If you were starting a Smith Collection what would be your first 10 guns..

BRush said:
10 examples to illustrate Smiths production history. individual examples as per your personal preference.

Model 2 Old Army
Model No.3
32 or 38 Break Top
Model 1905 or earlier H.E.
Triple Lock
Pre War N Frame
Post War to 1969 N Frame
Post War K Frame
Pre 1969 Auto
Pre 1969 J Frame
Click to expand...

That is what I am talking about!! Excellent.. Thank you!!
 
A quick thanks to all that share your top ten picks.. My friend and I were at the Tulsa Show this last weekend and picked up some great Smiths… The feedback was incredibly useful and helped Mr. Newbie find some very special guns… I am not sure if he will post but if he does see if he picked some of your top ten… I can home with a few and will post shortly… I can't say how helpful your input was for a new collector….
 
These would be my first choices in S&W. There are rarer guns that cost a lot more, but for the money these are the ones I would start with.

3913 TSW Without the rail
4513 TSW Without the rail
4003 TSW Without the rail
4013 TSW Without the rail
6906
649 or Nickel plated 49
3” 625
696 No Dash
3’ Model 64
3” Model 624
 
You cannot pick out the 10 best, there are actually a few dozen that come to my mind in an instant. People always go for the obvious , the Registered magnum is always first. I say buy what you like and don't skimp on condition. Any 4 or 5 screw gun that's still dead new in its original box is worthy of anyone's Smith collection. I like the idea of diversifying my collection with many different models. I get just as much excitement looking at my new nib 100 year old new departure as I do say looking at my nib 1930 k-22 or my nib 1965 class A engraved 19-2. I collect based on condition and my criteria is perfect even if a its common configuration I still collect them. Eventually when tougher models come along I buy them provided they are perfect as well. I have some rare ones and some common ones and I truley enjoy them all. I am never looking to upgrade or cull what I have because I wait and buy the very best whenever it finally presents itself, sometimes it takes a while. But everyone needs to start with a k22 pre war then a post war ,, then a masterpiece then a pre war kit gun, then a beakart and then a transition kit gun, followed by a pre war terrier , a couple regulation police , post office gun, then a straight line then a steel frame 39 then Pehaps a 5 inch 29 ,, then just a plain Jane ole Mp 4 inch. Don't forget to get all the Chiefs including a 50,,, then shift gears to an air weight binge and buy up a dozen or so of those alloys guns,, then a good RM in nickel of course. Then how about a pre 26 ?? Then a triple lock target , and a flat latch bodyguard just for the heck of it ? Did I leave any out anything ,,, oh sure I did about a thousand or so really good ones. Did I mention a non registered magnum or a nickel 51 ? The bottom line is the road goes on forever and the party never ends when collecting Smiths. You do not know what you really like until you have owned a few,, don't assume buying a registered magnum right off the bat will fulfill your Smith and Wesson collecting heart. You will never know what the joy of owning a little red boxed terrier feels like until you go down that path. The more I collect the more my horizons expand. I missed so many great guns early in my collecting career because all I could see were RM,s and pre 29's. Tunnel vision cost me. I have finally decided I like them all, some just better than others. Collecting Smiths as you may have noticed is a whole lot like my run on sentences ,,,, I never know when to stop.
 
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Tell your friend Smiths are so much more fun to collect than those old stiff collared Colts. I have already told him but you need to tell him again just for good measure. I think he will enjoy this new venture. Im guilty of collecting a few Colts myself, but my heart is here on the blue side. My first gun was a full target K-22 and Ive been hooked ever since. Long before there was ever 3G there was 3T's. I'm a Smith guy til death do us part.
 
