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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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Old 06-30-2020, 09:32 PM
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Default It’s official...I need a 4-inch Model 27

I’ve resisted long enough.

The M28-2 I cared for was nice; better than nice - it just wasn’t a 27 ! For whatever reason, likely the many films absorbed in my youth, I find the 4-inch N-frame to be the best-looking revolver on earth.

Now I need a 4-inch deep blue, checkered-top 27...what do I need to budget for such a beast?

I don’t care about S- vs N-prefix, Diamond vs non, I just want a nice set of Targets and a deep blue shine. Are there any options that won’t require the sale of an otherwise useful kidney?

Thanks !
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Old 06-30-2020, 10:11 PM
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Well if your fine with a -2 your in a nice area. Between 900-1200 just get you a nice shooter.

Now you get into the older ones your talking about x8 on the above numbers for a really nice one.
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Old 06-30-2020, 10:36 PM
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Just my personal opinion but a 3 1/2" M27-2 beats out a 4" any day

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Old 06-30-2020, 10:50 PM
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I scratched a huge itch with this “pre” model with a 3.5” barrel. What a fine piece of history!

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Old 06-30-2020, 11:38 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Glashaus View Post
Just my personal opinion but a 3 1/2" M27-2 beats out a 4" any day

There’s no denying that is a gorgeous gun by any metric.



I blame my poor taste on the television and film viewing choices made as a youth. It really does rot your brain !




Quote:
Originally Posted by KalamazooKid View Post
I scratched a huge itch with this “pre” model with a 3.5” barrel. What a fine piece of history!


Stunning. Simply stunning.


I still need a 4-inch gun, but please know we’re all happy to look at that kind of stuff all day !
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Old 06-30-2020, 11:44 PM
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Originally Posted by paplinker View Post
Well if your fine with a -2 your in a nice area. Between 900-1200 just get you a nice shooter.

Now you get into the older ones your talking about x8 on the above numbers for a really nice one.
Thanks, papalinker. I appreciate your input !

I’m very much looking for a nice shooter, as I have a set of odd-looking [but fit my large hand well] Cobra grips that made my 28-2 point very naturally.
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Old 07-01-2020, 12:16 AM
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Well there are a couple of choices...

Deep blue, or shiny rich nickel.

enjoy,

bdGreen



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Old 07-01-2020, 02:39 AM
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Funny you should say that. I have the original magnas for this gun as far as I know. Wanna buy it? I'm moving towards reduction of safe queen inventory.

The box, etc., is gone. The gun is gorgeous. Model 27 Classic - modern version of the M27.




I'm not offering it for sale to the world on the WTS Forum but if you need a 4" really badly we can talk.

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Old 07-01-2020, 09:24 AM
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I had 3.5" and 4" pre-27s.
If I would have kept one of them for shooting I would have kept the 4".
I think the extra 1/2" adds a lot to their looks.
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Old 07-01-2020, 09:48 AM
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No 4 inch pre-27 but if you can live with a -2 here's one I found last year for $900 (with presentation box). Or, if you could live with another inch on the barrel, the 5 inch -2s aren't bad either. I think a 4 inch is actually harder to find than the 3.5 inch.

Jeff
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File Type: jpg 27-2 4 inch.jpg (54.0 KB, 40 views)
File Type: jpg 27-2 5 inch blue.jpg (38.6 KB, 36 views)
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Old 07-01-2020, 09:56 AM
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No 4 inch pre-27 but if you can live with a -2 here's one I found last year for $900 (with presentation box). Or, if you could live with another inch on the barrel, the 5 inch -2s aren't bad either. I think a 4 inch is actually harder to find than the 3.5 inch.

Jeff
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I could not only live with a -2, I would likely propose.


Thanks for sharing the pics of your beautiful guns, folks !
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Old 07-01-2020, 11:21 AM
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Good luck with your search....
I like like nickel revolvers.
My 27-2 and 29-3.
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Old 07-01-2020, 11:34 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PatriotX View Post
I could not only live with a -2, I would likely propose.


Thanks for sharing the pics of your beautiful guns, folks !


Here's a picture of the 3.5" pre-27 that I sold.



And here's the 4" pre-27 that I sold.

I know its only 1/2" but to me the 4" is just a lot nicer looking, better proportioned and better balanced than the 3.5".

There's only a handful of 4" pre-27s, maybe only about 25 of them and they are pricey. $$$$

I personally prefer a little more barrel on my 27s.
I'd never carry one for an EDC. Even one with a 3.5" barrel.




I think 5" 27s are nice too. This is my 5" M27-2.



