K22 serial info and value opinions

[Jamesatrange]

Hi. I'm not overly familiar with the K22 but owning one is on the revolver bucket list. Guns of this era seem to operate like fine watches, smooth and built with craftsmanship. I finally held one today as a local dealer has one. The serial#K67426. The cylinder, barrel and frame all have the same serial#. I didn't remove the grips to see if they match the gun serial# but they are correct grips for the gun.
Condition seemed very solid, all features worked as they should. There is bluing wear on the muzzle end and some along the right side of the barrel. The rest of the guns bluing looks pretty good. There is a turn line on the cylinder from usage over the years.
My question is does anyone know from the serial # an approximate year and your opinion on going gun shop values. They don't seem overly rare when shopping on the gun sites but I prefer to buy local and see it live first. Asking price is $800.00. No box.
Thanks for your help. Jim

 

[Model52guy]

Jim,
The serial number puts it in 1948, probably late in the year.
As far as value, condition is everything in the older collector pistol. A picture would help. A high condition K22 can go for $1000. I passed on a 1948 K22 at this weekend's gun show for $475 as the condition made it a "shooter"

 

[hardscrabble]

Assembled in '48 according to the standard reference. Condition is very subjective and you are correct that pictures don't always tell the whole story. Unfortunately, chasing down just the right K22 in pawn shops and gun stores can be tough.

For $800 I would expect a pretty nice example. If it is showing much wear at all, it is over-priced. For what gets called a "shooter" here, which means it has little value to a collector but it's better than a boat anchor, somewhere in the $500 to maybe $600 range seems to be the going rate at the moment. If it shows a touch of frost on the ejector rod and at the muzzle, and a turn ring on the cylinder, and it is very nice otherwise, maybe $100 to $200 over that. A decent box adds $100 to $150. I recently bought an almost new K22 in that SN range in a fairly nice box for $1100 and thought I did OK. I also bought a near new condition 17-2 (1967) in the original box with all the docs and junk and paid $905 for it, which I thought was a pretty good price.

Hope that helps.

 

[Jamesatrange]

Here is the one pic and it's not too good. Makes the frame look like it has bluing loss but it's oil smears. Still a shooter grade I'd say. I wish I could find a shooter for $475.00. Please let me know your thoughts. I'm thinking the one I saw today with the turn line and muzzle and barrel wear is possibly marked a tad high but I know it won't go down much in price at this shop. Hmm decisions.

 

[hardscrabble]

Again, rating condition on the basis of one picture can be pretty tough. It looks like a lot of wear on the ejector rod, which doesn't necessarily mean it's worn out or that it has been abused. I'd like to say "here's what it's worth and not a penny more", but I would have to hold it in my hand, and you would still just be getting one person's opinion of condition (subjective) and the same person's opinion on the market (also subjective).

But I think $800 is high.

 

[Jamesatrange]

I appreciate your opinions and I like learning what others are seeing in the marketplace. I thought it was high as well otherwise I wouldn't be thinking so darn hard about it. Lol. I just never see them locally so I always want to just jump on stuff but don't have funds to act like that. Lol
Thanks again.

 

[Nightowl]

That looks like a good ole gun to be around 68 years old. Depends on what the other side looks like. The turn line that I can see does not look too bad, so it may not have been shot a whole lot. I front sight is not visible on my view, so I can't tell if it is original. Some of them had a .10 front sight on them which I like a lot as it gives a better sight picture than the .125 to me.
By the way, they are not making any more of them and they keep going up in price. Like you said, you don't see many of them. So what if it is $100 or more over priced. You could spend that much money and a lot of time searching for another one and it might not be in as good shape and actually be priced higher. To me, it is more important in how the gun functions, is it tight, timing good, no endshake, no bulges in the barrel, no pushoff, etc. It mostly boils down to your financial situation and how badly you want it and what you are going to do with it.
Good luck and if you get it, please add more photos, so we can say you paid $100 too much!!! More smiley faces go here.

 

[22hipower]

Just for comparison, here is a 1948 pre-17 I bought earlier this year for $600 OTD. I would have been willing to pay a little more. . . .but maybe not $800. They were asking $699 plus tax so perhaps your dealer will negotiate a bit too. Good luck.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

 

[Camster]

Just for comparison, here is a 1948 pre-17 I bought earlier this year for $600 OTD. I would have been willing to pay a little more. . . .but maybe not $800. They were asking $699 plus tax so perhaps your dealer will negotiate a bit too. Good luck.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

A nice buy.A gun that looks like it was worth the full asking price.
The OP's gun does sound high,but the question is;"How much time does he want to invest to perhaps find a better deal?"...and does he really object to paying a premium to scratch his itch. Also sounds like a gun that saw some holster time,based on the blue wear.That seems to be more common on older guns than more current guns.

 

[AlHunt]

That "blue" looks kind of dark to me. I'd look hard for a reblue. The little I can see of the sideplate doesn't look like it's been buffed, but still.

I'm going with $200 overpriced if it hasn't been refinished.

