SMITH & WESSON 657-2 41 MAG CLASSIC HUNTER AND AMMO

mitchsnap · #1 01-28-2013, 10:26 PM

Local seller has this for sale with 600 rounds of ammo. .41 magnum.. Another caliber I don't have but my concern was really the grips. Did this firearm come with wooden stocks or rubber grips?? Asking $1100 for the package as listed below. I just saw it and didn't know if it was a fair deal. Thanks for everyone's time.

YOU ARE VIEWING A RARE PRE-LOCK S&W MODEL 657-2, 41 MAG CLASSIC HUNTER. ACCORDING TO THE STANDARD CATALOG OF SMITH & WESSON THIS HAD A PRODUCTION RUN OF 2000 AND WAS BUILT IN 1991. IT HAS THE .500 TARGET HAMMER & .400 SMOOTH TARGET TRIGGER. IT HAS THE UNFLUTED CYLINDER AND HAS A BARREL LENGTH OF 6.5". THIS IS AN EXCEPTIONAL REVOLVER. AS FAR AS TIMING, LOCK-UP, AND SINGLE/DOUBLE ACTION IT IS DEAD ON. WHEN I BOUGHT THIS GUN IT WAS ADVERTISED AS 99% AND "POSSIBLY UNNFIRED". SINCE THEN IT HAS VERY LIMITED USE AND BY ACTUAL COUNT HAS HAD EXACTLY 200 ROUNDS FIRED THROUGH IT. SHE WILL COME IN IT'S ORIGINAL BOX WITH DOCUMENTS AND AN UNOPENED CLEANING KIT. ALSO 600 ROUNDS OF NEW FACTORY AMMO BOXED AS SHOWN IS INCLUDED IN THIS SALE - 6 BOXES OF 100. THE AMMO IS 210 GR. NEW FACTORY MANUFACTURED AMMO - NOT RELOADED. I HAVE SHOT WELL OVER 1000 ROUNDS OF VARIOUS CALIBERS FROM THIS COMPANY AND IT IS TOTALLY RELIABLE. YOU WILL NOT BE DISSAPOINTED WITH THE SMITH OR THE AMMO. PRICE FOR BOTH IS $1100.00 - I FEEL THIS IS A VERY FAIR PRICE GIVEN THE CONDITION

DR505 · #2 01-28-2013, 10:48 PM

I picked up the same 657-2 in great shape back in November for $700. It did not have the box, but had the same grips. Factory ammo at my LGS for Remington .41 Mag 210 grain JHP is going for $70/50 rounds. So simple math for just the 600 rounds of factory ammo in this case is $840, so the revolver would cost $260, all else being equal.

The cost of factory fodder for the .41 mag has always been too high, so I roll my own.

oysterhead · #3 01-28-2013, 11:00 PM

Wow that's some expensive ammo.

mitchsnap · #4 01-28-2013, 11:23 PM

Owner never disclosed the vendor where the ammo came from. Here in AZ; we have many ammo producers. I guess I was wondering what the gun only was worth and can fiqure out the rest. Once again, thanks for all input...

colt_saa · #5 01-28-2013, 11:40 PM

I guess RARE is a subjective term.

S&W did produce 2000 of product code 103820. Over the several years that these were being produced S&W discontinued square butts. So some of the run are true square butt revolvers and the remainder are round butt wearing conversion grips. There is no known count on the Square/round butt split.

Hogue grips are the correct factory supplied stock for that revolver.

I bought one of each when they were new. They are among my favorite 41 Magnum revolvers. Both had their Hogue rubber grips replaced with Hogue wood grips.

When buying used firearms, I do not put too much value on ammunition that is supplied with them if they come from a source that is not known to me. I have no way of knowing how the ammunition was stored and for how long. Secondly, ammunition from a local Gun Show ammo loader has as little value as someones home reloads. If it is not from a major manufacturer I have no interest in shooting it at all. The ammo is just brass and projectiles after I pull it down.

I would make an offer for the package on what the revolver was worth to you.

YogiBear · #6 01-29-2013, 05:10 AM

Aloha,

Second the bullets.

All it is to me are components.

Let the sellor know what you think and go from there.

highpower3006 · #7 01-29-2013, 09:56 AM

I'll throw my .02 here and say that even if you merely use the ammo as components, it is still worth a bit of money. I figure about $300 for the ammo which brings the price of the gun down to $800. If the seller did the reloading, he should know what powder he used and you can recycle that also.

