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S&W Revolvers: 1961 to 1980 3-Screw PINNED Barrel SWING-OUT Cylinder Hand Ejectors WITH Model Numbers


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  #1  
Old 01-02-2017, 10:00 PM
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So my power bill came Saturday, and my power company puts out a little news letter every month. I never read it. But, this time I glanced thru it, and in the classifieds there was an ad for a S&W .22. I called the man and was delighted to find he was just a few miles from me. Upon arriving to his house, he produces a mint 18-3 in the box. The story goes, in 1972, he moved up to the mountains from Greensboro, and being in the scary country, he felt the need to purchase a gun. He said he shot a few times, and put in his bedside table, where it remained for 45 years. Well, I open the box and find a period correct box of .22 shorts with exactly 12 shells missing. We came to agreement at $500 and I'm the proud new owner of another minty revolver.
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  #2  
Old 01-02-2017, 10:11 PM
gustmez1 gustmez1 is offline
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Wish I could find something like that in my drawers! Excellent buy. Fantastic price.
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Old 01-02-2017, 10:14 PM
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If you can find one of them around here for sale, it's going to be a lot more than $500.00! Beautiful gun and an excellent buy !
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Old 01-02-2017, 10:16 PM
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I've only seen one of those around here, and that was a year ago. It was too pricy for me.
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Old 01-02-2017, 10:29 PM
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Great looking gun! I still have a Model 18 sized hole in my collection. Congrats!
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Old 01-02-2017, 10:32 PM
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You must be living right. That's probably a once in a lifetime kind of
thing. Outstanding!
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Old 01-02-2017, 10:33 PM
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Wow you got a deal There! 850 pretty easy in my neck of the woods!
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Old 01-02-2017, 10:38 PM
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I'm treating it as the deal of a lifetime. I just hope it doesn't cost me a registered magnum for like $250 haha. Up here in the hills, this one would go for $900+ easy. I bought a 1982 48-4 in the box a while back, amd it had beem shot a fair amount. It cost me $800 and i was happy to pay it.

Last edited by Dillyp; 01-02-2017 at 10:39 PM.
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Old 01-02-2017, 10:51 PM
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I've said this before, but the first Smith & Wesson I ever bought was a brand new Model 18-4. I've spent a lot of time with that revolver and would never part with it.

I've shot it and carried it in a holster on my hip. I even dropped it on a rabbit hunt in the snow and mud and had to search for it for about a half hour, and it still cleans up nice.

Yours is a beauty, but I hope you take it out and shoot it. These classic revolvers shouldn't be locked away in a safe or stuffed in a sock drawer.
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Old 01-02-2017, 10:56 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by retiredbadge8091 View Post
I've said this before, but the first Smith & Wesson I ever bought was a brand new Model 18-4. I've spent a lot of time with that revolver and would never part with it.

I've shot it and carried it in a holster on my hip. I even dropped it on a rabbit hunt in the snow and mud and had to search for it for about a half hour, and it still cleans up nice.

Yours is a beauty, but I hope you take it out and shoot it. These classic revolvers shouldn't be locked away in a safe or stuffed in a sock drawer.
I've got a 1958 no dash that shoot regularly. I always have preferred a 4" bbl over a 6". This one will stay wrapped up except for regular light oiling.
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Old 01-02-2017, 11:23 PM
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That is a great story! And what a lucky find. My model 18 is one of my favorites. Congrats!
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Old 01-02-2017, 11:30 PM
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I can't find anything in my drawers anymore.
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Old 01-03-2017, 12:11 AM
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wow...that looks just like the one Dad got for my sister...u did very well at 500.00...what a beauty
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Old 01-03-2017, 01:06 AM
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I paid $162.23 for my Model 18-3 NIB.


But that was in 1977!
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Old 01-03-2017, 10:24 AM
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Some people have all the luck. I never seem to have those options. Great guns, do you plan to actually shoot it?
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Old 01-03-2017, 10:30 AM
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Was offered $1000 for my 98% Model 18 no box or Docs but w/ Executioner's Stag grips.........3/4 years ago!
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Old 01-03-2017, 10:52 AM
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Quote:
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Some people have all the luck. I never seem to have those options. Great guns, do you plan to actually shoot it?
No I have a shooter grade m18 already.
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Old 01-03-2017, 10:56 AM
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Great story and very well done. My 18-3 was almost double what yours is.



