Pre 29

[smithandwessonguy]

I have the opportunity to purchase a pre 29 S serial number 6.5 inch, 1956 production. Gun has the original coke bottle grips and is easily rated high 90s. No box or tools. Gun appears unaltered and clearly has not been shot much. What kind of money do your think a guy should pay?

 

[Doc44]

$3500 would be a good place to start.

Bill

 

[smithandwessonguy]

Thanks guys. Will send pictures when I get it.

 

[Art Doc]

90s...no box...$3500?

GULP!

I am SO far out of that league.

 

[Kinman]

Yeah, Me too...I'm glad that when I was buying what I have now the most I paid was around $1800. When they were starting at that level and ending up in the mid $2.5K I sort of lost interest.

 

[Art Doc]

About 8 years ago I passed on a 4" 1958-59 M29 W/O box at $1.100. Maybe I should have bought it?

 

[Mike C2]

A ‘57 4 screws 6 1/2” with Cokes on it sold BIN last week on GunBroker for $1199. Deals are still out there if you shop long enough. That may have been an exceptional deal and if I wasn’t gun poor from I was waiting delivery on, I would have owned it.

 

[Hawg Rider]

IMHO- $3500 seems a little steep as far as being a starting point. I picked up a minty 4-screw .44 Magnum with 6-1/2" bbl and original Cokes ('57) last year for $1600, and it came with a mahogany presentation box (worth $150+). Some later K-frame and N-frame prices seem to be softening on GB, and even at the local gun shows. The "pre-Models", however, seem to be holding their value or even increasing (TLs, Registered and Non-Registered Magnums, and later .357s; and the early .44 Magnums). I think some of those ridiculously higher prices are due to auction buyers getting caught up bidding wars.

 

[mbliss57]

There is a big difference in the 44 magnum world even in the Pre 29s.
A 1st year production 5 screw wiill bring quite a bit more money than a 4 screw which was shipped only a year later. The barrel length of that 5 screw is also a big factor with the very scarce 4" barrels from 1956 bringing the most money. Then condition is everything. Oirginial box and tools another factor.
I have (2) 4" pre 29s.
One is a 5 screw shipped Nov 1956 and 1 a 4 screw shipped May 1957. 7 months apart. The difference in their sale value is at least 2:1.