I'm interested in acquiring one of these. Just now starting to research the model as I know very little about them.

I started working as a surveyor in AZ around 72 and a guy I worked with had one. I've had lots of Smiths but never had a .22 revolver. So now I'd like to have a 34-1 and shoot it. I have other .22 pistols but this one is just calling my name for some reason.

What might be a fair price for a 4" model in say 90% condition. I'm not a collector, so just looking for a shooter.

I have 5k rounds of CCI SV I purchased before the troubles and it isn't getting used up with my CZ 455 or my MK II.

Thanks in advance.

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That's just somebody talkin.

I have no idea what they are worth. I got this one in 2012 in a 2 gun deal, sold the other one. I love shooting it although it is way too small in my hand. Hard to shoot up tons of ammo, 6 at a time. Less than 90% but not one to worry about. Get it and enjoy. Joe

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Behavior Creates Destiny

I would check GB for auctions that have ended by using the Advanced Search function and the ended auctions will give you an idea of what the Model 34’s are bringing.

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James
On the Llano Estacado

The Kit Guns are wonderful small revolvers. Easy to carry and a lot of fun to shoot. They were originally built on the I frame with some dimensional changes in 1953. Then, in 1960, they were switched to the J frame with the advent of the Model 34-1.

They are not inexpensive to acquire. But worth it, in my opinion.

Here are two of mine. The nickel example is a 34-1, the 2" blued unit is a Model of 1953, built before model numbers were used. I bought the 2" many years ago. The nickel Model 34-1 was purchased in 2015 for $800.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

LostintheOzone

As you can see from comparing pharmer's picture with mine, the Kit Gun can be had with either the square butt or the round butt. Your choice.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

In the past few years I’ve seen used 34-1’s sold at gun shows for as little as $700: a 4” gun with a fair amount of bluing loss.

Used 2” barrel 34-1’s seem to go for $50-100 more than the 4” versions. The stainless kit guns (M63) go for around $100 more than the 34-1’s.

Nickel 34-1’s are a bit of an odd duck here. One with 90% finish will suffer a greater hit price wise than contemporary blue or stainless kit guns. 10% loss of nickel is just the beginning of fairly consistent finish loss while 90% blue loss doesn’t lead to more blue loss and a 90% M63 can be repaired with scotch bright pads and a little elbow grease. Repairing a 90% nickel gun requires you refinish the whole thing.

A nickel gun with 95-98% nickel gun will bring $100.00 more than a blue 34-1’s with comparable finish. Finish loss on the stainless 63 is tough to judge on used 63’s because the finish is so amenable to modifications with things like Flitz and scotch bright pads. Hard to tell whether the finish is attributable to the factory or the guy with a tube of Flitz.

Your best value is probably a used, blue 34-1.

they always bring a good price on gunbroker.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

$560 in 11/2022 on Gunbroker. It was wearing rubber grips when purchased.

So many variations to pick from but they don't show up for sale around here often.

4" Pre-34 second from right. Best of luck in your search.

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I purchased mine post China virus, some time in 2021. The seller came down $25-50, IIRC.

Good luck in your search.

-Bill

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Veteran Paratrooper, '86-'90

If you can't find a model 34, you won't go wrong with a Model 17 or 18. I generally prefer the K Frame 22s (used 'em as training revolvers back on the PD), but I'm also enamored with this Model 31-1 4" square butt.

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Keep your powder dry.

Mine was bought for $220, so you have some idea how long ago that was. It's been a long time since I've seen one as nice for less than $600...

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Pisgah

IMHO...... I have all except the 2" 34 below......

6" Model 17 for the range or hunting
4" Model 18 for General purpose /utility/ training

Models 34/63 S&W's original "Kit Gun" 4" for walking in Penns woods or 2" in your fishing Kit! They can be fired DA but I view it as a much better SA gun!

FWIW I've found a 3" 60-10 .357 is a more versatile Kit gun than the .22lr....... wide range of loads from shotshells to full bore 158gr .357 in black bear country

Little one in nickel, bigger one in blue...

Supica's Standard Catalog shows that mod. 34 serial numbers M60001-M99999 date from 1973 to 1977. Does anyone know approximately at what number the 1973 production ended and 1974 began? I ask because a 1973 should qualify as C&R, and a 1974 will not. It's a factor for me in figuring what I would pay, if I don't have to pay the FFL, spent time filling out paperwork, and go through my states 72 hour waiting period.

