Prices of guns when they were new.

rubiranch

rubiranch

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6.5" 29-2. Shipped Jan 14, 1964. Cost $86.06



4" pre-27. Shipped April 22, 1957. Cost $73.77

My letter for the 4" does not give a price. I read that in another thread for another 4" than was a part of the same order.

So how much were your's when they were originally purchased from S&W?

Does anyone have one that they are the original owner and had it lettered so they know what the original markup was from where they bought it?
 
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That 4" pre-27 would have been a special order........there were 4" 28s back then but no cataloged 4" 27s until about 1980.

Are you talking wholesale or retail??? "..... originally purchased from S&W"

From my experience,since about 1980, most guns go from S&W...... to a wholesaler.... then to a local gun shop......
My guess is that direct ordering ended in 1968 with the Gun Control Act
 
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If you have access to old Gun Digests, going back to WWII, all have a catalog section which lists all available guns on the market and their retail prices. There is also a disc set with digital images of every Gun Digest edition which is available from Gun Digest. Prior to the 1960s, most guns (and about everything else) actually sold at the full retail price, in the days before discount stores and the internet.
 
Those would be special prices. Why? Who ordered those guns? A writer? A dealer?A cop entitled to a police discount?

As I recall, retail then for a M-27 was $120 and a .44 Magnum was $140. That's what the gun books like the Digest showed, unless my memory is worse than I think.

I don't recall what I paid for most of my guns. I know my Ruger SP-101 was $419 new from a dealer at a gun show, and I paid, I think, $31.58 for a .455 Second Model in 1965. Yes, that .455 would now sell for over a thousand.

When I was stationed in Newfoundland in 1966, I bought a Colt Gold Cup .45 for $99 and change and don't recall the price I paid for a Remington M-1100 12 ga.. Both were bought via the USAF BX system.

I think most guns I've bought were at or near retail "list."
 
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I graduated from high school in 1977 and knew my parents would be getting me a nice graduation present and I was REALLY wanting a S&W M-19 .357. I was hinting what I wanted and would leave a Shooter Bible laying around open with the gun circled and I circled "4 inch" barrel and "blue" finish and the price was $135. I was so excited when they gave me my graduation gift.... but it was a freaking electric typewriter! It was about 10 years later when I bought my first M-19.
 
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Texas Star said:
Those would be special prices. Why? Who ordered those guns? A writer? A dealer?A cop entitled to a police discount?

As I recall, retail then for a M-27 was $120 and a .44 Magnum was $140. That's what the gun books like the Digest showed, unless my memory is worse than I think.

I don't recall what I paid for most of my guns. I know my Ruger SP-101 was $419 new from a dealer at a gun show, and I paid, I think, $31.58 for a .455 Second Model in 1965. Yes, that .455 would now sell for over a thousand.

When I was stationed in Newfoundland in 1966, I bought a Colt Gold Cup .45 for $99 and change and don't recall the price I paid for a Remington M-1100 12 ga.. Both were bought via the USAF BX system.

I think most guns I've bought were at or near retail "list."
Click to expand...

My 29-2 was purchased by the Olympic Wholesale Company in Los Angeles, CA.
The pre-27 by H.H. Harris Co in Chicago, Ill.
 
DWalt said:
Prior to the 1960s, most guns (and about everything else) actually sold at the full retail price, in the days before discount stores and the internet.
Click to expand...

And probably before everything was marked up 100+% too.

The last gun I purchased from a retail sporting goods store was only marked up 10% over the owners cost.

Its a small store in a rural area and they are awesome people to buy from.
 
UncleEd said:
The prices shown from the 1950s/60s represent
a week's wages for a lot of people.

As much as I hate polymer guns these days, their
prices are much more affordable (lower) than a quality
revolver used or new.
Click to expand...

I bought a Glock M36 .45 auto and had issues with it so I gave it to a good friend. :rolleyes: He's aware of the issues I had and I don't think he's ever shot it.

I do have a S&W M&P .45 and love it. Never a single issue.
 
mauser9 said:
Can't stop looking at that beautiful bluing!! Prices are something too. Recall a Model 19 snub ran me $180 back around 77-78 new.
Click to expand...

I too love the bluing on the older Smiths.

I only have one nickle, a 1967 6" M27-2.
 
In 1974 during the height of the Dirty Harry .44 Magnum frenzy my name finely rose to the top of the waiting list to buy an 8 3/8" Model 29-2 at full retail. MSRP was $242, with tax $252.

Excellent condition Model 29s were selling briskly in the Little Nickel Want ads and the Seattle Times classified ads for $450. An older man in a business suit stood beside me drooling while I filled out the paper work. As the clerk handed me the receipt he shoved 5 one hundred dollar bills under my nose. I had been on the list 2 years and 9 months. I declined his offer and kept the .44 for a long time.

At the time in order for a store to be a S&W stocking dealer they had to agree to not charge over MSRP. I also had to wait for my name to come to the top of the list to buy a 6" Model 17-3. There was a list for Model 57s and Model 25-2s were harder to get at MSRP than Model 29-2s.

For a more practical buyer the pawn shop next door had buckets of good to very good condition standard barrel 4" Model 10s for $75 + tax.

If I knew what price is on S&W's invoice for my first Model 29-2 posting that wholesale price would not tell much of the story.
 
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k22fan said:
In 1974 during the height of the Dirty Harry .44 Magnum frenzy my name finely rose to the top of the waiting list to buy an 8 3/8" Model 29-2 at full retail. MSRP was $242, with tax $252.

Excellent condition Model 29s were selling briskly in the Little Nickel Want ads and the Seattle Times classified ads for $450. An older man in a business suit stood beside me drooling while I filled out the paper work. As the clerk handed me the receipt he shoved 5 one hundred dollar bills under my nose. I had been on the list 2 years and 9 months. I declined his offer and kept the .44 for a long time.
Click to expand...

That's a great story. Thanks for sharing.
 
In the mid to late 1970s, I suspect
Montgomery Wards was a "stocking
dealer" for Smith & Wesson.

At a store outside of Chicago, I got to know
the guns department manager and he told
me he would get batches of Smiths around
four times a year.

A range I frequented was a stocking dealer
which meant he also carried knives, coasters,
goblets, etc. etc. from Smith & Wesson. I was
led to believe that taking that stuff and displaying
it was part of the stocking deal.

As a result of such business practices, a number of
dealers turned heavy toward Ruger which had
introduced a DA revolver around that time.
 
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