Revolver Market

[tocohillsguy]

It's time to thin the herd, and I'm wondering what I should sell. It looks like my 3rd generation semi-autos aren't very popular, so what about revolvers? Are S&W revolvers selling well or are they viewed as an anachronism? I'm wondering if the market is limited to aging baby boomers. Are millennials interested in revolvers? If millennials don't like them, then the market will only diminish as baby boomers age out.

 

[chaser723]

I'm 37 and love old revolvers so the interest is there.

 

[weatherby]

There is a strong market for pre lock S&W revolvers.

 

[Chukar60]

Still a good market for revolvers, but it seems a bit soft right now except for the higher tier Smiths
To me it seems it is stronger for the older models than used newer ones, but that is just my opinion.
I have the desire to cull my herd and make some adjustments but am waitin for the market to firm up a bit.



Or maybe I will just hang on to them

 

[B_Still]

I'm 50-ish, whatever category that makes me. Sometime before I'm 60 I hope to find my one forever-revolver to keep and pass down.

In the meantime, I'm partial to modern DA/SA semi's, but recently developed an interest in the single-stack S&W 3rd Gen semi's.

My problem with S&W revolvers and other older model S&W is that the collectors price me out of the market. I love the aesthetics of the revolvers, but can't justify the cost relative to the high performance of today's garden variety semi's at half the cost.


Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

 

[quaduser]

Here's an analogy...

I'm in my late 60's and I collected pre-WWII German daggers for years. I became interested in them because my father brought back three daggers as war souvenirs. As you can guess, the age of the collecting community for these daggers is similar to the age of the collecting community for older Smiths. The market for daggers peaked around 2008 when the stock market crashed and the "Great Recession" began. The market for these daggers has never recovered, primarily IMO because the collecting community is literally dying off. I see the same thing happening with the Smith collecting community and even interest in revolvers in general. That doesn't mean that there aren't new and younger people that become interested in them, but it does (to me) mean the numbers have reached the tipping point. The future for Smith collectors is not bright IMO... just as collecting Nazi daggers has seen its zenith.

 

[slight_turn_line_69]

1006 and other 10mms will sell. Anything N frame will sell. K frame 357s will sell. Model 10s sell if they're cheap enough. Model 15's not so much. Good luck!

 

[nate-dogg]

I'm a millennial (Generation Y (born 1980-1994)) and I love pre-lock revolvers. I think Generation Z (born 1994 or later) is the generation that the majority prefers black plastic guns.

 

[tocohillsguy]

I'm in my late 60's and I collected pre-WWII German daggers for years. I became interested in them because my father brought back three daggers as war souvenirs. As you can guess, the age of the collecting community for these daggers is similar to the age of the collecting community for older Smiths. The market for daggers peaked around 2008 when the stock market crashed and the "Great Recession" began. The market for these daggers has never recovered, primarily IMO because the collecting community is literally dying off. I see the same thing happening with the Smith collecting community and even interest in revolvers in general. That doesn't mean that there aren't new and younger people that become interested in them, but it does (to me) mean the numbers have reached the tipping point. The future for Smith collectors is not bright IMO... just as collecting Nazi daggers has seen its zenith.

This is exactly my concern, but perhaps Nate-Dogg is correct and it's the Gen Zs that will ignore revolvers, meaning we have a few more decades before our revolvers become paper weights. That being said, when I go to shooting competitions it's a rarity when someone shoots a revolver, and whenever I see the Cowboy action shooters their median age seems to be above 50 yrs.

 

[tocohillsguy]

1006 and other 10mms will sell. Anything N frame will sell. K frame 357s will sell. Model 10s sell if they're cheap enough. Model 15's not so much. Good luck!

Noticed you didn't mention L frames.

 

[UncleEd]

I maintain revolvers would be more popular
if stores and ranges stocked more of them
and suggested them to buyers for their
merits.

But most behind-the-counter people are already
committed to working for IHOP, the International
Houses of Polymer.

A mentality also exists that if one has a gun with
15 bullets, then one can miss 14 times and still
win the fight.

 

[tocohillsguy]

I imagine S&W could answer my question based upon the trend of their new revolver sales, and how they compare to their total pistol sales. Unfortunately, I suspect that information is proprietary.

Not intending to be a heretic, but perhaps some of you have been tracking Colt Python prices. If so, how are they tracking? It might be a good indication of where the general revolver market is going.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

My observation is that the younger people, perhaps present company excepted, like newer guns, and the last century guns, including Lugers, are slowly losing their value as we old guys who value them die off.

 

[rubiranch]

I've sold sold several S&W revolvers in the last couple of month and they brought good money. Several of them quite a bit more than I was hoping for.

I've also picked up a couple and paid a premium price for them.

 

[slight_turn_line_69]

Yeah, L frames are selling too. The 686 especially, but I've seen 681's go for way too much money recently. Pre lock 686s seem to go fast.

 

[rubiranch]

Yeah, L frames are selling too. The 686 especially, but I've seen 681's go for way too much money recently. Pre lock 686s seem to go fast.

I just sold a 4" 686 no-dash for $1000.00

 

[r100rsman]

I purchased my first two revolvers in the last 3 months. A 27-7 and a Model 60-4. I am thinning my herd of black semi guns and enjoying revolvers a lot more than the semi's.

 

[Rammer Jammer]

I'm 39 (and don't subscribe to generational labels) and am only interested in revolvers except for some day wanting to get a Luger.

If it's a good gun there will always be interest.

 

[Pizza Bob]

@tocohillsguy - Tell us what you have and we'll let you know if there is interest ;-)

 

[dave1918a2]

Been doing CO gun shows for 45 years. Right now the black guns are the rage. Small, compact, light, and no guarantee to run or hit a barn from the inside, sell like hotcakes. I'm selling some revolvers and most young people just walk right by.