Regulation Police Target - Anyone seen one listed for sale.....ever??

I was scanning the member forum and saw David Wilson's list of Regulation Police Target models which contains only 57 entries at this point.

I am not sure how many pre-war RP target models were produced, but my guess is not many.

Curious if any of you have purchased one in the not too distant past or have seen one listed/sold on an auction or for sale ad recently and what the prices might have been??

I have had 2 in the last year, both in .32 long ctg. Sold one and kept the best one.

Richard

hibbs said:

I have had 2 in the last year, both in .32 long ctg. Sold one and kept the best one.

Richard

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Are both of them on David's list??
Can you share your selling price on the one that you sold??

I bought mine in 2012, so I might be a little off from the current market. Good ones are not cheap, but are worth it. They are fine little revolvers. I would say the market on a pristine RP target would be north of $2000.00. One doesn't come across them very often. I think there were far less made then prewar kitguns. Just a guess on my part. If you are looking for one, best of luck!

Mine is on David's list---photo's there too (It's a top condition piece.). It's been more than a little while since I bought it. The letter's dated July, 2009, so I bought it at the SWCA annual meeting that year---don't remember the price for sure (best guess is $1700 and change). It sold within the last two years for $1800 and change.

Ralph Tremaine

I have 3 and picked them up at a low of $1400 and a high of around $1700 a few years ago. They're all on David's list. (with pictures)

It's estimated that around 800 total were made according to BMG. .

One sold recently on GB:

S&W Pre-Model 31 Regulation Police Target Revolver-Penny Start No Reserve - Revolvers at GunBroker.com : 902404571

murphydog said:

One sold recently on GB:

S&W Pre-Model 31 Regulation Police Target Revolver-Penny Start No Reserve - Revolvers at GunBroker.com : 902404571

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Let me suggest this is hardly a representative example, being one of the 196 of what Jinks describes as "truly one of the rare variations of this model". To hear S&W folks tell the story, they found a case of 200 barreled frames in a dusty corner of a warehouse-----pre-war stuff, and decided to go ahead and finish them up and try to sell them. To hear Herbie Harris tell the story, S&W told him about the find and asked him if he had any thoughts about what they should do with them. He says he told them to finish them up----put the bright blue on them----and he'd take all of them. They did, and he did. My new bride and I picked mine up from Herbie after driving 600 miles out of our way on our honeymoon-----June, 1959----her first real exposure to lunatic fringe gun collectors.

I got my second one from what might be described as "not the sharpest knife in the drawer" at a nothing gunshow in Knoxville Tennessee. Fast forward 50 years or so to a lazy Saturday when I had nothing better to do than go to this nothing gun show. I told my same bride I'd try to be home for supper, and lit out for the big city. Here's a likely looking S&W something. Up close, it had a tag on it that said "22/32--.32 caliber------$425". Those of you who are a cut above the dull knives in the drawer will be quick to realize there's no such thing as a "22/32--.32 caliber". I was too, only I wasn't sure what it was. I knew all the "post-war-pre-war Regulation Police Targets" had a serial number starting with the same 3 digits, but I couldn't remember what those digits were-----------and my traveling library was downstairs under a friend's table-------and there's no way in hell I was going to put this gun down to go check in the book lest someone else who knew these things were selling for $2000 come along, and snap this thing up like a frog on a June Bug!! (And I pretty much figured there's also no way this guy is going to let me go waltzing off with his gun to go look in my books.) My dilemma was resolved with the realization this thing was worth more than $425---never mind what it was, so I handed him $500----and didn't put the gun down.

Then I headed downstairs for my traveling library. Those first three digits shared by all these guns are 657 (and there they were on this one too)----and now that I don't need to know that anymore, I'll never forget it.

Ralph Tremaine

I have to ask when the first 32 Regulation Police Target was manufactured? It is still confusing to me to call an low serial numbered 32 HE Model 1903 Target a Regulation Police since I do not believe the factory called them that in early production???

