I'm looking for some input from the forum with regard to the value of a S&W Model 16-4 in .32 Magnum.
My LGS has a 16-4, 6", .32 H&R magnum for $850.00. I believe that I could negotiate a little better price, but I'd like any input I can get from you on ball park value.
I know if it were an earlier model 16 in S&W long it could sell for up to $2000.00 or more, but I have nothing but the SCSW to evaluate current value of a model 16-4 in .32 magnum.
The gun has serial #BEH1118 which I believe makes it a 1989 gun per SCSW (the 16-4 was produced from 1989 to 1992). It has the original box (serial number matches), but no papers and it has Pachmayr grips instead of the goncalo alves combat stocks. I would consider the condition to be "very good", with a well defined turn line and slight wear on the left side of the muzzle, with no other scratches or blemishes on the finish. The bore and cylinder charge holes look fine and I found no issues with the mechanical function of the gun.
I have an accumulation of .32 caliber guns (.32 S&W long and .327 Federal magnum) and really want to buy this gun. I'm looking for a quick way to establish a reasonable ball park value for it before I just let my S&W fetish overwhelm me.
I appreciate any input.
Thanks,
George

I would buy it myself. I had one and had to sell it, about 5 years ago. I believe I got $700 for mine. It was crazy accurate. Wish I still had it.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Without The Factory Grips I Would Offer $650-700 & Might go $750 Those Grips are Pricey when/If You Can Find Them.

I would take it for that price in a minute!

It has been quite a while since I ran across a Model 16 at all. I say, negotiate the price if you can, but just do it.

A better price is always, well, better, but 850 is a good deal IMO.

I have a very nice 4" with the box etc and it cost me $1500. The most I ever paid for a gun. They are not easy to find. Any 32 caliber S&W K frame is hard to find. If I would have ran across the deal you are describing I would have tried to haggle of course, but would have paid.

I own a 16-4 that is pretty pristine and would not consider taking $1500 for it. It's way to valuable to me. David Carroll has sold a couple of 98% guns for over $2200 each.

Stu

$850 is what I paid for my very clean shooter grade 4" with box/docs/grips. My LNIB one was a little more.
Try for a better price but if you want it, buy it.
Then if it were me, I'd modify to .327 mag (what I did).
IMO, you won't be sorry.

$850 seems like a fair price. I wouldn't sell mine for that. And I wouldn't be too unhappy that it doesn't have the OEM Combats. That will give you a great negotiating point.

For me the factory combats just didn't work. The finger grooves were in the wrong place for my hand and I don't care for the look. So I put the combats in storage and put on a nice set of targets. Here's what it looks like now.

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I'm gonna grow fins.

Thank you all for the comments. I'm going to head back to the LGS today.
George

I paid $800 5 years ago for a 6" without a box. Was it worth it? You bet it is.



I see quite a few going in the $1200 to $1500 range and not any going for much less lately. I would however have a "discussion" about the lack of original stocks which are selling for over $200 - $300 by themselves.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

$850 is a very good price even for a M16-4 with Pachmayr grips. Of course you try to negotiate down because of the missing combat grips but that's just the way to play the game.

I hope you haven't made my mistake! Saw a 4" one a few years ago and went home to think it over. When I went back the next morning, it was gone. Cost me two years and more $ by the time I found another one!

You should have been posting pics of the sweet 16-4 you picked up today for a great price....

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Plastic has no soul

I got my 16-4 (6" barrel) when they first hit the market. I shoot mine a good bit. I only use my homecast bullets in my .32's. I have little need for "magnum" loads but have used mine extensively for both "On the Range and in the Field".

My current favorite bullet is from a five cavity NOE mould and is a copy of the RCBS 98 gr. SWC.



FWIW
Dale53

My pictures aren't good, but I went back to the LGS yesterday and got it for $750.00. I put on stocks that I had picked up at a gun show that had a crack in the right panel and they look way better than the Pachmayrs. I was wrong about it coming with box, only. Under the vapor wrap was a cleaning rod with unused mop in a plastic bag (but no SAT). Under the folded cardboard was the instruction manual and warranty info. There was also a bunch of computer printouts of the Gunbroker auction and details of the transaction. The LGS people apparently never looked for/at the paper. This gun was won in an auction on December 2014 for $1199.99! All this puzzles me because the LGS owner is pretty savvy about gun values, especially with S&W guns.
I guess it was just my lucky day.
Sorry for the poor picture quality. It was way too windy and cold to get outside for some natural light poses. The light is coming in through the garage door window.
And thanks again for the encouragement (as if there would be something else coming from you guys).
George

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Very nice! You will not be disappointed.

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Deplorable Me!

george, that is a steal a deal. Congrats. Gun store owners can be really stupid sometimes, beyond belief in not knowing what they have. About 2 years ago I went into the Firing Line which is one of the largest gun stores in Denver. I wanted to check the grip on a Ruger 101. Sitting next to it in the display case was a S&W marked K-32 with a $600 price tag. I stopped the guy and told him I'll take the K-32. He then told me the barrel had been cut down to 4 inches and the stocks didn't number to the gun. I told him I don't care and bought it. It was one of 10 K-32 Masterpiece Pre-Model 16 with a 4" barrel and it lettered as such. I've told this story before here. The gun sold for well into 5 figures. If the gun store owner had a copy of the SWSCatalog and just looked it up he would have realized what he had but he just made some VERY expensive suppositions about what it was.

