I've been a SWCA member for a number of years and occasionally visit the forums but have not posted previously. . .but have admired many of your posts for a long time. I found a 44 special yesterday that may be worthy of your attention if I can figure out how to post pictures. It is a four inch, nickel, with SN 38302 which I think makes it around 1931. I believe the finish is original but would appreciate your thoughts; no B by SN in shroud under the barrel and there is an N on the right side of the frame under the grip panel. Stocks SN matches frame and SN matches in all the right places. Finish is good, probably 90+%; worst is on cylinder and is shown in one of the pictures. From what I've read this could be a Wolf and Klar but I suppose a letter is needed to confirm that. The closest other 44 I have to this one is a 4th model so wasn't sure what I was buying yesterday but knew enough that I didn't want to leave it. Your comments and questions if I've forgotten any key pieces and thoughts as to value are appreciated.

Still can't figure out how to directly post pictures. You can see them here though:

http://imageshack.us/a/img837/2682/stocks192644.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img69/2007/modelof19266.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img845/118/modelof19261.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img268/200/modelof19262.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img715/8507/modelof19264.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img132/8172/modelof19265.jpg

I would guess your 44 Hand Ejector Third Model (of 1926) was shipped in the first half of 1931. The N on the right side of the grip frame most likely indicates it was shipped with a nickel finish (post-war revolvers have an N on the lower left hand corner of the grip frame). Per the information in Roy Jinks' book (page 198), the total production of pre-WW II revolvers was about 5,000 units, so you have a very nice S&W collectible.

Someone with more knowledge can tell you about the number of guns with a 4-inch barrel and nickel finish.

Bill

Hi HP, congrats on your new 3rd Model HE. I have #37634 that shipped to W&K for the Houston PD in March '31. Also lucky enough to have # 38928 that shipped to the Providence PD in September '31. They are both blue, but your shiny one falls between them. Probably somewhere in July or August. Please try to post pics again. OD

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NRA Cert. Inst. RSO

The gun's a Model of 1926 in every way that I can see from you photos, plus in very nice condition. A 4 in. is uncommon, so you must letter the gun to see where it was shipped. Congrats on your find! Ed.

Maybe this will help.

An outstanding 3rd HE. I'm into 1950s so am unable to even offer a ballpark. As a nickel gun it appears to be closer to 95 but with the typical glare it's hard to even GUESS !

Nice

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HIS Trains 'a LEAVIN

A few years ago I sold serial # 30812 5" Original nickle 1926 for a little over 4k. A four inch should bring a little more IMO.

edited to add ** this one lettered to Wolf and Klar with a "special light trigger pull" in a one gun shipment

Nice gun. OK, really nice gun. Normally we stop and let Jim Fisher guess how many were nickel vs blue and how many were built in each length. 6 1/2 inch guns are just rare. 4 in a lot less common than 5" guns. The rule on 4" nickel 44s is that if you see one, you'd best buy it. The world is full of scoundel's like me who'll jump in on a moments notice and grap it. That one you've got is a keeper. Too bad its not a target model. My prewar 4" is refinished, and I didn't hesitate for an instant. I needed that gun.

We're all still looking for a 4" 2nd model, new, used, nearly beat to death is OK too if its original.

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Dick Burg

Got the S&W letter today and thought some of you might be interested in the information; shipped in the configuration shown in the pictures on July 15, 1931 to Wolf & Klar in Fort Worth.

Attached Images

photo (8).JPG (107.4 KB, 125 views)

Very nice gun.

I can't believe I missed this thread when it started several weeks ago. That is a spectacular .44! Congratulations on having it in your safe.

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David Wilson

I'm not going to guess what the value is, but its probably someplace between $1500 and $4,000. But I've got a fun story I'll relate. Some of the players aren't with us, and the statute of limitations has probably run...

Back about a decade ago, we went to a small gun show down in Paris, Kentucky. Paris is the county seat of Bourbon County, just for reference. It was a good little show and we never missed one. My table pards came from way south and we'd meet up at this one. They were both kind of nervous so they'd always leave with enough time to eat, take a side trip, and then goof off for an extra hour. It was back when I was still working, so I cut things a bit closer.

I got to the show and they were already set up. So I just dropped my bags and walked the room. Over on the far wall was a guy that had a worn but really nice 44 3rd in blue. Correct grips and all, just that it looked like it had worked for a living. Still a respectable gun. So I finished my circuit of the room and went back to set up shop. After about an hour that old 44 started to eat at me. So I walked over to look again. The guy wanted $575 and I got this pained look on my face, kind of like severe gas had overtaken me. The seller laughed and said OK, $550. So of course it was cheap and I bought it.