John Fugate said:
You cannot pick out the 10 best, there are actually a few dozen that come to my mind in an instant. People always go for the obvious , the Registered magnum is always first. I say buy what you like and don't skimp on condition. Any 4 or 5 screw gun that's still dead new in its original box is worthy of anyone's Smith collection. I like the idea of diversifying my collection with many different models. I get just as much excitement looking at my new nib 100 year old new departure as I do say looking at my nib 1930 k-22 or my nib 1965 class A engraved 19-2. I collect based on condition and my criteria is perfect even if a its common configuration I still collect them. Eventually when tougher models come along I buy them provided they are perfect as well. I have some rare ones and some common ones and I truley enjoy them all. I am never looking to upgrade or cull what I have because I wait and buy the very best whenever it finally presents itself, sometimes it takes a while. But everyone needs to start with a k22 pre war then a post war ,, then a masterpiece then a pre war kit gun, then a beakart and then a transition kit gun, followed by a pre war terrier , a couple regulation police , post office gun, then a straight line then a steel frame 39 then Pehaps a 5 inch 29 ,, then just a plain Jane ole Mp 4 inch. Don't forget to get all the Chiefs including a 50,,, then shift gears to an air weight binge and buy up a dozen or so of those alloys guns,, then a good RM in nickel of course. Then how about a pre 26 ?? Then a triple lock target , and a flat latch bodyguard just for the heck of it ? Did I leave any out anything ,,, oh sure I did about a thousand or so really good ones. Did I mention a non registered magnum or a nickel 51 ? The bottom line is the road goes on forever and the party never ends when collecting Smiths. You do not know what you really like until you have owned a few,, don't assume buying a registered magnum right off the bat will fulfill your Smith and Wesson collecting heart. You will never know what the joy of owning a little red boxed terrier feels like until you go down that path. The more I collect the more my horizons expand. I missed so many great guns early in my collecting career because all I could see were RM,s and pre 29's. Tunnel vision cost me. I have finally decided I like them all, some just better than others. Collecting Smiths as you may have noticed is a whole lot like my run on sentences ,,,, I never know when to stop.
Click to expand...

Well said John.. Good seeing you in Tulsa…

John you have to remember we were talking about a new collector in the Smith world. Mr Newbie's first gun purchased was a K22 Outdoorsman 99% with numbered box. Not a bad start.. We all collect differently (tomatoes vs. tomatos). Me, I don't collect based on condition as a primary.. For example, I have an extensive single shot set of guns as a vertical.. I like stories and provenance and rareity. Fact is we start with what is available and move forward from there.. I bought 8 guns in Tulsa and I didn't plan on buying anything, but the new ones are guns I could not pass up. Here they are and I will provide reasons why:

1.Pre 27 Pinto 1955
This one is factory engraved on the side plate from one to another and in stellar condition.. A perfect condition gun no box..

2. Reg Mag 5" Post Office issued
This is one of nine shipped to Springfield Armory and appears to be a Postal issued gun with initials and a badge # engraved.. Provenance No box

3. Pre 27 3 1/2 99% box SN# complete
Perfect complete nib.. My first complete original Pre 27 I've been looking for over a year..

4. K38 5” Illinois Police Issued
Nuff said no box

5. K32 Pre 16 Red Dot front sight
One on only three known examples with a factory red dot sight.. Complete with box

6. K22-40
Good price not perfect but hard to find no box

7. Pre 27 5" Complete 99%
With box - an added new barrel length

8. Model 1950 45
99% with maroon box stellar condition hard to find..

This was 8 out of 10 on my list given what was there but my place as a collector is more evolved than a new player. Regardless each of these guns were on someone's posted top ten which is very interesting…

The question John still stands: If you were a new collector and you had to start with your first 10 and there was a limit of 10 only what would they be?
 
