I saw it, held it in my hands, and even bid on it a few times, but somebody wanted it a whole lot more than I did . This was the real deal and complete. One of the 3,000. While I was outbid on the 520, I did pick up a few nice Smiths.

Post war K-22, Perfected Model single shot, and the NJSP IACP 100th year M-36-7. I really wanted that 520, but, oh well. I know the guns pictured don't fit the catagory, but the 520 is pinned and counterbored, and 1980.

Attached Images

	K22 001.jpg (145.8 KB, 302 views)
	auction smiths 004.jpg (115.4 KB, 269 views)
	36 box 012.jpg (103.1 KB, 302 views)

I scored a 520 last year or so. The seller wrapped it before putting it in the original box for shipment to my FFL. The stress split the end piece of the box. Gun is perfect but the box is now a little shop worn. Nice pictures!!

I am supposed to look at a 520 later this week. Do you recall what the winning bid was. It might help me in my negoiations. Thanks

I picked up a 520 in the early 1980s before there was any real interest in that model. It came in the two piece blue box with oil paper, basic cleaning kit but nothing else. Seems like there should have been a instruction sheet and warrenty card at least.
Still haven't fired it.

I had a couple of them NIB, couldn't bring myself to shoot them so out they went! Looked and looked for a non-mint one for 2 years, finally one turned up on auction, easily 98% with no box etc.
No turn line worthy of mention, I doubt it had seen 50 rounds.
I was mighty happy to add it to the safe for just under $500 shipped.
That was a year ago.
Took it to the range (20 ft. outside my door) and it printed silver-dollar-sized, 25 yard groups, but about 3" to the right of where I was aiming.
I took off the small, orig. grips and screwed on a pair of the ugliest plastag Fitz that had been painted black, but fit me like a glove!
Dead center, right where I was looking
It's a hunter now.

__________________
173-358429
13.5-2400

I do know what the winning bid was, Smith &W. My top hammer price was $800 for this "as new, unfired, with everything" gun, but (you probably won't believe this, but it's TRUE) the winning bid was $1300+. That's $1530 OTD!!! I know that will not help with your negotiations. There are some crazy people out there. This was one of the 3000 NYSP guns that the State of New York never bought.

I don't blame you for letting that one go!

Well, I did look at the 520 and it is a mint unfired gun. The seller says he thinks he might find the box but as of now he is not sure. He started out at $700. but settled for $600. and said if he finds the box he will notify me. The strange thing is that the grips are numbered about 30 numbers off the guns serial number. They are in the 558XXX correct range, but were not exact. I seem to remember reading on this forum that this was common in this run of guns. Has anyone else experienced this. Thanks for your replies. By the way Retired W4, The guns you aquired are all great finds.

I read the same thing on the grips numbers, so wouldn't worry about it.


Charlie

My 520 is one of the first 100 and the grips are numbered. They are off by a few #'s also. So this appeards to be somewhat common.

Most are seen unfired as they were instant collector's guns. Saw my first one at a show in OH in 1995 tagged at $300. Thought about it but was really poor during the 1990s. If I had bought it there would be one less in unfired condition.

Hi,
My personal niche is filled by four hardworking 625s, dryboxes full of fullmoon clips when I shoot them. Not often I shoot my first true prize, an almost shiny barreled 4" 28. My reloading .357 is still a handloading pincer tool, so I'm too slow now to keep up with my new benchs of ACP tooling. But I am in a family that has prized N-frames
forever. I sure wish I had kept my first worn shiny 1917 Smith. I was young and real dumb. She still shot pretty sweet from her thin tapered
tube. But, if I may say, one of those in the box 520NYSPs was on an
auction site today. My, don't they look sweet. I saw one turned in in Iraq, too doggone bad, it's probably part of a fish reef now.

You saw a S&W 520 in Iraq?

How in the heck did it get over there?

I mentioned a while back I found one at a gunshow. No box and it was wearing a 3 1/2" mod. 27 barrel and it had been expertly converted to a round butt. Not original, but very cool. I picked up another 28-2 today that I really didn't need, but it was there. It's a 6" with a small chip on the right grip. The front sight currently has some wet Super Bright on it. When it dries I'll coat it again,

I think that the earliest 520 stocks were left overs from the last of the Model 58's. The wood is generally darker and the shape of the 'horn' over the medallions is fully radiused. These stocks are almost always numbered to the frame.

Later, not quote halfway into the run, the wood seems to get alot lighter and the stocks may well be newer production. The basic scale seems to be thinner and therefore there doesn't seem to be as much wood and consequently there is a flat over the medallions. These stocks are sometimes, not always, numbered, and it's not uncommon for the numbers to be off.

At the last of the run, the stocks are of the newer type and are not numbered at all.

Boxes changed too at some point in the run.

This from my observations of many of these guns. I became interested in them from the outset of their release into commercial channels by J&G Rifle Ranch (an others I believe). I bought my first NIB 520 about 1986 or 87 if memory serves and I paid $198.50 plus shipping.

I still have it and a few others.

Drew

I was not really aware how bad I wanted one of these. After reading this thread and some googling the 520 I think has moved into my most sought after s&w. The hunt is now on.

Hi stantheman86,
I've just succumbed to a 7year invitation and don't know how to use the site. then I went trolling over at coltforum and missed your post.
Figure you are looking (drooling) over some pieces seized from elite
guard officers by Tikrit and think you see a 4" 1917 in modern blue with "a mountain barrel and 27 grips. N-Frames, Pythons, I think I was
panting loudly. It was the first SWA tour, but I'd previously groomed
and interpreted for Kuwaiti NG officers in the early 1970s. They all
wanted to be Patton also. So I figure given the number of Large Dealers in upstate NY, Detroit, Miami, St. Louis, etc., being offered
1K or better each in 1970s, anything was possible in small 'sheik' bulk
few hundred extra barrels. I learned never to drool whenever some
chief pulled out his pet. So, we'll just have to conjecture when we see fine armswork somewhere. The 520 under the crane is a surprise. Thought I'd found a customized 1917/1937. harumpf.