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Old 01-03-2017, 08:14 PM
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Outstanding! You sir win this week's episode of "We're all envious and hate you"
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Old 01-03-2017, 08:27 PM
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You revealed what you paid and that became the highlight of this post.
Wish more folks would do the same.
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Old 01-03-2017, 08:30 PM
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DAMN!!! That's the deal of the year.
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Old 01-04-2017, 12:47 AM
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Needless to say it but congrats are in order. Thanks for sharing.
And if I can't stumble upon a good deal, at least someone here does.
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Old 01-04-2017, 01:40 AM
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Bubba, ya done good!
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Old 01-04-2017, 08:38 AM
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You owe the seller a bottle of his choice.
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Old 01-04-2017, 08:40 AM
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Very nice. I passed on one at a gun show last year for $700 and have regretted ever since. On my wish list!
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Old 01-04-2017, 09:03 AM
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It amazes me how prices have climbed. My go to model 17 was bought from a local priest mint in the box for $225 about 20 years ago. Gets shot pretty much every week. Since I moved to Arizona from the northeast I see very few used revolvers of any condition for sale, back east it would be easy to find a gun shop with 20 30 or even more used smiths in stock. In the 6 months I have been here I do not think I have seen that many combined in all shop visits ( and there are a lot of shops here)
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Old 01-04-2017, 10:01 AM
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Quote:
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It amazes me how prices have climbed. My go to model 17 was bought from a local priest mint in the box for $225 about 20 years ago. Gets shot pretty much every week. Since I moved to Arizona from the northeast I see very few used revolvers of any condition for sale, back east it would be easy to find a gun shop with 20 30 or even more used smiths in stock. In the 6 months I have been here I do not think I have seen that many combined in all shop visits ( and there are a lot of shops here)
I also live in the rural western part of the country and don't see very many used Smiths for sale. I think people around here see hand guns more as hunting, blinking and outdoors hand dandies and less as self defense weapons and when they do get a self defense weapon are more apt to pick a revolver, because of familiarity, father or older relative had/has one. etc etc. I know that in my part of the world most people are not in a big hurry to join the latest band wagon. Still a lot of old working 30-30s and the like. Even if that old gun has been replaced by an 06 or something even newer, it doesn't get sold off. It earned its keep and gets an easy retirement and I think the same thing happens to handguns. Most people never sell guns unless they are really up against it.

Nice model 18. The one I have is the revolver I have had the longest, shoot the most rounds out off and packed the most miles by far. Great little guns.
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Old 01-05-2017, 12:01 PM
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Great gun; I have either a -3 or a -4, don't remember. Great companion during squirrel season. I'll lay the rifle down and pull it out if I get one close enough, congrats! They are a fine teaching gun as well.
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Old 01-05-2017, 12:15 PM
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Congratulations on the purchase and like others have said you stole that revolver.
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Old 01-05-2017, 10:51 PM
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I love these post because if gives us that are a little newer to the hobby hope that just around the corner a deal like this will pop up.
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Old 01-08-2017, 05:26 PM
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I thought I'd give an update on this piece. Being under about a foot of snow, and living on top of a mountain, I figured I'd kill time by gun cleaning. After a good scrub and polish with renaissance wax, I was impressed by the quality of bluing on this 18-3. This as close to ANIB as you can come. Just the faintest of a turn line, most likely done by me fiddling with it.
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Old 01-08-2017, 06:39 PM
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Suddenly paying that power bill doesn't seem all that bad anymore...
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Old 01-09-2017, 03:44 PM
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Outstanding, well done sir.
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Old 01-12-2017, 11:35 PM
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I can't remember the last time I saw an M-18 in the wild.
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Old 01-12-2017, 11:39 PM
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That's a doozy, Dilly!
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Old 01-13-2017, 01:21 AM
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WOW! You done good!
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Old 01-13-2017, 02:27 AM
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Great deal and lovely clean up! Well done!!!
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