K22 Outdoorman in Nickel

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dmccorki

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Local private estate sale says they are selling a K22 Outdoorman in Nickel with original box and factory letter.
My Standard Catalog book says the K22 could be obtained in Nickel on special order, but all the postings I can find on this forum and elsewhere seem to say that is not true and no one has ever seen an original nickel plated early K22.
"If" this is real(I only have one hour of pre auction time to look it over), any thoughts on value?
 
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In that short of an insection period - and if I wasn't dead sure of what to look for, the first thing I'd want to see would be a "factory letter" stating that the gun did indeed leave S&W with the nickel finish. If it left the factory that way, it could, would and should be very easily be documented.

Mark
 
Mike
Intend to do so but will not see the letter till I examine the K22. I own a number of K22s but I am not a collector of unique early models so I am just trying to get a sense of value, assuming all is as described.
Thanks
Doug
 
Don
This is a very low key auction with no serious info up front. I will not know the serial number until I see the gun. I have asked for lots of info but it appears to be a one man show handling the estate so he cannot provide any info.
Doug
 
With the rarity of the gun, and depending on the condition and the letter verifying it was originally a nickel finish I could easily see it sell in the mid-high four figures at least. Original, documented factory nickel model 17s from the 1970s have sold in the $12000 range, so this may be a major underestimate. I doubt there have been recent comparable sales. Good luck in your decision.
 
And a renickel outdoorsman could bring as high as $600. I've done very well taking chances on something like this, but this one would scare me past $800-900. So if you got the bucks to gamble several hundred dollars for a big potential pay off, go for it. If a couple hundred is going to leave you with a serious pain in the gut, I would pass. Your are nickel = (none ever seen), to blue that could have been changed to nickel, (19,500).

Charlie
 
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Great advise above... As a collector of the Outdoorsmans, I have never seen a nickel one that was Factory. If the front or rear sights are nickel - 99.9% sure it was not done at the factory. Also, most of the pre-war nickel guns will still have an "N" stamped on them somewhere (e.g. by the SN on the barrel flat, under the left grip on the front corner of the frame, under the ejector star...).

Even if it was not done at the factory BUT it is well done with no dishing around the screw holes, correct stocks, a box, clean roll marks and edges, to me it would still be worth somewhere $800 to $1,300 range.
 
I found this factory refinished 5 screw back in 2015 at a lgs and they wanted $1000 and no less. It sat there about 1.5 years and finally sold. Most advice from here on the forum was that $1000 was too much. It was date marked and refinished marked on the grip frame.

Helped needed- 5 Screw Nickel Pre 17
 
Thanks all. Appreciate all the helpful advice. Will know more when I see it tomorrow morning, but have just learned that there will be some knowledgeable S&W collectors at the private auction so may be above my pay grade.
 
I posted pictures of this K22 several years ago. It was in a local auction and was listed as a nickel model 35. Not factory nickel (B in front of the serial number on the barrel flat) but done better than most. They left the hammer and trigger color case hardened, left the front sight blue, left the rear sight blade blue. The ejector star is nickel. Came to me with a set of MOP stocks. Have a better set of period correct stocks for it but I shoot it sometimes so have a more worn set of period correct stocks on it for daily use. Probably as close to owning a factory nickel as I will ever get.
 

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dmccorki said:
Thanks all. Appreciate all the helpful advice. Will know more when I see it tomorrow morning, but have just learned that there will be some knowledgeable S&W collectors at the private auction so may be above my pay grade.
Click to expand...

But at this point, you may be more knowledgeable than they are about this specific gun.
 
At the auction. It is not original nickel. It is an early blue finish that was nickel finished sometime later. Factory letter says that and confirms it was not a factory nickel original or refinish.
Very good refinish with blued sights and case hardened hammer and trigger.
Box is also not original--blue box not red.
Hope this info answers all the inquiries I have received. Been fun to expand my knowledge of early K22s.
 
I too have not seen a factory nickel either but thought I'd share this one from my collection.
K22 Outdoorsman 1st model --- had bad spotting of the blue on one side from poor storage as I can tell. No pitting whatsoever, mint chambers and bore and excellent condition matching # grips. Don't think it had been fired much at all, just laid in drawer against some material that must have drawn moisture was my best guess.

A few years ago, had Ford's do the re-nickel. Turned out pretty well, its a unique piece that I like to look at.

Best part is that it now gets to rest in a Masterpiece box.....

JseH5cB.jpg
 
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dmccorki said:
Assume some of you were following this auction of an original factory nickel which was refinished by the factory.


Was watching that one closely......It was original blued gun that was refinished by factory in Nickel.

Nice gun and very cool but sure was a steep price
Click to expand...
 
Colt Cool You responded before I could edit my posting. Thanks for correction. Looks like I should have bought the refinished K22 at the auction.
 
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