Greetings and salutations,

I know a little bit about a lot of topics. I am afraid that Smith & Wesson revolvers is not one of those topics. In the words of the great American poet Brian Wilson, "Help me Rhonda, help, help me Rhonda".

I have 2 (no, thats not a typo) NIB, supposedly never fired 28-2 Highway Patrolman with 4" barrels. I have boxes, manuals, cleaning kits and yes, even the blank warranty cards. I verified with Smith on Friday they are in fact 1972 N Models.

One has a ring around the cylinder like it has been dry fired, the other is flawless with the exception of some bluing missing where they cylinder closes. Pay no attend to the funny looking "green stuff" you see, it is Frog Lube. Well taken care of, no rust or blemises to the finish that I can see.

If these are collector pieces I don't want to shoot them, but if it doesn't matter on the value I will take them to the range tomorrow.

Do I have something rare and unique or these a dime a dozen? Thanks in advance for any and all feedback.

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Welcome to the Forum!
They are $1000-1200 guns as described (each!)

Thanks for the welcome Sir...

Does the fact they are 48 years old and never shot add to the value or just because of the condition?

Bottom line, should I shoot them or keep them unfired?

You have the opportunity to shoot the heck out of one of them and keep the pristine one in the safe!

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Pass it on.
Mark

Not totally unusual to find one in that condition, but two! The prices have skyrocketed in the last ten years on Mod 28s. IMHO really only semi-collectible, if not very fine guns, just not old enough - yet. The 28 was the working man's/cop's version of the highly polished, checkered barrel ramp, ship o' the line Mod 27. Same gun, just cosmetic money saving things. I'm with the shoot one, save one crowd. You'll love it.

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Some collect art; I shoot it!

That's exactly what I was fixing to say!

I have a 6" Highway Patrolman that I bought new at about the same time yours was made. I have other guns but I love that one best, and I will keep it until I die. The HP is a working man's gun more than a collector. If I understand correctly, it is the same thing as a M27, but with a less-shiny finish to hold the price down. There are a lot of people, including me, who admire working guns.

Carefully preserve the best one, and shoot the bejesus out of the other one!

They're a dime a dozen, but since you're such a nice guy, I'll give you a dollar for both of them!

I would shoot the one and keep the other one as new. Keep the boxes, tools and all papers for both.

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protocalldesign.com

So I didn't do too shabby paying $400 each for them is the gist of what I am hearing :-)

The mint stainless Coonan in .357 Magnum with 3 mags for $1,000 wasn't a bad purchase either.

Thanks for all the feedback. I will follow the advice and shoot one, store one.

^^^Stop what you are doing now and go buy some lottery tickets!

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Possum—The other white meat!

Why do you want to shoot it or them?

I vote against the group and would not shoot either one. Unfired guns in the original box and all the papers definitely attracts collectors attention. Everyday their are fewer to chose from. When and if you decided to sell them the buyers will nick pick everything little detail to try to drive the price down.

I asked the same question once about shooting a NiB 25-5 and was told it would not hurt it’s value while receiving low ball pm’s offers to buy it.

Perchance are they consecutively numbered? If so ask the experts here again. If not, like they said, shoot one, put the other in the safe.
BTW, given that steal, do you also rob banks or often find bags of money lying on a sidewalk?
Nice find!

The instant you shoot them, all the other NIB examples out there become more valuable. I'd sit on them for a decade or two, but that's just me. Plenty of shooter grade firearms out there.

Have fun, whatever you decide.

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Just Say No - To Social Media

Good point... and well taken. My thoughts are...

I am a lifelong firearms enthusiast... who has NEVER shot a S&W revolver, and I am a .357 kind of guy. I own several Ruger's in .357 including my daily carry and now a Coonan.

I am dying to shoot the lesser of the two in condition, they feel so "refined" over the Ruger. The trigger in single action is very light, I'm salivating as I think about it...lol Once I shoot it, it will never be sold as long as I am above ground. Nobody is promised tomorrow..

My initial thought was to sell one of them to a collector and use the proceeds to buy a good condition 28-2 or the famous Model 19 I hear so much about. I would have the benefit of having the #2 still unfired to have and to hold from this day forward. Then it's a win-win for everyone and neither gets shot.

That's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

Any of them can have a nice single action trigger pull. But a tuned Smith has a way better double action than a tuned Ruger. Neither have a good DA out of the box.

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protocalldesign.com

There's really no wrong decision here. But the above is a plan I could endorse.

I have a couple of unfired guns and just can't ... quite ... pull ... the ... trigger. I really don't know why, neither one is anything special.

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Just Say No - To Social Media

Consider the Model 28 is no longer being made. Now, how many unfired ones are being produced? Firing either or both will affect the value of the revolver. How much?, who knows. I fall behind the keep itthem unfired group.

But, then again, I took a Model 28-2 and converted it to 45 ACP.

Kevin

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Unshared knowledge is wasted.

The one has a turn line so shooting it would make no difference to me if I was buying it. Also how can you prove neither has been shot? I would shoot the one with the turn line and sell the other to someone who would pay a lot because I told them it had never been fired even if I had just bought it.

In the real world they are worth about $800 a piece.

