Hi everyone...I just became a SW owner and I was wondering if anyone knows the value of a SW 22 6" barrel model 17-3? It is in great condition! Any help would be greatly appriciated! Thanks!

Hi, and welcome. These are very popular right now. If "great condition" means no extraordinary finish or excessive mechanical wear, call its value about $450-500. A great first Smith. We like photos .

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Welcome to the Forum!
We like pictures - please let us see your new revolver.
As to the value - it is worth what you just paid for it.

Congratulations on the purchase and the price varies by location but what you paid like Mike said is a good price. These are excellent shooters and a ton of fun to shoot for cheap. Where else will less the $20 provide you with hours and hours of fun.

Thank you everyone! I will attemp to put pics up soon! Thanks again, Have a great day!

450 - 500 $ for an M 17-3?

Over here in Germany I would happy if I were able to sell mine for 150 $ if I would ever like to depart with it. Even with box and extra target stocks.

They normally go for about 100 to 160 $.

Would you like to take a look than go for: eGun - Der Marktplatz für Jäger, Schützen und Angler

A good example is this one: eGun

Or just browse: eGun

Why are they so expensive in your country? Otherwise I could also ask:
Why are they so cheap here in Europe, especially in Germany.

The answer: Any one wants big bore starting with 357/38.
And we are restricted by law to just a certain amount of handguns unless you are intensively do target shooting at championships or you have a special collector's licence.

As the normal hunter or target shooter you may have just two handguns.

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Regards from Germany
Stephan

Part of the reason is what you mentioned as we are not limited to the number of handguns we can own and secondly center fire pistol ammo is expensive and hard to even find sometimes. A brick of 500/550 22LR shells costs $18 and provides hours of fun shooting pleasure. Also they are extremely well made revolvers and were made in somewhat limited quantities and so we buy them when we find a really clean one. That plus they have become very popular in the past to year because of what I mentioned and they don't stay on shelves long and this is especially true of the P&R versions.

I hope no one minds if I tag along on this post, but I have a similar question.

I've been shooting for decades, and own a fair number of S&W revolvers, but I've never really looked into the .22s much. A M.18-3 has come to my attention here locally, and I would appreciate any input. The owner claims it was built in 1974, and says the condition is "very good...doesn't look like it was shot much." From the pics, I'd agree...it looks very clean, with a noticeable line on the cylinder, but otherwise excellent, including the grips. It has a 4"barrel (I'd prefer a 6"bbl, myself), there is no box or anything else included with it. The owner is asking $425, OBO. He's only about 15 miles away from me, so no big costs involved with acquiring it.

I know this is probably a fair price, but to be honest...I'm looking for a real DEAL! I currently have 6 high quality (Ruger, S&W, Norinco, Browning, Beretta, + several cheapies that I won't mention) .22 semi-auto pistols, and 1 mediocre revolver (H&R)...so my need is not great. Also, I've been unemployed for almost 1.5 years, so I'm trying not to spend money too frivolously, but I will spend a bit if I can get a deal.

So...if I offer him $400, would that be a pretty good deal for me, or should I just bide my time? Especially considering that I'd rather have a 6" barrel. Is the 4" bbl perhaps more desirable to many people, that it would be good for a future trade against a 6" revolver?

Thanks very much for any advice or input.

Tim

Tim;

$400-425 for a nice model 18 is a good deal, and may give you a reason to convert your cheapies into one really nice gun . You could also make a fast $50-100 selling it if you don't like it. You probably won't miss the extra 2" of barrel length. Hope this is helpful.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Thank you for the info, sir! I appreciate the input. Perhaps I will contact him, see if he's open to the offer.

If anyone else has any input, I'm always open to learning more.

Tim

18-3 is a very desirable handgun and at $425 it's a super deal as I bought a 18-4 last spring for $500 and a 18-3 for $700 so it's a very good deal. The 18-3 I bought was like new with the tools, paperwork and box numbered to the gun.

Elmer;

This looks to be the start of an export business (.22 revolvers back to the US), except the government here would make it very difficult.

Are .22 semi-automatic pistols just as inexpensive in Germany?

