weapon rareity
I have a Smith&Wesson model 29-2 4in blue-made in 4/1980 so says the seral no.= problem there is no model stamp inside the cylinder where it is supposed to be = so i called Smith&Wesson after about 6 wks i recieved a call form an executive director of there QC and he verified the man/date and verified the photos of the weapon so i ask him how often will a weapon go through the factory and make it out without a model stamp==his reply was the odds of that happening is well over a million to one --now some "smith collectors" at the shows say that happens all of the time and offered my a tad over $400 for it==are they just trying to get a deal //my question is whos right Smith or these so called collectors == what would the value be??? thank ==steve
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What if someone replace the cylinder on the revolver and there was no model number on the new replacement!
Emmett0 -
Everyone is right, & everyone is wrong.
Mistamped model numbers, as well as missing model numbers, are not common, but I think they are more common than a million to one. But, it doesn't happen all of the time. It doesn't really matter; they rarely bring any more than a normal gun.
Also, when folks think you are trying to sell a gun but have no idea of what you have or what it's worth, yes, they will often "low ball" you.
Your gun is worth the same as other guns with the same features & in similar condition with the same accessories. To find the value of common guns, click on the Smart Search link near the top of the GB home page, & search COMPLETED auctions for guns similar to yours.
Neal
EDIT: Actually Beantown, S&W did mkae several thousand M10-6 revolvers in .357 mag for the NYSP. And, it's a valuable variation.0 -
I agree with Neal on this. A missing model number is more common than 1 in a million. I suspect the Smith guy was just using that common phrase. I have seen more guns with "mistamped" model numbers than guns without them that were supposed to have them. 0 -
Did Smith MAKE 1,000,000 model 29-4. I would think not. 0 -
Cyl. swap is moot. Model number would remain with the revolver. Stamping would be in the frame-recess, not the swing-out yoke. Best, Joe 0 -
As has been stated in previous post, the point to be made is, that gun collecting is not like stamp or coin collecting. In stamp and coin collecting there are great premium's for specimens that have been mis-marked in low quantities. That does not often hapen in firearms collecting. The odds of that happening where the specimen is worth any kind of premium are at least '1 in a million".
Best0 -
quote:Originally posted by nmyers
Mistamped model numbers, as well as missing model numbers, are not common, but I think they are more common than a million to one. But, it doesn't happen all of the time. It doesn't really matter; they rarely bring any more than a normal gun.
Actually, they're surprisingly common.
I've related this story here before, but I've had an interesting personal conversation with a gun store owner who owns a shop close the Smith factory in Springfield MA (and from whom I've bought several guns on Gunbroker, actually!).
He told me that not a month goes by where he doesn't see some mislabelled Smith gun, or what appears to be a Smith gun variant that was never listed for sale in any catalog. They're either guns cobbled together from leftover parts by Smith, or "lunchbox specials", etc.
He then proceeded to pull out a gun labelled as a Smith model 10 in .357 magnum to "prove" the point. Gun chambers .357s perfectly, and the cylinder isn't defective. He said he'd be perfectly comfortable actually loading it and shooting it with actual .357s, by the way. Special run? Mislabelled gun? Prototype? Who knows.
Anyway, concurring with the above, mislabelled guns are NOT the famous "flying Jenny"! This sort of thing is *maybe* of interest if the gun is absolutely pristine, ie 100% new in box with papers. . .and even then, probably not so much.
So long as the gun is built properly, a used Smith 29 should be worth exactly the same as a "shooter" whether its labelled correctly or not. The mislabelling neither INCREASES nor DECREASES the guns value.
By the way, for what its worth a 1980 vintage Smith 29-4 with 4" barrel should be worth maybe $600, give or take a bit depending on condition and accessories.0 -
I have a S&W 29-2, vintage '73, and the model is not marked anywhere on the cylinder. It is stamped on the frame, on the left side of the gun. Open the crane and you should be able to see it. 0 -
I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR INPUT NOW AT LEAST I KNOW THAT IM NOT GOING TO RUIN THE VALUE IF I SHOOT IT == I LOVE THE 44MAG AND LOVE SHOOTING THEM SO ILL KEEP IT AND HAVE LOTS OF FUN==AGIAN THANK YOU ALL======= GOD GUNS AND GUT KEEP AMERICA FREE ====== 0
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