Pencil Barrel .38 Price Check...

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Plain Old Dave

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This is all the seller had;





Early Model 10 or possibly pre-10. Not a .38 guy, but the trade includes this sixgun, a set of new .38 Spl. dies, a set of RCBS .35 Remington dies, 80 odd .358 RNs and 60-65 pieces of .35 brass.

Floor's open.
 
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Pre-1955 (5-screw, 4 on sideplate), but post-1947 (ejector rod and hammer style). Hogue replacement grips. Tough to say who got the better deal without knowing more about the trade. Gun might be worth $300-400 assuming it's no worse than it appears. Other items might add maybe $50, assuming you need them. eBay is full of $20 die sets.

A Model 10 would be marked inside the crane. I'd guess yours is not so-marked, so a Pre-10. SN should be in the C-prefix series, probably less than C300000.
 
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I agree it is a .38 Military & Police from the 1948-1955 era. It looks a little rough in the photos. Even if the action is fine I don't think I would value it much above $250; my general rule of thumb is that any functioning K-frame that looks worn but not neglected is at least a $300 gun. This one doesn't quite get to that level.
 
Got it. Will post better pix after I get done detail cleaning; the piece is neglected, and I am a fair hand at rectifying that. I am told it is a 1952 pistol.
 
The only standard barrel K frame I have seen in several years was a 1926 .32-20 hand ejector 5".

I bought it. ;)

FWIW, the pre WWII K frame Smiths are about the smoothest they ever get. If you clean it up, you might want to shoot it a few times before you decide to sell it. They are really something to experience.


mark
 
"I am told it is a 1952 pistol."

If so, its SN would probably be in the lower part of the C200000 range. Remove the grips and see what's stamped on the bottom of the frame.
 
dogngun said:
The only standard barrel K frame I have seen in several years was a 1926 .32-20 hand ejector 5".
Click to expand...

Am I missing something here, or is there a shortage of these in your area? I have a standard-barrel 10-5, and have seen lots of others--as many as the HB's, around here. I prefer the balance of the tapered standard barrel.
 
shouldazagged said:
Am I missing something here, or is there a shortage of these in your area? I have a standard-barrel 10-5, and have seen lots of others--as many as the HB's, around here. I prefer the balance of the tapered standard barrel.
Click to expand...

I have not seen many Model 10's for sale around here for some time.

In fact, very few K frames at all.

I have not seen a standard barrel Model 10 around here in several years - I would have bought it.

I guess it all depends where you are. My favorite LGS was nearly sold out of handguns for the last 6 months...they have maybe 18 auto used loaders, and till last week 3 Ruger SA revolvers and NO DA revolvers at all. They got some J frame Smiths in the other day. They always had a display case for big revolvers, another for smaller caliber revolvers and a third 3 sided case for autos, lower end used handguns in general and .22's. NOW, al the handguns are in the 3 sided case, and not many of them.


mark
 
dogngun said:
I have not seen many Model 10's for sale around here for some time.

In fact, very few K frames at all.

I guess it all depends where you are.
Click to expand...

It may have changed here by now, Mark. Having no money in my old age, I haven't allowed myself to do much looking the last couple of years. The K-frames with standard barrels used to be fairly common here, especially in pawn shops. Mostly beaters, but they were there. Since the feeding frenzy kicked in, I see damn few revolvers, new or used.
 
Yes, likely to have been made in 1952, but it could have been shipped from the factory a little later than that. It would absolutely be correct to call yours a Pre-Model 10. The rubber Hogue grips you now have are in my opinion better for shooting purposes than the typical checkered wooden diamond magna grips of the time. You might want to see if you can locate a pair of those just for more period authenticity if you're interested and have the cash. Gun shows and eBay are good places to look.
 
Will keep an eye out; an honest old set of diamond Magnas for an honest old M & P. Got 'er home and cleaned up some. The bore and chambers are perfect and lockup and endshake are good, too. About what I'd expect for a .38 that postdates the era when any hardware store in Appalachia would have old blackpowder, semismokeless or corrosive priming era .38 Specials.

You have to watch prewar guns hereabouts; sewerpipe bores, ringed bores and swollen cylinders are not unheard of in prewar Military and Polices and Colt Police Positives. A farmer would get the "for rifles only" .32-20 High Velocity and shoot it through his rifle and pistol. Would swell the cylinder on a .32-20 M&P, but by the 50s, most of the cheap .32-20 M92 Winchesters had been bought up and Magnumized and the old High Velocity ammo had been sold out of the Co-Ops, as had the old .38 Special.
 
Wife's a rock and roll fan, so with apologies to a certain band I always manage to "hold on loosely" to .38 Specials.... Had an M19, an M27 and 2 M28s. Average ownership time: A little over 2 months.
 
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