Smith & Wesson Forum

Go Back   Smith & Wesson Forum > Smith & Wesson Revolvers > S&W Hand Ejectors: 1896 to 1961
o

Notices

S&W Hand Ejectors: 1896 to 1961 All 5-Screw & Vintage 4-Screw SWING-OUT Cylinder REVOLVERS, and the 35 Autos and 32 Autos


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 11-29-2010, 09:34 PM
squecky squecky is offline
Member
 
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Default How much is this S&W worth?

I was remodeling this House that I just Bought, I found some guns in the walls behind the Paneling. ! hand gun its 38 Special CTG revolver S & W with a 4 in barrell you can e-mail at [email protected] or leave me private message

Last edited by squecky; 11-29-2010 at 09:40 PM. Reason: wanted add more
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 11-29-2010, 10:12 PM
G-Mac's Avatar
G-Mac G-Mac is offline
Member
How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth?  
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: CNY
Posts: 4,278
Likes: 6,968
Liked 4,812 Times in 1,416 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by squecky View Post
I was remodeling this House that I just Bought, I found some guns in the walls behind the Paneling. ! hand gun its 38 Special CTG revolver S & W with a 4 in barrell you can e-mail at [email protected] or leave me private message
4" S&W in .38 Special...that's pretty vague.

More information needed. Pics would help.
__________________
'Merica!
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 11-29-2010, 11:39 PM
DCWilson's Avatar
DCWilson DCWilson is offline
SWCA Member
How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth?  
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 13,993
Likes: 4,998
Liked 7,681 Times in 2,618 Posts
Default

Condition is everything in valuing firearms properly, so yes -- pictures would be a big help.

That said, S&W made hundreds of thousands of revolvers in .38 special with four-inch barrels, so the odds are this one is not rare. Still, there are a couple of varieties that are worth more than others, so that's where the fuller description comes in.

What's the serial number from the butt? X out the last couple of digits if you want to. Is the ejector rod floating exposed under the barrel, or does it close into a protective shroud along its entire length? Fixed sights or target sights? Round butt or square butt?

If I found guns concealed behind paneling, I'd be wondering if they might be crime guns. It's one thing for an owner to lock up his guns, another thing entirely to bury them in the walls.

Interesting discovery, to say the least. What were the other guns you found?
__________________
David Wilson
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 11-30-2010, 12:11 AM
Art Doc's Avatar
Art Doc Art Doc is offline
SWCA Member
Absent Comrade
How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth?  
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: The kidney of Dixie.
Posts: 10,509
Likes: 49
Liked 13,409 Times in 3,290 Posts
Default

I believe that legally anything in the house is yours when you buy the house. But I am also a bit suspicious about guns hidden away and I think they may be stolen. I would have to at least contact local law enforcement to see if they show up on any stolen gun reports. Otherwise I would not feel good about keeping or selling them.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 11-30-2010, 11:40 AM
Bell Charter Oak Holsters Bell Charter Oak Holsters is offline
Banned
How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth?  
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 1,949
Likes: 1,799
Liked 1,569 Times in 421 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by squecky View Post
I was remodeling this House that I just Bought, I found some guns in the walls behind the Paneling. ! hand gun its 38 Special CTG revolver S & W with a 4 in barrell you can e-mail at [email protected] or leave me private message
I won't address the legal issues others have mentioned since that wasn't your question. However I agree that your vague description which fits many S&W models isn't enough to even hazard a guess. For example, there have been over 1 million M&P revolver models produced by the company. Many, many thousands since 1899 with 4 inch barrels chambered in .38 Special with barrel rollmarks the same as you describe.

We would be happy to help you identify and offer opinions on value, but there just isn't enough information to do that. Good luck.

Cheers;
Lefty
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 11-30-2010, 03:05 PM
Big Lou Big Lou is offline
SWCA Member
How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth?  
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: So.Ca. USA
Posts: 665
Likes: 1
Liked 61 Times in 28 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by squecky View Post
I was remodeling this House that I just Bought, I found some guns in the walls behind the Paneling. ! hand gun its 38 Special CTG revolver S & W with a 4 in barrell you can e-mail at [email protected] or leave me private message
Welcome to the forum. More others have mentioned, more details are needed on the gun for any decent comment on the value.

