Hi gang I have a very nice Smith & Wesson 66 – 1 in 2.5" like new in the box with all the tools papers in the box is really clean and the box is serialized to the gun. The gun has been fired and the grips look immaculate. I think it's worth $1100-$1500 but that's a broad range and wondering what the experts think. A guy is going to offer me an M1 garand for it and I'm not sure if it's a fair trade or not. Thanks advance for your help

K

I'd take a decent Garand for it.

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LIVE FROM THE DAWGHOUSE

Gosh, that sounds several hundred high to me but I'm not a follower of 66s, just 19s.

Need to know more about the Garand. Is it a field grade, special, sniper? "Garand" is like saying he offered you "a car". Without knowing specifics, there's no way to know what the Garand is worth.

I think you're high on your 66-1 valuation, but you can order a Garand from the CMP today for similar or a lot less $ depending on what you want in a Garand.

The Garand could be worth from $400 or less to $5000 or more so a lot depends on what it is as to whether or not this would be a good trade. For the right Garand, the worth of your Smith doesn't really matter. $1100-$1500 for the Smith does sound high to me. How much do you know about appraising a Garand? Barrel gauging can be important.

Got the same thing last week no box for $525.00. 98% condition. Saw another one today asking price $650.00 I walked.

$650-700 for the Smith. As Geno44 said, anything goes for the Garand depending on several variables. Treat each as a separate transaction. Nice Smith, I wish I had one as nice.

I have a soft spot for snubby smiths but If the Garand is correct and in good working/ascetic order it is above the value of a 66-1 in my book. Others will have much more info as there is a good following of the Garand. I think your estimate of the 66 is at least $600 high, from my experience in my local area

thanks but yes I don't know much about garands but I know I like some from a far. Off to do some research on them in the CMP site. I saw a couple of similarly shaped 66 is on GunBroker go for 1176 and for about 1600.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=437760122

How bad do you want the garand? Nice smith

My long term track on the model isn't all that long:

Smith & Wesson 66 2-1/2 inch barrel. Revolver in .357 Magnum,.38 Special, Plus P. Blue Book of Gun Values (35th Edition) indicates between $561 in 95% condition and $754 in 100% condition for this gun. I have 65 recorded prices for this model gun from $423 to $1095 over a period of 2 Yrs 11 Mos ending November 26, 2014. The average price as of that date was $690. No refurbs, no refinishes, regular sights. All represented as 95% or better. No distinction for engineering revision, if any, no special editions, no distinctions for box, papers, tools. Current or last MSRP is $614.

The last 13 prices I have for this model since 6/1/2014 range from $600 to $900 averaging $743. So, in my opinion, the average price seems to be increasing but $1100 - $1500 is very optimistic.

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Bob

No offense, but for $1100+ I could buy two 66-1's if I looked around. A CMP Garand should easily be worth the same as a 66-1, even if it is NIB.

An all correct WWII Springfield would probably bring $1500.

Thank you for the note on values. I just thought it was hard to find a nice 66-1 with all the box and papers which placed a premium on it. I found 2 on GB that sold for $1176 and $1601. Since I already have 3 pythons and a Talo 686+ 3", I think i could indeed part with the 66-1 for a nice Garand - would be my first rifle in my meager 10 hand gun collection.

A data point - mine is as nice as this - guess I hung my hat on an anomaly.
S & W MODEL 66-1 357 COMBAT MAGNUM PINNED NIB NR : Revolvers at GunBroker.com

I appreciate everyone's feedback and being nice in not flame spraying me for my ignorance!
Best -
Tony

I must echo the sentiment that your assessed value of your 66-1 is too high.

The linked GB auction reflects an exceptionally rare sale price bordering on black swan...for now, anyway. I will somewhat impolitely suggest the buyer was either a fool, a shill, or has so much disposable cash that he didn't mind paying an absurd price simply to get what he wanted on the spot.

He could have gotten the exact same set-up for half the price with a little patience and perseverance.

Maybe he thought he was getting a 3" 66.

This thread certainly did help me since I am going to look at a 2.5" 66-1 with the box at some point in the next few days. Pretty much made me decide the I would like to go no higher than $750 with the extra set of combat stocks.

If the combat stocks are factory and in quality shape, they change they equation; add in an extra $150 to $200.

Just goes to show how much difference in price there is between a 3 inch and a 2 1/2 inch. Difference is in numbers produced. Have a 3 inch NIB that 1200 would not buy. JM2CW

I'm not sure where you can find a quick course in accurately appraising a Garand. It also depends on what you intend to do with it. Throat and muzzle erosion are two important things to measure to make sure you won't be spending $400-$500 to replace the barrel. If you're not going to shoot it a lot and don't mind bigger groups, excellent barrel condition may not be a big issue. There were four manufacturers of the Garand. The International Harvester may be the hardest to find and the Springfield is the easiest. It would be hard to find an all matching rifle in nice condition of any manufacturer for anywhere near $800 that's for sure. Good luck in your search!

He wants an extra $100 for the combat stocks. I figured $600 for the gun and $100 for the stocks.

Right now he is at $800 for the gun with original grips and $900 with the combats. Gun is in really nice shape but has been fired. Original box and papers. Dont know if he has the cleaning rod/wax paper and other small stuff.

Its a 2.5" 66-1

My math looks at it this way: the combat stocks, if they're in excellent shape, regularly average $200 on eBay.

If the gun cosmetically and mechanically qualifies as excellent or better (having been fired doesn't mean much, they get fired at the factory -- it's overall condition that counts), plus the original box and papers, I'll put that set up on the higher end of 5Wire's averages (he is an incredible resource, by the way, and a credit to the forum) at $800.

