hey guys i just recently got this from a will, wondering whats its worth, and whats the best way to take care of it. also should i take it to the range. thanks!

hey guys i just recently got this from a will, wondering whats its worth, and whats the best way to take care of it. also should i take it to the range. thanks!

I hope I can pass something on that nice which someone will care about. SS: someone loved you.
The original package with the box and pre-war sight adjuster and twisted bore cleaner really enhances the value. Depending on condition of the revolver, I would insure it for between $1,500- 2,000. Include the sight adjuster in the policy.
Clean it well after shooting it. They are great shooters and it should be in good shape for you to pass on to the next generation.
If the box is original to the gun, the serial number might be written on the underside of the box on a piece of white tape or straight onto the box. Nice package.
Ed

Folks will be along shortly to give you an idea of what it's worth. The box and screwdriver are actually worth money all by themselves.

Keep it clean and lightly greased, don't carry it in a holster and don't wear any bluing off any other way, either. Other than that, I don't see any reason why you shouldn't shoot it and enjoy it.

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Formerly Model520Fan

That is a really nice setup you have there. The permit to carry is very interesting and adds to the entire package. This fish merchant picked a very nice gun to carry! I would think north of $2000 with everything you have there for insurance purposes. You should hear from many more on this forum regarding the details of this package. Thanks for sharing.

I sure would like to have me one of those! Welcome to the forum.

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Cheers!

What a great inheritance and a beautiful piece! Will you share some more of it's history? The license is really unique. That would be the only one I have seen from San Diego. I'm available for cleaning and polishing Sunday-Saturday 24/7. Thank you for sharing. Bruce

Its really unfortunate that the box has scotch tape on it. You probably need to very carefully try to lift that with a small knife blade. Don't damage the box, and if you don't feel confident, I think you're better off finding a paper/box conservator to do that function. Its probably worth the time and expense to get it repaired.

Take the bottom of the box and flip it over. We're looking for the grease pencil markings hand written at an angle across the bottom surface. It should be the serial number. With the box top in such pristine condition, I would expect the serial to be there and legible.

The gun alone is probably worth about $800, or at least it would be where I live. With the box included, it moves up to well over a thousand bucks. Remember that the next time someone makes fun of a person paying $250 for an empty. The sight adjuster tool, depending on condition, is worth between $500 and $1000 separate from the rest of hte package.

I don't think the cleaning brush and the carry license add much value. They're really nice additions, but I surely couldn't quantify that or reduce it to $$. Keep it all together, regardless.

OK, someone had to die for you to get that treasure. Now's the time to find anything else that individual had or owned. A picture, double if its a picture of him shooting or with the gun. An old drivers license would be great. Anything with their name or image adds to the historical value.

There are people at gunshows that specialize in putting together just such a package. I think some fabricate it, but it looks impressive.

If you do decide to shoot the gun, don't take the box or accessories along with you. Move them to a safe deposit box where a mistake can't destroy value. The gun needs to be transported in a gun rug at the worst, or a hard sided case at best. If you find or own a holster that fits, throw it away, quick. That should remove any idea of using it.

For a new shooter, ammo represents a real mystery. For most purposes, the real difference is how clean it burns. Clean is good, dirty or sooty is terrible. The only way to find out is to experiment. Generally, cheap will be dirty and expensive will be cleaner, but no guarantees.

If you want another great addition to your package, go to a gunshow. Those may be hard to find behind enemy lines, but bigger is always better. What you're looking for is pre-WWII ammo. One box of Remington/Winchester/UMC/Western is all you really need. Wrap that in Saran Wrap and put it in the box (where you don't ever keep that gun again.) All that does is fix the historical perspective of the gun. Hint: it'll be hard to locate the correct box of ammo, but what you're looking for might cost you a bit. Doesn't matter, it'll add more to the package than it costs you.

Most vendors of antique ammo know the vintages of their stuff. You don't need a full box, but thats a nice touch. Having the box be in great shape is better. Don't fire any of that old ammo. It should still go bang, but its too valuable to burn up.

