Can a guy still get one of these for $135???
Not likely!
My first one was $135----list price at the time.
My next one was 30 some odd years later---and the going price for as new was $2,000.
And here I am at a funky Knoxville gun show that's not worth the time or gas money---but I've got nothing better to do on this Saturday. (A funky gun show is one with 4-500 tables I go through in 45 minuted to an hour---never slowing down, much less picking anything up to look at it.)
To make matters worse, it's August, it's hotter than dammit---and the air conditioning is busted!
I'm through, and headed for a friend's tables to pick up my traveling library---and head for home. Here's a sign at a stair well: "MORE TABLES UPSTAIRS"
Screw it! It'll be hotter up there than it is down here, and there won't be anything up there worthwhile anyway! Up I go! There's 14 tables in a U around the landing. I stop right there, and scan. There's a worthwhile looking S&W something on the far table on the left.
Over I go. This something looks for all the world like one of those 196 .32 RPT's---and it's as new. The bad news is I can't remember that serial prefix---657. The worse news is my traveling library is downstairs, and there's no way in hell this guy is going to let me go waltzing off with his gun in my hands------and there's no way in hell I'm going to put it down!
That's because of what's written on the tag: "22/32-.32 Caliber-$450"
Screw it! This thing is worth $450, no matter what it is! I give the man his money, and saunter over to the stairs, and run down them as fast as my little legs will carry me! I arrive at my friend's tables, and point to my briefcase-----didn't say a word! Friend says, "Looks like Ralph's got a goodie!"
I know which book these things are in ("History"). I know the page number (156), but I can't remember that damn serial prefix!! I look, and then give a fist pump! Friend says, "Yep, Ralph's got a goodie!!
And Ralph sure enough did have a goodie!!
Now all this is when I'd been collecting S&W target guns for 30 years or so---had maybe 135 of them---with just one small problem. I'd defined "target gun" as anything with target sights---and was about to come to the realization I didn't have a collection that told any story, or displayed any history to speak of---just an accumulation of guns with target sights---and it only took me 30 years to figure that out! Yeah, I know---DUMB!!!
I sold A BUNCH of guns---and started over. This time I collected target guns that a serious competitor might choose to use in an important match-----from the very beginning to the end of the 5 screws---ended up with maybe 65 guns, and even then I cheated some. I had at least one each of all the pre-war N frames---and even some post-war N frames---and was hard pressed to remember seeing more than a handful of N frames being used at any match---but I'm fond of N frames.
The good news is I'd had A BUNCH of Herbie Harris's odd balls, and they sold like HOTCAKES!! That came to be because he kept calling me right up until he went out of business---same message every time: "I've got a such&such you've got to have!"---same message as when he called me about my first pre-war/post war .32 RPT 30 years earlier.
Ralph Tremaine