The next thing I knew, we were at the big show in Louisville. I'd just dumped the little 44 in my bags and left them packed. As I was unpacking to set up at that show, I realized I hadn't really looked at my gun. So I got it out and started really looking at it. My table pard at that show started hovering, kind of like a vulture. He wanted to know what I had, so I just told him a ratty old 44, and I wouldn't sell it for a cent less than $1100. The price was to scare him off. About a half hour later he walked over and dropped a pile of $100 bills in front of me. Then he demanded my gun!! OK, it was fair and square, sort of, and kind of got me a little even with all the reamings he'd done to me over the prior decade. Then instead of putting the gun in one of his displays, he put it behind his main display, kind of in a rag.

About an hour later I looked over and the gun was gone. So I looked in his display cases and it wasn't there either. OK, where'd it go? So I asked him and he laughed. He sold it to one of our members here for $1650. He said if I could make $550 on it, so could he.

This was for a finish challenged gun that maybe was 60% at best.

So here comes a poster, the OP, with a 95% nickel gun. What's it worth?

Since the above incident I did buy another. It was a nickel gun that has been refinished, and I ended up paying $1250 for it. I sure don't feel cheated, but maybe I've got less sense than you sharp buyers. In that same transaction I picked up an original finish T/L, nickel 4" for the same price. I thought that was a screaming bargain.

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Dick Burg

Great story Dick. The background on this one is a little different but perhaps will be an incentive for folks to keep on looking even in unlikely places. In this case the "unlikely place" was a fairly large and well traveled LGS. I look for most of my "old guns that nobody wants" at pawn shops and gun shows but there are a few gun shops that I visit just to see what is new. Since the Newtown shooting and all the concern about new gun legislation the shelves have been as bare in the DFW area as anywhere. So, stopped by this LGS over lunch and all the plastic autos were gone and most of the shelves were literally bare. Sitting all by itself on a lower shelf was this lonely 44 that nobody wanted. I wasn't sure what it was, tagged as a 2nd Model HE, and priced at $900. . . .and it had been sitting there for a week or so. Probably will never find another but I'll keep going back.

You did very well! I bought a 4" years ago before I really knew what I was doing and got it home and found out from Roy that 4" guns did not have any address/patent info on top of the barrel. Well, next gun show I sold it for what I had in it and moved on. You learn a lot of lessons the hard way, but never made that mistake again. You have a real treasure there, enjoy!
Bill

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38-44heavyduty.com

Great story with a very happy ending.

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Living a dream - S&WCA #2364

22hp,

I bought a 98-99% Nickel M1926 5" (shipped to W&K on 3-19-30) 5 or so yrs ago for $2200. I'd guess it is worth maybe a grand more today. I'd put your 4" above that.

Bob
(We're in the same neighborhood...sure wish I knew where your favorite stores are)

So do you realize that if it had been a 4" 2nd model, the value would be closer to $9,000 than the miserly $900?

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Dick Burg

22hp,

Dick is probably close. It's a shame when merchants misrepresent their wares. We all need to try to keep them honest so the proper thing to do is to return the mislabeled item and demand they return your money. I'll be right over to back you up.

Bob

Dick, now that is interesting, that a 4 inch 2nd model would be worth so much. Just shows how much I have yet to learn; with the good news being I learn something every day on this forum. When I bought the gun I didn't know what model it was but knew I wanted it as soon as I saw it and was pretty sure that it had original finish and the original stocks. My first 44 Special was a 4th model 1950 military 4 inch and I've looked for 44s ever since finding that one.

They reportedly did make some 4" 2nd models. Someone here even claims to either have seen one or knows someone who claims to own one. Not me, I've never seen one.

I did buy a 4" target 3rd model years back. And I know they made at least one blue one. I took my nickel gun up to the OGCA show when Jim Fisher was exhibiting his gun. It was just a "family visit" kind of thing, letting one gun see the other. And maybe 10 or so years back I bought a 4" postwar target 3rd. I had it at a gun show with a $5000 price tag on it. Lee (the big monkey) walked past, looked at it, and then told me to take the stupid price tag off it or I'd got home without the gun. He insists postwar 3rd targets are the rare ones. But then he also estimates they probably made 50 of those.

S&W collecting is kind of interesting. Look long enough and you might just stumble onto something. The rule seems to be that if you attend the large shows, you'll see scarce guns at market prices. If you want hen's teeth, look in small shops and tiny gun shows.

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Dick Burg