Guys,

At a pawn shop I found a S&W 58 .41 magnum, fixed sights, 4 inch. Pinned barrel and recessed chambers.

Well one side of the cylinder is gray and slightly pitted due to, I guess, being left on a rag or something. The rest of the gun is blue but the barrel shows holster wear as does the cylinder, and while there is no end shake, or crane shake, or even cylinder shake the hand is slightly short and if you cock it real slow it does not lock (just slightly short hand as the cylinder just needs a slight turn to lock.) Also the previous owner lightened the springs and put a trigger shoe (which is wider than the trigger guard and NOT a good idea.)

Well what should I ask for it? The shop was trying to use 100 percent blue book (yea $900 bucks) but I pointed out the cylinders blue loss, pitting, and holster wear and I felt it should be 90 percent or less due to that.

So what do you guys think? $500?

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Deaf

You're being generous, imo.

I guess it depends on how strong the urge to own that particular revolver is.

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It is....what it is!

I really like M58's. To me they just look "clean". However, in this case I feel that $500 is maybe too much. I realize it is hard to find any Smith for under $500, but you mentioned that it has some issues mechanically along with the finish issues. If the gun was just pitted and was clean mechanically, maybe $500 plus, but with the issues, not me.

I am pretty happy about that deal. The one that you are talking about. I would not give 500$ for it. Maybe 3 or 4 bills if I thought that I could fix it.

No more.

If the pawn shop is asking 900, that means that they gave about 450 for the gun. Doubt if they will sell it for 500 but point out the issues to them and offer the 500 and tell them to call you when they will sell it for that amount. If they never call, buy another gun someplace more reliable. You should not pay for their overpricing mistake. Guns are selling well now and they are trying to take advantage of that fact.

I agree with the others that $500 is still too much. Here is my view:

The shop started WAY too high and set themselves up to keep the gun. If they now believe their own inaccurate appraisal then they will see it as a $400 break for you and that is substantial - you are not likely to get them to $500 - I would think less would be out of the question.

As far as your target price, it is tough to find any decent Smith N frame for $500 regardless of what is right - $500 has become close to the bottom line based on the name alone.

That said, you may pay at least 5 bills no matter where you look, but you can get a better 58 for that money than the one you describe.

Well guys, what you say is true.

Personally I think the gun is more 80 percent that 90 and, yes, for them the name S&W brings $500 is about minimum (stupid really but that is the way it is.)

For me I have several N frame hands and bolts (I've made many a revolver lockup tight with some fitting of a good hand and bolt.)Plus I have 500 .41 slugs and can set up my Lee turret press for .41 easily.

They had to talk to the owner of the shop and I'll find out Monday. If they ask more than $500, well no way. But if the hit that $500, tax included, I'll get it.

I intend on this one being a real shooter. I have 3 other N frames and they sleep in the safe cause they are so nice and collectible!!! I hate that sometimes.

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Deaf

I usually don't weigh in on strings like this because there are so many variables and I am not familiar enough with the market, generally. However, here, I am going to go with the idea that it is well under a 90% gun, and that $500 is amply generous. Since you are familiar with the work you need to do to make this a good shooter, it's not quite as bad a deal as it would be for me.

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NHI, 10-8.

I also think that 5 bills is too much for this particular gun as described. Too many issues for that much, even though it appears they could mostly be corrected. Just my thought. wyatte

Since you can set the gun right on your own, and since you appear to want it (), the $500 price is not entirely out of line. You can put the gun back in good mechanical shape in your spare time and maybe "effectively" knock $75 or so off the price of that deal - if you care to look at it that way.

I am no great fan of Model 58s, but there are worse faults than rescuing any old S&W revolver, just because not everyone takes the interest to do so and they deserve it! So, I am on your side on this one. I hope you are successful and that the old Model 58 comes to live at your place for a while.

I recently found a custom Smith & Wesson Model 65 revolver (3" round-butt) marked Pachmayr. The action was converted to DAO only with the nicest DAO trigger job I've felt in a long time. The hammer was bobbed. The barrel was Mag-Na-Ported, and marked "Combat UC" and the trigger guard had been slimmed. The Pachmayr logo has been etched in black on the right side of the frame.

