Offered a Model 16 .32 H&R Mag

[Teddydog]

A dealer that I have bought and sold with for several years asked me today if I might be interested in a S&W Model 16 .32 H&R. I said, "of course I might be interested."

He didn't have it at the show so I have not seen it, and he does not currently have a firm price. He said somewhere in the $1600-1800 range probably. He's working on getting out of the business and has told me to make him offers on anything he has that I am interested in.

I have read my Standard Catalog and know these were a reintroduction of the Model 16 from 1989-1993. He says it has it matching box and is a long barrel (6" or 8 3/8", though he thinks it is the 8). Knowing him, it is probably very nice but not quite as nice as he thinks it is. : )

What says the group? Yay, or nay? Is his ballbark price in the ballpark if it really a 95-98% gun with matching box (and maybe papers...he didn't remember). Other than condition and originality, anything I should look out for on this gun?

And yes, I like .32 H&R guns and have several others by other makers, and some .327 Federal Mag. Thanks folks!

Rob

 

[huthike]

Yay. If it’s an 8 3/8 with box and papers and 95%, 1600 is good.

 

[tlawler]

Yep, I agree with huthike. $1600 is very reasonable, I bought a very nice 6” 16-4 in box with papers, but no tools back in May of 2022 for $1500. I was very happy with that price, as I’d been looking for a 16-4 for a while. I’d love to have an 8 3/8” (as well as the 4”), but the long Tom would be cool with a red dot on it.

 

[Gunhohulk]

I’d say yea to that personally. My 4” came with box and papers but not original grips and was in the 1400 range. Is a tack driver and with .32 long it feels like a .22 cb long.

 

[cgt4570]

A NIB 16-4 is one of very few guns I've regretted selling. I doubled my money on it about 15 years ago, but that was less than half of what it would bring today.
At the time, I told myself it was redundant, because I had Hamilton Bowen build me a custom K .327 Fed Mag.

 

[H Richard]

I don't believe the 8 3/8" is as popular or valuable as the 6", but would be close and $1600 is what I sold my 6" for about a year ago. And, I kind of regret selling it, but I still have a 432PD I carry and shoot from time to time.

 

[mtgianni]

I bought one 2 1/2 years ago in unfired condition. with box and tools for $1900. That is a fair price for a 6" in described condition.

 

[max503]

Wish I had the bucks.

 

[murphydog]

An 8 3/8” with box sold last night for just over $2100. With tax, shipping and fees call it a $2300+ sale.

 

[Lance Boyle]

I don't believe the 8 3/8" is as popular or valuable as the 6", but would be close and $1600 is what I sold my 6" for about a year ago. And, I kind of regret selling it, but I still have a 432PD I carry and shoot from time to time.

yea, a bunch of shooters would see the 8 inch guns as ungainly.

 

[duke2002]

In my oponion price is not far off. They dont pop up much in gun shops just see them on GB. They are nice guns. The 6 in shoot unreal the 8 in probably better.

 

[tlawler]

I wonder if the OP ever picked it up…inquiring minds want to know

 

[Lance Boyle]

He probably is laid up after selling an organ or two.

 

[Cities n Dust]

I have all 3 16-4's. I bought mine when the market was up as I'm seeing Smith's dropping in price all over the place. So, all in all, I may have overpaid by 4 hundo in today's market. Thats on all 3 in mint boxes all the tools, paperwork ... Flawless. They reside in the back of my laser protected, biometric Retina Scanner and thumb print vault.

Yes $1600 seems to be a good deal!

Cities

 

[Green Frog]

A NIB 16-4 is one of very few guns I've regretted selling. I doubled my money on it about 15 years ago, but that was less than half of what it would bring today.
At the time, I told myself it was redundant, because I had Hamilton Bowen build me a custom K .327 Fed Mag.

Chris,
That wouldn’t be the one that Hamilton loaned to a writer along with a couple of Rugers for an article right after it was finished, would it? That article (in Handgunner or Guns & Ammo, IIRC) helped push me over the final hurdle to building Project 616). If it was your gun, thanks for the inspiration! That still seems to me like the perfect K frame.
Like you, I had owned a 16-4, mine being a 6” example ordered as soon as they were released. I got it wholesale and sold it at about retail for the “next shiny
thing”. Dad did even worse, he had a 4” and a 6” and similarly sold both!


PS Just looked it up. It was an article by John Taffin in Guns & Ammo. Too bad Bowen has quit working on Smiths!

 

[Jerry in SC]

Chris,
That wouldn’t be the one that Hamilton loaned to a writer along with a couple of Rugers for an article right after it was finished, would it? That article (in Handgunner or Guns & Ammo, IIRC) helped push me over the final hurdle to building Project 616). If it was your gun, thanks for the inspiration! That still seems to me like the perfect K frame.
Like you, I had owned a 16-4, mine being a 6” example ordered as soon as they were released. I got it wholesale and sold it at about retail for the “next shiny
thing”. Dad did even worse, he had a 4” and a 6” and similarly sold both!


PS Just looked it up. It was an article by John Taffin in Guns & Ammo. Too bad Bowen has quit working on Smiths!

Hamilton Bowen is retiring at the end of this year, he stopped taking work in June.

 

[Beecherkid]

Buy it. Once you start shooting a 16-4 you will forget the cost.

 

[jcelect]

This is the gun S&W should make, a 16-5! ! !

 

[Green Frog]

This is the gun S&W should make, a 16-5! ! !

This ^^^!, or as I’ve been saying for years, the 616!

 

[Gdogman]

I have a Model 16-4 from 1972 and its mint with the box. I paid more than the asking price for yours. Hopefully you purchased it.
The K32 have grown on me, I have three pre-16, one 16 ND, one of each 16-2, 16-3 and 16-4. The popular barrel size is 6" as all are 6" except for one Pre that is a 4" and the 16-4 which is my 8 3/8".