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John Fugate said:
Tell your friend Smiths are so much more fun to collect than those old stiff collared Colts. I have already told him but you need to tell him again just for good measure. I think he will enjoy this new venture. Im guilty of collecting a few Colts myself, but my heart is here on the blue side. My first gun was a full target K-22 and Ive been hooked ever since. Long before there was ever 3G there was 3T's. I'm a Smith guy til death do us part.
Click to expand...
Mr. Newbie had a great weekend at Tulsa with the SWCA gang who BTW treated him like a member of the band of brothers.. He gets it!
 
bigl1911 said:
Mr. Newbie had a great weekend at Tulsa with the SWCA gang who BTW treated him like a member of the band of brothers.. He gets it!
Click to expand...

I think the Smiths will put a whole new life into his collecting. I have to change gears and branch out sometimes myself to keep my interest.
 
Top ten to start with, a nice variety.
RM - of course.
pre war k22
post war k22
pre war HD
post war HD
pre war 38/44 outdoorsman
post war 38/44 outdoormans
ladysmith - " A good one "
triple lock
Beakart
pre war terrier,

This would get anyone a good start. But I think you could easily come up with at least a solid hundred iconic models as time goes on. Its hard to put your finger on just ten but you have to start somewhere.
 
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John Fugate said:
Top ten to start with, a nice variety.
RM - of course.
pre war k22
post war k22
pre war HD
post war HD
pre war 38/44 outdoorsman
post war 38/44 outdoormans
ladysmith - " A good one "
triple lock
Beakart
pre war terrier,

This would get anyone a good start. But I think you could easily come up with at least a solid hundred iconic models as time goes on. Its hard to put your finger on just ten but you have to start somewhere.
Click to expand...

Excellent...
 
A model 56 is a good one to hunt down or a 6 inch pre 45 or a real nickel 28 or a 28-1 ? A model marked 22 ? The list truly goes on forever. I say break in the game buying standard "common" models in high NIB condition then progress into the scarce and rare as your learn whats what. It doesn't take long to figure out whats really hard to find.
 
Model 39. Model 52, Model 60, K-38 Combat Masterpiece.

Enough of each to make up my first 10. That would be 2 of each and a couple extra K-38's.

But why stop at 10? You have to consider the possibility of a bad boating accident where all could be lost. Like the one I was in last year on Lake Superior. It was tragic.
 
bigl1911 said:
Well said John.. Good seeing you in Tulsa…

John you have to remember we were talking about a new collector in the Smith world. Mr Newbie's first gun purchased was a K22 Outdoorsman 99% with numbered box. Not a bad start.. We all collect differently (tomatoes vs. tomatos). Me, I don't collect based on condition as a primary.. For example, I have an extensive single shot set of guns as a vertical.. I like stories and provenance and rareity. Fact is we start with what is available and move forward from there.. I bought 8 guns in Tulsa and I didn't plan on buying anything, but the new ones are guns I could not pass up. Here they are and I will provide reasons why:

1.Pre 27 Pinto 1955
This one is factory engraved on the side plate from one to another and in stellar condition.. A perfect condition gun no box..

2. Reg Mag 5" Post Office issued
This is one of nine shipped to Springfield Armory and appears to be a Postal issued gun with initials and a badge # engraved.. Provenance No box

3. Pre 27 3 1/2 99% box SN# complete
Perfect complete nib.. My first complete original Pre 27 I've been looking for over a year..

4. K38 5” Illinois Police Issued
Nuff said no box

5. K32 Pre 16 Red Dot front sight
One on only three known examples with a factory red dot sight.. Complete with box

6. K22-40
Good price not perfect but hard to find no box

7. Pre 27 5" Complete 99%
With box - an added new barrel length

8. Model 1950 45
99% with maroon box stellar condition hard to find..

This was 8 out of 10 on my list given what was there but my place as a collector is more evolved than a new player. Regardless each of these guns were on someone's posted top ten which is very interesting…

The question John still stands: If you were a new collector and you had to start with your first 10 and there was a limit of 10 only what would they be?
Click to expand...


Hey BigL

Did you pick up the Illinois State Police on GB last week or In Tulsa? Saw one on Gunbroker. Not too many of them! Good find
 
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