I know that the 32 Regulation Police revolver was made back to 1917, starting with serial number +/- 263,000. Roy also mentions that they were available in both service and target sights. So what do we call pre-1917 32 Target revolvers? I have only seen a couple of pre-1917 target 32s and wonder if those pre-Regulation Police guns are counted in BMG's 800 guns?

info

So if these are valuable, how valuable are the Reg. Police grips they put on my 22/32 in 1919 when they ran out of the 22/32 target grips? S&W letter shows it shipped with them

I'm now the proud owner of Ralph's RP target he mentioned in post 5. Those interested in seeing it, and several other 32 caliber target revolvers, attend our Tulsa symposium this year, and stop by my display table.

glowe said:

I have to ask when the first 32 Regulation Police Target was manufactured? It is still confusing to me to call an low serial numbered 32 HE Model 1903 Target a Regulation Police since I do not believe the factory called them that in early production???

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Gary,

See the following for what may be the first .32 RP Target:

Early .32 Regulation Police Target LETTER ARRIVED

I also have 4.25" .32 HE target #6026 (10/05) and 6" #95902 (06/10).

Bob

red9 said:

Gary,

See the following for what may be the first .32 RP Target:

Early .32 Regulation Police Target LETTER ARRIVED

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Thanks Bob, I remember that one and it fit the introduction year for the RP in 1917, but I am wondering if those made before are named under the 32 Hand Ejector/Model 1903 moniker and not called or counted as RPs? I see you call yours 32 Hand Ejector Targets, which is what I would assume is proper?

I am also curious how the number 800 Target RPs came about since I do not know how many pre-WWII RPs were made in total?

rct269 said:

Let me suggest this is hardly a representative example, being one of the 196 of what Jinks describes as "truly one of the rare variations of this model". To hear S&W folks tell the story, they found a in a dusty corner of a warehouse-----pre-war stuff, and decided to go ahead and finish them up and try to sell them.

Ralph Tremaine

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Great memories!

Just FYI, rather than a "case of 200 barreled frames" I have to say S&W found frames but not likely barreled frames: pre war .32 barrels are 4 1/4", the 1957 target guns have 4" barrels w/o address and patent dates on top. This change in length didn't begin until after WWII during the Improved I frame production in the early '50s.

I also suspect the 4" barrel may reflect the 4 ¼" end of production status: the 4" barrels were new production or may have been unused .38 S&W Regulation Police barrel blank forgings bored to .32 instead and used on all .32 models, since the .38 RP barrels were always 4" since their introduction in 1917. Because we also know the .38 S&W models took a big hit in sales because of the .38 Chiefs Special introduction in 1950 and its initial popularity.

glowe said:

I have to ask when the first 32 Regulation Police Target was manufactured? It is still confusing to me to call an low serial numbered 32 HE Model 1903 Target a Regulation Police since I do not believe the factory called them that in early production???

I know that the 32 Regulation Police revolver was made back to 1917, starting with serial number +/- 263,000. Roy also mentions that they were available in both service and target sights. So what do we call pre-1917 32 Target revolvers? I have only seen a couple of pre-1917 target 32s and wonder if those pre-Regulation Police guns are counted in BMG's 800 guns?

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You're correct, they're called .32 Hand Ejector Targets.

I doubt they're included in the 800 count estimate. And even if they were, they're so few it wouldn't make a difference.

ol777gunnerz said:

View attachment 521963So if these are valuable, how valuable are the Reg. Police grips they put on my 22/32 in 1919 when they ran out of the 22/32 target grips? S&W letter shows it shipped with them

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The 22/32s with RP grips have no added value; so many were made up thru ~1923 when the target grips were reinstated as standard once again.

I have two. One is a 6" shipped in September 1923. It's on David's list. The other is a 4" from the 1957 batch of 200. David doesn't list those.

I have had mine a long time and paid full price for them when I got them. What I paid back then is hardly relevant in today's market.

Of course, my advice is that these are treasures, not simply "nice." Everybody wants a great deal on rare guns. Like Ralph said above, sometimes that can happen. Most often the serious collector has to yield to the market and pay its price. Don't let one of these get away.

Curly

I bought mine about 8 or so years ago from a vendor in NC. IIRC, I paid $1500 delivered and it was near pristine and showed little wear except for a couple of little rusty spots where poor storage probably hit it. The RP grips were as close to perfect as I've owned. As my interests have gone off in other directions I've considered selling it, but somehow it remains in my safe.

Froggie