I need help with a First model Single shot 22

[GUNKWAZY]

Thanks RT,
Unlike you, I'm one to always want to know exactly what I have.
However, you just don't always have that info in front of you.
So, based on what you see and know, you have no way of telling a value ?
Let's say you were at a live auction of firearms and this one came up for sale.
What would you think it would sell for ?
What number in your head would make sense ?
In so much that when the sale was over, you would say to yourself... Hmmm that was a fair price for that.
I'm guessing, based on your comments, that you would never purchase a gun with-out a historical letter.
I'm thinking that you would be passing up a great deal of guns that would be wonderful additions to someones (if not your) collection.

I've been collecting for many years. I just don't usually dabble in this field.
This gun presented itself and I purchased it because of 2 things.
One being it was unusual and 2 because I liked it.
Paying the kind of money I did for it though is not like me unless I'm aware of the value.
I was just hoping to find someone knowledgeable here with some idea of current market values.

Thanks again for your time and comments, Jeff (GUNKWAZY)

 

[rct269]

Okay---live auction. First of all, I would be EXTREMELY hinky about that gun beacuse of the misplaced serial number. But let's say I dont have a 10" 1st Model----and I want one. To just sit and stare at it, it's a nice gun----and I want one. I can think of all sorts of reasons why the frame number is in the wrong place. None of them are very convincing, but it's a nice gun----and I want one. Wow----I sure wish there was a letter with that gun, but there isn't----and I want one. The bidding is about to start. Let's see how hinky the rest of these folks are about the serial number. BOOM!!! The bid's at $2,000 four seconds after it opens! Hmmmmm??!!! These folks are not very hinky----and I want one. I answer the call. Several folks who know me are visibly shaken---they didn't think I'd bid on that gun. They raise the bid. I raise it back. A couple of the folks who know me very well drop out. They know I believe it is not possible to pay too much for a good gun, but they don't share that philosophy. (It is possible to pay whatever the price too soon----the remedy being to do nothing----just sit and wait. The value will soon arrive at whatever you paid.) They also know if I really want that gun, it's going home with me----no matter what! The bidding has stalled at $2500 (my bid). Part of me desperately hopes thats enough. Another part of me couldn't care less------that's a nice gun----and I want one.

When I get home, the Boss Lady asks if I bought anything. Yep! How much was it?, says she. $2500, says I. Is that a good price?, says she. No, but it's fair---and if I stumble on a better one a year from now, I'll have no problem getting that and more out of this one.

I just sold two guns---actually my agent sold them for me. I've had both guns for a while. One of them has lived here for about 15 years and cost me maybe $900. the other has lived here a little over 5 years and cost me $2500. My take-home---net of my agent's commission is $7000. It is not possible to pay too much for a good gun----only to pay the price too soon.

RT

 

[GUNKWAZY]

Man, that's the longest story I've read while not sitting on the crapper. Heh heh he
I paid $1k for the gun.
I'm guessing I'm in a HINKY gun alright then ?

Thanks, Jeff (GUNKWAZY)

 

[rct269]

Absolutely!!! If the gun is right (letters), you stole it! If it doesn't letter, you bought it right.

RT

 

[1891SingleShot]

Ralph is right, the only way you'll know for sure if it was shipped as a .22 Single Shot is to get a letter. That being said, I wouldn't worry about it too much. As I stated in my first post, I believe that more than a few were shipped with the serial number in the same location as yours. As a matter of fact, the top-break that started my families humble little S&W collection was bought by my grandfather in the 1940's for a price of $10. It has the serial number on the bottom of the grip frame like yours, and a factory letter shows that serial #17838 was shipped as a blued .22 Single Shot with a 10" barrel in 1900, to Hartley & Graham in New York.

 

[rct269]

Now that's interesting----and the second strange thing Ive learned about 1st Models in less than a year. Kurt Vogler came up with what turned out to be a 1st Model---------configured exactly as a 2nd Model-------- no recoil shield, no holes for the hand or the cylinder stop---nothing except for the presence of the cylinder stop pin (which I didn't even notice)---and it wasn't doing anything except filling up the hole. It had a very high serial number----way outside the 2nd Model range, and I was very quick to tell him he had a completely bogus gun----wrong again!!

RT

 

[1891SingleShot]

Just one more quick comment. I was in the gunsafe and pulled out two First Model Single Shots that were handy. One was the 17838 one pictured and the other was a .32 S&W, which also has the serial number on the bottom of the grip frame, I believe in the 21,000 range. Both barrels have matching serial numbers, but like GUNKWAZY's First Model, neither latch has a serial number. Don't know why, but kind of interesting.

 

[GUNKWAZY]

Thanks for the extra info.

Jeff (GUNKWAZY)