Looking for an evaluation of this 29-2 4", 3k serial. A friend purchased it locally at a gun show and brought it to me for an opinion.

Immediately I noticed the box end label as suspicious. Then upon opening the box I was concerned about the roundness that was on the smooth presentation grips. Upon further inspection, although not obvious from the photo but stands out in natural light, the bluing on the barrel is a higher polished than the frame.

The frame itself shows about little to no use, ie no shadows of a cartridge and very to little any use/wear at lock up or contact points. The cylinder has a couple marks on it and appears as though someone tried to clean it up.The serial dates to 1975-76 according to SWSC #3.

I am no expert but I believe this to be a beautiful shooter grade revolver that a gun smith has swapped the barrel on. Then someone came along and added a box with a fake label, tried to remove marks on cylinder and rounded the bottom of the presentation stocks?

What is your guys opinion am I missing something? am I completely wrong on my opinion? I would value it at $600-$900 as a very nice shooter. Any thoughts?

On a side note I'm not looking to buy it just checking to see if my evaluation is a fair assessment of the revolver.

__________________
00Buck2
Nine pellet is Fine

That gun and box have been jacked with considerably. Is the revolver mechanically sound?

Agree that the box is not original to the gun and the stocks are not either and/or have been modified. Not sure about the barrel. That said, the owner will have no problem getting your estimate of $600-$900 for it and more likely $900 than $600.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

The revolver is mechanically sound. The barrel color in natural light is clearly not the same polish as the frame. It is considerably more shiny than the frame.enough so that the friend who has never owned a S&W revolver questioned the color of the barrel. This is the reason he wanted me to look at it

__________________
00Buck2
Nine pellet is Fine

Do all the cylinder stop notches look like that ? Not only the raised ridge but in the depression also.

Yes, all stop notches look the same or sharper with less wear. There is another mark on the cylinder, much smaller than one in the photo, that appear as though someone tried to clean/blue as there is a blemish around the spot like the one in the photo.

I put a couple coats of ren wax on it and still have it in my possession if more photos of other areas are of any help. The owner is fully aware I was posting it on here to obtain any more information and or advise of condition.

__________________
00Buck2
Nine pellet is Fine

Your friend should have asked you for help before making the purchase. Hopefully he got it at a very good price.

Unfortunately I was not in attendance when he purchased it.

__________________
00Buck2
Nine pellet is Fine

With guns like this it always comes down to the price paid and the expectation of what he was buying for that price. At the lower to middle of the price ranges quotes above, the gun is a decent buy in anybody's book as a shooter. But if he paid a premium price for a collector piece, then probably not a very good deal.

The Model 29-2 owned by your friend dates to 1976. I have owned several and still own one from this time period and can tell you the frame, while polished nicely, is often less polished than the barrel and cylinder. That was the way S&W was making them at the time. I think the Magnum is all original. The 44 Magnum would have been shipped in a presentation case like the one shown below (except for a 4-inch).

Bill

Always just speculation on my part, particularly without seeing the gun in person, but I agree with Doc44. Also appears someone copied over the original writing on the label, possibly just to make it more legible. The stocks obviously have been modified. It’s a nice shooter grade revolver that I too would guess would bring $900 or thereabouts in today’s market, depending on how severe the imperfections on the cylinder are when seen in person. Nice old gun that can be used without hesitation for its intended purpose. JMHO.