That's a nice one alright. The serial number indicates it was shipped along about 1976. As you probably know if you've visited the forum some, S&W does not record or report manufacture dates but rather when the product left the factory. Sometimes they may be close and sometimes they are not. Most info on manufacture dates is educated guesswork and a letter may, or may not help and it'll only document the ship date (for special orders the manufacture date might be able to be extrapolated from the ship date but never firmly established). That's why it's the shipping date that counts - S&W recorded that information.
I'm confident someone who is more learned than I shall be along shortly and can shed more/additional light on your new purchase. For my two cents I think you did just fine for $1500 especially with the box and tools. I paid over half that for a 4-inch 27-3 a few years ago that is "shooter grade" and I was thrilled with the deal. It did not include a presentation case and tools, or anything else for that matter. Yours, with presentation box, tools, and in excellent condition, could be worth as much as $2K - depending on who, or how many, want it. The three and a half-inch variant might be worth a little more but your 6-inch looks awfully nice. The pinned barrel and recessed cylinders were over when the 27-3 came along and some people place considerable value on those features.
Bryan
