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


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Old 03-20-2014, 09:01 AM
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Default 1954 Highway Patrolman Value?

I bought this a few years ago, replaced the ugly aftermarket Pachs with oh-so-hip 60's era Eagles, shot it a few times and put it away.

I had it lettered, it was sold in July of 1954 and obviously the plating was done at a later time, a practice I have been told was quite common at the time. Is there any way to tell if it was sent back to S&W for the plating or would Jinks Letter have stated that if it were?

Also, someone painted the sight ramp and added a trigger shoe.

I'm thinking that this was probably the favorite firearm of a Gun Club Bowling Pin Shooting King in the 50's.

Sorry for the poor photo. The plating is not pitted. Can you guys give me an idea of value or do I need to Flitz it and get better photos first?

Thanks in advance. ~ Alan

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Old 03-20-2014, 09:21 AM
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Hi Alan are there any date stamps on the grip frame ?
Value now is what someone would pay for a pretty shooter.
That said I'd bet you could still easily get over 500. for it
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Old 03-20-2014, 09:30 AM
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It used to be that the factory would not change the finish on a model 28. It appears that the hammer and trigger are also plated, if so, it is doubtful that the factory did it. It was their policy to leave them case colored. So, I would think it doubtful that the plating is factory done. They also left the extractor blue on nickel plated guns. Hope these clues help.
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Old 03-20-2014, 09:32 AM
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I don't know,I think you would be hard pressed to get $500 for it.
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Old 03-20-2014, 09:33 AM
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I don't know,I think you would be hard pressed to get $500 for it.
My thoughts as well. I'd say $400 would be pushing it.
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Old 03-20-2014, 09:55 AM
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My thoughts as well. I'd say $400 would be pushing it.
I need to shop at your gun store and find stocks when I get home.
Maybe I should come to Ohio?.....LOL
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Old 03-20-2014, 02:05 PM
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I have no idea what it's worth. Plated HPs (too bad on such an early gun) and 28s abound and usually retail dealers want $600-$800 for them. Don't know if they sell any at that price. I might pay $350 for it to shoot.
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Old 03-20-2014, 02:32 PM
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Definitely a shooter. I would be interested locally in looking at it if the price was in the $400 range. (But I wouldn't be buying it!). I only have so many $400 bills to spend on shooters! Prices are going through the roof aren't they?!
Ed
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Old 03-20-2014, 02:51 PM
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A letter will tell you original finish but no details of return trips to the factory would be with the original shipping record. If you remove the stocks, the left side lower left front corner will usually bear any date codes for factory work. Usually a refinish will also win you a * on the frame butt and sometimes under the barrel on the barrel flat.

The date code will look like 6 68 or 6.68 indicating in this example June of 1968. Some guns will have two or three of these date codes indicating that the gun went back seberal times for improvements.

I would guess that your gun is serialed in the low 20's or high teens by that date. I have a 129 that shipped in April 1955.
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Old 03-20-2014, 03:31 PM
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JSR III- What is the exact ship date?
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Old 03-20-2014, 03:54 PM
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Isn't s 1954 a pre m28? Or is a first offering of the m38?
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Old 03-20-2014, 04:40 PM
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S&W didn't put model numbers on their guns until 1958. So, a 1954 Highway Patrolman was called that. I suppose you could call it a pre-M28. I believe 1954 was the first year they were produced. I have a 1955 4" with 0 % finish that I gave $350 for last year. Am pondering bead blasting and reblueing it.
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Old 03-20-2014, 06:27 PM
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My thoughts as well. I'd say $400 would be pushing it.
Heartily agree.

I would also be curious why you lettered it.
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Old 03-20-2014, 07:30 PM
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I thank you gentlemen for your expert opinions. I received exactly what I asked for.

I will now leave this august gathering and return to the 21st Century - where the street price on a clapped out Correction's Officer trade-in M64 is over $400. My HP will bring $550 in a New York Minute.
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Old 03-20-2014, 09:37 PM
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JSR III- What is the exact ship date?
Thats all I have, it was a shipping date received from Roy Jinks and not a letter. Full serial number is S129113

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I thank you gentlemen for your expert opinions. I received exactly what I asked for.

I will now leave this august gathering and return to the 21st Century - where the street price on a clapped out Correction's Officer trade-in M64 is over $400. My HP will bring $550 in a New York Minute.
If I didn't know any better, I would think that we'uns just got spanked...
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Old 03-20-2014, 10:51 PM
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I asked because I was born 4/19/55 and would be interested in buying or swapping for a gun shipped on my birthday.

As for blujax01, with over 5,000 posts I would think he would be used to the routine. I guess he didn't like the answer to his question. But if he is convinced he could sell it immediately for $550, why did he bother to ask the forum members since he already knew what it is worth?