 

[rburg]

Prices are regional. Gun shops sometimes over ask because they assume the buyer will want to cheat them down. I wouldn't sell a gun in that condition for less. I would buy one like it for that price. But where I live the guns are few and far between. Its not unusual to go for a year and not see one in a gun store. At gun shows, if big enough, you can see them from time to time. The problem being there are a lot of buyers and as the prices get to the low end, others just snap them up quick. A gold box from that time will run you at least $100, and the correct probably blue screwdriver between $50 and $75. So make up your mind right away if those accessories are things you think you'll want. They made a "blue million" of them in 1948 (not really, only about 60,000). But they were highly valued and often shot a lot. You seem to have located one that is pretty darn good.

Consider that next year the prices will probably be higher and the supply of available guns less. Again, to me the price seems in the range I see them. Also consider that the day after you buy it, you might see another that is better and for less. But probably not.

 

[JP@AK]

Dick is talking sense here. I've watched the price of 5 and 4 screw K-22 Masterpiece revolvers climb over the past few years, both locally and on line. I don't think the increases are about to slow down. This one looks to be in quite decent shape and $800, while on the higher end, is not unreasonable.
I think I would offer $700 and see if you can get some movement on the price. You can always walk away. But if you did give the full 8 bills, I don't think you will be sorry a year from now.

 

[two-bit cowboy]

I recently paid that for sn K27XX, LERK, #s match, that's maybe not quite as nice as the one you're looking at. I wanted a post-war K22 shooter, didn't really care about the low sn or the LERK. I probably paid a bit too much, but the gun cleaned up nicely and is a great shooter. I got what I wanted -- a really well made .22 that has eaten everything I've fed it so far (can't say that about some of the newer revolvers).

 

[kevin in nh]

Assembled in '48 according to the standard reference. Condition is very subjective and you are correct that pictures don't always tell the whole story. Unfortunately, chasing down just the right K22 in pawn shops and gun stores can be tough.

For $800 I would expect a pretty nice example. If it is showing much wear at all, it is over-priced. For what gets called a "shooter" here, which means it has little value to a collector but it's better than a boat anchor, somewhere in the $500 to maybe $600 range seems to be the going rate at the moment. If it shows a touch of frost on the ejector rod and at the muzzle, and a turn ring on the cylinder, and it is very nice otherwise, maybe $100 to $200 over that. A decent box adds $100 to $150. I recently bought an almost new K22 in that SN range in a fairly nice box for $1100 and thought I did OK. I also bought a near new condition 17-2 (1967) in the original box with all the docs and junk and paid $905 for it, which I thought was a pretty good price.

Hope that helps.

Hardscrabble nailed it for the North East....I have 3, two in the Gold Box and one without. I also sold a 17-2 that was possibly unfired that you could shave with the bluing...no box or papers for $700.00

Oh and they shoot awesome!!!

 

[rchall]

I bought 2 K-22's each for less than $400, one from a guy at a gun show and one at an estate auction. Now that's been awhile back so it just shows how much their price has jumped. I don't think I'd pay $800 unless it was just too good as far as condition to pass on. Now if it had the box and tools, well maybe another story.

 

[samandglove1]

Maybe a few bucks overpriced, but not if you want one and don't presently have one. I have a few of them and they are so much fun to shoot.

You never know if you will run into another locally (and "see it live"), so $100-150 shouldn't stop you from owning it. Just determine if your time is worth it.

If it was me (and trust me, on most days that is not who you want to be), I would try and negotiate the price down a bit, but I would definitely walk out of the shop with it.

 

[OK Hog Shooter]

In my humble opinion, while $800 seems a little high, it's not through the roof, either. Just remember, K 22s seem to multiple, and then there's the K 38s to look for, and the ever sought after but about as rare as hens teeth K 32s.... I'd make a lower offer but be prepared to pay the $800... they ain't making any more of them and they really are sweet shooters!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jamesatrange]

I thank you all for your feedback. It's good to see many others have the Smith addiction and we all tell ourselves why to buy or not to. Lol I have other blue and stainless 22 revolvers 17, 617, 63 etc and love most of them, but the ones with fine triggers always rate. I'll let you know what I decide and post pics if I do purchase it. It's one of the older but not to old revolvers that I've been drawn too.

 

[chud333]

Here is the one pic and it's not too good. Makes the frame look like it has bluing loss but it's oil smears. Still a shooter grade I'd say. I wish I could find a shooter for $475.00. Please let me know your thoughts. I'm thinking the one I saw today with the turn line and muzzle and barrel wear is possibly marked a tad high but I know it won't go down much in price at this shop. Hmm decisions.

That's more than likely a 1948 gun as previously stated.
800 is too high for a shooter grade 4 line address gun.
Keep looking you can do better.
The K-22 is a fine gun and can be addictive.


A 17-3 long barrel
and a 17-2 with 6" bbl.


An 18-2 with targets
and a pre 18

Here's all 4 with a model 13 .357 on the left.


Chuck

 

[Jamesatrange]

Chuck,
Nice pics! Beautiful wood makes the gun so much more awesome.