I noticed a used Model 18, with a pinned barrel, in a local shop while looking at something else. No special claims, had small handling marks, but no major issues. Posted at $625 negotiable.

I looked at asking prices on GB, and found over 25, all with fairly high asking prices, and NO bids. Not one bid, for over 20 examples offered, which makes me wonder.

Searching in this forum, I found this, and other posts suggesting they sell at a premium.

Is there any mystique to Model 17 vs Model 18?

Any updates or comments on the going prices for these, assuming common examples with moderate use, and no special collector value? Thanks!

I have not looked at gone broker in a long time so I'll take your word that they have 25 Model 18s priced too high for the market that existed before this economic depression. I do not think can learn much from that.

Over the last twenty years I've observed that similar vintage 18s and 17s in the same condition sell for the same price. There are more 17s but most buyers prefer 6" barrels. In the 5 or 6 years prior to this one top store price in my area for both was $700 plus tax for excellent condition examples. The $625 price you saw was reasonable for that time period. Rumor has it modern self defense pistols are selling fast so the store owner likely is not hungry. However they might be better off getting their capital in more of those fast selling case flingers. It's up to you to show them some pictures of dead presidents and see what happens.

I think the $625.00 price for a model 18 in as good of condition as you indicate is a fair deal. I was hoping to find out if the lgs was near me, so I could hot foot it over there.

At that price you should have been posting photos of your new model 18.

I won't be a bit surprised that if you call or go back to the shop it will already be gone.

I wouldn't part with my pre-18 for anything near $650.

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Bill Bates

I saw one last week, in excellent condition, in the box with diamond magna stocks with an asking price of $699. I think it was the bargain of the day that I saw and between two gun shops I probably saw over 100 S&W's.

I did not buy because I have a K22 Outdoorsman and a 17-6 four inch (without the full underlug) so I didn't need it.

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Bill

In today's market this is probably a good price. I bought a pre-18 at a show two years ago for $600.00 and feel like I got a good deal. I also bought a pre-17 from an estate with a guy's name engraved on it for $300.00. It's got some wear, and the name of course, but it is a very good shooter and gets shot a lot.

@BE_Mike: Unfortunately not close to you, no.

@Bill_Bates: This was (and maybe still is) with no box, not pre 18, no diamond grips. It is a plain everything model 18, that looked like it was carefully and well used, emphasis on "used".

As for pictures of presidents, I just parted with a few of those, in part thanks to some generous encouragement and free information provided in this forum,

A late 1960s M18, 98% with original box brought $900 at one of our LGS recently. At $625, I'd have brought it home.

It's a good price as is. Negotiate a better one.

John

I'd offer $500, but have the other $125 in my pocket ready .

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I have decided to get rid of a few 17 & 18s. They do seem to have lost steam from the civil unrest & CV19. I decided I want an AR type rifle for HD only. No frills, old school. I looked on Buds site and they have many pages of AR and similar rifles 5.56mm. Every one of them is marked out of stock, everyone. Didn’t look at plastic pistols but I thing their are lots of them and brisk sales. Maybe best time to get deal on classic guns, dealers will not want capital gathering dust during this panic buying episode.

In some of past panics dealers and distributors will not post prices because they want freedom to jack them if market allows. That could account for the Out of Stock on every AR type. When AKs were 1st around in early 80s for around $100 there was a school shooting in Ca. Turned out a AK was used. Due to hype they disappeared off market. The though of a ban was circulating. In just a few weeks it was over. The same AK that was $99 was now $399. Every time the boy cries wolf the crank comes out.

The Model 18 is my favorite revolver. That's why I have two.
$625 is a very good price. I'd have bought it quick.
In my neck of the woods, Model 18s are rarely seen for sale. When one does show up, prices in the $700-800 range are common.

I bought an 18-3 97%+ a year ago for 750 shipped

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Pete
I ain't no fortunate son

I'd be a buyer at $625. I haven't seen one that low in a couple years or more.
I paid $495 for mine in 2012 and I wouldn't take less than $800 now, but I also have no plans to sell it. The model is just too darn nice to part with.

According to a store employee, .22 and .38 spl revolvers are not selling much in stores, compared to magnums and other big calibers, or semi-auto, except for an occasional S&W Airweight. Occasionally they take them in trade for a more modern firearm, or a hunting rifle.

Fair price. I passed on one with a box and like new for $750 a couple of years ago and still regret it! Haven't found another in that price range since.

Buy it.

I bought a nice but used Model 18, no box, no tools, no papers, in a LGS a couple of weeks ago for $550. I think the COVID and civil unrest has hurt sales of .22s.

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SWCA 3417 HF 642 NRA-TC

Me too! Any chance it is near me in MA?

They are scarce and in high demand around here. They get priced high and disappear fast. I just passed one up because of the high price, significant wear and (non-original) Goodyear grips. It sold days later.

