I have a set of "Coke" bottle stocks that I'm considering selling. They are like new.

These came on a gun but these stocks are NOT numbered to that revolver (or any other revolver).

Would I be correct in assuming I could split the stocks off the gun and maximize my sale of gun & stocks?

If the stocks were numbered to this revolver (M29), I'd would not consider such a move.

So...

What should like new Coke bottle stocks sell for?

If I decide to sell them off the gun, where would you suggest I sell them? (Gun Broker, Flea-Bay, etc)

Thanks.

Bob

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"Onward thru the Fog"

Are you sure they are not original to the gun? I am not a fan of taking things that are original to something and parting them out...ethical question. It happened in the vintage guitar market. People found out that the pieces were often worth more than the whole, and they took a piece of history, parted it out, and put aftermarket reproduction parts on them.

Your call, but they often add the equal value of what they are worth to a gun anyways...from what I have seen, e.g. For Sale 1959 Model 29 96%, $1350 or $950 without the Coke Bottle Stocks...kinda thing.

Ebay is your maximum exposure, and again, they are worth whatever someone is willing to pay and the economic demands at the time. There has been a set on there for MONTHS at $499 and they have not moved. You may get a someone willing to pay that, but it has not happened yet so there they sit.

Unless you need to sell them, I would say the few extra bucks you might get for taking them off probably is not worth it by the time you use to take pictures, pay the ebay fees, pay the PP fees, etc. It will be a wash. Hope this helps.

Hello Bob
Considering the Market price of these has really softened in the past year or so the market price for them seems to be in or around $350.00-$400.00 in the shape you describe them. Given that and as hard as it is to find an unmolested set with no repairs, cracks or with wood missing close to the trigger guard area or on the rear at the lower frame exposed frame heel area, I would set them aside for that future revolver that may Possibly letter with a set as the Few Hundred bucks they will provide on a sale will surely be over shadowed by the future availability of another prefect set to be located in the future. Most guns I have seen letter with these grips do not have the guns serial number stamped into the rear of them, so they could be the ticket on making a future N-Frame Pre-series gun correct. Any auction will cost a Listing Fee and or a sellers fee and E-Bay charges for pictures and the use of Pay-Pal if you Opt out that way. Just my 2 Cents here, they are yours to do with what you want... Hammerdown

The market apparently has softened a good bit as there was a pair that sold yesterday afternoon for under $225 on the big auction site, described as perfect.
Ed

I have a pre 29 4 screw with cokes that are not numbered.I know for sure they are original,I bought the gun from the original owner.If your gun is a early 29 most likely they came on the gun.

Attached Images

	pre 29 001.jpg (220.2 KB, 125 views)
	pre 29 002.jpg (201.6 KB, 146 views)

I saw the set that sold for $222.00. They were the whitest set of Cokes I have ever seen. Not pretty at all in my opinion. I think a great looking set will still bring $350-$400. Unless your Md-29 is a real roach I would leave then on the gun. Since they were not numbered they very well may be original to the gun. Is your gun an S or N? If it left the factory with Cokes leave them on. If it is a later gun,pull them off,replace with regular targets and keep the Cokes for later or sell now if you need the cash.

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Jim
SWCA #2246

Hang on to them Bob. I mean,you don't really NEED that money,do you? Like Kurt said,you never know when you might need 'em for a future purchase.
And Ed,weren't those diamond targets,not cokes? I looked at 'em over and over and the smooth area below the checkering looked to be too large.
f.t.

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South Carolina-God's country

I think they were cokes bobby.

I must be gettin' old.
f.t.

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South Carolina-God's country

there are four sets for sale here on the forum.I wonder if any of those are numbered? They are all priced 400.00 and under.

It was my understanding that Smith & Wesson did not stamp serial numbers on target stocks. The purpose of the serial number was to match the stocks to a certain frame when they were individually fit to the frame of one revolver. With target stocks, they cover the frame and therefore no individual fitting was needed. I think it would be quite rare to find any target stock (coke or otherwise) with a serial number.

The stocks you have are likely original to the gun.

Just my opinion.

Steve

Coke bottle stocks that first appeared in late 1955 are rarely numbered to the revolver they are on. I have seen this happen only once and it was a case where the stocks were special ordered with a 1950 Target 44 that was shipped in December 1955. The stocks were numbered because of the special order and S&W wanted to keep the stocks with the revolver.

Of the several hundred pairs of CB stocks I have owned or examined, this is the only pair I have seen that was numbered to a particular gun.

Bill

Thank you for all the good and solid thoughts and advice. Since it is very possible these stocks came on the gun, I will not "part them out". As I suggested earlier, that was not my intent.

I'll keep the gun with these stocks.

Again, many thanks for making time to help me to better understand the situation.

Bob

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"Onward thru the Fog"

Hi Bob...sorry about my post...I did not mean to question your ethics or a parting out issue. I was just using the guitar example to reinforce what you had already said about that NOT being your intention. I was agreeing with you. I just wanted to say that they are probably original to the gun since they were not numbered, and that I would probably just hang onto to them in case you ever need them in the future. As a friend of mine once told me, it is easy to sell but often hard to buy. Take care...

4-screw,
No worries what-so-ever! I appreciate yours (and others) thoughts on the idea and accept that it is better to keep the grips with the gun and then sell the entire package.

Good comments and appreciated!

Bob

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"Onward thru the Fog"

+1 Bob, you are doing the right thing.I think that it's up to us as members of a "collector's" forum to try to keep these old guns original.Otherwise we are no better than the carpetbaggers on the auction sites that remove the cokes or other correct stocks and replace them with whatever they have laying around.Just my 2 cents!

I have to agree that you're doing the right thing by keeping the gun original. That shows an excellent sense of ethical thinking, it's what keeps this hobby from degenerating into just a 'money' thing.
Good call.
RD

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Got a Phd from Hard Knocks U

A couple of years ago a friend of mine came upon a black box for an early .44 mag 4". The cokes were still in the box. It had been in an attic somewhere for a long time. The gun was long gone to parts unknown. He asked me to flea bay the stuff and the box brought over $400 and the grips over $800. The economy was better then. You won't get that for them now. If you've got something original to the gun keep it that way.

Thanks for the comments folks. I'm glad to have learned the stocks were not numbered....did not realize this...it would be a shame to separate the gun from it's original grips.

Bob

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"Onward thru the Fog"