A friend has a model 27 he got from a cop friend a few years back. Here's the problem.
The cylinder , trigger and hammer appear to have been chromed, and the barrel has been shortened to about 4.5", and ported. It does look very nicely done, so whoever did it knew what they were doing. Possibly Magnaport themselves? The thing looks well done so calling it a wecsog was unfair, but damn.....who does that to a 27??
In any case, would anyone care to opine on what it might be worth, so I can cipher on a figure to offer him for it? I could probably live with the pinto look just to have a 27 again. Just don't know where to start..

Normally I would figure around $800 but the way prices are these days who knows. All speculation without good photos.

I would not pay over $300 for such a project. Too many $$$ parts needed to bring it back to where it needs to be.

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S&W factory revolver armorer

As a collector item it has no value. As a shooter it "should" bring maybe $600. But in today's market someone will probably pay in the $1000 range. All this rough estimates without seeing anything.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I don't have any pics, and don't expect to unless and until I approach him about it. And not sure yet if I will. I don't imagine I would even attempt to restore it to original, with the barrel work, it couldn't be done. In fact, with the magnaporting, It'd just be a jacketed bullet shooter. It doesn't really look too bad, if you can get past the pinto look.

I agree with ken158. Even at that, you could spend over $1000 in parts and gunsmithing services and end up with a $800 non-original shooter.

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Pine_Worker
Ex-LEO, NRA Life

Considering what has been done to the outside there's no telling what has been done to the inside. You couldn't run fast enough to will it to me. Larry

I would guess somewhere in the $500 to $600 range. Maybe less depending on how the gun shoots, functions, and looks.

I would put a value on it by comparing to other, custom, "magnaported" revolvers, not so much comparing to collectible Model 27 examples. In other words, if I wanted to buy a hotrodded Model A with a custom paint job, I would not be comparing the price to a mint, or restored to original, example.

Wecsog is a new reference to me. $800 to $1000, someone will like it.

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Made it, Ma! Top of the world!

Given that it is a Model 27, and if it is in good condition, no excessive play in the action or cylinder, these days $700-$800. $1000 might be a stretch.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

So, OP

For me in my realm, it's not a 27 anymore.

It's a Bubba Special that went down the road of no return.

Any resemblance to why I would put another 27
in inventory isn't there.

Wecsog = Wile E. Coyote School Of Gunsmithing

I'd maybe buy it for $300,shoot once and then sell it to another fool like me for buying it in the 1st place.
When the side plate comes off surprizes await
What's an M27 frame worth....that's all you realy have.
Maybe you can call it a Jovino(:

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NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GUN

THAT is definitely a good one(!!), but probably should have been capitalized--------WECSOG----and perhaps hyphenated-----WEC-SOG.

And as an aside, Wile should be Wily.

Ralph Tremaine

Nothing wrong with a custom gun if it’s done correctly. Especially if you plan on using it. Many of the greatest gunsmiths did and still do custom work. And charge good money for it. If there is provenance for it, then a good shooter may be had for a good price. Don’t be too quick to judge.

To each his own.
I buy as close to original untouched unaltered as possible and sell in the same or better condition.
Good gunsmiths put their mark proudly on their work
If you think this is worth $800 to $1000 I have a bridge for sale you may like.

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NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GUN

You can always Cerakote it. I agree it is a $500 or less piece as it sets pintoed as it is.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

$500 - $550 and shoot it like you stole it.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

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SWCA #3713

Depends a lot on who did the work and it’s quality. Guns molested by Jovino, Yost, et al. go for more than $300. Custom isn’t original and not all those who modify or customize guns are named bubba. Need pictures, more info.

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213th FBINA

You can't tell if it is worth buying without a detailed examination, including of the innards. Contrary to the wailing and gnashing of teeth from the purists, the primary purpose of a firearm is fighting. (In the case of a handgun, it is an emergency tool that you carry all of the time - if you think you need a gun and are not carrying a rifle, you're an idiot.) It is not the original artistic value of the firearm, although in some cases that can be the main consideration.

Note that this was a cop's gun. I'm going to presume for the moment, pending verification, that the modifications were largely for function. As such, yes, it is today just a shooter, but that does not mean the actual value is as low as some have claimed. The point is not and never will be to restore it to something like factory condition - that's just silly. The point is that this is likely a working gun, and although the plating would not appeal to me, it also does not matter.

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NHI, 10-8.

Sounds a little like this model 19... Except that the shiny parts are nickel.