Dead on analysis.

2 similar condition guns on Gunbroker now at $749 and $800. And they've sat for several 6 day cycles. More worn used examples go for $500-600 routinely. NIB certainly adds a premium, but asking $1000 or more imo guarantees they'll sit for awhile.

Just my observed $.02. Great P&R N frames, but at this time they're not uncommon with sellers parting with them to buy 9mm plastic fantastics. What I'm saying is it's a great time to buy Smith's, but not necessarily to sell.

Welcome to the FORUM from Michigan! Congratulations, you were are the right place at the right time! I still want for a 28, 4". Do have a 6" no dash from 1960. Bob

To get back in on the thread, I think you have two very fine guns. However, I am questioning the "never fired" status based on what appears to be powder residue (well cleaned) around all cylinders on both guns. Other eyes?opinions?

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Some collect art; I shoot it!

If it’s already got a turn line, it’s not going to lose any value being shot.

Plug away with it, it’s no longer NIB.

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My sgntr is mor thn 30 chrctrs

Sell them both and buy a nice shooter grade one and shoot the snot out of it.

For me this is an excellent time to sell.

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Kenny
Endeavor to persevere.

Keep the example with the turn line as a shooter. Sell the better condition example at a premium. Find a lesser priced high condition shooter grade 28-2 with a 6" barrel to round out the set. (Assuming you may be leaning towards being a shooter-collector and not a safequeen-collector.)

Spend the money left over on ammo or reloading components to feed them and keep them happy. (If you can actually find ammo or reloading components right now.)

I just looked at a 6" shooter grade 28-2...........and I mean visibly used, that the gun shop had priced at $699. (No box)

When I asked if they would come down off the $699+tax price they declined stating they were extremely comfortable it would sell at their asking price.

I paid $1200 ($625/$575) for two 6" 28-2 examples in the spring of last year, no box for either example. Both in excellent condition finish wise, but one of the examples had a stock serial number that was very close to but not the exact same as the frame's.

I would put a premium on a similar condition 4" example, even more of a premium on an as-new 4" example, and an as-new in box 4" example I feel $900 isn't too far off the mark for the right buyer.

As I have read numerous times any functioning N-Frame=$500. I could easily see adding an additional $400 for as-new condition, the original box/accessories/documentation, and it being a more desirable 4" configuration.

I seriously doubt most shops in my area would price an as-new in box 4" 28-2 at less than $1000.

Oh, and another thing.......study the front cylinder face of each example very closely. If truly unfired by the previous owner(s) then ONLY EVERY OTHER chamber mouth on the front cylinder face should show evidence of being test fired by the factory.

Dale

Wow, never heard that fact before. Learn something new everyday. Thanks!

.............an extra thumbs up for both examples as I could only give 1 like on the OP!

I usually don't have to look for it as I rarely buy any S&W revolver examples as-new or brand new. (Aside from the wife's and my 638 and 642 examples, which we were going to be shooting immediately anyways.)

Without getting on too far of a siderail maybe one of the more astute S&W collectors here can give a brief tutorial as to when the factory "every other chamber" test firing practice came about.......and if it is still currently in use?

..apologize for getting off topic from the 2 28s...

That would be interesting to know as well. It could be a good visual argument when someone tries to sell you one as NIB never-fired. Other than that visual clue, how do you really know if it's true or not?

Heck, I'd grind the barrels down to 3 inches on the ol' bench grinder, bob the hammers, Fitz the trigger guards, and round butt both of them. A liberal application of electrical tape to them grips and you're good to go!

Seriously though, those are some fine revolvers you scored! I would go with your thoughts of keeping one as a shooter and setting the other aside as a collector. As someone mentioned, I would probably hang on to the collector for a couple years, S&W prices are still going up. If I were selling a 99% shooter with the box, papers, and cleaning kit right now I wouldn't hesitate to ask in the 750 to 800 range. Brand new in box I would personally ask 1000 to 1200 and be prepared to wait for the right buyer. I don't think either would last too long. In a few years you would probably get more.

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Even older, even crankier....

Damnit man, can you please switch us back to that alternative universe STAT?

I far prefer the values suggested in the alternative universe. How dare you poo-poo all over my value parade with "pie in the sky" things like actual stats, sales prices and days on market. All semantics... LOL

$400 EACH for thr 28's and $1K for the Coonan? I need to move to your town apparently.

Good job!

Shoot one, safe-queen the other.

Here is an example. Easier to see on a nickel finish.

I would shoot the one with the turn line, and put the other one away for a couple of years and then sell it for what I'm sure will be an excessive amount.

At that price, Grand Theft Revolver!
Geoff
Who notes here in NE FL before the disaster a Model 28 w/o box etc would have been $450 and UP!

All I can add to this conversation is that a local dealer had one (still unfired NIB with everything) come in about 2 years ago. It sold almost instantly for cool $1K plus tax.

GB isn't always the real world. Neither are the Forum classifieds at times. Local shops (and gun-dealing pawn shops, where allowed) are where bargains can sometimes be found. It wouldn't shock me to find one in a shop for $800. It also wouldn't shock me to find one in a shop priced at $1,200.