Price Check Please: Early 1950's 2" Pre 10 with original grips

bushmaster1313

bushmaster1313

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Local gun shop has an early 1950's pre-Model 10,
2" barrel with original numbered grips.
One Line address
Overall condition is very good -- but asking price is $800
 
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Wow! that seems like a lot of cake. Does it have all the goodies?
Never got the 2" bug, so I dont follow the market. If its a fair price, jump on it. Best.
 
$800 is high unless it has the box and is in perfect shape, has a high polish blue and round butt.

At that point you might be looking at an $800 gun.

A no-box, decent condition, square butt, 2" is something in the 400-500 range usually, on the upper end.
 
Your description does not add up to an original S&W. "Early 1950's" is too late for a one line address. Perhaps you estimated its age wrongly. What's its serial number? Early post-WW II production justifies a higher price than a 1950 snub. As time went on snubs became a larger percentage of total M&P production. A year or two ago I would have said a very good condition 4 line address 1950 M&P snub was a $500 revolver. Since then as a result of the national political scene we've had increased buying but I expect a dramatic reduction in gun sales will be evident by the end of the year. Lower prices are on the horizon.

An original 2" barrel from the late 1940s through the 1950s will have Smith & Wesson stamped on the left side of the barrel and the cartridge stamped in a second line below. If there is only one line on the left side of the barrel then the revolver is not original.

Edit to add: An early Post WW-II one line address might be an $800 gun, especially if it is a long action or "transitional" snub. I would not know about that. Since what you've written does not indicate that you are a collector focusing on late 1940s revolvers perhaps you would be better off looking for a much more common and less expensive 1960s snub.
 
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One-line address points to a date no later than early 1948, in which case the serial number almost certainly begins with an S. This gun probably still has the prewar long action, so it is technically not a Pre-10. Early postwar snubs like this in good condition were over $500 two years ago, so I'd say $600-650 would be reasonable for this one if the finish is good. $800 sounds like there is negotiating room.

EDITED TO ADD: While I was composing k22fan said a lot of what was in my mind. The gun you describe is either earlier than you think or a modified specimen. In the worst case it could be a chopped and refinished Victory, so look at it closely before you begin negotiations.
 
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k22fan said:
Your description does not add up to an original S&W. "Early 1950's" is too late for a one line address. Perhaps you estimated its age wrongly. What's its serial number? Early pre-WW II production justifies a higher price than a 1950 snub. As time went on snubs became a larger percentage of total M&P production. A year or two ago I would have said a very good condition 4 line address 1950 M&P snub was a $500 revolver. Since then as a result of the national political scene we've had increased buying but I expect a dramatic reduction in gun sales will be evident by the end of the year. Lower prices are on the horizon.

An original 2" barrel from the late 1940s through the 1950s will have what ever is written on the left side of the barrel in two lines one over the other. If there is only one line on the left side of the barrel then the revolver is not original.
Click to expand...

Serial number about 960,000

Same number on frame, cylinder and under barrel

I thought Shop manager said early 1950's
 
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If there is no letter "K" in front of that serial number... that sure sounds like a 1940's pre war gun. That might be a good price....

I stand corrected... please see below... sorry. What I meant was "any letter" prefix...not just K.
 
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The million serial numbers being used during the later part of WW II ended in the spring of 1948. All post WW II numbers start with a letter prefix. An S prefix was added during WW II to indicate the revolver got the new hammer block. The S prefix was changed to a C for the next million then changed to a D.
 
If the serial number is S960000, then it is an early 1948 postwar transitional Military and Police like what I had in mind when I posted my first message. If there is no letter prefix, then the gun would date to 1941 and would not be expected to have a two-inch barrel, as most .38s in that year were military contract revolvers.

There is room for further research. If you go back to look at the gun again, can you get a picture to post here?

Or just look at this and make sure what you are looking at is the same thing, excluding the T-grip. This is a righteous postwar transitional M&P snub, S868055 (January 1947).

 
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There actually are quite a few 2" revolvers included in the S960xxx range, with several noted in my database including one in my own collection. As near as I can tell they are all of the square butt variety. Most of them shipped in December, 1947.

It seems likely the OP has one and has just failed to let us know about the S prefix in the serial number. It would sure be nice to see some pictures!
 
JP@AK said:
There actually are quite a few 2" revolvers included in the S960xxx range, with several noted in my database including one in my own collection. As near as I can tell they are all of the square butt variety. Most of them shipped in December, 1947.

It seems likely the OP has one and has just failed to let us know about the S prefix in the serial number. It would sure be nice to see some pictures!
Click to expand...

Serial number does have an S prefix and looks like the picture plus gentle carry wear
 
Here's a few random & some what ignorant comments on the $800 price. $800 would buy me a variety of more substantial guns for matches or hunting. If it fits your collection nitch who am I to say how bad you should want it but if you are thinking it might be an investment then forget it. At best it is fully priced for the specialized collector. However, DCWilson's snub would be a delight to own.
 
k22fan said:
Here's a few random & some what ignorant comments on the $800 price. $800 would buy me a variety of more substantial guns for matches or hunting. If it fits your collection nitch who am I to say how bad you should want it but if you are thinking it might be an investment then forget it. At best it is fully priced for the specialized collector. However, DCWilson's snub would be a delight to own.
Click to expand...

I agree with the above
 
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I happily paid $850 for this shipped October 1951, grips number to the gun and came with the box. It is my grail gun as it is my birth-year and almost month too.


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I'm planning on selling my June of 1952 C 160xxx serial number with all numbers match, including grips but no box for around $650 and think that is a fair price.

Stu
zfaowog
 
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