Since the shops in this area virtually never have had the used Smiths I'm after, I've had to buy online each time. I've had good experiences in every case. One I had to send back, but the seller was a dealer who was a great guy and simply was unfamiliar with Smith revolvers.
The other posters have advised you well. I'd say that the the most important factors are communication and the seller's feedback. The positive feedback is often repetitive, but but make sure you read every negative entry and ponder it carefully. There should be very few if any such entries, but even the best sellers occasionally run into an unreasonable buyer who is quick to go off on them. One mark of a good seller, in my view, is that he/she will respond honestly and as courteously as possible to the negative feedback.
Get their phone number and call them if at all possible. Those conversations can be very telling. If the seller acts reluctant to answer your questions, don't deal with him. I've asked sellers many questions on the phone before. The good ones understand that you are thinking of spending serious money on something you can't see, and patiently answer.
There are a number of issues you want to be aware of with a used revolver. If the pictures are close up, clear/focused, and comprehensive(showed you the entire gun -both sides, with cylinder open, grip area, muzzle crown, etc.) you won't have to ask much about cosmetic issues(scratches, rust, etc.). You want to see a good picture of the recoil shield(flat, round part of frame immediately behind the cylinder). It will give some idea of how heavily the gun has been used. This is especially true on magnums, which sometimes, after a lot of shooting of heavy loads, will have outlines of the cartridge heads in the blueing on the shield, and sometimes even the ratchet teeth(don't recall the technical name; the small, sharp protrusions arranged in a circle on the back side of the cylinder by which the cylinder is turned from one chamber to the next) will have left marks on the shield. If this latter item is true, it's probably best to pass on the gun -it has significant fore and aft play in the cylinder(technical name: "end shake").
The cylinder will virtually always have a drag line around it toward the rear where the stop notches are(shallow half-moon cuts which engage the cylinder stop[little rounded piece of steel at the bottom of the frame window] , keeping the chambers locked during firing), so that isn't a concern; but if the stop notches are seriously peened the gun has probably been fired rapidly a good bit in double action mode.
You should also ask about "carry-up", or cylinder "timing". The cylinder stop should 'click' into each stop notch just before the hammer is released in double action mode. This can be tested by the seller while you're on the phone with him.
I also ask about each sight being square/true/level. It is common on used Smith revolvers to have the rear sight leaf slightly twisted, which I can't tolerate. Occasionally the front sight is 'canted'(tilted) slightly to one side or the other. Some folks don't mind that; I do.
I ask about the fit of the grip panels, if that isn't evident in the pictures. One can't expect perfection, but if there are significant gaps anywhere around the grip panels, or if they don't align well with the backstrap(strip of steel at rear of frame between the grip panels), that may be a concern to you.
Well, I haven't covered things comprehensively or very well. Others will come along and correct me and fill in the gaps. Best wishes on your purchases.
Andy
