[olderdude]

I am trying to help a friend who is selling his firearms which he no longer wants (he stopped shooting years ago). Local gun shops were offering $300 for this nickel-plated S&W 38 special with a 4 in barrel. Can anyone tell me if they think this is a fair offer? It appears to be a 5-screw revolver (screw on front of trigger guard) and the serial numbers on the butt of the gun and the cylinder match (S 8549xx). Is this something collectors would be interested in? I see mention of 4 line addresses. This gun has two lines on the top of the barrel and on the side near the trigger guard simply says "MADE IN USA". I'll try to figure out how to upload pictures if that would help.
Thanks.

 

[Wiregrassguy]

Welcome to the forums from the Wiregrass! Yes pictures are going to help because we can't give you an estimate of value without seeing the condition. But but even if we give you an estimate of value gun shops are only going to give you about half of what the gun is worth anyway. So if you take the $300 that the gun shop thought the gun was worth and double it, then you'll have the approximate value.

Guy

 

[jonesy814]

S prefix on the serial number would make it an N frame I believe. If it is nice enough then collectors might very well be interested

 

[Wiregrassguy]

The numerical part of the serial number is too high for it to be an N frame. It's an M&P. After the war, the M&Ps continued the serial number sequence at the end of the Victory production to early 1948.

Guy

 

[Abby'sDad]

If the gun shop offers $300, they'll try to sell it for $500 to cover OH and profit

 

[mrerick]

If it's in good cosmetic and mechanical condition, the offer is typical of retail stores acquiring used firearms. Revolvers don't sell today for reasonable money because new shooters generally want polymer frame semi-automatic pistols.

You can look up values on the GunBroker auction side. See current and (if you login to an account) completed auction sales.

Depending on many variables, the dealer offer is likely well less than half it's current value.

 

[olderdude]

If it's in good cosmetic and mechanical condition, the offer is typical of retail stores acquiring used firearms. Revolvers don't sell today for reasonable money because new shooters generally want polymer frame semi-automatic pistols.

You can look up values on the GunBroker auction side. See current and (if you login to an account) completed auction sales.

Depending on many variables, the dealer offer is likely well less than half it's current value.

Hi. I doubt it will make any difference, but I do finally have some photos of the revolver I mentioned two months ago. Here is one photo, I have a few others but don't want to overload. Does this tell anyone anything more? It's a nice looking gun.

Thanks.

 

[Wiregrassguy]

Well, the first thing I see are the grips are wrong for this era M&P. They date to 1968 or later and are worth around $50. Considering it will cost $150-200 to put age appropriate grips on it, you can take at least $100 off the value. The gun itself looks to be in excellent condition if the other side is like this one. Overall, I'd put it between $500 and $550.

 

[olderdude]

Well, the first thing I see are the grips are wrong for this era M&P. They date to 1968 or later and are worth around $50. Considering it will cost $150-200 to put age appropriate grips on it, you can take at least $100 off the value. The gun itself looks to be in excellent condition if the other side is like this one. Overall, I'd put it between $500 and $550.

Hi. Thanks for the info. Yes, it's a nice looking gun on all sides. I'll let me friend know what you guys have said.

 

[delcrossv]

You could always sell it here. You'd get a more fair return than a gunshop.

 

[OMCHamlin]

You could always sell it here. You'd get a more fair return than a gunshop.

Well, in a sense he basically is, insofar as people here now know that he (I mean, his friend) has this .38 M&P and is probably not exactly adverse to hearing private offers on it...

 

[Curt360]

Sweet revolver. $500 is an accurate value.