Run of the Mill Model 10--How Much?

How much is a Model 10 worth today? Nothing special, lets say, just a 3-screw pinned-barrel, 4" Model 10. Maybe a little wear on the end of the barrel, and the usual handling marks, slight dings on the grips, etc. I'm not talking about police trade-ins, just good, everyday, no rust, no pitting, no abnormal wear guns. I say $275 OTD. That would figure to $250 plus GA tax, or $275 f/f private sale. I figure that's up about $100 from what I could buy them for about 6-8 years ago.

I figure the earlier the gun, the higher the value, given the same condition. I would be willing to pay a tad more for an earlier dash-number gun. Also, it appears to me that 2" barrels bring a little more. I believe, practically speaking (not according to any "book value", most of which I think list "a slight premium" for nickel guns), a very nice nickel plated original gun will bring $75 more than a comparable blued gun. I put a nickel 10-5 on lay-away for $350 plus tax at the same time I bought the 10 no-dash for $275 plus tax. There is no way I would give that for a blued Model 10.

These guns, along with the Model 28s, are an interesting phenomenon. Nice S&W Model 19s, 29s, 27s, 57s, 58s, etc have always brought good money. Up until about 10 years ago though, Model 10s and Model 28s were "hard stock" on a dealer's shelves. They were so common, I guess, that no one wanted them. Now, I almost never see a Model 28 at my dealer, and there are people waiting for Model 10s. I am lucky (unlucky?) enough that the main gun guy at the NAPA is one of my best and oldest friends, and he always calls me immediately when a Smith he thinks will interest me comes in. It seems like there has been an abnormal number of pretty nice Model 10s traded in in the last few weeks, and it is about to break me.

Are my figures close? Do you think these guns will be worth $100 more in the next 8-10 years? To what do you attribute the seemingly sudden interest in this most common species of .38 special?

The days of the bargain priced Model 10's are slowly coming to an end. As the number of private security companies trade ins slowly fade from the market..you only see a few private sale model 10's here and there.

At this point I believe your estimates are spot on if even a tad low. I believe the economy is flushing out a few deals here and there..but the supply is not what it once was. Example-J&G and Summit Gun Broker have not had a stock of used model 10's in the past few months.

If I see one in good clean shape for less than $275 I am probably reaching for my wallet.

I think you nailed it.
S&W made millions of these guns over the years and sold them all over the world. They are good guns to have but still common enough on the used market to remain affordable. $250-$300 is the fair retail price for a representative example.

I started collecting police agency marked Model 10's/M&P's about six years ago, $250 was my price "Goal", some I paid a little more for....

Before I knew it, I had over 25 police marked M&P's! I have traded or sold over half of them since to fund other collecting goals, but $250 seemed to be the going price for a while there.

Haven't seen any for $250 for a while now, $300-$350 seems to be the rate now, at least in my neck of the woods (Virginia).

Think about what is available on the new market now, $400 won't buy you any quality pistol or revolver. I look at my own personal protection revolvers, a 2" Model 64, a 4" Model 64 and a Model 36 Chiefs Special, none of them available for any price new, yet only $250 used.

Depends on what you want, I got this M&P for $300 recently. I was able to get it with my C&R, too, double bonus.......the thought of legally being able to get S&W's shipped right to my door makes me warm and fuzzy all over



I traded a beat up Swedish Mauser and about $100 in "boot" for this 10-8. Came out to maybe $200, since the Swede Mauser was so beat people were balking at my $200 asking price, so it was probably worth about $100.



Got this old PD marked M&P for about $350, probably the lowest you'll see any 5" round butt M&P. To some people, these are still just "old obsolete revolvers" and they want to sell them to fund some other purchase for a plastic gun or an AR-15.......and I am here to help them fund those "black guns", by giving them fair prices for their old, beat up wheelguns



The sudden interest in them is because people are being scared away from the "cool" stuff like 27's and 29's by rising prices, and going for the "common" Model 10's and 64's because there are more of them out there. And then the prices on these start rising. I used to see tables of security trade in Model 10's at gun shows in the late 90's-early 2000's, sometimes they were even mixed in with Taurus 82's and all of them were priced at $150..imagine that, a time when used Taurus and S&W service revolvers were priced the same.......and some people were buying the Taurus' over the Smiths.........it wasn't too long ago the Model 10 wasn't held in high regard, they were just "old cop guns" people would buy to throw in the tackle box.....now like everything else they are "collectible". I also used to see Model 28's for a lot less, too, that was only a few years ago. They were "poor man's 27's", now 28's are getting up to $500 for holster worn 6" guns.

