Like Finding Buried Treasure

[afkirby]

Perusing Gunbroker auctions a few months ago I saw a listing which caught my eye, a "Model 28 357 Magnum 5".

A 5" Model 28? Surely that's a custom job of some sort, or perhaps an mis-measured barrel.

Digging a little deeper through the pictures I discovered a bit of buried treasure.

The price ended up being just a little high for a "Model 28", but it was a steal for an excellent condition 5" Pre-Model 27!

It's all original, and looks to have been fired very little.

Almost too nice to shoot, almost.

I think this will be the first gun that I'll letter.

Kirby

 

[LEO918]

Don't you just love it when sellers don't know what they have.

 

[afkirby]

Don't you just love it when sellers don't know what they have.

And that's what makes the hunt so fun, it's like playing the lottery when you click on that link. Will that blurry thumbnail marked "S&W .38 Spl" be a clapped out model 10-8, or will it be that 5" .38/44 Outdoorsman that someone squirreled away in a greasy sock 40 years ago and forgot about?

Kirby

 

[Valmet]

Hard to beat a 5" N-frame regardless of caliber or model. Congrats

 

[hibbs]

About 15 years ago a gun shop in northern WI called me with a S&W they could not identify, no model#. I had left my card at the shop. I asked for a sn. and caliber. That's when my heart skipped a beat. The information was for a 1955 Target in 45.Colt. The asking price was $1300. That gun has been in my collection ever since, in it's original box. Have not seen another in all these years. Such luck!!

Richard

 

[Shotguncoach]

My first 1950 Target was purchased at a local police evidence auction. It was described as "Smith & Wesson Unknown". I also have a 5 screw K38 that was described as a "Model 10 Target".

I agree that sometimes the hunt is the best part....

 

[Marshal Tom]

I have told this story before. Several years ago, I walked up to the counter of a local shop and spotted what turned out to be a 4" Pre 27 in the case. It was marked as a 3.5". I checked the numbers and had them put it back for me. I came home and got on the forum to ask what I had there. I went back and got the special order gun and later lettered it. The friend who worked there at the time insisted that it was a 3.5" since they didn't make a 4". I could see from several feet away that it was indeed a 4" barrel, but who was I to argue. Guess the store didn't own a measuring device!

 

[H Richard]

Any 5" S&W's are great guns. I found this one in a local gun auction, and recognized what it was, (Special order for IL State Police in 1957), and it seems no one else did recognize what it was. Bought in 2012 before this auction house went to on line auctions. Paid less than half what I knew it was worth.

 

[22hipower]

Nice buy, sometimes it really pays to check out those fuzzy ads and figure out what is really being sold.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

 

[rct269]

"I think this will be the first gun that I'll letter."

My first one was my first one. It was followed by the second one, and so on down the line----kind'a seemed like the best way to avoid missing something special. I explained all this by saying letters are the frosting on the cake.

Then one day here comes a letter that's the cherry on top of the frosting---think of it as wretched excess. There's one line in it that explains it all: "This is a very important revolver."

I didn't wet my pants, but surely came close! This was a gun given to Philip B. Sharpe in March of 1940. (He's the guy S&W credits with the development of the 357 Magnum cartridge.) I've told all the particulars before, and won't take up your time telling them here again. The only point to make here is to opine anybody who decides which gun is worthy of a letter is on a fool's mission. You don't know which gun to letter until AFTER you get the letter.

Ralph Tremaine

Oh, and he's also the guy to whom they gave Registered Magnum #2. I didn't get that one.

 

[44wheelman]

$1100+ tax & stamps.... Great buy!

That must have been exciting waiting for auction to end.

Can't wait for your follow up post with letter info. (please)

Sometimes bug, sometimes windshield

 

[austintexas]

Luck has nothing to do with it, It's knowledge and I Played plenty to earn it

I've walked into Pawnshops and bought many misidentified Smiths. Prewar Heavy duty they thought M-10, 3 1/2" Registered Magnum that They thought M-28, 3 1/2", Registered Magnum (gunshop) thought it was M-27, 6"Regulation Police Target (Cabelas) thought was just an old 32 and the list goes on.
SWCA 892

 

[22hipower]

About 15 years ago a gun shop in northern WI called me with a S&W they could not identify, no model#. I had left my card at the shop. I asked for a sn. and caliber. That's when my heart skipped a beat. The information was for a 1955 Target in 45.Colt. The asking price was $1300. That gun has been in my collection ever since, in it's original box. Have not seen another in all these years. Such luck!!

Richard

Not too many of them around, but if it's been 15 years since you found that one it's time you saw another one. This one turned up in one of the recent RIA auctions.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

https://flic.kr/p/2pSJSjC https://www.flickr.com/photos/194934231@N03/

https://flic.kr/p/2pZDezi https://www.flickr.com/photos/194934231@N03/

[[/url] https://www.flickr.com/photos/194934231@N03/