Valuation & Info For A 1932? M&P .38 Revolver

[Msd1979]

Hi all, new guy here looking for some assistance on the value and any other information you experts may be willing to share about my 1932?? Smith and Wesson military and police .38. This was in my great grandfathers collection and I believe it was unfired until I got it and put 25 rounds through it. I have the original inner and outer box, original factory target and wax paper. The serial # is 632958.

 

[Msd1979]

Sorry, can't figure out how to attach multiple files to my original post.

 

[Msd1979]

Other side.

 

[Msd1979]

Factory target, serial # on target matches serial # on the butt of the pistol.

 

[DWalt]

Very very nice. Tough to date anything from the 1930s by SN, as during the Great Depression, gun sales were WAY down and inventory might take years to ship. But it's probable yours shipped during the 1931-33 period, likely assembled in 1930 or 1931. Value? In that condition and with the box and outer box covering, I'd say $700-$900 at gun show prices. and maybe even a little more to the right buyer. There would be a lot of interest in it.

 

[jmace57]

Welcome to the forum! Great entrance!

It's interesting as it looks like a "half target" with a replaced front sight. I wonder if it is factory. It would be worth the $75 to get a factory letter to me.

 

[Msd1979]

Welcome to the forum! Great entrance!

It's interesting as it looks like a "half target" with a replaced front sight. I wonder if it is factory. It would be worth the $75 to get a factory letter to me.

How do I go about getting a factory letter? Is that just submitting photos and serial # to S&W? And I'm just curious on the value, I have no intentions on selling. I also have the same pistol in .32 caliber that has the same front sight and is from around the same year, but I don't have the factory target for that but do have the inner and outer box and it has "rumson pd" stamped on the butt of the gun. My great grandfather was a prominent lawyer in New Jersey and can only speculate as to why I'm in possession of almost 100 S&W and Colt revolvers with different department stamps on them from different towns in New Jersey.

 

[ParadiseRoad]

...welcome to the forum...sounds like an interesting collection...I hope you will post more photos and interesting details...

 

[Texas Star]

The shape of the front sight and the shipping sleeve and retained box suggests a serious gun owner who knew firearms and who cared for his possessions.


An impressive set...

 

[Speedo2]

Your 32 "in the same configuration" may be a fairly rare gun that should be lettered. Please post some photos of it, and any others that you'd care to share with us. -S2

 

[Msd1979]

The shape of the front sight and the shipping sleeve and retained box suggests a serious gun owner who knew firearms and who cared for his possessions.


An impressive set...

Good catch, it does not fit in the box the way it should and tore the box. I will be posting many more threads and pictures once I sift through exactly what I have as I am splitting the collection with my brother. Also in there is a 1920's Thompson which I'm guessing I shouldn't have....

 

[Msd1979]

Your 32 "in the same configuration" may be a fairly rare gun that should be lettered. Please post some photos of it, and any others that you'd care to share with us. -S2

My apologies, the .32 is a colt police positive. I've got one in .32 and several .38, but there are 2 colts one .32 and one .38 that have the same front site as the smith and Wesson.

 

[DCWilson]

Looks like a Call gold bead in the front sight, which makes me think it might be a special order. A letter is definitely in order, as others have said. Unusual, I think, to find a Call gold bead on Colts, but maybe they all got replacement sights after purchase.

If I saw that on the consignment shelf of my LGS with a sticker price of $1250, I would try to talk them down to a thousand, and pay the full freight if they wouldn't budge. That's how much it appeals to me.

 

[Texas Star]

My apologies, the .32 is a colt police positive. I've got one in .32 and several .38, but there are 2 colts one .32 and one .38 that have the same front site as the smith and Wesson.

Is the .38 a Police Positive or Police Positive Special? The latter will be a .38 Special with a longer frame than a basic PP, which took the shorter .38 S&W regular round, also called by a Colt name, which I've forgotten. .38 Colt New Police??


You need to research all the latest legal data for the Thompson, which is now a very valuable gun. Depending on current Federal law and your state law, you may be able to register it, pay the US transfer tax and legally own it.


If the Colts also have that front sight, it's probably been installed outside either factory, but looks like very professional work.


You clearly inherited some very nice guns!

 

[Msd1979]

Is the .38 a Police Positive or Police Positive Special? The latter will be a .38 Special with a longer frame than a basic PP, which took the shorter .38 S&W regular round, also called by a Colt name, which I've forgotten. .38 Colt New Police??


You need to research all the latest legal data for the Thompson, which is now a very valuable gun. Depending on current Federal law and your state law, you may be able to register it, pay the US transfer tax and legally own it.


