Parting with my S & W 15-3

[02-fatboy]

Sadly I am pretty sure that I am going to part with my S&W 15-3 tommorow. I never thought I would do this, but I have an offer to pick up Radom tommorow that I have wanted for quite a long time.

I love my 15-3 but I have a 686-4 that shoots just as well that I can use so in theory I really don't need my 15-3. Plus I have wanted a 3 lever Radom for quite a long time.

So here is the plan. I am going to meet a guy tommorow who has a 3 lever Radom thats in excellent shape. He's going to give me the radom and I am going to give him $500 and my 15-3.

Fair trade? Any thoughts? I have a hard time with pricing Radoms. I have seen them for sale anywhere from $250 to $47,500

Noticed that nice 3 levers with nazi marks seem to sell between $600 and $3000 with an estimated average sell price of about $1000. Although it seems in recent years the value of these guns has continued to appreciate in value.

Any thoughts? I really just like adding another sweet WWII gun to my collection.

Pic of my 15-3

 

[doublesharp]

Those kinda look like Spegel grips.

 

[02-fatboy]

Those kinda look like Spegel grips.

I have no idea what a spegel grip is? Its an awesome gun thats fun to shoot. I have just always wanted a 3 lever Radom. So I figure I will part with this in order to get something I want even more.

 

[M3Stuart]

I don't know anything about Radoms. But this link has several. Some are priced below what a clean 15-3 would bring.

Radom Pistols For Sale

 

[Texas Star]

A high school classmate bought a Radom for $17.50. They have gone up over the years, but that much?!

Do what your heart tells you, but I doubt that I'd sell a good M-15 to get an old Polish pistol that I hadn't even seen yet.

I think that these high prices run in collector circles. If you find someone not into that who just thinks he has an old surplus 9mm pistol, you may get one for much less. But then, you have to wonder if you cheated the guy.

If those grips are by Craig Spegle, I'd insist on at least $75-100 more just for those. Whoever made them looks to have known what he was doing. If they fit your hand, save them and put used rubber grips on the gun before you trade. Someday, you'll want another K-frame S&W.

 

[02-fatboy]

I don't know anything about Radoms. But this link has several. Some are priced below what a clean 15-3 would bring.

Radom Pistols For Sale

Its a Radom VIS 35 WWII nazi marked 3 lever pistol in very good condition

I have about $325 into my 15-3. I was told that its been pretty heavily modified, the butt was cutt down so its not really a square or a round butt hence the custom grips, and there was some form of a trigger lock installed????

The guy selling the radom said he had a gun store value it at $1600 I am not sure if thats high or low? Pictures suggust the radom is in Very Good if not excellent condition. Radoms are kind of a strange gun I have seen them sell as little at $300 in pretty rough shape to as high as $18,000 for a type 1.

My uncle has a Radom thats a really awesome gun. I loved shooting his and I am pretty confident that if this ones in the condition I think it is that I will love this one even more. I will definitley miss my 15-3 but to me its more of a great gun to shoot not something to collect or hold onto to pass down to my children some day. This Radom is probably something I will likely keep and my children will have given to them one day.

I have been looking for over 2 years for a 3 lever radom and the closet thing I found without going onto gunbroker and overpaying, was a type 3 with out the decocker for $600 in nice condition at a gun show. I almost bought it but I was set on a 3 lever with the decocker.

 

[HotRoderX]

why not both? Just offer him a cash deal if you can. I kinda think your going to end up kicking your self for letting 15-3 go. Its really obvious its one of your favorite guns.

 

[sqhead]

make the trade,it sounds easier for you to replace the 15 than to find another radom.try and keep the grips if you can,seeing how the 15 is modified ,i'd pass it fast if it were me,i like-em original.

 

[dkizer22]

Had a Radom once. At the time it was worth half of a model 15. I would keep the 15 also.

 

[02-fatboy]

I just can't afford to keep the 15-3 and pick up the Radom. I wish I could do both. The grips won't fit on another 15-3, and they are the only ones I have that fit the gun because of its frame butt being altered.

My absolute favorite gun to shoot is my Kimber Goldmatch, and now my model 41. I have a funny feeling that if I shoot my 686-4 more I will really enjoy it just as much as my 15-3.

The problem is my 686-4 and I have a strange relationship. I bought the gun from a store which I not name for 325 dollars. I only bought it for a beater to use hunting so that I could retire my 357 Redhawk. I knew the hammer and the trigger were rusty along with the rear sight. So I asked the guy about there warranty.

He told me the gun had a 30 day warranty and that if I had any problems to bring it back. I got the gun home and forgot about it for 2 days. I went to shoot it and found that the gun was locked up and I couldn't pull the trigger or the hammer back. This was strange since it worked fine in the store. I began to look at the gun closer and found that the rear sight was rusted tight and it would not more left to right.

I called the store and they told me they would fix the gun so that if fired but there was no warranty on the sight and I knew what I was getting when I bought it. I told the guy that he said it had a warranty and now they weren't covering it all. I was very mad. So I took the gun apart myself, cleaned it up, lubed it, put it back together and it seemed to work fine? Couldn't find anything wrong. I then ordered a new sight and shot it. The gun shot awesome once the new sight was adjusted. Next I decided to have my gunsmith look it over and see if he could find any issues. He told me for $30 he could look it over, and that he would clean up and reblue the trigger and hammer. I said ok.

