Good Deal on a Pre-war M&P?

[bmcgilvray]

I spotted a 4-inch blue M&P serial No. 6XXXXX at the Fort Worth gun show today. It was a real condition rarity. Nicest pre-war M&P I've ever seen. Since I love the M&P's I was intrigued. Price though was $800. No box. I'm probably behind times but that seems over the top to me.

Also am curious about the pre-war 2-inch M&P on Gunbrokers just now for $700. Looks to be 85% to me. Anyone have a feel for value of pre-war 2-inch guns?

What say you?

 

[bmcgilvray]

I spotted a 4-inch blue M&P serial No. 6XXXXX at the Fort Worth gun show today. It was a real condition rarity. Nicest pre-war M&P I've ever seen. Since I love the M&P's I was intrigued. Price though was $800. No box. I'm probably behind times but that seems over the top to me.

Also am curious about the pre-war 2-inch M&P on Gunbrokers just now for $700. Looks to be 85% to me. Anyone have a feel for value of pre-war 2-inch guns?

What say you?

 

[km371]

For $800.00 it had better have been owned by FDR himself! That price is WAY TOO high,even if it had the box and was never fired.
Something like that should be about $275-350.00,in my humble estimation..
There's a lot of M&P's around,some in better shape than others, so you can afford to pick and choose yours.

I can't believe a dealer would ask such a crazy price!

 

[pace40]

IMO...Condition would have to be real special for $800 no box, but if it is, that price is not out of the realm of reality especially to a M&P nut. 2" at 85% is a shooter and should be priced as such.

 

[cgt4570]

I also saw the 2" on GB and considered it. I'm just not enough of an M&P nut I guess. I've got a just slightly post war round butt long action 2" so I can't justify an earlier one just like it.

 

[mikepriwer]

With most S&W's, the prices start to go parabolic when condition gets over
96%, or so. I've been told that prices nearly double for every 1% increase
in "real" condition, above about 96%. So, if a 95% M&P is selling for, say,
$250, a 97% might be offered at, say $500, and a real 99% gun might well be
offered for, say, $750 or so.

If it were a target, those prices could easily be double those numbers. One of the
things about 98 to 99% guns is that there is not that many of them. And, there are
collectors who focus on condition. Those combination of those two forces results
in high prices for the few top-condition guns that are offered.

Think about two registered magnums - identical guns otherwise except for finish.
Say one is refinished, and the other is brand spanking new, right out of the closet
where its been for 60 years. Think about the price difference !

So yes - at the very upper end, condition matters.

As to 2" pre-WW2 M&P's, there is not that many of them. Probably only made less
than, say, 2000, although even that seems high. In square butt, they are very
scarce . Round butt are much more common. $700 for a 85% 2" may be a little
high - how many more in that condition are being offered to you ?

Regards, Mike Priwer

 

[cxm]

Bryan,

You didn't tell me you were going to be at the Ft. Worth Show... I was there too....

Didn't find much....

It was a nice gun...but heavily over priced...

Chuck

Originally posted by bmcgilvray:
I spotted a 4-inch blue M&P serial No. 6XXXXX at the Fort Worth gun show today. It was a real condition rarity. Nicest pre-war M&P I've ever seen. Since I love the M&P's I was intrigued. Price though was $800. No box. I'm probably behind times but that seems over the top to me.

Also am curious about the pre-war 2-inch M&P on Gunbrokers just now for $700. Looks to be 85% to me. Anyone have a feel for value of pre-war 2-inch guns?

What say you?

 

[rburg]

I'm thinking that I need to visit the place where great condition pre-war M&Ps are selling for sub-$300 prices. Those days are long gone, as is 30 cent a gallong fuel. Even postwar/pre model guns will never see $300 again. I know its difficult to adjust to prices.

I remember a lot of things were cheaper in the past, like $1 an hour wanges. I remember soft drinks at 5 Cents, and the almost civil war it caused when they tried to double it to a dime for counter soft drinks in a restaruant setting. Last time I looked, a medium coke cost me $1.70. I even remember back a few gun control scares ago when someone suggested we need to be buying up all the $50 M&Ps and bury them for a few years. I also remember K22s selling for $100 and everyone being outraged over it. Then someone saying $500 is a fair price for a shooter grade K22.

This weekend I was looking for an American made double barrel 12 ga. You know, a junker like a Stevens 310 at a fair price like $200 or so!

Seen the prices of perfect prewar K22s?

 

[bmcgilvray]

Hey Chuck;
It was a spur of the moment trip up there. I took a break from working with a caulk gun to go look at real guns for a while. Still preparing the house for sale.

There wasn't much at that show was there? Even the uninteresting stuff had high prices. I'm still having a hard time with winchester Model 12's or Browning A 5's with Cutt's or Poly-Chokes for $500+.

 

[popgun]

And so the game goes on. Buy all of the guns you can, as there is no better investment. In ten years we will remember this as the Golden Age of Firearms, as prices are not going down.

 

[km371]

Very well put,my friend.

 

[ladder13]

I'll take all the pre-war M10's in exc cond(98+) you can throw my way for under $300. E-mail me with details, cash is waiting.