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Dick Burg

hey guys, so my gradfather was born in 1898, and started anthonys fish grotto. now its one of the most popular fish places in san diego. (but no longer owned by my family)i also recieved a model 11 remington .20g shot gun. The gun is in 100% condition. ive shot it 2 times and it is dead on at 25 yards. (the gun is a lil heavy for my tastes and the handle is a lil small for my hands. here are some more photos. thanks!

yes the bottom of the box has a small white tape, but the numbers a barley legeable.

Bruce where are you located, ide be glad to show you the gun, might even let you shoot it. I have the orginal box of ammo that my grandfather had with it. but its in a safe at home. not sure what they are though. and i also have about 5 or 6 photos of my nonno shoothing it.

Anyone ever heard of the H&r side kick?

Wow you made me an offer I can't refuse. It seems the other members get to handle the nicer pieces. Anthony's Fish Grotto has been here forever. I'm not far from the La Mesa location. If we can get together that would be great. My e-mail is in my profile just click on my name. Maybe I have the box of ammo Dick Burg mentioned. I'll have to check. There is a lot of good information here and I would really enjoy a close up look at a vintage revolver.Thanks Bruce

The gun by itself: around 12-14 hundred
The sight adjuting tool, by itself: 500 to a thousand plus (observed sales)
The box, alone: 2-3 hundred, maybe more to the right buyer.

Complete package with the document is anybodys guess, but, I would saddle up with those that are suggesting the north side of two grand.

Those stocks are beautiful, the gun appears to be 'right' and the whole package is a very desirable collectors item.

Keep it wiped down with a RIG rag or a very soft cloth with Corrosion X. This will keep any of the iron from oxidizing and creating a rust on the surface.

It won't hurt the gun to shoot it. It will hurt the gun if you abuse it. Handle it at the range carefully and clean it very efficiently. You will be able to preserve this fine specimen and should be able to use it also.

What you have is the Cadillac of Smith and Wesson .22's and you should be proud of your new acquisition.


bdGreen

thanks guys for all the help. the value of the gun just makes me want to take care of it even more. this gun will never leave my hands. sorry not selling it.

Were it mine I would definitely letter it. You might not find out much other than it was shipped around 1936 and where it was shipped to. But you never know, maybe your GD ordered it direct. The $30 cost of the letter is well worth it.

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

As an update: I now accept Bruce's estimate. I just saw a moderate condition K22 1st (actually an "outdoorsman's Revolver") at the OGCA show. That guy, with a gun in the same serial range, 655,000s, with a $1200 tag on it. I'd have never believed it, but then gasoline is $4 a gallon, too. There just wasn't anything else like that at any price! No box, no nothin'

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Dick Burg

Dick:
but did it sell at that price?
Ed

Not that I saw. But since it was the only such gun up there, that kind of sets the pace. Back in
February I saw some selling for $800 and $900. At that time I thought it was high.

Part of the price run up is the incest that seems to be practiced at gunshows. Each buyer purchases a gun, moves it to his table and adds a few hundred bucks to the price. After a few cycles, a gun that was selling a year or two ago for $500 suddenly has a $1200 asking price on it.

The other factor I see is if 2 or 3 people see a gun similar to theirs priced much higher. They fake interest, look the gun over pretty well, then don't buy. They return to their tables and put a new, competitive price on their offering.
From that point forward, that sets the baseline price for all such guns.

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Dick Burg

I have a K-22 Outdoorsman that I regularly take to the range and shoot. One thing I did that hasn't been mentioned is I put a set of targets on it. Did this for two reasons, one - to protect the original grips, and two- I find the original grips a bit small and I shoot better with the target grips.

skeetskeet,

Congratulations! I'm sure that you can tell from the responses that you've got a real jewel there. The fact that it belonged to your grandfather adds immeasurable to its value to you, if not to others. Those are intangibles that can't be monetized.

