I have a stainless steel Model 63, 4" barrel, with wood grips. Serial number is BDU28**. My records indicate that it was made in or around 1989, but please correct me if I'm wrong.

Can anyone give me an approximate value, and if there is anything noteworthy about this gun? I plan to sell it, and don't want to get ripped off because I'm unaware of something about it. I bought it used in 2001 and have shot it very little. I moved on to semi-auto .22 pistols, and don't really want this one any more.

S&W bible refers to it as the 1977 .22/32 kit gun. In todays market I would believe it would sell easily for north of $750 in good shape..more for higher conditions, with box etc...may even push over $1k.

I believe you're spot on with your date. I've had several J-frames with BDU serial number prefixes that S&W shipped in April 1989.

Last month I sold a nice 4" square butt Model 63 without the box and goodies for $800.

Hope this helps.

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Wrangler of stray Chiefs
Bob

I found a couple of NIB with all the accessories old model 63's like yours (not the new ones with the lock and MIM parts) on a couple of auction sites and one was listed at $1295 and the other $1100. Could not fine many vintage ones for sale. I agree with Breakaway 500's estimate of $750 for a fair price but only if in great condition cosmetically and mechanically. If not, I would not take less than $600 for it. In these crazy times, people are paying outrageous amounts for vintage Smith's. I had one many years ago and regret getting rid of it. If you sell it, the remorse may set in very quickly. Good luck.

If I was selling mine, which I’m not -
I would want $1,000.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

I paid $1k for this one, nib, in May.

I've checked GunBroker, and sellers are mostly asking north of $1200 for similar guns. I've never sold any guns online, but it's looking likely. I'll probably take it around to a couple of LGS to see what they'll offer.

Has anyone used Bud's Gun's shipmygun.com shipping service? Seems like the best way to ship a handgun.

In February 2021, a clean 1980-ish 4" Model 63 no dash with a nice holster and 3 boxes of Stinger ammo was posted in Armslist by a local private seller for $800. And, yes, I bought it.

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Tom in AZ
Respect the Dingbat

Are these worth as much or more than a no-dash? The prices I'm seeing above is where I thought the no-dashes were selling. I'd think a gun with a lock would be a bit less but maybe I need to try and keep up!

Are these worth as much or more than a no-dash?

Just as much, depending on condition. Would I pay more than $800 for any 4" Model 63? Doubtful. I have another, a 1992 Model 63-3 with BNT prefix. BUT, it is a 2" barrel example, which should bring a substantial premium.

Gila's 63-3 2-inch.jpg

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Tom in AZ
Respect the Dingbat

There are some on Gun Broker at $1000 plus but you have to keep those prices in context. None of them have bids on them. The most expensive one I found that had a bid was $750 and was a no reserve auction starting at 1 cent.

Good point. If I check completed auctions on FB, similar ones that actually sold went for $710 to $850. If they were listed at $1000+, they didn't get any bids.

Model 63's bring premium prices especially the pinned barrel (no dash) ones. Unless you really need to sell it I would not. If you are a S&W revolver person one needs to be in your collection. I bought mine in 2014 and paid around $650 for it off Gunbroker. I thought I paid too much at the time. I bought it to teach my wife and others to shoot a revolver. It is a 1980, no dash, with grips numbered to the gun. I added the S&W square butt J frame target grips. It would be one of the last guns I would sell if ever. IMHO I estimate the value of it at least $1,000 in todays market.

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Saw a 63 go for $985 recently on GB. Haven’t seen any less than that at least recently. It’s a sellers market, and all the new gun owners have also birthed a subset of many new collectors as well, it seems to me.

I used to have no interest in the Kit Guns, either the blued Model 34's or the stainless Model 63's. I figured that a Model 18 was a better choice for a 4" .22 revolver.

Then a few years ago I noticed that Model 63's were starting to become the darlings of the S&W collectors and shooters, bringing the kind of money that Model 13 and Model 65 3" guns were selling for. I didn't understand it.

And one day I was at a gun show and spied a Model 63 on a table for much less than they were selling for at the time. It had the look of a gun that was owned by someone who thought (1) .22's don't need to be cleaned, and (2) stainless guns don't need to be cleaned, and (3) why shoot something clean burning like CCI MiniMags when you can shoot bulk pack lead .22's for a fraction of the price. In other words the seller must have been too lazy to clean it up before putting it on his table for a higher price.

I bought it, got it home, did a detail strip and thorough cleaning and scraped quite a bit of lead buildup from around the face of the barrel. I now had an excellent Model 63 from 1980 that I'll bet had less than a brick of ammo through it. Took it to the range and I'll be darned, that gun will sure shoot. The DA trigger isn't as good my K frame 22's but the SA trigger is quite good. And I started to get the Kit Gun concept. It is lighter and more compact than my other .22 revolvers. The stainless finish is a plus for sure.
Now I know why people are asking and many people are willing to pay close to $1000 for a Model 63. Like others here, it would take quite a bit to get me to part with mine.

I added a set of Goncalo Alves Smooth Target Stocks which helps immensely as I have big hands and the factory Magna stocks just didn't cut it for me.

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