That said, I hardly ever see a model 27 that I do not like. Hammers and triggers are easy to replace and the cylinder sounds cool to me. And if the barrel shortening was nicely done, anywhere under $600 and I would probably be interested.

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

That is only true if you do not like where it is right now

Many of our Forum members go crazy for and have paid as much as double the going rate of a shooter for a Smith & Wesson revolver that some NY gunsmith named Jovino chopped on.

Or those that were cut down and reshaped by a guy named Behlert

Just because it is not as it left the factory does not mean it is worthless.

Obviously it is not a original collectible, but if it is in a configuration that you like and/or have a use for, then it is easily worth $500 - $800 depending on condition

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"Acta non verba"

I have a PPC revolver by Behlert that I paid $175 for. Shoots like a dream!

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

Sad, sounds like a Bubba job no matter how well done. Would have left it be.

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No baby we aint

I recently bought a Model 25-2 that was soundly ridiculed by many on this forum with the same logic, if it looks bad externally - it must be bad internally. Sorry, it doesn’t always work out that way. A little work and I have a great carry piece for little cash.

The OP has a big advantage I did not have. He can see, handle and maybe even fire this revolver before he makes an offer.

rogerwnuss, my advice to you would be to ask to go to the range with the owner and shoot it. Take the loads you anticipate using and take it for a test drive. If the action feels gritty, it might indicate parts need to be swapped out, it might mean it needs an action job to smooth it out, or it might need a good cleaning and the mainspring tension screw tighten.

Take it out and shoot it. Then decide, if you want it or not and how much you would be willing to part with to get it.

Best of luck and keep us posted.

Kevin

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Unshared knowledge is wasted.

haven't seen it in years, but when I looked it over, seemed to be unaltered inside. single action was fine , double action too. pretimed just as it should. Thumbed the cocked hammer and couldn't get it to drop. Everything I would check on any used Smith seemed a-ok.
Not intending to even try to restore it, so expense of parts is moot.
oh. forgot. he does have a replacement 27 cylinder he bought years ago and never did anything with. Nice blue cylinder still just sitting in a drawer......so there's that....
Kevin, thanks. He does shoot the thing. Not often, but enough. If anything was amiss, he would have bitched about it to me long before now.😊 Like I said, I went over it like I would any I might be checking out to buy in a gunshop, and could find no fault mechanically.

Ralph......

Attached Images

Screenshot_20211126-061147.jpg (21.9 KB, 39 views)

Ooh.....now that's an attractive 19. Of course, I have never met a snubby 19 I didn't like.....or a 66.....
the front sight looked factory, even with the porting, until I realized the barrel was a non standard length. And it still looked good as factory. TBH, if it didn't have the .....Idk if chrome or nickel, cylinder hammer and trigger, I would have been all over it when he got it, trying to trade him out of it. Hell, if they'd just left the trigger and hammer alone.......

Well, the OP asked for opinions and got opinions. It is now up to the OP to decide what to do.

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Pine_Worker
Ex-LEO, NRA Life

Triggers and hammers are easily replaced...jes sayin'.

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Guy
SWHF #474 SWCA LM#2629

Well, I didn't know either; but WILE made my teeth hurt, so I asked GOOGLE----------and GOOGLE knows EVERYTHING---even when I don't!!

Ralph Tremaine

The great thing about buying a customized gun is that you don't have to feel bad about molesting an original condition gun.
I do prefer to buy in original condition, but if the custom work was done (and done well) to make the gun better suited for a particular purpose, I don't mind at all.
There's always that old Colt Army Special .38 that I got for cheap because someone had shortened the barrel to 3", made and installed a new front sight, bobbed the hammer spur, and checkered the top of the hammer.
Someone made it into a great carry gun.
Is the work Jovino quality? No.
But, it was well enough done that I don't mind. Especially for the price I paid.

Long story short; If the work is well done, and I like and wanted the gun, I'd buy it for the right price.

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What would Jim Cirillo do?

OP, how do you know it's customized? Do you know for a fact that the barrel's been cut? How about the porting? Magnaport or ?
As for "chroming," are you sure you don't mean nickel or stainless steel? How about the trigger and hammer - plated or just polished to bare metal?
As you can see, there is a lot more that needs to be known. Without good photos - barrel, cylinder area, frame, but not all the markings in the yoke except model number - there is simply no way for anyone to render an "informed" opinion of what you've got. I think saying that most of the opinions so far are "worst case scenario" is putting it mildly!
If you have the opportunity to share photos, I for one would like to see what you have there. It may indeed be a basket case, or it may be a pretty good deal. But as I said, photos that show detail are everything. Best of luck!