Model 14-3

[vinnyd34]

Hello:
I have a chance to bid on a 14-3, s/n 1K406xx, 6 inch. It is clean and looks to be used very little. Haven't examined it in detail yet. Can you tell me about when it was made and what a price might be to offer?tia

Received a pic of the gun. It has a 4" barrel! Has it been re-barreled? Also has a grip adapter attached. Will need to check for rust. How will this affect value? Not quite a target gun with 4" barrel.tia

 

[H Richard]

Est 1967. Value is dependent on condition. A good shooter around $350+, an excellent potential collector around $$550- $600. These were intended as target guns and make outstanding shooters. In the 14-3 series they made quite a few Single Action Only models. If you pull the trigger and the cylinder rotates but the hammer does not go back and fire it is most probably a Single Action Only.

 

[JP@AK]

s/n 1K406xx

Can you tell me about when it was made?

That is a 1971 number. Ship dates can vary.

In reply to H. Richard, here is one of my Model 14-3 factory SAO examples and its box. This one shipped in August, 1973:

 

[vinnyd34]

Received a pic of the gun. It has a 4" barrel! Has it been re-barreled? Also has a grip adapter attached. Will need to check for rust. Also, has no box or papers. How will this affect value? Not quite a target gun with 4" barrel.tia

 

[JP@AK]

Received a pic of the gun. It has a 4" barrel! Has it been re-barreled? Also has a grip adapter attached. Will need to check for rust. Also, has no box or papers. How will this affect value? Not quite a target gun with 4" barrel.tia

A Dayton gun? Maybe. I don't have time to look it up right now because I'm about to leave on a trip with my bride of 50 years. But notice the barrel is not tapered, so it isn't a Combat Masterpiece barrel!

See you guys later.

 

[Tytan01]

Hello:
I have a chance to bid on a 14-3, s/n 1K406xx, 6 inch. It is clean and looks to be used very little. Haven't examined it in detail yet. Can you tell me about when it was made and what a price might be to offer?tia

Received a pic of the gun. It has a 4" barrel! Has it been re-barreled? Also has a grip adapter attached. Will need to check for rust. How will this affect value? Not quite a target gun with 4" barrel.tia

Personally, If I couldn't get it for $300 or less I would stear clear. Too many discepancies so either the current owner doesn't know what he has or the gun has been "modified" to the point it's basically a carry around plinker and not for serious collecting.

Too many other fish in the sea to spend your hard earned money on than a gun that has too many "ifs". But that's just me.

 

[vinnyd34]

A Dayton gun? Maybe. I don't have time to look it up right now because I'm about to leave on a trip with my bride of 50 years. But notice the barrel is not tapered, so it isn't a Combat Masterpiece barrel!

See you guys later.

Enjoy your bride and congrats!

 

[stansdds]

Unless it can be verified by S&W that this was a special order Model 14, I'd say it was rebarreled with a Model 15 four inch barrel as the Model 14 was made with 6 or 8 3/8 inch barrels. If the work was done properly, it will be just fine. If Bubba chucked it into his bench vise and twisted off the old barrel and twisted on the new barrel until it was in the correct position, run!

 

[Deceasedeye]

Unless it can be verified by S&W that this was a special order Model 14, I'd say it was rebarreled with a Model 15 four inch barrel as the Model 14 was made with 6 or 8 3/8 inch barrels. If the work was done properly, it will be just fine. If Bubba chucked it into his bench vise and twisted off the old barrel and twisted on the new barrel until it was in the correct position, run!

A few were made with 4inch barrels even fewer with the 5inch, both are fairly rare.

 

[stansdds]

Very few were made with 4 inch barrels, which is why a letter from S&W to verify would be required unless the original box was available.

 

[vinnyd34]

More pics to ID:

 

[vinnyd34]

Still more:

 

[vinnyd34]

One more time, and hope this helps with ID, Spoke with S&W CS, confirmed it is a 1971 s/n. If it is a rare 4" model, what might the value be?

 

[NovaJoe]

I think we need a clear closeup of where the barrel goes into the frame. Side and top views.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[vinnyd34]

Close-ups of barrel-to-frame fit. Thanks for the responses.

 

[Art Doc]

I don't see a model number?

 

[vinnyd34]

See pic, 14-3.

 

[heeter3]

I think LAPD armorers cut down some of their 6 inch guns to 4 inchers just prior to or during the transition to the model 15 4 inch. Can someone with better knowledge of this transition comment?

 

[JohnRippert]

Roll marks are centered on the barrel so not likely a cut down. Not sure what the differing amount of grooves on top of the barrel compared to the frame means. Interesting gun.

ETA:

I had one of my 4inch Model 19's handy and the groove pattern on it looks like the groove pattern on this 14-3 barrel. Maybe someone changed out a 6inch barrel for a 4inch Model 19 barrel.

 

[vinnyd34]

Don't know if this means anything but, the gap between cylinder and forcing cone is about .003" which is tight compared to my other revolvers (.006-.008). However, this revolver is tight everywhere! No end-shake on cylinder or yoke! Carries-up too. Wish today's S&Ws were made as well. Any thoughts?