I have a s & w 44mag, serial# is s166XXX, 5 screws, hand eject,6 1/2" barrel, any inf on pistol would be appreciated..

the pistol was my dads, he told me it had belonged to a texas ranger, it was stored in a berns & Martin break front holster with belt,, a value would be appreciated because someone offered ma a thousand dollars for it, I am not wanting to sell though, just curious about the value; and thanks for all of the info. I live in florida and a big blow is on the way, now I have to prepare and maybe evacuate. TKS.

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Pictures are always appreciated. Welcome to the Forum.

You have a S Series .44Magnum from 1956-57. "Approximately, 6500 were produced with a 5 screw frame." According to Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson. These are very desirable to collectors.
Post some pictures for more information.

44 Magnums in the S166000 range were shipped from early in 1956 to 1957. Should be a great collectible.

Bill

Yours would probably have left the factory around mid-1956. At that time, model numbering had not yet started, so many collectors might call yours a pre-Model 29.The first .44 Magnums shipped were in the approximate S1307xx SN range in 12/55. The pre-Model 29s are quite desirable in high condition.

Welcome to the Forum! You have a very valuable revolver, depending on condition of course. I could only guess at what it's worth, so I will just say "maybe a lot." The stocks ("grips") ALONE could be worth $500. Not that you would want to separate them from the gun, just trying to give an idea of what people pay for these. Even if you don't want to sell it, you may want an idea of what it is worth for insurance purposes. Somebody here will have a better idea than I do of what these are selling for now.

Also, it may well be worth the $75 it costs to get a factory letter for this one. The letter will tell what its configuration was when it shipped (original stocks, barrel length, finish) as well as where and when it was shipped. Yours may be all original, which collectors love to have confirmed with a letter.

How to get a S&W Factory Letter:
It appears you have to print and mail the form (snail mail) with payment. Maybe someone else knows if there is a way to submit the form / payment electronically.

Click the link below. You will see the instructions. On the page that appears, click the link in the first "bullet".
Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation - Letter Process - Insuring that the rich history of Smith & Wesson will continue for generations to come

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You're shy a few manners.

Yea you will probabaly want to letter this gun but if possible take some pictures and post them here these guys can give you a very close if not exact value on it .

It appears to be finish challenged, but it is still a very desirable revolver. Condition and rarity are the driving forces in value. If you can clean it up, it's appeal will increase. Good luck.

I don't believe the grips are original, but it is possible. A good reason to get a letter. And as noted, it does have some cosmetic defects. If it can be definitely established from hard evidence as being a Texas Ranger's revolver, that would enhance its value substantially. But that might be very difficult to do.

I have no idea how "gun savvy" you might be so don't be offended by this word of caution.

Several members have suggested you get it "cleaned up". That does not mean having it refinished. It's current condition is a reflection of it's history. It tells a story just to look at it.

What they mean is clean off any surface rust (a good solvent and some copper wool would be best) then a light coat of oil to keep the rust from coming back. That will suffice.

Again, no offense intended.

Dave

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RSVN '69-'71
PCSD (Ret)

Welcome to the forum.

I will also add a word of caution to the post above as none of us know your level of gun knowledge. Even copper wool which is way better than steel wool can be dangerous to a gun's finish if used too aggressively. All you are trying to do is knock done any surface corrosion to prevent it's continued damage. I have also used my fingernail when surface rust was present. You are not trying to take the gun down to bare metal as that would destroy the value by a considerable amount.

Again it is hard to give a price quote without seeing the gun close up and two small internet photos are tough to determine true condition. The difference from 95% to 90% can mean 100's of dollars to many collectors. Collectors tend to pay more for a collectible gun than shooters are willing to pay for a shooter so condition can make the difference as to which market your gun will most appeal to.

It also depends on what comes with the gun such as original box, tools, SAT and paperwork. The more complete the package, the greater the value. The range can be as low as $1,000 and as high as $3-4,000 so condition and inclusions can make a huge difference.

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James Redfield
LM #497

Welcome to the forum. You have come to the best place to find information on Smith & Wesson firearms and other S&W stuff.
You have a somewhat finish challenged .44 Magnum which is known as a 5 screw model. Smith deleted the upper sideplate screw shortly after your gun was made, which makes it a desireable gun to collectors. That said, collectors like high condition guns. Yours has some finish faults which detracts from the value by a good bit. I doubt the grips are original either, as most shipped with checkered target grips with a diamond cut around the retaining screw and fit better than appears on the smooth grips currently displayed. Original grips had a palm swell similar to the old coke bottle and are referred to by Smith fans as "cokes" or coke bottle grips. Today, these grips by themselves in top condition are listed for sale in the $600 or more range.
The gun originally shipped with a black or dark blue presentation case, which today will bring $400 or better, depending on condition. If these were purchased by your father and you can find them, it would enhance the value of the .44 significantly.
While it is difficult to judge value on those two photos, I have seen 5 screw guns at gun shows with asking prices over $2000, but they were in better condition than yours. Without the original grips and in that condition, I'm not sure you could sell it for $2,000.
What you have is a 5 screw .44 Magnum that has some finish issues, that belonged to your father, and would be priceless to me, but not so much as a buyer. You can shoot it to your hearts content without hurting the value. But protecting the value by cleaning and carefully removing the rust is a must.
Again, welcome to the Smith & Wesson forum. I hope you get additional responses.

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Richard Gillespie
FBINA 102

If you can document that it belonged to a Texas Ranger, it will significantly increase it's value and you most definitely want a factory letter. That is now a piece of history.

A little Kroil and bronze wool will clean it up nicely. Finish with two coats of Renaissance wax. Stocks can be cleaned with Murphy's Oil Soap.

Finish with two coats of Johnson's Floor Wax. Do NOT use wax on the inside of the stocks. Wood must breathe.

What a great inheritance ... a heirloom to be cherished. Be sure you get it lettered ... you will thank us later.

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Fred
S&WCA 3238

The stocks are org. and the surface rust, I can not see any rust, just some small sratches and if you double click on the pics they will enlarge, and I would never use any abrasive material on it, just wipe down with oil.... I think the stupidest thing I ever did to a gun was firing armor piercing bullets in a Remington 30 06, ruined the rifleling in the barrel. cost me a new barrel.....