Or you could look for a 1980 Model 520 NYSP .357 Magnum.
4" N-frame with fixed sights.
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Old 07-01-2020, 03:08 PM
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Here is my 5” 27-2 nickel from 1978. A 4” and a 3.5” are on my wish list.
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Old 07-01-2020, 03:10 PM
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I too like the handling, feel, and appearance of the 4" over the 3.5". Sometimes that's heresy here.

Never really understood the "Whoo Hoo" over the 3.5"s, other than they're beautiful S&W revolvers with a high degree of work involved in producing. But I'd say that about any 27.

Give me the 4" all day long.

Just my $.02. YMMV.
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Old 07-01-2020, 08:46 PM
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Default Stunning, Great Pics

Beautiful revolvers


Quote:
Originally Posted by rubiranch View Post


Here's a picture of the 3.5" pre-27 that I sold.



And here's the 4" pre-27 that I sold.

I know its only 1/2" but to me the 4" is just a lot nicer looking, better proportioned and better balanced than the 3.5".

There's only a handful of 4" pre-27s, maybe only about 25 of them and they are pricey. $$$$

I personally prefer a little more barrel on my 27s.
I'd never carry one for an EDC. Even one with a 3.5" barrel.




I think 5" 27s are nice too. This is my 5" M27-2.



Or you could look for a 1980 Model 520 NYSP .357 Magnum.
4" N-frame with fixed sights.
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Old 07-01-2020, 09:37 PM
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In all my half century of drooling over model 27s, I have only seen three or four, four inch ones!

Good luck on your quest!!
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Old 07-01-2020, 10:43 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by .357magger View Post
I too like the handling, feel, and appearance of the 4" over the 3.5". Sometimes that's heresy here.

Never really understood the "Whoo Hoo" over the 3.5"s, other than they're beautiful S&W revolvers with a high degree of work involved in producing. But I'd say that about any 27.

Give me the 4" all day long.

Just my $.02. YMMV.
Sent this one on it's way.

No regrets.

I concur with your "give me the 4" all day long".

bdGreen



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Old 07-01-2020, 11:00 PM
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I have owned both a 3.5” pre 27 and a 4” 27-2, I preferred the 4” over the 3.5”.
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Old 07-02-2020, 12:00 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by .357magger View Post
I too like the handling, feel, and appearance of the 4" over the 3.5". Sometimes that's heresy here.

Never really understood the "Whoo Hoo" over the 3.5"s, other than they're beautiful S&W revolvers with a high degree of work involved in producing. But I'd say that about any 27.

Give me the 4" all day long.

Just my $.02. YMMV.
I understand the “Whoo Hoo” completely; if I wasn’t smitten by my first real revolver love, I would gladly have shacked up with her 1/2-inch shorter sister.


Perhaps after a long and fruitful relationship, I’ll reconsider the option of ‘sister wives.’
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Old 07-02-2020, 12:07 AM
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Still making 4 inch Smith’s, but they ain’t making 3.5 inchers anymore. Just something sexy about em...
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Old 07-02-2020, 12:37 AM
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I've always had a soft spot for the 4" Highway Patrolman, but if you want to go for the gussied up 27, you might as well do it in nickel:



There's a fair number of 4" nickel 27-2s with the 3Ts out there:




Of course the 3.5" guns are quite handsome too, but I think they look better without target grips. These are both pre-27s:

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Old 07-02-2020, 04:34 AM
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Back in the '70s I bought a new 4" 28-2, later a new 4" 27-2. Also had a 4-screw 5", and 5" 27-2. Within my humble experience, there were far fewer 4" guns than the other barrel lengths.

Seems to me that back in the '60s and '70s the desirable barrel length was the 8 3/8", probably just because there were fewer made in that that length, so cooler to have,etc. Tastes and fashion change, and at some point the 3 1/2" guns became the "in"/kool thing. Nothing wrong with that. To each his own. I guess I never quite understood the desirability of having short 3 1/2" barrel on the large frame guns. Even with the 3 1/2" barrel, the 27 is a BIG gun, a sort of giant snubby.

I still have a 5" 27-2 I bought new back in the '70s, but really wish I'd hung on to the 4" gun. Is the 5" better somehow than the other lengths? Doubt it! Truth is; I was heavily influenced in my choice of barrel lengths by the writings of the late Skeeter Skelton
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Old 07-02-2020, 05:20 AM
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The 5" Model 27 is the best .357 magnum ever, for looks, for function, concealment, not so much. Geoff Who never found one when he was young, rich and foolish.. I have a Ruger Security Six 4" in that slot.
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