If the gun is in really nice condition, that is not all that out of line. A lot depends on what similar guns would go for in your area. I bought a 629-4 last year for $600, I could have had it for $750 with 500 rounds of once reloaded ammo and another 200 empty cases. I went for the lessor amount of $ because I don't shoot other peoples reloads. Now looking back on it, I should have paid the extra and got the ammo.

There will always be someone that will tell you how they bought the exact same gun for X dollars less, but usually that is an anomaly in the marketplace and what it is worth today in your area will very likely be quite different.

I just bought a M57 and am staring at the price of factory ammo, they sure are proud of it. If I could buy 600 rounds of any type of .41 mag ammo for a reasonable price I would go for it.

DR505 · #8 01-29-2013, 01:28 PM

What brand of "New Factory Ammo" is being offered?

mitchsnap · #9 01-29-2013, 09:55 PM

Spoke to the seller today. The ammo is new brass, Hornady bullets.
Comes from a seller in Mesa, AZ called the " Ammo Depot". Not reloads here. Alll new factory ammo. Don't know what .41 Magnum factory ammo sells for.. I might think for the price of $1000.00 it may be a good deal. But I'm in unfamiliar territory... Thanks again for any feedback.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DR505

What brand of "New Factory Ammo" is being offered?

Inspector-Callahan · #10 01-29-2013, 10:18 PM

I purchased this exact gun not too long ago for $750. Same condition with box and papers. I do not believe these came with anything but Hogue monogrips. The ammo is the wildcard in this case and since I am a handloader, I have no idea what current market value is for that. If it's worth $350 for 600rds of this type of ammo, then its a fair deal in my opinion. If you're not a handloader and going to be forced to buy factory ammo anyway, then the deal seems reasonable.

It's not what I'd call "rare", but rather a limited production gun. A nice one at that!!

The brass looks like Starline brass BTW, which is quality brass and totally reloadable.

IC

Inspector-Callahan · #11 01-29-2013, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colt_saa

I guess RARE is a subjective term.

S&W did produce 2000 of product code 103820. Over the several years that these were being produced S&W discontinued square butts. So some of the run are true square butt revolvers and the remainder are round butt wearing conversion grips. There is no known count on the Square/round butt split.

I have a SQ butt gun. I didn't realize some may be floating around with a SQ butt and others with RB frames. My gun is a 657-2 Prdt 103820 and Serial HTR44. I thought it was interesting that it had a HTR prefix and for all I know that is coincidental, but possibly deliberate? There were numerous guns called "hunters" so that's why it seems odd to me that this particular series may have had this prefix. I wonder if the serial string on these was HTR1 through HTR2000 roughly???

IC

colt_saa · #12 01-29-2013, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inspector-Callahan

I have a SQ butt gun. I didn't realize some may be floating around with a SQ butt and others with RB frames. My gun is a 657-2 Prdt 103820 and Serial HTR44. I thought it was interesting that it had a HTR prefix and for all I know that is coincidental, but possibly deliberate? There were numerous guns called "hunters" so that's why it seems odd to me that this particular series may have had this prefix. I wonder if the serial string on these was HTR1 through HTR2000 roughly???

IC

These did start the HTR prefix. My square butt is an HTR. However production was partial runs over several years and S&W did not save the serial number sequence. So Examples made in 94, 95, etc. had different prefixes. My round but is a CAJ prefix.

mitchsnap · #13 01-29-2013, 11:24 PM

Guess I need to get a pic of the box end label showing the product code, S/N, grip info and so on to know for sure....

mitchsnap · #14 01-31-2013, 12:16 AM

Just thought I would add some additional pics. Spoke to S&W today regarding this gun. It seems this may have been issued to law enforcement somewhere as per the S/N and model. It was returned to the factory for the reason of reissue as many were. Never saw a label, product code or otherwise as this is. I thought it was cool where this one went and it's history. I don't believe it holds any value because of it's current configuration. It was produced in 1991 and returned and then sold in 1994 as per S&W. Check out the pics regarding used guns and so on as the label shows...

series guy · #15 01-31-2013, 12:33 AM

As others have stated it's not a bad deal at all with the ammo. Being new ammo and not reloads I would shoot it with no concerns. Something that nobody mentioned is that you'll be hard pressed to find a gun that will shoot any better. Mine is one of the most accurate guns I own and a joy to shoot. It never fails to put a big smile on my face.

mitchsnap · #16 01-31-2013, 12:39 AM

If I was to ask the seller regarding the ammo.... What would be good info for this .41 as far as grain weight, powder, and anything else regarding new ammo. .38's, .357's, .44's I know about. But not the .41 magnum.