brendonjames65
US Veteran
Greetings,
I’m new to the forum with an interest in vintage guns. I recently acquired a registered magnum for my older brother (S&W forum member: mchom) and wanted to share this story with interested forum members.
My quick bio: former Marine, retired LEO. Okay enough about me. I became aware of an estate auction an hour away with a significant number of guns, including many vintage S&W revolvers! I quickly called my brother in OK who I was planning to visit. Well, I changed my flight plans, brother wired me money, and we formulated a plan for me to attend this estate auction.
My mission: buy reasonably priced guns at 50-60 cents on the dollar (yeah right, are you laughing?) and in particular vintage S&W and Colt revolvers. Brother gave me specific instructions: if I come across an older N frame 357, open the cylinder and look for a REG stamp, indicating a registered magnum.That’s my holy grail gun he says and you just never know, keep an eye out. Umm, okay what’s a registered magnum? So he had to school me on that. Yes, I’m a a novice compared to forum members here and all my vintage S&W revolvers only go back to the early 70’s.
So last Friday I go to the auction preview held the day before the estate auction. Hmm 127 guns to be auctioned. So I start at #1, nice High standard 22, #2 well worn S&W Model 28, then to #3: what’s this, a 38/44 Outdoorsman? Remember I’m a novice. Hmm, remembering my brother’s admonishment to open the cylinder and check for REG, I do as instructed: holy s#@%! There it is, REG! This is a registered magnum located on a ranch out in the middle of nowhere! Cell reception’s a little spotty, but I’m able to notify my brother, who promptly starts babbling about this being his holy grail gun, ya da ya da, as I hold the phone away from my ear.
So I photograph all the guns and report back to brother. My brother says, do you think any other collectors know about this registered magnum?. Well, I dunno, there were hundreds of people there, many taking copious notes. I reckon someone’s gotta know. Awe, #%$&! says brother. Well, I won’t hold out for hope but please get there early tomorrow and he gave instructions to bid up to a maximum amount I won’t mention, but my response was, are you insane? Don’t think! Just do as instructed! Um, okay brother, as you wish.
The night before the auction, brother reminds me to set my alarm, get plenty of rest, bring food and water, apparently forgetting my background and what I did for a living and how did I make it to 56. Yeah yeah it’s all good dude, I’ll try and get up. Please take this seriously he says! Awright, relax, geez.
The next morning I arrive early and there must be 600 people! It’s raining a little as I slosh across a muddy grass field wondering why I wore tennis shoes presently filling up with water as I head towards the auction site.
Well, the hours tick by, as everything but guns are being auctioned off. I’m thinking, geez how much freaking longer! I’m eyeing someone eating chili cheese fries from the concession stand but I dare not leave now, they’ll get to #3 very quickly! Actually, I feel a little lightheaded, what if I pass out before the gun auction starts? Folks will step over my body to bid on the registered magnum. Well, I just need to stay awake and alert until the reg magnum gets auctioned. Just focus, don’t faceplant, I remind myself as my legs start to tremble a little.
Auction time for guns! I think there are maybe 400 people in attendance, the others who left must have been for the farm equipment. Okay, get ready, #3 will come quick! #1 and #2 are auctioned quickly, kinda high final bids too, then #3 is announced, ok get ready, it starts at 1000 or is it 500, I don’t remember it’s all a blur, the auctioneer simply announces it as a S&W 357 with wood box. I hold my bid number high, as the auctioneer chants his jargon at warp speed, what did he say? What the hell is the bid at, $2000? Can you tell I’m not very experienced? Okay, there is at least one bidder maybe one more who know this is a registered magnum!
Now it’s a battle, just me and another guy, he knows damn well it’s a registered magnum. I hold my bid card # high, then I try to stretch my hand even higher! Now it’s at $3000 or is it higher? Damn I can’t understand the auctioneer is it $3000 or $4000? No matter, brother has giving me instructions, I’ll keep my hand up forever! Sold for $3000! I won! Whew, now I can pass out, but I’m rejuvenated now and 124 more guns to go!
Wow, bids are very high, lord you can get better deals on Gunbroker. I bid and lose out on another dozen gun auctions. So much for 50-60 cents on the dollar. Well, at least I’m disciplined, even with the auctioneer enticing me to go higher. I did win a bid on a nice Marlin 1895 45-70, mfg date 1997, for $750. Like new, not bad. Naturally, I’ll keep this rifle as my commission for helping my brother.
