S&W 357 registered magnum

[vin59]

I inherited a S&W 357 registered magnum # 2998, 6 " bbl. I believe it has been re blued by S&W (The frame shows 3 date stamps under grip.) Gun has very faint pitting. Any help on it's value would be appreciated. Here are a few pictures.
Thanks

[bettis1]

vin59,

Welcome to the Forum and congratulations on acquiring one of the most desirable models of the Smith & Wesson revolvers. All Registered Magnums have major collector interest. You are correct that your gun has been refinished and that diminishes the value from original but it is really difficult to make an evaluation from a few pictures. The dates on the frame (we'd like to see them, too) probably do mean that the factory did at least one refinish and possibly some other major repairs. It is also possible that the gun was subsequently refinished outside of the factory, too. The grips, although nice ones, aren't the originals. The 6" barrel is about the third most common length in the Magnum production.

I would strongly encourage you to order a letter from Roy Jinks, the S&W Historian. It will tell you when the gun shipped, where it shipped to, and the original configuration of the gun when shipped. The letter costs $50 but is certainly a good investment in establishing the value of your inheritance. (We would love to hear the story of that inheritance, too, if you would like to share it.) Once you have the Factory letter, you should also request a search of the S&W Historical Foundation data base for any additional papers that might relate to your gun. If none is found, there is no charge. If some additional information is found, they will tell you what it is and what the charges might be to acquire copies of it.

Congratulations again! Great first post!

Bob

If you will click on "Downloads" at the top of this page it will open a list of files. The form to order a factory letter is found on the left.

B.

[Nightowl]

There are two articles that were published about 20 years ago that describe the RM's and give a rundown of manufacturing information as was known at the time. It's possible they are on a previous thread here. It will give you something to study to get to know your gun's history better. I have a printed copy somewhere that I will look for if you are interested. You have a very nice gun, even if it is reblued, as a good many have been. Many were purchased to be used, and were, even though there are a good many still out there that look like they were made yesterday. Those are for collectors, yours you can shoot with worry you will ruin the value. Even reblued, it is still worth quite a few bucks and as an heirloom,it is priceless.

[RKmesa]

Vin59:

Your RM probably shipped in September or October 1937 (most likely in September), as your REG and Serial numbers fall within two RM's that I have lettered that shipped in July and November.

Based on 1) looking at the photos, 2) your description, 3) what I have paid for refinished RM's, and 4) what I have seen them sell for lately, I would expect that in an auction environment (like GunBroker), your refinished RM with post-war stocks would probably sell in the $1,200 to $2,000 range.

As I tell everyone who owns a pre-war 357, particularly one that has some family history, YOU SHOULD KEEP IT - you'll most likely not get a chance to own another one.

Congratulations on a great gun.

[C Broad Arrow]

Very nice Smith. Of equal interest would be the history of the gun within your family. Who owned it, what it might have been used for, did it travel etc.
Congrats on having such a fine and desirable firearm.

[Frank46]

I once posted to a gent who had inherited some revolvers or pistols. As he related to the forum the previous owner was definitely a man of action and means. I asked him to put all that info down about that person ans any relatives who could verify what had taken place. He replyed that was exactly what he was going to do. I hope I didn't come across as an idiot. So much of our familys history has been lost from WW1 onward because no one took the time to do so. Now just about anyone that was living at the time has passed on. I will relate a funny story though. One of my uncles served in the rainbow division in WW1. Anyway he brought home a hand grenade which resided on a table on the open porch of his house. Far as I know it was a live one. Anyway that hunk of iron sat there for decades until one morning it was gone. My uncle has since passed away so if anyone heard a loud bang in Jamaica New York about 30 years ago this might have been the cause of it. Things like that were brought back and no one gave it a second thought. Different time different life style. So in closing, if one has some family history attached to any firearm write it down before its too late. Frank

[Art Doc]

Any RM is noteworthy due to age and scarcity. I can't see it in the photos but there is mention of it being refinished over pitting. That's a killer as far as monetary value is concerned. But it's still a neat old gun with family history.

[bettis1]

Saxon,

The pitting under the finish is visible in the second picture at the top of the side plate and to the right of the logo.

Bob

Note: The reason that I suggested in my first post that the gun had been refinished the last time outside of the factory is that the factory would not have refinished it without removing those pits.

B.

[Art Doc]

OK, if that's the extent of it it's worth a cringe but not throwing it in the lake. The serious collector will pass but somebody will want it. My non-expert guess would be that even with the pitting, the refinish and the common barrel length it would still fetch about two grand or more if offered at auction.

[David LaPell]

A gun like that also deserves to be lettered, the info from the factory could possibly help the value, you never know but any Registered Magnum deserves to get a factory letter.

[long colt frazier]

David is correct you never know what you have without a letter.
I purchased an 80-85% 4 inch RM that turned out to be ordered by Frank Baughman for Col. Walter Walsh The third s&w ever to be fitted with a Baughman front sight.
You just never know
Good Luck,
Mark


[/B]

Originally Posted by David LaPell

A gun like that also deserves to be lettered, the info from the factory could possibly help the value, you never know but any Registered Magnum deserves to get a factory letter.

[bettis1]

Not only lettered, but also searched on the SWHF data base! The search doesn't cost you a thing.

Bob

[kcub]

Could a factory refinish now get rid of those pits? Would that not enhance the value by more than the cost and result in a nicer revolver?

[bgrafsr]

Originally Posted by kcub

Could a factory refinish now get rid of those pits? Would that not enhance the value by more than the cost and result in a nicer revolver?

S&W would not work on the gun. It is too old and they don't have the parts if needed.

[bettis1]

Bill is correct that the factory won't work on revolvers that are long out of production. There are, however, private gun shops that could refinish it and probably remove any flaws. Whether or not that would be cost effective is a completely different subject. Unless the defects, (the ones which I can see seem pretty slight to me) cause the owner to grind his teeth every time he looks at it, I wouldn't go to that expense. I expect that any appreciated value from a refinish would be marginal if any over the cost involved.

Another factor is the revolver's history. If it belonged to a relative or some other known individual I would simply accept it as reflecting the needs and wishes of that person.

I would still like to hear from the OP as to the story behind the gun. I think we have focused too much on the refinish here. Many of the RM's had long service lives and some were refurbished several times. It just reflects the fact that they were well used tools. In no way does the present condition lessen the gun's ability to perform as it originally did. When you add a personal link to that it is hard to criticize. I doubt that a one of us here would decline it if we inherited it.

Bob

[nipster]

If it's already refinished, the collector value is already been tossed, so it might be worth sending to fords or accurate plating to see if they can do it up right...

[peyton]

Tell us how you inherited it, we like stories!!