Stu

ssshhh... not too loud.
ignorance is bliss... knowledge is power.
and congrats to the OP on a good deal for a nice gun.

Color me jealous, I have been looking for a reasonably priced 6 or 8 3/8" 16-4 for years to convert to .327 fed mag. I have a 4" that is a great gun but too nice to convert and I have a gp100 that covers the 4" .327 size for me. You got a nice score on that gun, even with the Pachs.

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Jim
Many K and N Frames

Congrats!

Sounds like you got a screaming deal on a great revolver!

I inherited a 16-4 with 6". Matching box with papers and tool kit original grips .Glad I looked at this forum.Now have an ideal about what its value.

Walk off grand slam, Sir! Congratulations!

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So long ... Ken

Good for you! Outstanding piece!

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But then, what do I know?

I have had mine about 10 years...love it!

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

Looking looking looking ,k32 not finding not finding not finding no k32 , ok now you have done it now you have made me cry. Seriously the k32 is one of those guns that people who are old school handgun hunters (like myself) is legendary. I have only run across a couple and they were just too nice and pricey to tote out in the sticks ,i have shot my friends a bunch and he isn't much of a friend as everytime I offer to buy it which is everytime we go to the range he just laughs . Congratulations you are never going to have buyers remorse on that one.

One of the smartest moves of my life was ordering a 6" Model 16-4 as soon as they were announced. I probably got one of if not the first one in town.

One of the dumbest moves of my life was selling it a year or so later... after all, I could always get another one since they were current production.

I've successfully had Project 616 built (a 4" stainless homage to the Model 16) and am currently having an homage built to a Model 16-3 using an original barrel and a Model 14-3 as a donor platform. If I had been smart enough to hold onto my original Model 16-4 I would have saved a couple of thousand in parts and gunsmithing!

Froggie

The local gun shop closed the 16-4's out not long after S&W stopped producing them at $299.00. Hindsight is always 20/20.

My LGS had a 16-4 6" NIB with the original Combat stocks for $925 so I immediately put it on hold with a couple other pistols. Last week he got another 16-4 this time it was a 4" version also NIB but with standard S&W target stocks for $1095. Thinking it would go good with the 6" revolver I bought it also. I'll post photos when I pick them up. When it rains it pours.

Congrats X 2...
With weather like that, I'd never complain again.
If I were you, I'd be tempted to convert the 6" to .327.

Jack, the 327 Magnum is one of my favorite revolver chamberings so I'm really thinking about it. Now I have to find a good gunsmith to do the work.

I acquired these two LNIB 16-4's a few years ago, the 4" from a popular online auction site, and the 6" at a local pawn shop. Both are very accurate and fun to shoot...

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Nice shooting. Can't wait for the weather to warm up to take mine to the range. I love 32s.

Here are a couple photos of my Model 16-4s. The end label for the 6" states "Full Target" and that one has the target hammer, trigger and Combat stocks. The end label on the 4" states "semi target" and only has target stocks. Both are near NIB.
My question is are the target grips on the 4" correct or should it also have combat grips?

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I put a set of the proper Combat grips on my 4" 16-4 this afternoon, I love the feel of these better than the target grips. It's funny how Smith with come out with a great revolver in an interesting chambering and nobody wants one so they stop production. Now years later they are in demand.

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The answer is NO. The 4" guns also came with square butt Combats. Previous owner probably "harvested" the combats and put run-of-the-mill targets on it. Oh well.

I bought a 6" Model 16-4 when they first came out. I really liked the looks. I've not shot it much since factory ammo is scarce. I do handload for it but rarely shoot it. Doesn't kick hard enough.

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Bob.
SWCA 1821

You're probably right, and exactly what I was thinking, here's what came on my 4". Thankfully these Combat stocks weren't numbered to the guns so all is good now.

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Did all 16-4s come with black rear sight blades?

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213th FBINA

Definitely worth it! Great buy! To find any 16-4 now for under $1000 in nice condition is pretty tough. Not only did you find one in nice condition but also with box and tools. I think you stole that one. Enjoy

I have had 4 of them, sold the real ones for $1200 plus, the other two are parts guns. First is a retired model ten with a 13" barrel and cylinder that I shot Bullseye with - Have $300 in it, shoots better than me. In a ransom rest it will shoot one hole with fifty rounds at fifty yards. The second one is a model 19 that a guy shot 128 grain in it and blown the barrel off it. It has a 4 in barrel and a cylinder from a 14 with sleeves in it and moon clips. They are worth every dime + a 1000 to me.

3 year old thread.

still relevant.


Prescut

As I said two plus years ago, one of the dumbest things I’ve ever done (and I’ve done well more than my share) was selling my early run Model 16-4 six inch revolver.

I have no regrets having built the two custom K frame 32s I have, but if I calculated the cost of parts and labor, buying another 16-4, even at today’s eye opening prices and even if I would alter it by rechambering to 327, it would have probably made more sense. Just looking at what prices have done during the run of this thread would reinforce that.

I can honestly say I have never met a K-32 I didn’t like!

Froggie

Right now Gun Broker has 6 model 16-4s. All 6". 4 have starting bids of $1500 or more and the other 2 have about 7 days left on them and I will bet they both get $1500+

Oh, they have 2 J frame 632s also. Starting bid on one is $1499 and the other is $650 with 11+ days to go.