Then I’m approached by one of the registered magnum bidders. The 3rd one who dropped out early. He states, I don’t know if you know this, but there is a chatter pen engraved # on the right side plate. Looks to be refinished. That’s why I dropped out of the bid early. He may as well slugged me in the gut! I immediately flashback to the previous days viewing when I discovered the REG stamp. I was so astonished I forgot to do a comprehensive inspection of the gun! You had one job, one job, good grief, what an amateur! What the hell was I thinking? I think I just checked it off and went on to look at the other guns.
Then the 2nd bidder approached me, the one I battled it out with. He congratulated me on winning the bid and alleviated my concerns about the chatter marks. He said he’d been searching for a registered magnum for 36 years I believe. What he said as follows resonated with me: “With a registered magnum, you take what you can get.”
He felt it was well worth $3000 even with the chatter marks and quite likely being refinished. He explained the cylinder serial number matches the gun but it does have a different shade of bluing (charcoal to me) or look than the rest of the gun, no doubt the gun was refinished, and over the chatter marks too. A very nice and cordial man, very knowledgeable and a pleasure to chat with. I felt some regret that I deprived him of this registered magnum but blood is thicker than water they say.
I know many purist will gnash their teeth and shake their fist at the sky regarding chatter marks! How sacrilegious to deface such a beautiful revolver! It’s worthless, toss it in the garbage! Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This gun is over 80 years old and made in such few numbers. Maybe a lawman owned it and etched his badge # on it. Maybe to him, it was the best tool available during those times, one where he wanted the very best, where his life depended on it.
Well, I’ll be bringing the precious registered magnum to my brother in a couple days. He’ll get it lettered and post the results on this forum. My brother will cherish this registered magnum for the rest of his life, until it too perhaps is auctioned off in an estate auction after he dies. Oh, the final results of the estate auction: the registered magnum and the Marlin 45-70, that’s all I won bids on but it was well worth it.
I apologize for the lengthy story. I’ll end this with the poignant statement from the gracious man who lost the bid:
“With the registered magnum, you take what you can get.”
I’m new to the forum with an interest in vintage guns. I recently acquired a registered magnum for my older brother (S&W forum member: mchom) and wanted to share this story with interested forum members.
My quick bio: former Marine, retired LEO. Okay enough about me. I became aware of an estate auction an hour away with a significant number of guns, including many vintage S&W revolvers! I quickly called my brother in OK who I was planning to visit. Well, I changed my flight plans, brother wired me money, and we formulated a plan for me to attend this estate auction.
My mission: buy reasonably priced guns at 50-60 cents on the dollar (yeah right, are you laughing?) and in particular vintage S&W and Colt revolvers. Brother gave me specific instructions: if I come across an older N frame 357, open the cylinder and look for a REG stamp, indicating a registered magnum.That’s my holy grail gun he says and you just never know, keep an eye out. Umm, okay what’s a registered magnum? So he had to school me on that. Yes, I’m a a novice compared to forum members here and all my vintage S&W revolvers only go back to the early 70’s.
So last Friday I go to the auction preview held the day before the estate auction. Hmm 127 guns to be auctioned. So I start at #1, nice High standard 22, #2 well worn S&W Model 28, then to #3: what’s this, a 38/44 Outdoorsman? Remember I’m a novice. Hmm, remembering my brother’s admonishment to open the cylinder and check for REG, I do as instructed: holy s#@%! There it is, REG! This is a registered magnum located on a ranch out in the middle of nowhere! Cell reception’s a little spotty, but I’m able to notify my brother, who promptly starts babbling about this being his holy grail gun, ya da ya da, as I hold the phone away from my ear.
So I photograph all the guns and report back to brother. My brother says, do you think any other collectors know about this registered magnum?. Well, I dunno, there were hundreds of people there, many taking copious notes. I reckon someone’s gotta know. Awe, #%$&! says brother. Well, I won’t hold out for hope but please get there early tomorrow and he gave instructions to bid up to a maximum amount I won’t mention, but my response was, are you insane? Don’t think! Just do as instructed! Um, okay brother, as you wish.