This is why I hate to make value estimates. People get angry. Like I said, I don't know what it will bring. I can only state how much I see them tagged by dealers, and I can state what I would pay. I would not pay $550 for badly plated HP (hammer and trigger in nickel sign of a less than stellar refinish) but I don't doubt that someone somewhere would pay it.
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Old 03-21-2014, 05:46 AM
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Just to add my two cents, I go to a lot of shows and shops. Sometimes I am amazed at the asking price of guns I think are well beyond the scope of most collectors. These guns do sell to people that impulse buy or just have to spend money. I would agree that most seasoned collectors wouldn't pay that amount for a gun that has been refinished, but there are a lot of people out there that hear the gun is a pre model number and buy it. I have a first year HP that I bought from someone here on this fourm, from the pictures it looked OK. When it arrived the barrel had been changed at the factory and the gun had been re-finished. When the seller asked for feedback I simply told him if I saw it in a gun shop I would have passed on it. I prefer to think he didn't know about the re-finish and barrel change. He had got the gun from his father's estate and needed money. So even I have bought a gun or two and didn't do my home work and subsequently was disapointed. It was entirely my own falt. That is how you learn the in and outs of collecting. I love the fact that the folks here are very honest in their reply's about guns, I am sure they are not trying to hurt anyone's feelings, but it happens. The good thing is we all learn form these post's, I know I have saved myself many dollars and much angush over a lot of guns I have seen for sale and apon further study they have things about them that don't fit my standards for collecting and most of those standards I learned here. Thanks again to all who make this fourm the best.
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Old 03-21-2014, 07:25 AM
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Hello All
The Highway patrolman was released from S&W in January 1954. It was a No frill's brother to the eleborate .357 Magnum brother. It's name the Highway Patrolman was derived from Carl Hellstrom's wife's suggestion and it stuck. Here is one that shipped Three Month's out from it's Introduction being April of 1954 shown with it's original serial numbered Magna stocks. Regards, Hammerdown




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Old 03-21-2014, 07:35 AM
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Originally Posted by blujax01 View Post
I thank you gentlemen for your expert opinions. I received exactly what I asked for.

I will now leave this august gathering and return to the 21st Century - where the street price on a clapped out Correction's Officer trade-in M64 is over $400. My HP will bring $550 in a New York Minute.
I'm from NY and I was just at a gun show and I wish I would have seen some of the prices you were talking about. I saw quite a few secondhand police and CO trade in guns, and none were moving at the prices you were talking about. They were a little cheaper and they were not moving at all. I don't think your HP will sell at that price unless someone fell off of a turnip truck or they think they have that elusive factory nickel gun, but if you have a letter stating what it was originally and that it was blued from the factory, you might get $350. If the gun was mine and I was looking for a shooter, I would not pay a dime over $350 and then I would consider sending it back to Smith or Fords to get it reblued to take off the nickel finish.
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Old 03-21-2014, 08:02 AM
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it is worth what someone will pay......
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Old 03-21-2014, 08:37 AM
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It's name the Highway Patrolman was derived from Carl Hellstrom's wife's suggestion and it stuck.
Actually it was Florence Van Orden that suggested the name to Carl Hellstrom. Florence or Flora was the wife of General George Van Orden a retired USMC General and owner of Evaluators Ltd., a gun shop near Quantico, VA and not Carl Hellstrom's wife.
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Old 03-21-2014, 08:37 AM
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It's name the Highway Patrolman was derived from Carl Hellstrom's wife's suggestion and it stuck.
I have always been under the impression that the Highway Patrolman was coined by Flora Van Orden of Evaluators, Ltd. in Quantico, Va. She had close ties with S&W and Hellstrom.


EDIT: James, it looks like we had the same thought at the exact same time!
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Old 03-21-2014, 08:42 AM
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As far as prices go, YES he may very well sell the gun and get $1,000 for it but not from anyone that knows anything about values. I just did a quick search on GB and there are several very nice HP's with asking prices in the $300 to $400 range. Yes they may go higher but they are REAL and not molested.

As SP most eloquently stated, why ask the question if you already know the answer???????
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Old 03-21-2014, 10:20 AM
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If that one will sell for $550 in a New York Minute I need to get that home town name and go there when/if I decide to sell off my collection
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Old 03-21-2014, 11:47 AM
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If that one will sell for $550 in a New York Minute I need to get that home town name and go there when/if I decide to sell off my collection
I call Dibbs on the -1....sorry Drew
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Old 03-21-2014, 03:55 PM
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you never know, i have saw crazy bidding on gunbroker.
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Old 03-21-2014, 06:02 PM
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Originally Posted by blujax01 View Post
I will now leave this august gathering and return to the 21st Century - where the street price on a clapped out Correction's Officer trade-in M64 is over $400. My HP will bring $550 in a New York Minute.
Where's the "dislike" button? This strikes me as a very rude thing to say to people who were trying to help and were giving you an honest assessment. Apparently you would have preferred to get your answers from Pollyanna.
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