chuck17
Member
Nice gun. No need to refinish. I agree with the recommendation to wax it with Rennaisance Wax. It won't do any harm and will bring out the luster of the finish.
38-44 Fix it...or sell it ??
- Thread starter Win
- Start date
tulsamal
Member
I like to buy junk silver. With the current price of silver, we are up to $11-$12 times face value. So a generic 90% silver dollar is worth $11-$12. (This doesn't apply to Morgan dollars or even Peace ones.) So $58 in generic 90% silver coins is about $696.
1964 and older silver coins come from a time when the money itself was actually "worth something" inherently. Somehow we ended up with all fiat money today.
I like to buy $100 or so worth of silver whenever I have extra money.
Gregg
Sebago Son
Member
The gun's fine just as it is. Leave it be. Especially if you're going to sell it.
If it was made in 1958 it could be "Model Marked" as "MOD 23" in the crane cut out and that would add considerably to it's value.
If so marked, please e-mail me off line and I'll either buy it or help you price it.
If you refinish the gun intending to sell it, cut the value you would realize in half and forget getting your refinish cost back. In other words you'd be throwing money away and trashing a fairly good gun.
Good Luck!
Drew
SWCA 1802
If it was made in 1958 it could be "Model Marked" as "MOD 23" in the crane cut out and that would add considerably to it's value.
If so marked, please e-mail me off line and I'll either buy it or help you price it.
If you refinish the gun intending to sell it, cut the value you would realize in half and forget getting your refinish cost back. In other words you'd be throwing money away and trashing a fairly good gun.
Good Luck!
Drew
SWCA 1802
klondike
Member
Win - Before you do anything with that gun, hang out on this forum for a year or so and a very healthy appreciation for the 38-44 and old Smiths that came by their slight blemishes honestly. You have a great revolver, learn about it and enjoy.
Thank you for providing the serial number. Although the gun may have been purchased in 1958 it is probably a 1952-53 vintage.
Oil it! Shoot it ! DO NOT REFINISH IT !
Clean it up and your grandkids will be shooting it many years from now. The finish on your gun is typical of the 1940s-mid 50s examples. Bright finish was available on pre-war guns and a few late in the history of the Outdoorsman.
Here is its very close cousin that goes to the range on a regular basis. Even though it has a few scratches and finish rubs it is still "my kind of gun" !
Jerry
Oil it! Shoot it ! DO NOT REFINISH IT !
Clean it up and your grandkids will be shooting it many years from now. The finish on your gun is typical of the 1940s-mid 50s examples. Bright finish was available on pre-war guns and a few late in the history of the Outdoorsman.
Here is its very close cousin that goes to the range on a regular basis. Even though it has a few scratches and finish rubs it is still "my kind of gun" !
Jerry
Sebago Son
Member
These guns were popular in the early postwar period before your gun was made.... but by the time the 1950's rolled around and yours was built (likely around 1952 or 53) the pre-war popularity of the .38-44 was fading in favor of the .357 Magnum.
About this same time the Pre-28 Hyway Patolman made it's appearance as a more affordable .357 and that hurt the Outdoorsman's LE sales. By the time 1955-56 rolled around the .38-44 had about run it's course. That's the reason we see so few Model Marked Model 23's.
While yours is a good gun and a fair example in presentable condition, the ,38-44 Outdoorsman from this period are not as collectible as pre-war guns or as rare as a model marked specimine.
I'll stop short of establishing a value except to say that recently I purchased a NIB example (Gold Box) for $900. I've got a couple of them around here that I paid even less for, but that was years ago.
Good Luck,
Drew
About this same time the Pre-28 Hyway Patolman made it's appearance as a more affordable .357 and that hurt the Outdoorsman's LE sales. By the time 1955-56 rolled around the .38-44 had about run it's course. That's the reason we see so few Model Marked Model 23's.
While yours is a good gun and a fair example in presentable condition, the ,38-44 Outdoorsman from this period are not as collectible as pre-war guns or as rare as a model marked specimine.
I'll stop short of establishing a value except to say that recently I purchased a NIB example (Gold Box) for $900. I've got a couple of them around here that I paid even less for, but that was years ago.
Good Luck,
Drew
wraco
Member
Clean it up a bit, a little lubrication and use it. A gun with honest wear is special. Refinish it and that's lost.
Regards;
Rod
Regards;
Rod
Merrifield
Member
Very nice, I agree with the other posters that I'd clean it and shoot it as it is - that gun has a lot of character.
Is it the angle of the picture or has the front sight been reshaped?
Is it the angle of the picture or has the front sight been reshaped?
vermilion
Member
"Fix" what? Nothing wrong with it. To me a gun that has worn edges gives it character and makes it different than all the rest. I'd oil it up and commence firing.
OFT
Member
+1
It's now officially OFF the market....I took it to the range today. What a great shooter !! I had loaded up some 140 grain .38s a few years ago and chrono'd them out of my 686+ at 1100 fps. Pretty zippy for a .38...but I only owned .357s, so I wasn't worried about blowing up any guns. This 38-44 is my first firearm chambered for .38 special. I had about 40 of the old zippy reloads left and the gun handled the hot loads without a hiccup...and quite accurate as well, I might ad. Very much fun to shoot.
Sebago Son
Member
Outstanding! Well Done! Carry On!
Drew
Deathompson
Member
+1 Another one spared the blueing tank!
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