The economy and gas prices are driving people to take "that old revolver" out and sell it, sometimes they just don't want them. I don't see holster worn, or reblued M&P's ever being worth a "premium", the fixed sight .38's like 10's and 64's will never bring anywhere near what high condition Registered Magnums, 14's, 29's etc. bring.

Real hard core S&W collectors do not tend to collect Model 10's, they will always be "plain vanilla" to them, it's the 27's and pre-29's with matching Coke grips that they will be fighting over. The Model 10 will always be the mediocre looking girl at the bar at 2am that everyone hits on when all the hot girls are gone.......which is fine, I was always the kinda guy who hits on the average looking ones first.......

If you like Model 10's, start buying them now, so in 10 years when everyone's like "remember the days of $300 Model 10's" when they are $600 guns by then, you'll already have 20 of them.

Hi,
In my neck of the woods model 10s and M&Ps have really gone up in value. I bought the current dash number two years ago brand new for $334 out the door from a surplus store going out of business. Last year I bought a M&P pre-10 4 inch without a box but over 95% condition for $399 out the door. Two weeks ago I saw a model 10-5 with the box for $575 plus fees in a gun shop. So even though the model 10 is not rare they are commanding high prices compared to even two years ago.


Regards,
Howard

I noticed 64's are overall cheaper than Model 10's now, it used to be the other way around......

I saw a guy with about 10 security trade in 64-3's at a gun show for $300, and he only sold a few of them. But a Model 10-8 went for $400 at another table.

Hard to add anything to Stantheman86's well thought out and well written post.
I'll add that a high condition gun, even a model 10 will bring a premium on price.
But with a common model, a smaller one.

M&P's are starting to get some attention and a higher price too.

GF

My local pawn shop has fantastic prices.

I have picked up a wonderful Model 64 DAO for $250.

Currently they have a good looking Model 10-5 with original grips asking... $295

If I didn't have other needs and wants, it would have come home with me.

M&P's are also getting more attention, people are starting to appreciate their classic lines and old police history. Older gentleman are "nostalgic" for days when Officer Freindly had a 6" S&W M&P in a flap holster on a Sam Browne belt, held up by a shoulder strap........and drove around in a '40 Ford with a gumball machine siren on top. The M&P's have a lot of history behind them and collectors are starting to see this.....these were guns made back in an era when the .38 Special service revolver was still king, and shooting them single action with a one-hand hold at bullseye targets was the way target shooting was done.

Prices on ALL the old Smiths is going up........the more plastic junk people look at, the more Glocks and XD's we are inundated with at gun shows, the more those old .38's from the 1900's-1950's start to look like gold........wait until there's a mainstream movie with big movie stars featuring old DA wheelguns and prices will double.....I'm sure "Public Enemies" helped move some old Colts after a few gun guys watched it and had the urge for some Police Positives, Official Police .38's and .38 Super 1911's. The guy at Gander Mt. said after 3:10 to Yuma came out guys were coming in looking for Italian repro Peacemakers and Schofields......I guess the point to my rambling is the market is wierd, people will suddenly want things for different reasons and other things will drop in value for no apparent reason. I'm starting to see prices on S&W's actually surpass Colts, GunBroker is littered with $2-300 Police Postives in .38 Special,.38 S&W and .32 Long that have relisted over and over, but try finding a Model 10 or M&P for that low.

just a few days ago i hit a local gun shop and found a model 10-8,but the kicker was it was a 3 in. barrel ,round butt w/ mint s&w banana grips,no box or anything,it was marked 287.00,so i snatched it up.Is a 3 in round butt a little more rare?the blueing was near perfect.

