diligentia, Vis, Celeritas
Accuracy, Power & Speed
I agree with the others on this forum. Leave it unturned, unfired. If you want one to fire, sell that one and buy a shooter condition or a repro.
I wouldn't shoot it. You should be able to sell it and buy half a dozen different ones you can shoot...
Apparently its just a common thing. I asked in the S&W forum in antiques. Its worth under $350 'due to low demand' or $525 tops 'by the book'. So guess just shoot it and move on.
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