Attached is a picture of my Dads old pistols.
I wondered where to start to establish their age & value.
They all appear to be S&W .22 caliber.
Can anyone help me with this?
thanks, Pat

Attached Images

Dads pistols.jpg (50.0 KB, 1528 views)

You and your Dad must be real old..... not my area; but I believe those date to the 1860-70s !!!!

Usually when we get "Dad's old guns questions" they date back to the 1980s.

Three of them appear to be First Models, if you post the Serial numbers off the butts, the experts here can tell you more about them.

Very cool!

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SWCA #3356, SWHF#611

Welcome to the forum. Not a clue.


My dad's old pistol

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

Welcome (7 1/2 years after registering as a member)!

The revolvers on the upper right and lower left of the photo are model 1s, 2nd issue, and the one on the upper left is a model 1 3rd issue. The lower left gun is missing the rod under the barrel. These are in .22 Short but unless you have special low powered rounds it is not advisable to fire them.

The one on the lower right is not an S & W; it may be a Colt of the same era but I am not sure.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

The one on the lower right is very similar to a little colt I have.

Thanks for the replies!I found a magnifying glass to help.
upper left s/n 38659, cylinder has 1859-1860
lower left s/n 76511, cylinder has 1859-1860
upper right s/n 109861, cylinder has 1859-1860
lower right s/n 10781, stamped "MONITOR" on top of barrel

Alan has gave you good information. The 3 Smith & Wessons look nice. Some of us shoot ours with 22 CB Short Do bot shoot standard 22 shorts. Of course this is only if they time and lock up properly. Others advise against shooting them at all.

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Randy

Someone will be along with age estimates on the S & Ws.

I don't think the fourth gun is a Colt - they made a Monitor but it is better known as the Browning Automatic Rifle or BAR.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

The lower right is a Whitney Arms Corp. revolver that was named Monitor. No idea on manufacture date. The Model 1, 2nd Issue was made from 1860 to 1868, while the Model 1, 3rd Issue was made from 1868 to 1881.

Ship dates for these revolvers is a guess at best without a factory letter, but general range would be as follows: Upper left, might have shipped in the mid-1860s, lower left maybe the early 1870s, while the 3rd Issue upper right was shipped in the mid-1870s.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

Interesting!
How would I establish their value?

Close up photos from different angles and a description of the bore/chambers, timing and tightness of the barrel hinge would help. That said, they were made in large numbers and average condition examples will usually sell in the $250-300 range.

The exception to this is the model 1 1st issue, the company's first revolver type, made in smaller numbers and fairly expensive.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

thanks much!

Nice collection! Good to see some of the real old ones getting some attention.

Welcome to the forum.

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Roger

Welcome to the forum. Thanks for the excellent pictures. We often get one blurry phone camera shot that might or might not be an actual firearm.

As others have said, the upper left is a Model 1, 3rd Issue in nickel. The 38xxx serial number would date it to late 1870-ish, and I'd estimate the value in the $250 range.

The lower left is a Model 1, 2nd Issue. The 76xxx serial number would date it to October-ish of 1865. I'd estimate the value around $200.

The upper right is a Model 1, 2nd Issue. The 109xxx serial number would date it to June-ish of 1867. I'd estimate the value around $200.

The Whitney Monitor dates to the 1870's. It appears that the cylinder pin has been replaced, so the value is probably under $100.

Value depends on condition, which is difficult to gauge from a single photo. So, the values could be lower or higher after the gun is examined in hand.

Mike

thanks everyone for your replies.
Pat