Inherited a Model 15-2 and a Model 18-3

F

flyingship

Joined
Jan 1, 2015
Messages
2
Reaction score
3
Location
St. Paul, MN
My cousin twice removed recently passed away, and he left me (among other things) his gun collection-- consisting of a bunch of shotguns and two S&W revolvers. I sold the shotguns at auction, but the revolvers called to me, so I hung on to them-- and now I'm trying to figure out how much they might be worth, and if I should keep them or sell them. These are the first guns I've ever owned, though I've shot other peoples' guns occasionally, so I don't have much experience in these matters.

The first one is a .38 Special Model 15-2, S.N. K735XXX, with a 2" barrel. It looks to be in excellent condition, though I don't know enough about guns to tell if it's ever been fired:

lNJtTIG.jpg


It has an accompanying box and cleaner, although the box belongs to a different gun-- both the S.N. and model # are different:

Ut3OS4W.jpg


The box is dated July 23, 1968 on the inside of the cover.


The second gun is a .22 Combat Masterpiece, Model 18-3, with a 4" barrel, S.N. K904XXX. It's in just about the same condition as the .38:

GUzgOGD.jpg


It also came with a box, which matches the gun, although it suffered some damage (water damage? but the gun itself is fine) from sitting in a closet for the last 30-40 years:

4U61o8b.jpg


The box has the original wrapping paper, manual, and warranty card in it, but doesn't have any dates stamped on it.

0zNELjb.jpg


I've got a bunch more pictures in an Imgur album guns - Imgur

So I guess what I'm asking is: how much are these worth, and should I keep them or sell them? I'm not really a big gun person (at this time, at least!) though I would like to shoot them if it won't drop their value. If there are millions just like 'em floating around and they're only worth a couple hundred bucks each, I'll probably keep one or both of them, but if they're valuable, I'd probably want to sell.

What do you think?
 
Register to hide this ad
Nice guns, although I prefer the Model 15 in 4". To me they'd be $450 and $550, perhaps somewhat more, and WELL worth keeping, shooting, and handing down.

And they'll appreciate every year, which is more than you can say for just about anything else.
 
Welcome to the Forum.
Those are VERY nice revolvers.
The M15 was made in 1967. The M18 in 1969. They are both Combat Masterpieces.
Thre M15 is worth at least $500, maybe more. The M18 is probably worth at least $700.
If it were me, I would keep them.......and shoot the heck out of 'em.:cool:
Jim
 
Shoot em before you sell em! Don't know about the 15 but that 18-3 with matching box/papers/tools sitting on a gun store shelf or a gun show table around here would have a price tag on it in the $750 range. It might not bring it but that would be the asking price.
 
First off you forgot to mention how lucky you are,I can see why the revolvers called to you. I have been trying to find a M15 2" on the usual auction sites and I can tell you they are in short supply and very high demand. As far as the M18-3, what can you say, it is a jewel. Many peoples favorite, just do a search using the Google search on this site and you will become enlightened on the M18.
Back to to 2" M15 I just last week saw one sell on Gun Broker that was advertised as unfired, had the box and other goods and it sold for over a $1000, thats an extreme example. Yours looks in excellent condition. I would venture to guess that your M15 would fetch over $700 min. in todays market at the usual auction sites. If you want to see what they are presently selling for at perhaps the most inflated prices go to the Gun Broker site and use the ADVANCED COMPLETED SALE search option for past sales. I would bet you won't find many, much the same for the M18, people seldom give them up they are so coveted. Either way i hope you decide to keep them. Some folks might agree these are better than money in the bank. Regards

P.S. What ever you do don't consult the Blue Book for handguns, in my opinion it is a joke.
 
Last edited:
Price Value?

Bat Guano said:
Nice guns, although I prefer the Model 15 in 4". To me they'd be $450 and $550, perhaps somewhat more, and WELL worth keeping, shooting, and handing down.