And... if something is close to the cutoff period, is there any source that can be shown to the seller to assure them it is C&R eligible?

Yes. A Letter of Authenticity from the S&W Historical Foundation. It will cost you $100.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

I shamelessly show mine again. All purchased prior to 2014. Grab any one you can. It will bring you happiness. I probably shoot the blue 2 in 34 more than the rest.

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S&W Accumulator

I have two kit guns. Great for cheap trigger pull practice for those who carry J frames. My round butt 34 had thousands and thousands of rounds down range. Several years ago , NC had some stupid law that you couldn’t carry anything larger than .22 lr when hiking but not hunting in a state “gameland”. Often carried a 34. That law is long gone.

Here’s the square butt 34. Could not find the RB. It’s in there somewhere. Don’t have time to dig for it tonight.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

My first 34 was a square butt 2” blued. Before I knew much about S&W revolvers, I got rid of it due to problems the gun had, which now I realize were probably very fixable. Always missed it. Filled the void with a 4” blue round butt, but didn’t care for the round butt. It went away too. Decided I wanted to give another 2” a try, and searched for over 5 years for an affordable 2” square butt with no success, then stumbled into a 2” nickel square. Paid $595 about 6 years ago. While I much prefer blued, I picked up the nickel since it was the first 2” square I had seen in 5+ years that was under $600. What a sweet shooter! Has the best DA I have ever felt on a J, and no issues with tight chambers which is a common problem on all S&W 22 revolvers. At ten yards, can cover my DA shot groups with a dime, and hitting a 1/2 scale uspsa steel at 50 yards is easy as well. Probably my favorite revolver. These days any 34 under $750 in good shape is a steal- in my area at least, used S&W revolvers of any kind are scarce, and i think since I bought my 34 6 years ago, I think I have only seen one or two others. One wonders where they all are!

Here's mine acquired in a recent trade...It's wearing bananas obtained from a member here......Ben

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Cogito, ergo BOOM!...

I'd really like to find a nice nickel 34. Looks great. Not sure that I have seen a 2" nickel in person.

My 34-1 (mid 70's production and my 17-3 (late 60's) both had chambers that were too tight and had serious ejection problems. About 5 years I got the finish reamer for 22 and a quart of Heavy Cutting Oil from Brownell's. Cost around $35, and took around 15 minutes a chamber to ream for proper extraction. I had several gunsmiths say they would do it for $60 a 6-shot) revolver. I saved a bunch and still have the tools. So, fear not, if it won't eject easily!

Ivan

$700 - $750 in 90% condition without accoutrements but with original grips is what I'd expect. 95%+ with original box, papers and tools - $950++

I've got the M63 Stainless version and they are great little woods guns.

The 34-1 Kit Gun is a great choice, especially for someone who appreciates Smith & Wesson revolvers. I totally get what you mean about it "calling your name"—sometimes a particular model just sticks in your head. I’ve seen prices for a 4” model in 90% condition hover around $600–$800 depending on the market and where you’re shopping. Since you’re just looking for a shooter, you might find one a little lower if you’re patient.

I was on a similar hunt last year for an older revolver and ended up finding some good options after checking with The Modern Sportsman in Coon Rapids, MN. They had a fair selection and even gave me advice on what to look for in terms of condition and value.

The days of $350-$400 kit guns are long gone, in my neck of the woods. From what I see, if you find a nice one for $800, you better buy it. Rough ones sometimes show up for a bit less but I don’t recall seeing a M34 lately in any condition I would want for less than $800.

I can see why you’d be attracted to the M34. They really are delightful little revolvers. They come out of the box just about perfect, IMO. For years I experimented with bigger stocks but came to the conclusion I wanted to get good at using mine (a 4-inch, square butt model) with the factory magna-style originals. Putting bigger stocks on the gun does make it easier to handle, but it also takes some of the fun/challenge out of shooting it.

I feel lucky to have picked up this example with minor rust damage on the frame for $250 several years ago. Fortunately it was still wearing it's number matching grips.

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Did you not notice the last entry was FEB of last year??

It’s almost too pretty to shoot but I do. I traded for it several years ago. I think the owner was asking $600 and had the factory grips. I added the stags.

I still have it and since have acquired a 63 no dash that had the correct numbered grips. I find the factory grips ok but I really like dressing them up. My 63 had ebony targets on it but don’t ha VF e a photo at the moment.