I tried to research this revolver On-line and found absolutely nothing. I contacted gunsmith Mike La Rocca who used to work for Pachmayr and he told me Pachmayr did very few custom revolvers and that I had a rare find.

A good friend of mine who is a S&W collector and historian told me this revolver was indeed a rare find and would be worth a good deal of money. Any information on this revolver or any other Pachmayr custom revolvers would help.

$500 out the door is probably too generous , depending on the depth of pitting , and how much ya want it. But 58s have become increasingly in demand. I'd get him as low as he will go , because if it were gonna be mine , it would need a refinish. If pitting is too deep for a factory re-blue , it would still look good parkerized. And a good parkerizing would not be prohibitively expensive.

A make-or-break for me at $500 would be if it were an earlier "S" serialed gun and if the stocks were correct.

If an "N" serialed gun, hey should look like these.... Note the rounded edge bottom.



If an "S" serialed gun they should look like these....





Not these... which are from a Model 28. Note the sqare edged bottom.



You can add a Tyler-T which helps shootablility...

Well thanks guys.

Tomorrow I'll find out what they off will be. I'll also get the serial number so will then be able to see just what is what with this gun.

But yes I intend on shooting it alot. I've got other N,L,K,J collectors gun and the only S&W I shoot alot now is a 15 Masterpiece that has such an old gray finish that it isn't much of a collectors gun anyway (but shoots real strait.

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Deaf

another way to look at this....if you pass you could use the $500 to put towards a really nice m58
just saying...

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

...but then he would have another SafeQueen....

$500 for the gun described isn't bad money. If you look over on GunBroker starting prices for a clean one, and I am not talking collector grade, is in the upper $600s. So $500 for a shooter with some issues really isn't that bad. Wholesale on a 58-1 is $707.00..I personally would rather shoot an original with some issues.

It would be nice if it came with the original grips that were numbered to the gun. To replace a set of PC Magnas is easily $150.00. But if it is just going to be a shooter anyway there are better shooting grips around.

And since it is in the condition that is less than collectable doing some customizing as in bobbing the hammer, getting the gun refinished isn't going to hurt anything....

Bob

Ok gang,

I went there. He was not there but his wife was.

He wants ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS!! I kid you not.

Unless that gun was carried by the likes of John W. Harden, well a grand is alot for any S&W in 80 percent condition.

So I was polite to the lady (it isn't her fault, the guy has tons of guns, all over priced and rarely do they move) and declined. No snide remarks or anything.

Now one day that gun will be worth a grand, maybe 60 or 70 years from now, but hey, I passed up a Lew Horten Stainless 657 3 inch .41 mag at the Market Hall gun show three weeks ago. They 'only' wanted $900.

So no, I'd never pay that for a 58 in THAT condition!

Superman,

That was my plan. I wanted to shoot it, ALOT! I have some real nice S&Ws and I hate banging them to death. Hence the Model 15 Masterpiece I shoot.

The 58 I saw was not at all in collectors shape and thus prime for a shooter.

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Deaf

Better jump on it. It's appreciated $100 in 3 days!

I tell ya... S&W are outperforming precious metals!

I would not pay a grand for a 58, as much as I like them. You could buy a really nice 57, a couple 28s, three shooter 10s, or a tank of gas for that kind of money!

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Even older, even crankier....

Carried by John Wesley Hardin? It's just as likely that it was Custer's personal sidearm at Little Bighorn.

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You're shy a few manners.

S&W's carry up a little better with cartridges in the chambers.

Technically, that 58 is "out of time" since it stops short of cylinder lockup before the hammer drops. It may be hard to do, since I doubt the pawn shop will let you stick 6 pieces of spent .41 brass in the gun to check the timing, but it may carry up better since the brass stabilizes the star.

58's are rare, someone would likely pay $500. If you're looking for a shooter, $700 or so will get you a brand new "classic" 58

Nice shooter grade 58s are out there in the $625-750 range..no box and usually incorrect grips. As to a 58-1 for a shooter a shop I go to in Ct. has 3 blue and 3 nickel and he is only asking $600 each....and they have been sitting there since Christmas or before. Same shop I just picked up a NIB 357 NightGuard from for the same price....

Bob