Price Check Model 27

Dashriprock

Dashriprock

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A coworker recently inherited some firearms, and as is often the case has no interest in them. She was planning on just taking them down to the LGS and accepting whatever was offered. Thankfully she sent me photos first.

Here's a four-screw Model 27. SCSW says 1958-1959 for serial, which is 187XXX. I’m wondering about no number marked on inside of stocks. Didn’t they always have that marked? They fit pretty much perfectly so I suspect they are original.

Story goes that her father got stationed in Alaska in the 1950s and figured he’d better have something on his hip while fishing. Purchased this new at a shop in Anchorage.

It’s clearly spent a lot of time in the holster. But it has likely not been fired much. Bore is mirror bright, lockup is very tight, very little cylinder gap, no endshake. Also has a holster marked by maker H. Heiser, Denver, Colo.

What would be a fair value on this revolver?

Thanks very much in advance for your assistance and price guidance. I’d really like to ensure she gets fair price for these pieces. (BTW, the other pieces are a pair of old Winchesters. I’ll post about those in the “other mfgs” forum.)
 

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Maybe $1500 in my area, in the Midwest. Maybe a little more thanks to the grips, maybe a little less because of the front sight. Is it 6.5 inch barrel? A 5-inch 4-screw sold for ~$1700+ in my area, with some muzzle wear like this one, and numbered Magna grips, last summer. Took a while, but it did sell.

I would want to see pics of the cylinder from all angles, recoil shield, front and rear sight showing the whole area of the top strap and leaf.

In general, people seem willing to take a gamble on a gun for $750, For twice that amount or more, I would want to make sure there were no surprises (like I just had with a gun that did not work in double action ). 4-screws in general seem to have a great finish and workmanship, but the cleaning marks and holster wear may outweigh that attraction.

I personally would not mind that sight, IF it was well executed, and I could see detailed pics. A serious collector might pass, unless it was a special factory order with papers to document. There, that's my 150,000 cents worth! :rolleyes::D
 
With the modification, the holster wear, the 6" barrel, and the nice target grips, I would expect that 4-screw Model marked 27 to sell for $900 to $1,400. On the lower side for a face-to-face friend. On the higher side for an auction. Also, price might be adjusted based on the quality/style of the Heiser holster. Holsters themselves can also be collectible.
 
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RKmesa said:
With the modification, the holster wear, the 6.5" barrel, and the nice target grips, I would expect that 4-screw Model marked 27 to sell for $900 to $1,400. On the lower side for a face-to-face friend. On the higher side for an auction. Also, price might be adjusted based on the quality/style of the Heiser holster. Holsters themselves can also be collectible.
Click to expand...

+1. You have a valuable and collectable revolver that has some finish issues and a modified front sight, but that's about the only issues. Early Model 27, S serial number, desirable 6-1/2" bbl., and nice stocks. I assume that your co-worker does not have the gun's original box and tools, just the Heiser holster (which others have already told you might have quite a bit of value itself). I think the package would be in the $1500 range. If you're interested in buying the .357 Magnum from your co-worker, she may give you a buddy price for doing all the leg work. Good luck!
 
A gun store would probably offer her under $500, possibly well under! With the holster and the non-relieved target stocks, my guess is it would sell for $1,500 at the same store, and the buyer would be pleased as punch to get it.

Naturally, a sale to a friend takes all the effort and aggravation out of selling it. So it is up to you what is "fair".
 
Mike said:
Pricing something and getting it are 2 different animals. Why don't one of you here buy it at your quoted price?
Click to expand...
Since you mention it... my PM and email is only a click away! :D

I think that any gun that was visibly modified, needs a really good inspection for any possible surprises, like modifications to the action that the buyer (me for instance) might not be happy with. I just had a looong thread in the Smithing section about a gun I took possession off a few days ago, and stupidly did not check double-action (I don't like to dry-fire guns without snap caps or something like that, especially in front of other people). It took me days just to figure out what was wrong, and how to put this right. And a lot of help from the resident experts, for which I am very grateful! This was my second modified gun within a year with a few surprises (the first one was returned to the seller with regret).

Having said that, I would pay somewhere between $1K and $1.5K for this gun, with these early N-frame Target grips, even though they could not have been original to the gun in 1959. I believe they must date to the early 1950's (?) Those would sell for $250~300 on ebay (I have been looking). I could probably move them to my 5-screw HP or resell them, and shoot this one with 1970's Targets.

To the OP: If the sight was done well, and everything else checks out, no visible blemishes besides muzzle wear, $1,200 would be a deal for a 4-screw with those grips in my little corner of Flyover Country.

Also note that according to the SCSW IV edition, page 228, "early" 4-screw Model 27's are worth "double". About 20,000 N-Frames were made between 1957 and 1960, and probably over half of them were HP's. So, less than ten thousand of these exist, in all barrel lengths. Even if the 6" is the most common one, that means 4~5000, 1957-1960, model-numbered, 4-screw, 6" guns. None show up in the Gun Broker completed listings, btw.