If the Colts also have that front sight, it's probably been installed outside either factory, but looks like very professional work.


You clearly inherited some very nice guns!

Thank you, my brother an I are very excited to get them aside from the circumstances. Im still sorting through everything to see what I/we have, there are over 170 firearms and a ton of other cool non gun related stuff to go through (he represented some colorful characters) so I'm bouncing between boxes of guns and reading his legal material all at the same time, hard to focus on one thing. I never met the man as he died before I was born and all of this stuff has been in my grandmothers basement well stored since the early 70's.

 

[Msd1979]

Does anybody know if S&W shipped their revolvers with the hammer cocked? That's the only way it fits correctly in the box.

 

[glowe]

Welcome to the Forum. Since you are asking about the value of your 38 Military & Police, 4th Change, I must ask you to please stop lowering it by ripping the box and shooting an unfired gun. The box is labeled to accommodate your revolver and care needs to be taken not to rip out the corners. Also, if it was truly in an unfired condition, shooting a half-box of ammo was not wise. Actually, handling such a treasure without gloves is not the best thing to do if you want to preserve it.

Collector value is all about condition and a gun 80 year old gun without a turn line (which you put in by shooting it) is worth hundreds more than one with a turn line. Collectors look for years before finding a 100% vintage S&W and will pay big dollars for one. Others may not agree, but my opinion is that you have done yourself and your brother no good by your actions.

Value of an "As New" 4th Change is listed as $1200 and "Excellent", which is the next category down, is listed as $600. Add to that what was a perfect box would have been another $300 plus, ripped corner variety under $200. If the front sight letters to the gun as it left the factory, could have added yet more value.

Sorry to be terse, but since you ask for opinions, mine is that you should have really done your research before taking it to the range. The percentage of unfired vintage S&Ws is incredibly small and they are an important part of history and fiercely sought after by S&W collectors. It is, however, your revolver, so you can do whatever you want to with it, but one has to keep in mind what criteria determines value.

 

[THEMULE]

Other side.

I don't believe it to be a 1932, I think it's much earlier. Before 1921 or 1922 as it's missing the "One Line Adrress". The One Line Adrress was started in 21 or 22 (I think) and ended in April or so of 1948.
I am not going off the serial number, nor do I know the "years" that box was used.
As of right now, DWALT would know more about it than I as he tracks serial #'s for this exact reason. Many others here on the forum do as well. They'll provide more info than I.
Stick around, great folks here and THIS IS THE BEST SECTION by the way.....
Bob

 

[Absalom]

I don't believe it to be a 1932, I think it's much earlier. Before 1921 or 1922 as it's missing the "One Line Adrress". The One Line Adrress was started in 21 or 22 (I think) and ended in April or so of 1948.
I am not going off the serial number,....

The time placement by the serial number is quite unequivocal. The "MADE IN U.S.A" on the right frame should be there. It may just be the lighting, but I don't see it either, which is a bit odd. Other than that my eyes may be deceiving me, does anyone have an explanation? Is it just washed out by the camera's shadow?

 

[Msd1979]

Welcome to the Forum. Since you are asking about the value of your 38 Military & Police, 4th Change, I must ask you to please stop lowering it by ripping the box and shooting an unfired gun. The box is labeled to accommodate your revolver and care needs to be taken not to rip out the corners. Also, if it was truly in an unfired condition, shooting a half-box of ammo was not wise. Actually, handling such a treasure without gloves is not the best thing to do if you want to preserve it.

Collector value is all about condition and a gun 80 year old gun without a turn line (which you put in by shooting it) is worth hundreds more than one with a turn line. Collectors look for years before finding a 100% vintage S&W and will pay big dollars for one. Others may not agree, but my opinion is that you have done yourself and your brother no good by your actions.

Value of an "As New" 4th Change is listed as $1200 and "Excellent", which is the next category down, is listed as $600. Add to that what was a perfect box would have been another $300 plus, ripped corner variety under $200. If the front sight letters to the gun as it left the factory, could have added yet more value.

Sorry to be terse, but since you ask for opinions, mine is that you should have really done your research before taking it to the range. The percentage of unfired vintage S&Ws is incredibly small and they are an important part of history and fiercely sought after by S&W collectors. It is, however, your revolver, so you can do whatever you want to with it, but one has to keep in mind what criteria determines value.

Understood and thank you for your opinion, your tone was not offensive at all. I was excited to shoot one of these pistols and this was the only one that wasn't either locked up or in need of a look over prior to firing. As far as it being unfired, the test target shows it was fired, and it was just my speculation that it wasn't fired after that. The box was torn when I got it and either the pistol sits in the box on an angle, or the hammer is cocked for it to lay flat.