So after that I put the gun away and I haven't touched it since. I guess I am still mad that I have about 475 dollars into it now when I thought I was just gonna buy a beater gun for hunting. But I guess if I figure out the price 475 still seems pretty decent for a 686-4 thats in decent shape now that the rusty parts have been replaced or reblued


Needless to say I won't ever shop at that store again. They could give me a gun for $1 and I still wouldn't buy it from them. I should have realized when I went to get my bow set up and they were rude to me and told me they couldn't help me that I shouldn't return, but .I went back because I saw some cool used pistols

 

[jaykellogg]

I have owned a Radom in the past. To me it is a limited interest gun. IMO, $1800 is Luger territory. There is one for sale locally, I will check on the price. What do you value the S&W at?

I would go on Gunbroker.com and find several auctions where people are actually getting bids and "watch" those to see what the guns sell for. I hate to pay Gunbroker prices, pretty much the only place you can sell the gun for that much is on Gunbroker.

 

[labworm]

You have a tough decision to make for sure.

I'll bet there isn't one member at this forum that wishes they could reverse that sale years ago, to this day my stomach turns when I see a Colt DS, mine was unfired NIB which I purchased in 1990.

Good Luck

 

[kudzu3]

Yea, I have some thoughts, but you don't want to hear them.

 

[02-fatboy]

A Radom has always been a dream pistol for me. My uncle owns one and he loves it. Ever since I shot his I have wanted one for myself. I am working on a small collection of WWII stuff and its been my dream to own a Radom 3 lever VIS 35. I have spent the last 2 plus years looking locally and watching gunbroker. I have even bid on several radoms there. Generally prices go for 300 to 3000 dollars depending on condition on gunbroker. In my opinion gunbroker is over priced.

Anyways I valued my 15-3 between 350 and 400 dollars. I decided to pick up the Radom. Its pretty clean and its super tight, appears not have been shot much? The guy I got it from said he never even shot the gun. He had it for about 2 years and it came from a private collection.

I have roughly $825 into the Radom. That being stated I can't say I've seen to many this nice all numbers matching come across gun broker and if I did they probably went 1200 and on up??? That seems high to me, but what do I know? The previous owner said he had a gun store tell him this Radom was worth $1600? Thats alot or at least it seems way to high to me??? I think the $825 it cost me was fair. Probably about the most I would ever pay for a Radom too.

Here's some pics any information from the experts on value or history would be awesome. It looks like a Type II 3 lever, the finish is normal for the period and seems to be original. The condition of this gun seems Very good. Possibly collector grade??? Do you guys agree??? So far I am very happy with my purchase. The true test will be going to shoot it on Thursday night. Believe the clip is not original?? Only marking on it is the letter E

Oh and I told the guy I did the deal with that I would buy my 15-3 back if he decided he didn't want it anymore I just couldn't afford to do that right at this exact moment or I would have kept it. Plus I had to kind of get rid of something to keep my wife happy. Who knows? To much gun stuff in a small amount of time gets her upset. I have sold 5 guns in the last 4 months and purchased 4 new ones. Think I am probably done for a while until my taxes come back and I pick up my M1 Garand which she will probably get upset about.


KUDZU YOUR THOUGHTS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME EVEN IF I DON'T AGREE. SO PLEASE SPEAK UP UNLESS YOUR LOOKING TO START A ARGUEMENT. WHO KNOWS I MAY EVEN LEARN SOMETHING FROM YOUR THOUGHTS. Sorry for shouting didn't want you to miss my message. If your thoughts are really out there PM if you want I will listen.

 

[Rule3]

I do not know anything about the particular gun but if it is what you want and makes you happy then that's the gun to get, You can always get a revolver. From your pictures I would like to have that gun

Our expert Paladin85020 might be able to help you as he knows a lot about older guns, May have even written article on them. Maybe PM him.?

 

[cp1969]

This is the Radom Vis P35 that my father carried in WWII. He gave it to his brother when he got home. It got passed down to my cousin, who thought I ought to have it and gave it to me at a family reunion. I could see the disappointment in my cousin's son's eyes. One week later, my cousin passed away. I kept the gun for about a month, shot it some, then gave it to his son.

 

[sigp220.45]

If that Radom is something you've always wanted, and you can make the trade work - I'd say go for it. Model 15s aren't exactly hard to find.

 

[jimmyj]

You are trading a Smith and Wesson Revolver plus cash for a Polish 9mm Pistol !!!!
What ever meds you are taking----STOP !

 

[Texas Star]

After reading that you let a so-called "gunsmith" reblue the hammer and trigger on your stainless M-686-4, I believe that your M-15-3 should be in better hands than yours.
I am amazed and disgusted that no one else has already noted that gaffe.

I hope that it finds a good home.

Your new VIS-35/Radom does look nice.

Because someone altered the grip frame of the M-15, its value to most buyers was lowered, so maybe you did get a good deal. You didn't tell us originally that the steel frame under the grips was cut away, although I wondered.

I tend to agree with SIG-P-220 (as usual) that in this case, you may be better off getting the VIS-35 in that deal.

But change gunsmiths. Your M-686 has either real stainless or flash-chromed hammer and trigger, and the very idea that they need to be "reblued" means that your gunsmith is an opportunistic incompetent. Some of the later M-686s may have normal color casehardened parts, but they also do NOT need "rebluing."

Even standard blued and nickled S&W revolvers have color casehardened H&Ts. If you find blued or nickled H&Ts, avoid that gun: it has been tampered with.

 

[Rule3]

After reading that you let a so-called "gunsmith" reblue the hammer and trigger on your stainless M-686-4, I believe that your M-15-3 should be in better hands than yours.
I am amazed and disgusted that no one else has already noted that gaffe.

I hope that it finds a good home.

Wow, cut the guy some slack, what does that have to do with this question.?

Of course the opinions will sway towards keeping a SW revolver, but folks can like other things can't they??