Value of 1960 K-17 22LR no dash

[johndubya]

Hi all
I just inherited from great uncle a pristine 1960 K-17 22LR with6 inch barrel. I called S&W to find the mfg year and they told me 1960. That black holster is a Hunter and same age as the pistol. My dad forget to give me the original S&W box with papers, but I have that too.
What is this worth collectibilty wise and dollar wise? Also, is it worth $50 to get a S&W letter to track original sale info?
It's a hoot to shoot! Took to range and it was a pleasure. Hard to count up to six or risk dry firing it.

 

[BAM-BAM]

I'd value it at $600-800..... is that discoloration/oil or a little surface rust on the top strap right side?..... maybe a bit more.....with all the stuff and box.

Won't really be dry firing as there is an empty case for the hammer to strike....... not the steel cylinder.

All you will get from the letter is where and when it was shipped by S&W....... don't store it in a leather holster!!!!

 

[deserttrans]

Being a Model 17 no dash, it might be somewhat rarer than others?? I do not know how many of the no dashes were made. I would say around the $750 area here in Az. It appears in nice condition.

 

[Sebago Son]

About four years ago, I gladly paid $1000 for this pristine example with the box.



Near perfect guns in that magical K300,000 range are very hard to find.



Drew

 

[johndubya]

Thanks for the speedy reply guys.
There are more photos of cylinder I can't add to this reply, limit of five in original posting. I think the uncle rarely shot it and did store it in the holster. This gun was made in my birth year, and plan on keeping it in the family, passed to my son. When I saw the K39 serial number, I was thinking it was a pre war 1939 gun! Sounds like not worth the $50 letter if I have the labeled box.
Last question, should I put this in my range bag or make it a safe queen?

 

[JudgeColt]

Hard to count up to six or risk dry firing it.

Dry-firing will not hurt the gun at all. Every "modern" rimfire can be dry-fired without damage, since the firing pin is designed to not reach the cylinder at maximum protrusion.

You have one of the classics. Enjoy for a lifetime and pass it on to your heirs.

 

[weatherby]

Last question, should I put this in my range bag or make it a safe queen?
To answer that you should enjoy it.

You mentioned passing it to your son.
Some of the guns that mean the most to me are ones I actually shot with my father not just looked at.

 

[Sebago Son]

Personally, I would use it with care.

I do not agree with the statement above about unlimited dry firing. I've seen several K-22's damage in that fashion.

Drew

 

[H Richard]

I would take that to the range along with my children and use it to teach them how to safely shoot. Keep it clean and properly stored and it will last several lifetimes in your family. One thing I would not do is to store it in that holster, (or any holster), as the tannins in the leather can damage the bluing and promote rusting. A good fleece lined gun rug will protect it at home and in transit to the range. I just hope you can find a good supply of 22rf ammo to use in it. Keep the chambers cleaned,as these are known to have very tight chambers and 22rf ammo being dirty can cause a build up in the chambers and make extraction difficult after several cylinder-fulls. Take a chamber brush with you to the range.

 

[BAM-BAM]

Being a Model 17 no dash, it might be somewhat rarer than others?? I do not know how many of the no dashes were made. I would say around the $750 area here in Az. It appears in nice condition.

Not to hijack...should also be of interest to OPer...

I stumbled on, and bought a Model 17 serial # K360xxx.... 2-3 years ago in maybe 95% condition ( shot but well cared for) with box and (have to look) for $500...... I dated it to 1959 (SCS&W)

Can posters on the "rarer than others" and "magical K300,000 range" elaborate on these comments.........I see they only made "No dash" 17s from 1957-1959....... so less than 2 years.........

 

[billwill]

Shoot and enjoy it. Keep it in the family. Just be sure to 'stash' some 22lr away so the grandkids don't have a good looking paperweight.

 

[DWalt]

K386,805 – K429,894...1960 (manufacture)
I'd say a price in the $600-$700 range would be realistic in most areas of the country. If you had the original box, paperwork, and tools, it would boost that price substantially.

Interesting that it is not a Model 17-1 if manufactured in 1960. Those supposedly began in 1959, representing the change to the left-hand extractor rod thread. From your picture, yours appears to have the ER having the old right hand thread. Those with the LH thread have a slight groove machined around the rod just below the knurled tip.

Shoot it.

 

[paplinker]

Not to hijack...should also be of interest to OPer...

I stumbled on, and bought a Model 17 serial # K360xxx.... 2-3 years ago in maybe 95% condition ( shot but well cared for) with box and (have to look) for $500...... I dated it to 1959 (SCS&W)

Can posters on the "rarer than others" and "magical K300,000 range" elaborate on these comments.........I see they only made "No dash" 17s from 1957-1959....... so less than 2 years.........

When i think of the magical K 300XXX range i think of the darker rich bluing that many of the first model numbered guns came with. I do not know what year, but the finish recipe was changed.

 

[johndubya]

Hi
just noticed the comment regarding rust or pitting on the top right side. There ain't none, must be a photo reflection thing. The only wierd discoloration is on the wheel where you load. Looks different where the two chambers on the right and two on the left look lighter. The top and bottom chambers are darker. It must have not turned in a very long time.

 

[deserttrans]

Serial #396557, 17 no dash, has old style ejector rod. I guess it is hard to say when the 17 phased out and the -1 came on the scene.

 

[jack the toad]

Personally, I would use it with care.

I do not agree with the statement above about unlimited dry firing. I've seen several K-22's damage in that fashion.

Drew

+1
I've seen cylinders with "ding" marks on them that had to be from dry firing.

 

[Retired W4]

That is a really sweet 17 no dash. If it were mine I would shoot it with much care. Keep it clean and wipe it with old soft flannel cloth and buy a good zipper rug for storage (no leather holsters). If properly cared for it will last for a long, long time. I like Super-X ammo for my pre-17's.

 

[JudgeColt]

+1
I've seen cylinders with "ding" marks on them that had to be from dry firing.

"Ding" marks can only come from the cylinder being out of battery when the hammer falls. That is not "dry firing." That is "dry firing out of battery," either by careless handling or a mechanical defect. If "dry fired" in battery, there will never be "dings" on the cylinder because the firing pin will never hit the area between the chambers, and the firing pin cannot reach the cylinder if an empty chamber is under the firing pin when "dry fired."

As far as the unstated damage mentioned by Sebago Son, I would be interested to know what the damage was. If the damage is "dings" on the cylinder face between chambers, the gun is defective, or the trigger is being pulled somehow with the cylinder being closed out of battery.

I suppose out of the hundreds of thousands of K22 revolvers ever made, some miniscule number have experienced a broken firing pin from "dry firing," but the chances of that are so slim as to be irrelevant. My several K22 revolvers have thousands of "dry fires" between them, and none have any damage.

 

[jack the toad]

Here is a similar cylinder that I'm referring to. Damage appears to be at 12 o'clock on charge holes rather than between.
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-re...revo-newbie-issues-dry-fire-ejecting-etc.html

 

[Krogen]

Last question, should I put this in my range bag or make it a safe queen?

Shoot it! Shoot it! It sounds as if your uncle didn't often experience the joy of shooting it. You plan on passing it to your son. Think of the day he inherits it. Wouldn't it be better for him to treasure the days with "the old 22" than to fish it out of the safe and wonder why Dad never shot it? Another person termed these as "hand held history." Make some memories for him. Shoot it, I say!