I did not think this gun was worth $1,800. Obviously I was mistaken
Refinish third model 44
- Thread starter raljr1
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45NUTT
Member
Since it appears the hammer and trigger were done as well and, I think, incorrect era grips, I'd say you are correct.
22hipower
Member
Definitely a refinish, the front sight might be modified although can't really tell from the picture, and the stocks may not be correct but look like pretty nice condition pre-war magnas although the light isn't great in that one picture. An original 4 inch nickel is very collectible and in 95%+ condition might be worth $5k or so. Unless this is a late one, after 1935, it would likely have shipped with service stocks like the ones below. If you had it in hand you'd want to check to see if there is a B in the ejector shroud, if so it originally shipped with blue finish. Probably went to W&K in Fort Worth so kind of a toss up as to whether to letter it. The
SN might tell us a little more if you have it. I probably wouldn't pay $1800 for it unless the B is not in the shroud and there's an N on the butt, in which case, I might.
SN might tell us a little more if you have it. I probably wouldn't pay $1800 for it unless the B is not in the shroud and there's an N on the butt, in which case, I might.
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I was watching that auction too, wondered about the hammer and trigger. Rest of the gun looked nice enough to me (grips I didn’t know anything about) except I figured it was most likely refinished, albeit nicely (but why on earth would they have done the hammer/trigger? Do they just dip the whole thing in the tank still assembled? That doesn’t compute to me.)
Tom
Tom
22hipower
Member
Lot's of these went to locations in the south where it's pretty warm and humid and there wasn't much for air-conditioning when they were made. Quite a few of these were LEO guns and saw a lot of use. When/if the finish got a little ugly, quite a few were refinished in nickel which holds up better in warm humid conditions than does blue. No telling when this one was refinished but if it was to be carried the owner may have figured it made sense to nickel everything and Bubba's shop wouldn't care one way or the other. S&W, though, would not have nickeled the hammer and trigger unless the customer insisted on it.
Same thing happened to other models, I've got one of the very last of the post WWII assembled 1917s and Bubba nickeled that one, including the hammer and trigger.
Same thing happened to other models, I've got one of the very last of the post WWII assembled 1917s and Bubba nickeled that one, including the hammer and trigger.
OP
Well darn. That pretty much means I will have to be satisfied with this one. I have a replacement hammer and trigger, but so far I cannot make them fit. Stocks are obviously aftermarket.
4" 3rd Model (Wolf & Klar) models are difficult to find. It was most likely a law enforcement carried piece in the gulf coast region. These guns were routinely re-finished after heavy use, or they were fully plated for practical reasons. Revolvers carried in holsters for hours at a time in high humidity do not do well.
I thought the front sight looked modified (common practice as well), but after looking at the auction link provided by Lee it looks original. I think since it is a 4" and it has pre-war Magna grips it is worth what it sold for, and since it sold at auction that probably goes without saying.
Based on the letter posted with the revolver it is an early 3rd Model so it would have shipped with service stocks. It is hard to tell in the photos, but it appears the butt has additional markings which could indicate law enforcement use (or someone personalized it).
Regards, Lyle
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45NUTT
Member
My W&K 3rd model #28488, refinished also, but the hammer & trigger doesn't look like they were nickeled, just all of the CCH is gone. Maybe, who knows. I paid $1,125 Dec 2025 and was happy to do so.
It is my understanding that pre-war Magna grips in that kind of condition are pretty valuable. That and the fact that it is a 4” W&K makes it kind of a bargain shooter-grade gun and the $1800 makes some sense.
handejector
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I had to pay a LOT for a 4" 3rd Model after hammering the guy half a day, but mine is original blue and has matching magna grips and was already lettered. Since the grips are numbered to it, all the letter did is tell me what day W&K got it.
The subject gun here has a letter. It shipped in nickel. Might be chrome now- looks awfully white to me. Not a real bad buffing job. Front sight does not look altered to me. 1st year round top gun.
Grips would bring $500 or more, maybe 700 with the checkering sharpened up. So, the buyer filled a tough hole to fill and got a decent pair of grips. If he's happy, I'm happy. Hope he's still buying when I sell out.
Link to the closed auction-
Smith & Wesson .44 Hand Ejector Third Model - Nickel - 4 inch
The subject gun here has a letter. It shipped in nickel. Might be chrome now- looks awfully white to me. Not a real bad buffing job. Front sight does not look altered to me. 1st year round top gun.
Grips would bring $500 or more, maybe 700 with the checkering sharpened up. So, the buyer filled a tough hole to fill and got a decent pair of grips. If he's happy, I'm happy. Hope he's still buying when I sell out.
Link to the closed auction-
Smith & Wesson .44 Hand Ejector Third Model - Nickel - 4 inch
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I was fortunate to find my W&K .44 HE at a local gun show. Although it was in a much later mahogany presentation case and was wearing magna stocks, it still jumped out at me! It was also re-nickeled sometime back in the day after a previous owner had modified it by adding a barrel rib and Baughman-style front sight. Still, it's a fun shooter and a nice addition to my modest collection. Here it is today wearing some "aged" Grashorn elk antler stocks. Since I only paid $900 for the entire package (revolver, presentation case, Mr. Jinx letter), I figure I did OK. Enjoy!
it’s a bit like that ‘how much do you think I could get for my Registered Magnum” because I felt like I might have overpaid for it when originally brought it some period of time ago’ thread’ elsewhere. The point being, you might or might not have overpaid according to the prevailing market at the time, but right then and there, when you have the gun you always wanted in hand, what difference does it really make?
And so it is with this one. Maybe we can quibble about that hammer and trigger, but in a few days someone will have that revolver in his hands and he rightfully won’t and shouldn’t really care what the rest of us might think. Because it’s his gun now and not ours.
Tom
And so it is with this one. Maybe we can quibble about that hammer and trigger, but in a few days someone will have that revolver in his hands and he rightfully won’t and shouldn’t really care what the rest of us might think. Because it’s his gun now and not ours.
Tom
45NUTT
Member
^^^Well stated Tom!!!!
I got a great deal on mine....I inherited it. A distant uncle was a LEO in Alabama and carried this one. Yes, it has been re-nickeled, but it doesn't have the 'B' in the shroud cutout, so it would originally have been nickel. Of course, they got the hammer and trigger as well. Seems they didn't care a whole lot about collectibility in those days, but were only concerned with a gun that would save their lives. It came to me wearing some cheap, broken, plastic stocks. I replaced them with some cheap, unbroken, plastic stocks.
