I am looking at getting a Colt snake pistol and am thinking of parting with Pre-27 3.5" Nickel. I see values all over the board, for instance the one on gunbroker right now complete and in box currently selling for $4000. The gun is in overall excellent shape with no chips or nickel flake, but does have the general hazing typical of a gun this age. I would be tempted to sell it, as it would get me the snake gun I have been after for awhile. In real money what would it fetch? I would not want to give it away, as it would be hard to part with as is LOL. It does not have the original grips, but does have genuine stag. What are your thoughts?

With some proper era diamond magnas, many professional pictures, low opening bid/ no reserve, white glove GB seller................
Your gun will do well also

I am not comparing my gun to it LOL.... just stating how values are all over the board..

Like she told me at the picnic..."Asking and getting are two different things." If you get a couple of bidders who won't let go it could go high. Or no bidders and it sits in the window for months. Good luck.

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NRA Cert. Inst. RSO

Who much is the gun you want selling for? Would you be happy with a straight trade? Are you looking for the gun and cash?

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Don Mundell

With a little Flitz and some good photos,you might get into Python territory.

The one going for $4000 must have belonged to J. Edgar Hoover or some other famous person.

I am not either. Just suggesting how you will get most for your gun

The one on GB in the $4000 range is a commemorative being offered by a seller with only one feedback, and I think the $4K is only a very optimistic asking price that definitely shouldn't be compared to real world selling prices....

Mark

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S&W Forum Member #721

Are you trolling for private offers based on that one pic? If so you need to do a much better job with the pics. Also, no one will pay a huge price for a nickel Pre-27 if it isn't lettered. Those 1950s nickel N-frames are very scarce and will go high if buyers are confident in the gun's authenticity.

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Bob.
SWCA 1821

Hello Brad, I was faced with a similar dilemma. I took all the guns in to the guest room. I put the "keepers" on one twin bed and the "may have to go" on the other twin bed. Put them all out and graded them in rows from top to bottom. It gave me a different perspective of what I had. My top rows on the keeper side were pre 1957 guns and the Pythons and pre war Colt 1911s. Mike 2796

Hi Brad:

Early 1950's nickel pre-27's with the 3.5" barrel bring good
money if they are factory original. What is the serial number
range of your pre-27? Also, is there a "N" stamped on the
lower part of the grip frame, on the cylinder behind the ex-
tractor, and in the barrel shroud next to the letter "S" in the
serial number? The absence of these markings would probably
indicate your gun didn't leave the factory with a nickel finish.
That's where a factory letter would come in.

If your pre-27 was made in 1950, 1951, 1952 the correct
walnut magnas would be the "high horn" ones which are very
hard to find, and expensive if you find a set in great condition.
After 1952 I believe S&W started to make the shoulders of the
magnas more rounded. These are a little easier to find, but
still cost $100 to $200 or more depending on the condition.

Also, looking at your picture the trigger and hammer appear
to be the later wide target variety which were not original to
the early pre-27's. Do you have the original set by chance?

If you post some additional pictures of your pre-27 we may
be able to give you some estimates of what you might be
able to get for it at auction.

As far as the "milky" look to the nickel finish, a judicious appli-
cation of "Flitz" and a soft cotton t-shirt will improve the
appearance quite well. Just be careful.

That's still a nice looking gun!

There is an S inside the barrel shroud, on the cylinder, and on the bottom of the grip frame next to the serial number. Numbers do match and it is 138xxx. I will have to check for the N tonight. The sights do appear that they have been nickeled.

If the sights have been nickeled thats a very bad sign of a non factory refinish...

There is an O B on the left grip frame and an upside down L and a sideways H on the right.

The B indicates the .357 was originally finished in bright blue.

Bill

Sounds like I have a neat frankengun lol.. knowing what I know now I may shoot it and see how she does! I appreciate all the help on it.

sorry Brad (with regret), forget post #2

Don't forget that the "White Glove" Seller will also pinch a good bit of your profits

Alex, maybe you've never used one.............
but the white glove seller equates to more money.
It's a compliment to one of the best and most honest sellers I know

I don't really sell anything so it's a moot point.99% of the Guns I buy are still in my safe.I have sold a few low end Guns along the way that I picked up cheap but nothing special.

Meh. Even assuming refinish and the resulting loss on if interest from collectors, and allowing for my lack of interest in nickel finished revolvers, I would still rather have that Pre 27 than a Python. A Python is really good looking piece of gear, and certainly not at all a bad platform, but it is not enough better than a similar age S&W that I would exchange them. And that's not considering that there are darned few gunsmiths who can do good work on those old Colt platforms if its needed.

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NHI, 10-8.

These guys are the greatest when you need knowledge.

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Who are those guys?

Brad, you have the finest .357 firearm on the face of the earth right there. For the life of me, I cannot fathom why you'd want to get rid of it, much less for a.... (mere colt.)