To the OP: you have several hundred thousand guns from which to choose, so take your time
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Any you find in good mechanical condition should make an excellent shooter. It is rumored that different heat treatment started in the late 1920s, but all should be safe with standard pressure lead .38 Special.
The Target models of this era would be at or about $1000 but perfectly nice (95%) guns are more along the lines of $400 or so. The rule of about 10-15% nickel guns produced sounds about right. Good luck in your search.