I live in the Midwest, sorry, not close to MA, or anywhere else, for that matter. In the heart of "Flyover Country", lol. The help and comments are much appreciated btw.

I tend to buy common examples of whatever I'm interested in at the time, and I pay more attention to function than to cosmetics - after all, I can always look at the pics you guys are posting, for free! (the model 64 I posted about in another thread is also just a happy coincidence, I did not set out to find an unfired example).

I will post pics when in my hands. Background checks that used to take hours are now taking days!

Now why can't I think of it that way? I look at the pix and they make me want to buy, Buy, BUY!

You have much better control than I do.

Lol. I will do my best to only post modest and restrained pictures, with some redeeming social value,

Model 18 are great guns. Perfect way to get a lot of revolver practice. Buy the model 18 and a couple of 5000 round cases of 22lr and go to shooting. When you need some more ammo you should be a real decent revolver shooter. Hard to go farther toward this goal for a $1100 bucks and you will still have a nice gun when the ammo is gone

I'll 2nd steelslaver's suggestion but add one caution. Fire samples of the cartridges before buying 5,000. Ideally sample the inexpensive .22 cartridges available in local stores then go back to the store that sold you the cartridges that shot best in your gun. I once made the mistake of buying 10,000 or 15,000 of the same cartridges that my guns had been shooting well only to discover that they did not like the newer lot. Fortunately I was able to recover my money reselling them at the range. Many times big variety stores and sporting goods stores have had bricks of .22s that were about as inexpensive as I could get anywhere.

18s are excellent revolvers. If I did not have one I'd pay whatever I had to to get a good shooter.

That'a good point, but the selection in local stores is not great right now, lol. I'll see what I can do, but in the beginning I am likely to be shooting whatever I can find on the shelf! Is there something I should be avoiding that's a known cartridge for this gun? I'm used to buying plain range ammo when I am shooting paper.

Here is one quick pic, because we all know that if there are no pics then it never happened,




I'm glad that the opinions of this gun are so positive, that is very encouraging.

It came with aftermarket grips that I am hoping to replace with some kind of target grip, and a dinged rear sight blade that may need replacing eventually. I'll do my best to add a couple more later.

Attached Images

Model_18.jpg (108.8 KB, 42 views)

Just looked one today priced over $800...$650 looks pretty good

Robert

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

A $800 price seems very high, unless it is NIB or close, or there is some special collector's value attached to that particular gun, in which case it totally makes sense to pay whatever it takes to get what you want.

I did a quick check of ended listing online before I bought this one, and they seem to be going unsold over $700. One sold recently for $600 with box and papers.

Mine came with a nice finish and lightly used, with after market grips which are not a perfectly tight fit, and I want to replace either with the original style or something akin to target grips. It also came with a dinged sight that looks serviceable, but maybe should be replaced too.

I'm planning on shooting it before I do anything though, which was sort-of the point for me.

I was told locally $600~700 is about the going price for a Model 18 that you're going to shoot. What I see online seems to be in line with that, except for shipping and FFL fees.

Yeah, as much as I love the Model 18, it would take one essentially new-in-box-with-everything for me to go much over $800.

I would very much like an all-original, excellent condition Model 18 (with or without box) to go with my pretty good condition pre-18 shooter. But at my advanced age and with my limited budget, it would have to come in at something closer to $700 or so for me to be able to justify it. And as scarce as they are in my area, I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon.

@TTSH: Do you know what kind of grips the model 18 came with originally? At least the dash 3~5 that are commonly available to the average person?

They came with the Magna square butt stocks/grips.

Most of the time but not always. Target Stocks could always be "special ordered" which usually amounted to the distributor swapping stocks on a revolver in their inventory. Also 18s with original TT, TH and TS are not uncommon. In both cases the Target Stocks ordinarily were not stamped with the serial number.

The one factory stock that will obviously not be original and look all wrong is a set of PC Magnas. Their sides are rounded on the bottom.

You asked for suggestions on cartridges. Buying the different manufacturer's least expensive cartridges I've had the best results with Federal and worst with Remington. Before the Obama .22 cartridge buying panic inexpensive Federal was good enough to shoot your way into a bullseye master rating. The quality fell off when the factories went to 3 shifts working around the clock to catch up with demand. The last couple of bricks I bought were blue and silver box Federal 40 grain for $9.99 at Fred Meyer. That was maybe a year ago? I have a lot of older .22s to use up so I haven't even shot it. You really have to try a company's current production to know if your gun will like it. For a higher price most guns like CCI standard velocity 40 grain. Of course if you already are shooting in master class don't listen to me.

Safe to say I am not, lol. Definitely not with a revolver.

The aftermarket grips that came with the gun are the same style as the rounded style Magna grips, and I don't mind losing those, they are a less than tight fit.

Doing a quick check, what I saw on the shelf locally were Federal American Eagle, limit 2 boxes of 40 per person per day, lol. I have some old.22 cartridges somewhere. Copper plated, I think.