3" M10's are highly sought after, you did great for that price

I think the 3" square butts are much less common, I believe most were RB's but I could be wrong.

My own take mirrors stanthemans, especially how blued and nickle model 10s and even 13s are commanding more money than their stainless brothers. I can still find used 64s for about $300 at the local gun shows, and the recent batch of 64 snubs are between $300 and $350 depending on condition.
I myself just got a 10-10 for $350 and it had been reblued yet was otherwise perfect. And my old 10-7 set me back $200 it was a wreck, but I revived it. I intend to add a 64 to the collection soon too. Dale

Red level, I offered to take you shopping, LOL!!

My $120.00 10-7. The SB stocks have a huge chunk missing on the left corner, so I put the Pachmayr's on it for now. My nephew wanted a handgun of his own, so we went with this one.

model 10s

yes it is hard to believe how much the 28s and the 10s are now. i recently bought a pre model 10 made in 1953 and paid more than i thought i would ever pay for one of these guns, but you have got to consider there will never be anymore of them. i paid $395.00 for this one, after i got it home i was glad i did, the grips are numbered to the gun also.
also are you shopping at Bo Barrow's place.

I guess it depends what you want and how bad you want it. I paid $525 for this, but it's kind of rare, was in nice shape and I really wanted it:

Ronnie, I shop at the place near my work I have told you about. Here is my 1953 pre-#18 .22 revolver.

The fact is there are more "collectors" now and no more older S&W's being made........supply and demand, for the nicer "collectible" guns at least.

Condition is EVERYthing, condition collectors want NIB Smiths with all the toys and papers. The 10's are not rare and never will be, especially the later models from the 70's onward. Heavily used and holster worn examples won't ever have the "premium" prices.

I saw a reblued 6.5" 27 at a gun show for $450 and it was still there when I left. If I had some extra cash I would have bought it as a shooter, but there's an example of a gun "collector's" won't go for and that's a little high for the average guy looking for an older revolver. Which is the reason the $2-300 Model 10's are getting scarce, lots of people who are "kinda into guns" just want "one of those old S&W's" to play around with,so they are sucking up the 10's and 64's because you can get one without breaking the bank. Dealers see this and start creeping the prices up, they know if they price a security trade in 10 at $400 someone will eventually buy it.

I saw the same thing after the "Saving Private Ryan - Band of Brothers- Call of Duty 3" phenomenon of 7-8 years ago. Garands and M1 Carbines doubled in price pretty much overnight because everyone decided they wanted "a WWII rifle" and was willing to pay a high price to get one.

Why do I like the Model 10?

Because it fits my hand perfectly, points easily, shoots wonderfully, looks great, and doesn't cost a ton of money. Plus the .38 Special is just an all around great caliber. I had a mint 28 Highway Patrolman, but man was that piece heavy. Sold it (cheap, who would have known?) to a good friend years ago and never regretted it. We all have our likes and dislikes, luckily S&W has made a wide variety of guns to satisfy most of us. Anyways, I picked up this mint 10 for $312 plus tax recently...it is one of my favorites to shoot...and I believe nice model 10's will be in demand in the not too distant future.
Cap

I think with affordable guns prices vary across the country.

I have picked up some very nice 10s and paid good money for them. Like a 10-8 SB 4" HB with two piece box, docs and tools. I paid $400 for it, once polished up its almost perfect.

I also bought a 10-5 SB 4" taper barrel very traditional looking M10. It has a mark on on side of the barrel, quite small but noticeable. The rest of the blue is drop dead gorgeous one of the nicest I have. I paid $350, perhaps a bit to much, but its a nice piece and I am glad to have it even if I feel I paid $50 or $75 to much for it.

I also bought a M64 SB 4" DAO NY-1 gun. Most of the original frost finish is gone worn off or polished but looks really nice. It had Pachmayer grips that show use. I paid $200 or $250 for it, nice gun shows well and makes for a great conversations. I think it was a steal for the price. Oh it was traded in to the dealer by the original PO that carried it.

I dont mind paying a little bit more for something that I like and want. It will (hopefully) balance out over time. I dont intend to flip them or sell them soon so buy it now. Its better than say Enron stock or buying a new car.