Ref the house, any history on it? Prior owners? Age ?
__________________
S&WCA # 2045
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 12-01-2010, 10:28 AM
dacoontz's Avatar
dacoontz dacoontz is offline
Member
How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth?  
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Southern Oregon
Posts: 2,828
Likes: 368
Liked 1,171 Times in 373 Posts
Default Here's some pics

The owner sent me some pics and I mentioned to him that I believed he had a pre-war heavy duty. I think the giveaways despite the less than ideal pics was the shrouded ejector housing, serial number, 38 special caliber, and large medallions on the pre-war service stocks.

Edit: Enlarged the pics.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg IMG00024-20101130-2124[1].jpg (48.7 KB, 128 views)
File Type: jpg IMG00021-20101130-2119[1].jpg (54.8 KB, 121 views)
File Type: jpg IMG00018-20101130-2114[1].jpg (50.8 KB, 161 views)

Last edited by dacoontz; 12-01-2010 at 10:45 AM. Reason: Enlarged pics.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 12-01-2010, 10:37 AM
RKmesa's Avatar
RKmesa RKmesa is offline
SWCA Member
How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth?  
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: AZ
Posts: 7,354
Likes: 27,584
Liked 45,316 Times in 4,759 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by dacoontz View Post
The owner sent me some pics and I metnioned to him that I believed he had a pre-war heavy duty. I think the giveaways despite the less than ideal pics was the shrouded ejector housing, serial number, 38 special caliber, and large medallions on the pre-war service stocks.
Looks like a pre-war Heavy Duty to me as well.
__________________
Richard
Engraved S&W fan
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 12-01-2010, 11:53 AM
DCWilson's Avatar
DCWilson DCWilson is offline
SWCA Member
How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth?  
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 13,993
Likes: 4,998
Liked 7,681 Times in 2,618 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by RKmesa View Post
Looks like a pre-war Heavy Duty to me as well.
And an early one at that, judging from the serial number. Not only first year production (1930), but first few months as well. And that's a five-inch barrel, by the way. There are four-inch versions of this gun, but not many were made in the early days of production.

As to value: the gun looks a little spotty after its time in the dark, and seems to have been somewhat used before it was concealed, but if the action is sound and the bore unpitted I could go at least $400 for it. Maybe a bit more.

It would still be interesting to figure out more of the history. If the OP is still reading this thread, were you able to determine the age of the paneling that concealed the guns? What is the apparent date of the youngest gun in the set, and what sort of condition is it in apart from anything that might have happened to the finish while it was hidden?

For that matter, how old is the house that you are remodeling? If it still has original fixtures, you can get a date off the inside of a toilet tank.
__________________
David Wilson
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 12-01-2010, 01:03 PM
rbishop rbishop is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 128
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Talking

I am afraid I would be tearing every wall and floor out the place if I found a S&W hidden in one wall!
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 12-01-2010, 01:04 PM
Scary Gary Scary Gary is offline
Member
How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth?  
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Aloha Oregon
Posts: 235
Likes: 5
Liked 34 Times in 19 Posts
Default

What other guns did you find ?
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 12-01-2010, 01:15 PM
handejector's Avatar
handejector handejector is offline
Administrator
How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth? How much is this S&W worth?  
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 27,011
Likes: 7,106
Liked 48,563 Times in 9,217 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by RKmesa View Post
Looks like a pre-war Heavy Duty to me as well.
Me too- a 5 inch.
__________________
Regards,
Lee Jarrett
Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
concealed, ejector, lock, rollmarks, round butt, s&w, shroud

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
SW 586- is it worth it? Conservative Texan S&W Revolvers: 1980 to the Present 24 09-08-2013 03:25 PM
What are these worth? joestacey06 Ammo 5 04-22-2013 08:02 PM
S@W 58 SD***** worth? oldtimer S&W Revolvers: 1961 to 1980 6 06-07-2010 08:26 PM
what is one of these worth???? G.T. Smith The Lounge 6 06-02-2010 10:18 PM
What is a 28-3 worth cg267 S&W Revolvers: 1980 to the Present 6 05-12-2010 06:02 PM

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
smith-wessonforum.com tested by Norton Internet Security smith-wessonforum.com tested by McAfee Internet Security

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 06:00 PM.


Smith-WessonForum.com is not affiliated with Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (NASDAQ Global Select: SWHC)