The night before the auction, brother reminds me to set my alarm, get plenty of rest, bring food and water, apparently forgetting my background and what I did for a living and how did I make it to 56. Yeah yeah it’s all good dude, I’ll try and get up. Please take this seriously he says! Awright, relax, geez.
The next morning I arrive early and there must be 600 people! It’s raining a little as I slosh across a muddy grass field wondering why I wore tennis shoes presently filling up with water as I head towards the auction site.
Well, the hours tick by, as everything but guns are being auctioned off. I’m thinking, geez how much freaking longer! I’m eyeing someone eating chili cheese fries from the concession stand but I dare not leave now, they’ll get to #3 very quickly! Actually, I feel a little lightheaded, what if I pass out before the gun auction starts? Folks will step over my body to bid on the registered magnum. Well, I just need to stay awake and alert until the reg magnum gets auctioned. Just focus, don’t faceplant, I remind myself as my legs start to tremble a little.
Auction time for guns! I think there are maybe 400 people in attendance, the others who left must have been for the farm equipment. Okay, get ready, #3 will come quick! #1 and #2 are auctioned quickly, kinda high final bids too, then #3 is announced, ok get ready, it starts at 1000 or is it 500, I don’t remember it’s all a blur, the auctioneer simply announces it as a S&W 357 with wood box. I hold my bid number high, as the auctioneer chants his jargon at warp speed, what did he say? What the hell is the bid at, $2000? Can you tell I’m not very experienced? Okay, there is at least one bidder maybe one more who know this is a registered magnum!
Now it’s a battle, just me and another guy, he knows damn well it’s a registered magnum. I hold my bid card # high, then I try to stretch my hand even higher! Now it’s at $3000 or is it higher? Damn I can’t understand the auctioneer is it $3000 or $4000? No matter, brother has giving me instructions, I’ll keep my hand up forever! Sold for $3000! I won! Whew, now I can pass out, but I’m rejuvenated now and 124 more guns to go!
Wow, bids are very high, lord you can get better deals on Gunbroker. I bid and lose out on another dozen gun auctions. So much for 50-60 cents on the dollar. Well, at least I’m disciplined, even with the auctioneer enticing me to go higher. I did win a bid on a nice Marlin 1895 45-70, mfg date 1997, for $750. Like new, not bad. Naturally, I’ll keep this rifle as my commission for helping my brother.
Then I’m approached by one of the registered magnum bidders. The 3rd one who dropped out early. He states, I don’t know if you know this, but there is a chatter pen engraved # on the right side plate. Looks to be refinished. That’s why I dropped out of the bid early. He may as well slugged me in the gut! I immediately flashback to the previous days viewing when I discovered the REG stamp. I was so astonished I forgot to do a comprehensive inspection of the gun! You had one job, one job, good grief, what an amateur! What the hell was I thinking? I think I just checked it off and went on to look at the other guns.
Then the 2nd bidder approached me, the one I battled it out with. He congratulated me on winning the bid and alleviated my concerns about the chatter marks. He said he’d been searching for a registered magnum for 36 years I believe. What he said as follows resonated with me: “With a registered magnum, you take what you can get.”
He felt it was well worth $3000 even with the chatter marks and quite likely being refinished. He explained the cylinder serial number matches the gun but it does have a different shade of bluing (charcoal to me) or look than the rest of the gun, no doubt the gun was refinished, and over the chatter marks too. A very nice and cordial man, very knowledgeable and a pleasure to chat with. I felt some regret that I deprived him of this registered magnum but blood is thicker than water they say.
I know many purist will gnash their teeth and shake their fist at the sky regarding chatter marks! How sacrilegious to deface such a beautiful revolver! It’s worthless, toss it in the garbage! Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This gun is over 80 years old and made in such few numbers. Maybe a lawman owned it and etched his badge # on it. Maybe to him, it was the best tool available during those times, one where he wanted the very best, where his life depended on it.
Well, I’ll be bringing the precious registered magnum to my brother in a couple days. He’ll get it lettered and post the results on this forum. My brother will cherish this registered magnum for the rest of his life, until it too perhaps is auctioned off in an estate auction after he dies. Oh, the final results of the estate auction: the registered magnum and the Marlin 45-70, that’s all I won bids on but it was well worth it.
I apologize for the lengthy story. I’ll end this with the poignant statement from the gracious man who lost the bid:
“With the registered magnum, you take what you can get.”
Last edited:
...Ben