With the combats, that's a $1000 set up, give or take, again assuming excellent condition -- as in not "perfect" or "new", but superior to "very good" by NRA Modern Gun Condition Standards.

So the seller wants $900 on an arguably $1000 set-up based on what the market will currently bear. His ask for the 66 without the stocks is about right, and he's undercharging the combats, again, if condition is as described and/or assumed.

This isn't to say I wouldn't try to haggle -- I would. Nor is it to say that great deals get lucked into on occasion and you might find an as new 66 snubby with all the trimmings for $600 -- you might.

But going by averages and established sold prices, the seller's deal isn't bad, and your estimates are a little low.

Comes down, as always, to how much you want the deal. If it doesn't set right with you, walk; patience and perseverance are rewarded with revolver collecting and accumulating -- good deals and miracle prices happen, tales of such abound on the forum...some of them are even true.

But if I were in the hunt for a 66 snubby and this one passed cosmetic and mechanical checks, as did the combats, I'd probably push hard for $800, hope for $850 and leave with it all for not a penny over $899.

Funny, everybody always talks about the terms NIB, LNIB, ANIB, and for the gun to have the box and the tools (in the unopened plastic bag). Yet that's what we seem to see in the picture...

I don't know about value. You all know me, especially my forum buddy Hapworth. Under NO circumstance would I trade a refined, elegant, very desirable snub 66 in what seems to be mint condition (box and tools, remember, everybody?) for a rifle. ANY RIFLE. I've made enough enemies referring to the 1911 as a klunk,so I won't say anything pejorative about the Garand.

Too bad you're not my neighbor. I'd give you a grand for that 66 and then you can do what you want with the Garand. Seriously, some above posters here know an awful lot about the M-1. I doubt it's going to be as nice as your 66. I wish you well...

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

Hapworth I followed a few NIB 25-2 's and 27's he had listed couple months back, and seen the same serial number gun sell 3 times??? Called him out on it and got no response, funny isn't it.

Eric

....just bought a 66-no dash a few weeks ago. no box - $550.

I too think your assessment is a bit high. However, having said that, I recently sold a 66-1 identical to yours for $1000. It took a while for the "right" buyer to come along, but they're out there! I think you're looking at an even trade there. Good luck!

Good words of advice Kaaskop49 and I'll take you up on it. I've decided to keep here and shoot her from time to time. Just picked up a 686+ 3" Talo with the nice rosewoods that i'll shoot more, and decided to do the CMP paperwork drill to get a garand. Thanks all for your comments and thoughts and eduction. It's forums like this that are super valuable - I find a lot of great info here (and on the coltforum as well) with people willing to share their expertise. Many thanks.

K

I suppose that seller just had the bad luck to keep selling to bidders who backed out of the deal and he had to relist.

Excellent catch on your part, and the kind of closer scrutiny we should all be using. I try to dial in a little room for benefit of the doubt or an honest explanation that I couldn't think of, but when dubious things like the same seller selling the same gun a few times over in short order and (often) at near record prices, I'm inclined to see a seller who's either just testing to see what the market will bear with no real intention of actually selling, or is artificially inflating the value of the item being sold.

All in the game, I guess, and we can vote with our wallets and in calling out questionable practices when we see them.

noted here just to corroborate other prices in the thread. Not the same of course as an in-the-box snubbie.


$500 plus tax for a P&R stainless sight no-dash 4" from 1974 (7k serial range).

I am seeing fewer S&W revolvers these days in my pawn shop prowls, couldn't pass up a P&R 66. They were asking $600, and usually won't drop $100 but it looked tired (light rust sign here and there - that cleaned up easily). Likely saw years of duty wear. Tight with good cylinder gap, and light flame cutting. It had Goodyears of course that quickly came off. Cylinder release nut and ejector rod will need replacing to be it's best.

Probably not the best price, but it needed to be rescued.

Kraaaken

Kraaaken, what you need to do is check on the Sold PRICES, not the asking price. There are many OVERPRICED revolvers that have been offered for sale for months, listed on G.B.

As others have posted somewhere between $700.00 - $800.00 would be a viable price for your, very nice, M-66. As I have little interest in the hunt for something I want, I've been known to pay a little above going prices to get something I want.

I dont want it that badly. He has seen me sell guns in the past and actually emailed me completely out of the blue to see if I was at all interested. By your numbers, the deal doesn't sound bad to begin with. I have only seen pics, but the gun looks pretty much babied and lightly used. His asking price is $800 for the gun/box with original grips. $100 extra to get the combats. Being that I am not dying to get this I already told him this: "I am still mildly interested and the pics look nice but if you are firm on your price then I don't see a need for us to meet. I don't want to waste your time. If you have some room, lets meet up so I can look at the gun and make you an offer". He said he has room to move.

I was lucky enough to have picked up a M66-4 2-1/2" on GA for $500, no box but did come with the original Hogue grips, together I would put the gun and grips at 95% and I haven't even got it cleaned up so I can't say to the extent this is a jewel but it locks up tight. I figured this deal will have to last me for awhile. After following them on GB since I have seen that I got a M66 2-1/2" that typically goes for between $650-$750 and have seen some, and I should state I have no knowledge of what a 2-1/2" go for, go as high as $1900 never fired, with the works. It seems that the demand for three 3" from what I was able to read was based on the limited numbers run to the 2-1/2" which were run in much greater production numbers. Anyway I am happy to have stumbled across this find the only problem being it is doubtful I will be able to expand my 2-1/2" collection. It seems timing itself is a strong enough deterrent for future purchases, but hell I could also make that statement about the balance of my recent purchases, it is doubtful you will ever see any discontinued models of this nature suddenly go down.