If I were selling, I would go the Gunbroker auction route. If buying through FFL dealer, I would want someone to inspect it for me, like a gunsmith for example. My father would have said "It's purrrty! How does it shoot?"
 
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PeteC said:
Since you mention it... my PM and email is only a click away! :D

I think that any gun that was visibly modified, needs a really good inspection for any possible surprises, like modifications to the action that the buyer (me for instance) might not be happy with. I just had a looong thread in the Smithing section about a gun I took possession off a few days ago, and stupidly did not check double-action (I don't like to dry-fire guns without snap caps or something like that, especially in front of other people). It took me days just to figure out what was wrong, and how to put this right. And a lot of help from the resident experts, for which I am very grateful! This was my second modified gun within a year with a few surprises (the first one was returned to the seller with regret).

Having said that, I would pay somewhere between $1K and $1.5K for this gun, with these early N-frame Target grips, even though they could not have been original to the gun in 1959. I believe they must date to the early 1950's (?) Those would sell for $250~300 on ebay (I have been looking). I could probably move them to my 5-screw HP or resell them, and shoot this one with 1970's Targets.

To the OP: If the sight was done well, and everything else checks out, no visible blemishes besides muzzle wear, $1,200 would be a deal for a 4-screw with those grips in my little corner of Flyover Country.

Also note that according to the SCSW IV edition, page 228, "early" 4-screw Model 27's are worth "double". About 20,000 N-Frames were made between 1957 and 1960, and probably over half of them were HP's. So, less than ten thousand of these exist, in all barrel lengths. Even if the 6" is the most common one, that means 4~5000, 1957-1960, model-numbered, 4-screw, 6" guns. None show up in the Gun Broker completed listings, btw.

If I were selling, I would go the Gunbroker auction route. If buying through FFL dealer, I would want someone to inspect it for me, like a gunsmith for example. My father would have said "It's purrrty! How does it shoot?"
Click to expand...

Dashriprock, that is a pretty nice Model 27. I find the part in bold very interesting, and was curious. I realize that you didn’t quote everything, so are only the early 4-screw “Model 27's” worth double, or are all the 4 screw model numbered N frames (including the Model 28’s) from 1957-60 worth a premium? Thanks.
Larry
 
PeteC said:
...Also note that according to the SCSW IV edition, page 228, "early" 4-screw Model 27's are worth "double". About 20,000 N-Frames were made between 1957 and 1960, and probably over half of them were HP's. So, less than ten thousand of these exist, in all barrel lengths. Even if the 6" is the most common one, that means 4~5000, 1957-1960, model-numbered, 4-screw, 6" guns. None show up in the Gun Broker completed listings, btw....
Click to expand...

This is totally different from my experience. The most rare in the model 27 family (pre number and post number) are the under 200 Transitionals. AND I have only seen two 4-screw non-model marked pre-27s in the probably 1,000+ post war N-Frame 357 Magnums (27s and pre-27s) that I have looked at.

I search the model 27 and its pre equivalents almost every day on GB and GI (and have done so for years). They are my favorite model and I have a safe full of them (all different barrel lengths). The 4-screw Model 27 (no dash) marked guns do NOT command a premium over the 5-screw pre guns. The 27-1 marked 4-screw guns are less common than the Model 27 (no dash) guns and they do seem to command a premium to the Model 27 (no dash) guns. Guns like the OP's Model marked 27 in 6" regularly sell on GB for between $1K and $1.3K. If it was listed at a starting bid of $1.5K+, it would most likely sit there for an extended period of time with no bidders. The 27 (no dash) guns do command a premium over the exact same comparable 27-2, but it is not 2X. If that is what SCSW IV says, it is just wrong in this market. :)

A couple of quick examples:

5-screw Pre 27 6" with the wrong grips, but in similar condition as OP's gun - sold $910

Just a moment...

Here is almost the EXACT Same Gun except with a more rare 6.5" barrel (it also has diamond target grips, S187941, in similar/nicer condition) - sold on 7/16/23 for $915 with 19 Bids and lots of great photos!

Just a moment...

Guns that are better advertised, with more established sellers command higher prices and pristine guns 98-99%+ will always bring a high premium!!! Condition, condition, condition!!! :D
 
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Well, the section of the SCSW I quoted covers the Model 27 after 1957, not the pre-model number guns on page 155. That book is about 9 years old, and I am sure research for it was done even earlier. I can't comment on how the sections were divided.

As for the 2x valuation, perhaps I was wrong to attach that statement to ALL 4-screw Model 27 guns. I assumed they were considered "early" within the period after 1957. 1957 to 1960, three years compared to the 60+ that follow. The SCSW literally says "Early no-dash 4-screw." The operative word being "assumed".

@RKmesa: Thanks for the correction and for the links, I appreciate the voice of experience and your time. Good to know these prices are still under $1K, especially for the 5-screw with s/n S80133.


edit: speaking of the post 1957 gun, I just realized I had seen it. The side plate, in pic 10/19 looked very odd when the view was expanded.
 
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