Model 34

[Dogmann]

Got a chance at a mod34-22lr. It's a snub. I know nothing about this model,looks great. But because of its age should I be concerned? School me on this model...

 

[Iggy]

They are uncommon as whale poop. Unless it's beat all to heck, it will be fine as frog's hair. Grab it and run.

 

[steamloco76]

Took me a couple years to find a 34-2 snub nose. They are one of the least common S&W models. The Model 63 stainless steel J frame 22 is more common. Agree with the previous poster, unless it is beat to Hades, it is worth adding to your collection.

Mine is a hoot when shooting cans around the range. Cheap fun that makes you a much better shot with a .38 snubbie!

 

[Chuck Jones]

/c

 

[redlevel]

Got a chance at a mod34 . . . . . . . School me on this model...

If it were a fine wine, it would qualify as "the choicest product of the vintner's art."

 

[beemerrider]

I'm a fan of these as well. I have an ANIB 2 incher and a 4 incher I've had for about 27 years. The 85.3%, 4" revolver is a joy to carry, shoots accurately and is just one of those "got to take it along" when hunting, hiking, plinking, target shooting or showing off to mentally challenged friends who haven't bought one. I like my 6" Mod 17 a lot, however the 4" gun is a lot more "wearable and toteable". Friend who've tried it really like it. With a 2" Mod 34 and a reasonable level of practice you can shoot groups competitive with it's "LongJohn" 4" brother. These revolvers also allow us to bone up on our J-frame skills with model 36's, 60's and other .38 snubbies. I concur with Iggy; "Buy it and run"; you'll be glad you did.

 

[murphydog]

Definitely less common than the 4" as noted above, and not commonly seen for sale due to ammo prices and the general demand for short-barreled revolvers. If it is mechanically sound its age should be of no concern. Let's see the photos after you buy it!

 

[Allen in MT]

What kind of price should one pay for a decent one?
I'm going to an auction tomorrow that has a nice one listed. 2"

 

[redlevel]

I paid $400 OTD nearly two years ago for the nickel gun in my post above and felt like a thief. I would say any halfway decent specimen is worth that, and a nice one will bring closer to $500, maybe even more if truly immaculate with box, papers, etc. They are pretty hard to find.

 

[69HEMI-R/T]

What you should pay, obviously, should depend on condition of the revolver. That said, a Model 34 snubbie is real scarce around here and one in nice condition with almost no blueing or nickel loss will be $500.00 or more here.

I picked up a blue snubbie and a nickel snubbie a few years ago and have yet to see another one around here for sale. Unless they are $600.00 plus, I probably would buy any Model 34 snubbies I ran across as long as they are in good shape. I cannot imagine anything other than plain abuse to affect the revolver. A .22 just cannot be worn out otherwise.

 

[Oryguner]

Can't add much to what has already been said....but I can contribute a pic of one that passed through my hands. I have a 4" blued version presently that has definately seen better days cosmeticly but still an excellent shooter.

 

[snowman]

I bought one around a month ago for $500. I had been waiting for one in my price range for a year and a half or so. They appear regularly on Gunbroker auctions. The problem is that most of the people selling them there, particularly dealers, think they are selling the crown jewels. Minimum bids are so high that no one bids. One dealer had a couple 2 inchers listed for, I believe, over a year. His minimum bid, for months, was $800, until he got charitable and lowered it to $725. As of the time when I bought mine recently he still had no bids. They were nice guns, but not that nice. Neither came with box & etc. as I recall.

Back to the OP: I use mine to practice trigger control for my .357 carry piece. It's going to take a good bit of practice; with those tiny things the slightest twitch, jerk, pressure, etc. will throw you off -considerably.

Keep the chambers clean, and extraction should be OK. When I got mine I used small pieces of lead-away cloth in a section of cleaning rod and a loop tip, and ran it on an electric drill. Then took the gun out on the range and ran about 160 rounds through it with no extraction problems whatsoever.

Best wishes in locating a good 34.
Andy

 

[alwslate]

Here's my two, a 34 and pre 34. The pre 34 came from a LGS about
four years ago for 300.00 OTD. About a year before that I bought the
34 at a local auction for 315.00 I think in as new, no box condition.
I like them but it is very difficult to shoot one of these snubs with
any degree of real accuracy. There is no way I would pay the 600.00
or more prices that many sellers want for one. Given the same price
and condition I would buy an 18 over a 34 in a heartbeat and never
look back. Just my opinion.

 

[Dogmann]

Did these also come chromed from the factory?

What was the last year these were made?

 

[Nframe_is_no1]

I picked up one of these at a LGS a couple of months ago. I had been looking for a model 34 for several years to round out my J-frame collection. As said above, the model 34 is really hard to find. I presume this is because .22 ammo is so cheap and fun to shoot that people don't want to sell them. I paid $399 OTD and felt like I got a deal. The gun had virtually no turn line and looked unfired, but no box. The stocks are numbered to the gun. This gun must have sat in a drawer somewhere (note the dust in the border around the checkering in the stocks). It is a 34-1:

Dogmann,
The model 34 was offered in nickle finish from the factory in addition to the standard blue. It is called nickle plated, not chrome. They were also offered in round or square butt. It was introduced in 1953 as the model of 1953 .22/.32 Kit Gun, given the designation model 34 in 1957, and discontinued in 1991.

 

[Green Frog]

Any of the little I- or J-frame snub nose revolvers require a lot of practice initially to get good feel for how they will shoot. You will then need to adjust your accuracy expectations downward a bit, and practice a bunch more. At some point along about then, when the snubbie starts feeling very natural in your hand, you will probably start make surprisingly fast progress and begin to get really good results that will surprise you and amaze your friends. That's the way it went for me!

Froggie

PS Lost my train of thought while I was typing and reminiscing! The point is, the 34 snubs are in huge demand to serve as understudies for that practice regimen I mentioned. The only other way to get around it is to find a Model 30 or 31 snub and do a lot of reloading. The downside there is that you probably won't find it with target sights, but then again, your "big gun" won't have them either!

 

[Dogmann]

Last made in 91 ? Were there any 34-dash models or are they all 34?34-1?

 

[kdailey]

34-1

 

[Nframe_is_no1]

Dogmann,

The breakdown is as follows:

Pre-34: 1953-1957
34 no dash : 1957-1960
34-1: 1960-1982 (j frame production)
34-2: 1982-1991(delete barrel pin)