I have a K22 17-3 in nickel with a 8 3/8" barrel. I have never seen one before. I'm am trying to come up with a value on it but can't find it listed. I had read that there were some salesmen's samples of some S&W nickel pistols that were never cataloged. I do not know if that's true or not. All input and help appreciated.
S&W K22 17-3 in nickel. Help! needed.
- Thread starter BigG-n-Tn
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
Welcome to the forum.
If it were mine, I'd get a letter before I did anything else. Some photos would be nice!
http://smith-wessonforum.com/e...0103904/m/3011047303
If it were mine, I'd get a letter before I did anything else. Some photos would be nice!
http://smith-wessonforum.com/e...0103904/m/3011047303
I would think if it's a factory nickel it should have a N on the back of the cylinder and on the frame under the grips during that era being made between 1967 and 1977. My 27-2's from the early 70's have the N in those places on my nickel guns.
I'm sure someone else can confirm or deny this.
I'm sure someone else can confirm or deny this.
Art Doc
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
Very very few in factory nickel. I have never seen one. Special order only. My first guess is always that such guns are refinished and so far I have not been wrong.
Are the hammer and trigger nickel plated? If so this is almost a sure sign of refinishing.
If original nickel then very valuable to a collector. If refinished then maybe $300-$350 as a shooter.
Are the hammer and trigger nickel plated? If so this is almost a sure sign of refinishing.
If original nickel then very valuable to a collector. If refinished then maybe $300-$350 as a shooter.
The hammer and trigger are not plated. The rear of the ejector is not plated but the push rod where it actually shows is. There is the serial number and MCD 17-3 when you open the cylinder. There is no N on the back of the cylinder. The rear sight is also not plated and is a removeable and adjustable sight. Once I learn how to post pics... Can I use Photo Bucket links?
Did you take the grips off and look on the grip frame for a "N"?
rburg
Member
With nickel K22s, the only real way to tell is with a letter. If the gun is obviously refinished, as in polish marks, pins flattened, etc, then you can assume its been refinished. But if it was done by a good gunsmith, you'd need the letter.
Since they didn't have a production line or run of nickel guns, they just pulled one that had been destined to be blue and turned it into a nickel gun. If it shipped from the factory as a nickel gun originally, its a nickel gun. Only Roy can find/view the original invoice and prove it.
I'm still looking for the prewar nickel version.
Since they didn't have a production line or run of nickel guns, they just pulled one that had been destined to be blue and turned it into a nickel gun. If it shipped from the factory as a nickel gun originally, its a nickel gun. Only Roy can find/view the original invoice and prove it.
I'm still looking for the prewar nickel version.
Art Doc
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
Hard to see much in the photos but if refinished it was done properly. I would show it to a local smith for his opinion on refinished or not. If it appears original then it's worth the $50 to document it.
Pretty gun. I always wondered why nickel wasn't routinely offered on these as they look so good plated.
Pretty gun. I always wondered why nickel wasn't routinely offered on these as they look so good plated.
There is no evidence whatsoever that the gun has ever been apart for refinishing. I wish you guys could hold this thing and look at it. I'm going to send for a letter from S&W. It just makes sense to confirm what I already believe. If it was refinished in the after-market, whoever done it was beyond a Professional, they were at the very least a Master.
Do you have the N on back of your cylinder? That looks just like mine when open! Does yours say MCD 17-3 on the frame below the barrel when you open the cylinder? I wish I knew when mine was made. Serial number is 8K289**. I'm not trying to be silly but that made my heart skip a beat and I got goose bumps when I seen yours. Just like mine except grips and barrel length.
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2005
- Messages
- 2,534
- Reaction score
- 14,765
My Model 17-3 has the large 'N' under the barrel flat, behind the extractor on the cylinder and on the grip frame on the left side underneath the left panel.
My serial number puts my gun in the range of those with the six inch barrels that were shipped in 1975.
"Rare configuration: In 1975, 15 revolvers were made in 6" nickel, square butt, with target hammer and target trigger, in serial number range 1K3034 to 1K3655", per the 2nd edition of the Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson.
My serial number is 1K32XX.
And, yours doesn't say 'MCD 17-3'. It says 'MOD 17-3' for model number.
My heart skipped a beat when I found out about this gun. It skipped two beats when I paid for it.
bdGreen
My serial number puts my gun in the range of those with the six inch barrels that were shipped in 1975.
"Rare configuration: In 1975, 15 revolvers were made in 6" nickel, square butt, with target hammer and target trigger, in serial number range 1K3034 to 1K3655", per the 2nd edition of the Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson.
My serial number is 1K32XX.
And, yours doesn't say 'MCD 17-3'. It says 'MOD 17-3' for model number.
My heart skipped a beat when I found out about this gun. It skipped two beats when I paid for it.
bdGreen
Art Doc
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
GNT- Don't be offended. It's just that original nickel M17s are so rare that the first inclination is to assume it's refinished. Also be aware that S&W historian Roy Jinks assures us that S&W could refinish a gun so that nobody could tell it wasn't original. I have seen a K22 plated by Ford's (a refinishing shop) that was so beautiful you would never guess it wasn't factory original. Common refinish stamps on the grip frame are a star or a diamond. Sometimes the date of the work is stamped there, too, like 976 meaning September of 1976.
I believe that if original there will be a capital N stamped on the grip frame, like seen below.
If you truly believe it is original then it would be worth the $50 to confirm its finish when shipped as a real nickel 17 would be worth a couple thousand bucks, I think.
I believe that if original there will be a capital N stamped on the grip frame, like seen below.
If you truly believe it is original then it would be worth the $50 to confirm its finish when shipped as a real nickel 17 would be worth a couple thousand bucks, I think.
There's really only one way to tell. Write S&W. That's the bottom line as far as I can tell. I'll just cough up the $50 and roll the dice. Mine has what looks almost like a deep check mark shaped kind of like a V a G5 then 16383 a G3 & G6 on the left and on the right side is a P inside a square and either an I or L inside a square.Can someone post the link to S&W where I would request the info. I'm a full blown rookie when it comes to S&Ws period. The first one I ever had was a Model 39 alloy framed 9mm and this is #2.
feralmerril
Absent Comrade
It can happen. In the 70s or early 80s I spotted a brand new NICKLE model 14 in my gunshop and bought it. I knew they werent cataloged. In the crane you could see where "14" was overstamped a "15". Shoulda kept that one! It was 6".
29aholic
Member
I may have skipped over it accidentally, but did you say if the ejector was blue or not? That can be an indication of factory nickel too. Also the N on the cylinder could be Under the ejector.
Similar threads
- Locked
