Relative rarity

[JP@AK]

Fellow collectors:
I have a young man in my church who has expressed interest in Smith & Wesson revolvers and wants to get into collecting them. His first purchase was a .32 New Departure (nice inexpensive place to start).
He was over at my house a few days ago and we were looking at various old HEs in my collection. He asked a question I was not prepared to answer, so I pass it along to this astute group for discussion.
I'm sure it will raise a hearty debate, so have fun!
What revolver is the most rare of all S&W hand ejectors? What other models (or model variations) are extremely rare?
Oh, I'm looking forward to seeing lots of answers from you folks.
JP

 

[crsides]

So rare that you give up looking ??? Alot of models/variations don't have a verified production count, but here goes.

Here is link to a 1926 target 44 spl. and I think I heard maybe 50 made ?
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-ha...208175-triple-lock-turns-out-1926-target.html

Pre model 26 45 acp only 2688 made.

No count, but he could look for a 17-1 which are hard to find relative to the total # of k22's made.

Baby chief specials are nice.

4screw pre 29's are not plentiful

5 screw pre 29's are nice.

and I just saw a K32 first model posted here - one of 94.

just my corner of the sand box.


CHarlie

 

[AKtinman]

What revolver is the most rare of all S&W hand ejectors?

My vote goes to the single Registered Magnum made in .22 LR

 

[44 special Dave]

I think the post title has a clue......It's all relative!

I think a question like "more desirable" and hard to get?

As for "rare" has anyone ever seen a 4" barrel 2nd model 44 hand ejector.

A member here who likes rare n frames showed a target triplelock with a 7 1/2" barrel in 44/40. Yikes.

So I guess what fancies someone and is a desirable would be rare?

Sounds like someone wants to build a collection of "expensive" guns. Heck they don't need to be rare to do that.

Dave

 

[rburg]

Figuring out the most rare could be a bad game to play. We mention 3rd model 44s as being rare, but really they can be purchased anytime you want one, as long as its a long barrel version. Well, that and you have a bucket full of money to spend.

As far as we know, there are only 2 of the 44 Targets in 4". That makes it pretty scarce. Only one is in near perfect condition, that one belongs to Jim Fisher. The other is well used since it got refinished and belongs to a poor hillbilly in Kentucky.

And there are the San Diego 45 Colt HDs. I did see one of those sell for around $20,000 a while back (and I had no role other than envious observer.)

I even bought a 44-40 Triple lock a while back. I gave it to a more worthy individual than myself.

There are a bunch of guns with production numbers fairly significant, but only one or two made in a certain finish or barrel length.

So what makes one scarce or desirable? The things I look for might not be the same as what you seek. Its good because it keeps the bidding wars down to where us po folk can still play.

 

[Oyeboteb]

2nd Model Hand Ejector in .44-40 is quite 'rare'...

Any factory correct 2 Inch "M&P" dating to before 1934, would be extremely rare.

Model 1899 'M&P' Factory Target would be very rare...

"M&P" in 9mm P'08 ( a, or a few Prototypes were supposedly made in the 1940s )...would be extremely rare...

Just off the top o' me head, anyway...

 

[ElToro]

one of these days J Edgar's registered will turn up. he can start his own research into its whereabouts

 

[zywina]

My vote would have to go to the lucky kid who's father has S&W make him that REG MAG in 22!!!Dale Z in Canada!

 

[deadin]

It's all in the eye of the beholder......
Someplace around here I've got an old Victory model that I scratched my initials into the sideplate. I've never done that to another gun, so it is a unique, one of a kind and I want $100,000 for it.
(If anybody else tries to duplicate it, theirs will be nothing more than a worthless forgery...)

 

[sandwtrader]

Rare ?

How about the 10 Model 44's. Or the 1976 Model 29's and Model 57 Bicentennial's? There are lots of one-of-a-kind special orders so how do you define rare? LOL