OOPS! 'for a few hundred extra barrels of oil'.

Most of the "cool" handguns I saw over there were rusty 0% blue Hi-Powers and Tariq pistols that had probably been carried hard since the Iran-Iraq war That climate is not easy on guns.

Lots of Glock 19's......found a CZ-70 hidden behind some books on a shelf. I never saw any S&W's

I can get why high ranking officers would want S&W's, anything American is like gold over there, and they think we are all gunslinger cowboys from Texas

That's on the money, they've been thinking that since before 1969 anyway.

Enough politics, gotta go stuff some .45ARs for a son coming home from the sandbox in a couple - o - moons. Eyes open ya hear!

Anybody got a handle on the current value of the model 520 in ANIB condition?? I've already checked GunBroker and there was only 1 recent sale in the last 3 mos. That one was used condition and no box/papers/tools (went for $955).
Thanks

i purchased mine in 2012 gently used with box for $600

__________________
SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

The 520's did not come with the manual. S&W did not print one for this model, even after the guns were made available to the public. When I bought mine, it came with a copy of the letter addressed to the S&W handgun distributors from David Simons (VP of sales) telling why and how they were being made available. It's an interesting footnote to the history of this model.

All those 520's (fixed sighted Highway Patrolman recolvers) were sold (traded) by NYSP to the John Jovino Company, who resold them to their dealers. The 520's were a stop gap befor the 586's (or 686's) the Troopers went on to use before they went to Glocks. Nice guns, sadly had an unissued one and sold it. Who Knew!

I think I'm one of the few people who would like to have a 520 to shoot. Don't need no stinking boxes. (LOL)

Dave

__________________
RSVN '69-'71
PCSD (Ret)

got mine for 500 with box and paper.

Attached Images

S & W 520.jpg (104.8 KB, 68 views)

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Flipper

I've posted this pair before, but feel obliged to do it again.
Found the 520, no box, fired more than once but not a bunch. Found a box later here on the forum. A couple of months later, I see a new looking model 28 in my neighborhood LGS case. On close inspection the 28-2 with red ramp and target stocks is a 98% NYSP marked gun!

Just wonder how many others have the 520 the NYSP rejected and an NYSP marked 28-2 which the NYSP bought. Especially without having actively looked to make the pair

I'm also in the market for a nice used S&W 520 w/o the box
and docs so I can shoot it. Now, I have seen pictures of these
revolvers with service magnas, and square butt magnas. Did
they come out first with the PC magnas, and at the end of
the run S&W put on square butt magnas? Anybody have any
idea?

According to SCS&W, PC style walnut grips.
I have s/n # 5585XX but it had been changed to
targets. It now has PC grips thanks to this forum.

That's what I thought. That's too bad. I found a S&W 520
on the internet, but it has square butt magnas. I know it
sold several weeks ago, and now is being re-listed. I wonder
why it was returned? I know people will say don't worry about
the grips being original, but at these asking prices I want
one ALL original.

Mojave... Modifed Magnas (the correct, first factory designation for these stocks) can be found, but they are not cheap. Later ones may be had without serial numbers stamped into the wood. Drew

ANIB model 520's with original box, tools are fetching from $1000 - $1200 depending on from an individual or a dealer . That F guy from KY has a 98% no box on the popular auction site with a " buy it now " of $950 . If one could bid $850 they might wind up with it . I aint got no dawg in this hunt & have 2 NIB's already . Neither of mine have grips with matching #'s . I too have always wondered how they shot , but not to the point of shooting one of mine . Anyway last year I got a nice shooter 58 that has my attention now . Personally for the kind of money I'd rather have a NIB 58 nickel or a nice pre 27 .

I think the lines of the 520 are so b@d @$$. It's basically like a HD except with a baughman front sight which just dials it in that much more. I will get one eventually.

I think George Patton would have loved a pair.
DW

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"NUTS"

What DW? Only two?

What're the 2 on top? They look like Target Masterpieces with ramp fronts. Never seen that before.

Two more than a lot of other folks.

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"NUTS"

Nuthin special. Just a couple ISP guns that Drew has none of.
DW

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"NUTS"

[QUOTE=DWFAN;137413293]I think George Patton would have loved a pair.
DW

I'm fairly certain he had a pair

Yup, but not me...

Touche!

But how many 650's do you have?

How many do you want?

"That F guy from KY has a 98% no box on the popular auction site with a " buy it now " of $950 . If one could bid $850 they might wind up with it . "

I got it for $800 to go with my NYSP Model 28-2

Congratulations!!!! I have a 520 also but am still looking for a nice 28.

That is horrible


....Keep looking, 520's do pop up at semi decent prices. Mine came around when I least expected it. Hang in there, it is worth it!

__________________
Cheers, Charles
SWCA #2442

I would still like to find an original 520 (for a decent price). For now I'm happy with my first year HP and my shooter 28-2. I take the -2 to the range on a pretty regular basis and it makes me look good. A LNIB 520 would just be a safe queen anyway.

Come to think about it, I don't think I have ever posted the two of them together. That's my project for the morning.

$500?!?....You got the deal of the century!

One sold for $850.00 two weeks ago at the Belton, Texas gunshow. The owner quoted me $1200.00 because it was new in the box but I guess as the show went on he realized he wasn't gonna get it.

SWCA 892