I would disagree slightly with my friend rburg when he said that the concealed licence wouldn't add any (actually he said "much") value. If you just look at the document independently, it certainly has some value to a document collector. I'm not in that line but I'd guess a $100 or so...maybe more if someone was a specialist. When you put it with the gun that the licensee carried, I think the value of that package is increased.

Regarding the value: The last K22 1st Model that I bought (late last year from a fellow forum member) was a 98-99% gun in an excellent red box and I paid $1300 (It was a first year production with the Call Gold Bead front sight). Unless I really got taken to the cleaners, if you add in the sight adjustment tool and the paper, you should be swimming in the 2K +/- pool of sharks...but don't let 'em bite...keep that one close to home.

Bob

Hey Bob, you need to review that. First year guns generally came with deep red/maroon boxes. The two early box guns run up thru serial 638,500 and maybe higher. Someplace by 640,000 they seem to have made the transition to the more familiar red picture boxes. I seriously doubt that there was a clean breaking point, my guess being that there was a time when some were shipped in both color boxes, and the serials won't yield a clean cutoff.

There is even an evolution with the maroon boxes. The earliest ones seem to have been M&P target boxes with a rubber stamp correcting the model name. Then the later ones have the same box but with their own printed labels. Those outside end labels were a pale, ugly green. My examples seem to indicate that the first or early boxes ran at least thru 634,000.

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Dick Burg

well thanks to all for the input, as i said if you are in san diego, or want to come down to san diego to see it, and potentially shoot it. i am more then welcome to share, i will post pictures from monday and my groopings. later

Dick, the $1200.00 Outdoorsman has been laying around a while, that tells me it is over priced at this time. But who knows in a year it maybe a bargin then.

Tim.

Dick, thanks for the info on the correct box for the early 1st Model K22. I expect that you are correct that mine should have the deep maroon box. The gun is #63463x and shipped on June 17, 1931 to Von Lengerke & Antoine Co. in Chicago. The number is illegible on the red box that is with it. I'll keep my eyes open for a proper maroon box. If I find one, I'll have a very nice red one to trade in on it.

Bob

Hey bettis1,

I've got a close relative to your Outdoorsman, serial is 634635, shipped on June 17, 1931. I don't remember who it was sent to I'll have to look at the letter tonight.

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KSCowboy

My low number gun is 634311, and its in its maroon hinged box. Its got a green end label.

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Dick Burg

Cowboy,

Not only are they close relatives, they are identical twins! Mine is the same serial number and same shipping date.

It's not impossible that two guns would have the same serial number but it is pretty rare. It might happen when a workman was a little sloppy in resetting his numbering dies and they certainly could have been shipped at the same time. If you are sure of your number, I'll ask Roy to comment on the guns.

Bob

Bob

Here is the pertinent data from the letter written by Roy Jinks for the gun bettis1 is making reference to.

Identical serial numbered guns make consecutively numbered guns seem commonplace! This should be interesting.

Glad to hear from you Bob. I must apologize and I will publicly on the forum. I have no idea how I came up with the info on this. I have just checked my letter and I am dead wrong. I had the serial number and date of your gun written down on my bulletin board here at the office and thought it was mine.

My gun is serial number 632519 and was shipped on March 28, 1931 to Mr. C. F. Nordman no address available.

I am utterly dumbfounded. I will be glad to scan in and send you the scan of my letter from November 25, 2005.

Again I am very sorry and quite embarrassed.

The above is what I sent to bettis1 just now. I am taking my letter to the office and will scan it in and post here for all to see.

Again I apologize to all, especially to bettis1, for this.

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KSCowboy

Just to illustrate that they were shipped out of serial number order: mine was shipped on April 8, 1931, #632396.

Regards,

Tam3

KSCowboy,

No reason at all to be embarrassed. That could (and probably has) happened to lots of us as we try to keep track of these things.

I thought for a moment there that you and I had just increased the collectability of our two guns...at least with those of us who are anal retentive about serial numbers Now we're just back to having a pair of plain ole run-of-the-mill first model, first year K22's...too bad about that

Bob