And they'll appreciate every year, which is more than you can say for just about anything else.
Click to expand...
If you would kindly pass along the source I could pick up these fine and sought after firearms at the prices mentioned I would greatly appreciate it. Best Regards
 
  • Like
Reactions: A10
Welcome to the Forum! I would guarrentee that if you posted those here in the For Sale section at 500 each they would not last 10 minutes. I woud give you 5 bills for that 15 right now! The 18 is worth more, as they are somewhat harder to find, and .22 revolvers seem to command a premium. I would say you could start at 600 for the 15 and 750 for the 18 and see where it goes. Around my area, those would be considered fair prices these days.
 
I would say for the pair that $1200 would be a fair price for both seller and buyer. That is figuring $500 on the 15 and $700 on the 18.
Twig.
 
So if I do hang on to them-- even just for now-- will firing them bring down the value at all, assuming I take care of them otherwise? I doubt either of them are unfired, just judging by the slight wear on the path of the cylinder as it swings out, but I can't really tell.
 
IMO 500 dollars for a 2 inch model 15-2 is about 300 dollars shy of it's real market value in that condition. I'd also put the model 18 at 800-850 due to the correct box and original complete tool set.

However, those are full retail prices, if you want the wholesale value (what a dealer will offer) multiply those numbers by 0.40. Because on commodities like this the typical Wholesale value is only 40% of the Retail value.

If you want a better return you'll have to find a gun shop that does consignment sales and be willing to hand over 20% of the selling price. You'll also likely find out why there is such a wide disparity between Wholesale and Retail on items like this, because neither one will sell until someone looking for that exact revolver walks in the door who is willing to pay full retail for it.

Personally, I would recommend you keep them out of respect for your cousin. One thing I can tell you is that both revolvers are wonderful shooting revolvers but if you do a lot of shooting with them you will impact the value.

If you want to sell them quickly, you've come to the right place. Because I am certain that there are collectors looking who are just about at the drooling point. What I would suggest is you put up a price of about 70-85% of full retail and offer them for sale in the Sales sub forum here. Depending on how hard nosed you are on price I would expect they will sell between a couple of hours to a week or so.

PS; I'm all bought out on handguns so I won't be making an offer so you can consider my advice relatively unbiased. I'll also suggest you indicate your approximate location so those in your home state can make some face to face purchase offers. Selling face to face will save you the cost of having a local dealer ship the gun out of state.
 
Last edited:
Holster wear, rust, and abuse (like flipping the cylinder open or closed) will affect value. Shooting an unfired gun will slightly affect value. You can put a LOT of rounds down range with those two and never wear them out! Were they mine, they would remain so, and be passed along to family after I die.
 
I wish I had cousins like that. All my cousins are ones I WANT to have removed.
 
You have two very nice Smith and Wesson revolvers. Please keep them and shoot them as much as possible. It is hard to come up with two better Smith and Wesson models.
 
I would not sell them!

S&Ws in that condition and model numbers are sought after.

If you spend some time surfing here, you'll come to know that.


.
 
These are fine firearms .. don't dry fire the 22 (model 18) .. as that can cause some damage .. both guns are in demand .. I'd love to get a model 18 ... one of my favorites .. I think you should find a reputable gunsmith in your area to give you an appraisal as to the function/condition of each firearm .. tell him up front you are not selling or trading but want to make sure they are safe and working correctly. Then go to the range and put a few boxes through each .. you will know if they are something you want to keep .. something only you can decide, but never pass off a fine firearm without experiencing how it feels and carries .. or you will have seller's remorse about that which is unknown .. of course if they are collector quality you may just want to leave them unfired .. it's your call.

I'm thinking a vintage S&W in like new condition (no rust spots, pitting, or blue coming off) would command about $750-800 at auction on the 22 revolver; the 2-inch model 15 .. about 600-700. I'm in southern illinois and have not seen these in my local gun shops for many years .. so there is definitely a market for both guns.

As far as I'm concerned I like the older Smith & Wesson revolvers from the 1960-80's .. anything newer and they appeal to someone else.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top