As you guys can see I am new to forum. I am going out to Tulsa for the wanamaker gun show this weekend. I was going to look for a couple smith and Wesson 357/44 mag with short barrel 4 in or less. was going to look for prelock guns shooters not full on collectors. Thinking about a 66 or something similar can be blue or stainless and maybe a 44mag in the same configuration.
Any thoughts you can give me would be appreciated on price and what to look for. I have looked over the standard Smith and wesson catalog but won`t have a copy till I return.

Thanks
VanO

Welcome to the forum! Wow, it's sorta hard to advise someone this way so I'll relate how I operate.

Take a look in the Guns For Sale section here and look at what sells for how much, gives you an idea of values.

Do not be in a rush to buy, take your time to look em over, unless it's a "no brainer".

Look closely at each table, some tables at first glance may not grab your attention but tucked in a corner may be what you want.

Have a friendly attitude, if you want to inspect something on the table ask permission to pick it up.

Don't be shy about asking if they can do better on the price of an item.

Take cash, it works better than a credit card when negotiating!

Have a friend along, it's more fun and two sets of eyes are better than one.

Above all else, have fun!

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Stay safe people!

Unless the prices are reasonable (read, "CHEAP"!), I rarely buy at a gunshow. Most of what I acquire is usually leveraged with a trade of some sort. Many times a portion of the trade does not even have to be a firearm. You just have to find out other interests by asking. It works well for me.

That being said, prices on S&Ws vary tremendously by region. Sometimes you can find an M19 in shooter condition for $400, or so, in my area. Stainless M66s usually go for more. N-frames are a toss-up, depending on which way the wind is blowing in regional popularity. Around here, K- and L-frames seem to be the current thing and asking price is reflected in that.

If you can't find anything at the show that you like, at a price you can live with, consider the various Buy/Sell/Trade sites and work out a deal if you have any trade bait. I prefer to deal locally, at least within 100-150 miles of home base. And most of the time the travel distances can be cut in half by arranging a meet at a mid-way point.

Word-of-mouth is great, too. Talk to a few friends and have them spread the word. You'll be surprised on what pops up out of the woodwork.

Good luck at the show.

Here's a good example of a "Word-of-Mouth/Trade" transaction that happened last week. I had absolutely no cash into it other than a couple of bucks in gas money. I won't say what I traded, but let's just say that it was a hell of a deal.

It's a shooter-grade M19-3 with idiot scratches and dings, and the wrong rear-sight leaf. Still, a pretty nice revolver that didn't cost an arm and a leg.

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Welcome to the FORUM! Always try to negotiate prices when trying to buy a gun. Try Armslist. Many high priced guns, but I have gotten deals there. Gun shows CAN turn up some decent prices. Not too many steals though. I ended up with a 66-2, 2.5" on Saturday (last week), and a 686-6 Pro-Series on Sunday. You just never know. Patience is a virtue! Bob

Sounds like you don't have anything really specific in mind, but you are going to the gun show looking for the best deal. That actually is a good way to do it. Recently, I went to look at a blued M10-6 at a gun shop. It turned out to be a little beat up for my tastes. I was so fixated on an M10-6, I didn't really consider an almost perfect M10-5 the guy also showed me. By the time I decided to go back and get it, the -5 was gone.

Take cash. A nice shooter K-Frame (M19, M66) will run $500 to $600. An N-Frame in .44 Magnum will be at least a hundred more. Look everything over very well. It may be a good idea not to buy till you've been to several gun shows.

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You're shy a few manners.

I cannot comment on prices because they vary from region to region. Folks have made some good suggestions about checking prices on closed auctions on GB and others. I will tell you, based on experience, that a 3" .44mag, either a 29 or a 629, is a sweet carrying and shooting revolver and the model 19,66 and 586, 686 series in 2 1/2' and 4" length are clearly established as good shooters and overall good revolvers. The only caution I would advise is that they breed like rabbits.

I forgot you wanted a four inch or shorter barrel on the .44 Mag. Better plan on $700 to $1,000 for that. Since you want a shooter, the six inch barrel makes a lot of sense and saves you a lot of cents.

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You're shy a few manners.

Thanks for the responses that's one of my concerns about the gun show prices will be a little high. But this is the world's largest show so hopefully quantity and quality are on hand. I have been looking at gunbroker and this site for some pricing and local to me sites. Part of the fun is looking at all the different options and talking to new folks about guns.

Again Thanks
VanO

Guns shows are good if you have disposable funds at the moment,and looking to add a specific model right away.

Search for and watch videos on how to determine the condition of a used revolver. May save you some heartaches and money if you educate your self before a purchase.