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

I'd love to find 17's or 18's in the $450 to $500 range. All I have seen for nearly the past year have been in the $600 and up to $700 range.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Yep! The 17's and 18's that I have seen for sale are in the $600 to $700 range. I gave $650 for this 17-3. I had been looking for a 17 in this condition for a long time, so even though the price was a little high I was pleased to get it.
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Got my 18-3 on GB for $525, no box/papers, grips not matching. Another $25 or so for shipping/FFL. In excellent condition, however, when removed grips a SS# was electro-engraved which was never mentioned of course in the as/is-no return sale.

eGun

eGun

eGun

eGun

eGun

I don't actually know if they are as cheap as revolvers but I put them on my watch list.

The real problem is the limitation and now one would like to limit himself by legaly owning a 22 pistol or revolver if he can own anything larger than this.

If I would legaly be able to own more than just two handguns and if it were only limited to 22 revolvers or pistols I'd have more than just my M 17-3.

BTW, I had the same idea like murphydog to bring these guns back to their land of origin - to the U.S.

But these guns are no longer in their original condition. They bear - sometimes very ugly - German or other European proof marks.

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Regards from Germany
Stephan

I paid $550 for a Model 17-6

Enjoy it...

Thanks very much to everyone for the kind advice. I asked the seller if he would be willing to accept less, and he agreed to $400. While I haven't seen it in person yet, the description and the photos make it seem very nice. It appears to have the original grips, which look to be in excellent shape. As mentioned earlier, this comes with no box or papers, but it does come with a S&W holster and a lined soft case. Better than nothing!

He claims to have inherited it from his grandfather, who was the original owner, and who he says shot it very little. He claims to have only fired 40 rounds himself. I know that I would NOT be selling a S&W revolver which my grandfather had left to me, but to each his own.

I should be meeting him and picking it up later today. I'll let you know how I fare.

Tim

Sounds like You did fine. Do post a few digitals at some point.

Out here in the Western US K-22's , M-18's and even the Kit Guns have all taken a big jump....and have stayed there. Any 90% or better, unabused, original finiish gun will bring $500-$600. Throw in TH/TT/TG, maybe the original Box/papers...and your looking at $650 to $750+.

I paid $650 for a mint 18-3 , with beautifully casecolored target hammer and trigger back in April and don't regret it.

A shooter would have to be awfully hamfisted to ever wear out a M18 or K22 in their lifetime.

FN in MT

This is my first time attempting to post photos on here, so I hope this works alright. Additionally, I'm not much of a photographer...sorry for the poor quality of the pics, but hopefully you can get some idea of the condition.

It's not quite as pristine as my understanding of the seller's description, but this may actually be better, since if it had actually been "as new", I might have hesitated to shoot it. I would still rate the overall condition as a solid 93-94%.

Tim

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Well, I see that there have been over 300 "views" since I've posted my pics, and not one comment.

Either my photography skills are even worse than I'd feared, or I didn't score such a great deal as I'd imagined. No comments at all?

Tim

Tim, you did very well @ 400. You can probably get 500 at the next show in the Phoenix/Tucson area.

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Living a dream - S&WCA #2364

Looks like a very good deal to me, I would have gladly gave $400 for it..

Thanks guys! Now I feel better...LOL!

Well...I don't intend to sell this, as I've wanted one for some time, but was waiting to find a reasonably priced one. But it's always nice to think that, if push comes to shove, you could sell it and either make a few bucks...or at least break even.

Tim

Wow. At $150 a crack, I'd be buying them by the dozen!
I paid $599 Cdn for my Exc condition 17-6 full-lug 6' earlier this year and didn't feel ripped off.
I wouldn't part with mine at any price.

Bullzaye,

At the present time, $425 for an M18 is a fantastic deal. The most recent one I saw on Gunbroker went for $604, and that doesn't include shipping and FFL transfer fees. Everybody and his brother wants one of these or a 17, it seems. If I were in your shoes I would buy it even if only for resale.

By the way, I may be wrong, but I believe that the 18 came only with the 4" barrel, since the 17 typically has the 6".

Andy