At some point I’d like a clean 2” but they’re hard to find around here and really pricy if you do.

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Well since this thread was brought back up, I'add my two cents.
I have a 4" Model 34 and love it! Great little gun.
But to be honest I prefer the larger Model 18. I have two of those and one of them seems to tag along on almost every range trip.

I bought this one just this past summer. Like new in the box. Well, at least it was. I've been shooting the snot out of it since.

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I just sold this one, (the blued one), in June this year. It brought $475 in a large auction. The Stainless one, a 63, brought $650.




These are great little guns, light, easy to carry, and just as accurate as larger guns if you do your part.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I stumbled into an easy 98% nickel 34-1 at an LGS earlier this year. Picked it up for $650, if memory serves. I got my 2 inch from this board somewhere around ten years ago. I love having both, but the K frames are nicer to shoot as I have large hands.

I got this one local in them hills for 7 in October, can’t bring myself to shoot it yet. A bonus was a 19-4 the seller wanted to move as well.

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I think you will have trouble finding a Model 34 for under $850. For that price you should consider the Model 17, Model 18 and Model 35. They are all Smith and Wesson and shoot the 22 Long Rifle cartridge.

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S&WHF #946
S&WCA #3824

Holy smokes, I wouldn't have sold it for twice that much. That one looked virtually brand new.
.

I tripped over this one at my LGS this past year..

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I bought brand new this little revolver for my wife sometime during the first year we were married (Nov 22, 1974). So it's been with us now for almost 50 years. I've used this little revolver as an introduction to shooting for a few young women, my wife being the first. It has also been used as a trail gun on some deer hunting trips and has bagged a couple of blue grouse. A few years ago, I put on the Altamont grips.


S&W Model 34-1 "Kit Gun" in .22 Long Rifle with original factory grips.




S&W Model 34-1 "Kit Gun" in .22 Long Rifle with Altamont grips.




Thanks for looking at my wife's Kit Gun.

God bless,
Birdgun

The Model 34 is a fun gun and practical, too...hence the name Kit Gun...one belongs in everyone's Kit!

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For info, my Model 43. Alloy frame and cylinder. I have had it for about 60 years. I made the grips.

Here is another Airweight, a model of 1955 22/32 Airweight Kit Gun, predecessor to the model 43. They differ from the steel ones by having a 3-1/2" rather than 4" barrel.

Not a very good picture but here's the one I bought around 1979 for around $200, new.
Mine has digested many, many bricks of ammo and it is still as accurate as new. It's about the smallest gun you can carry that is functionally accurate. Mine has taken plenty of rabbits and squirrels.
Don't know if this has been mentioned but you'll probably have to ream the cylinders. It's not a big deal.

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Rather than ream the cylinder chambers in mine I simply polished them. It still gets sticky after a couple hundred rounds, but it's not like I run an entire brick of ammo through it in one sitting like I do with my semi-auto .22s.

Does reaming the cylinder holes affect accuracy at all?

I polished the chambers on my nickel 34-1 as well. They were very tight and made it difficult to shoot. Mother’s Billet Polish, some 22 cal bore mops, and a Dewalt helped significantly. I took it very easy and stopped when I could insert new rounds without pushing. That’s how tight mine was, couldn’t load a clean gun without pushing on the casings. It depended on the manufacturer. Federal were OK, but Winchester required decent thumb pressure. Now everything drops in.

I don't see any difference with my Model 34.
I also have a model 18. It works fine with Federal Auto Match and similar ammo. It sticks with stuff like Mini Mags. So far I haven't reamed it and I just stick with the lower power ammo.

As long as we are showing off the kit guns, here is a 2" nickel.

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I found a virtually identical model on the internet at a shop in Georgia, contacted them and got it for $600 delivered. It looks to be probably 98% or better, S&W says made between 1955 and 1959. The chambers were so tight I had to have them reamed, have not had a chance to shoot it after having that done.
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Jeff

Found one in excellent condition, actually looked unused, on the internet for $600 early last spring. Chambers were so tight that I had to hammer on ejector rod, so had the chambers reamed.

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Jeff

I have a stainless four inch square butt...wish it was a round butt because all my other J frames are. But it is a great shooter and effortless companion when hiking or just woods loafing. One of my favorite revolvers. Buy the best one you can find, pay whatever that costs, then spend the rest of your life trying to wear it out. That is how you enjoy what you work for!