[Suzie]

Hello all,
Upon the death of my brother, I was left a few guns. I would appreciate any information you could give me on them - included a ball-park value.
1. S&W, Springfield Mass. 1905 pistol Serial # 3925"4"
2. S&W 38 special CTG Serial # 262217
3. S&W Model 39 9 mm Automatic Pistol Double action Ser # A675747
Thanks for you help,
Suzie
51686

51688

51690

[20yearvet]

One suggestion is to also visit:

1. Auction Arms

http://www.auctionarms.com/

2. Gunbroker

http://www.gunbroker.com/

and do a keyword search for each of those models. The sites are auction sites - just like Ebay, only for firearms & firearm related items.

Search for completed auctions that have ended where the item has actually sold - there are lots that never sell.

The selling price (assuming the item actually ships, etc) should be a fairly decent indication of what the "internet" market value is. You also have to account for dealer transfer fees in some of those cases that aren't shown in the auction results. For example, a firearm bought by someone from Minnesota from a seller in Ohio might have to pay their local Federal Firearms License (FFL) dealer $20 - $30 for the "paperwork" in order to legally transfer the firearm from Ohio to Minnesota, along with normal shipping fees.

[Jim Watson]

I am not an expert but will kick things off.
Your pictures and descriptions do not run well together.
The top illustration is a S&W Model No 2 Army Old Model .32 rimfire long of 1861-1874; 77,000+ made. Not a .38 Special, that may have gotten transmogrified from the description of the second pictured revolver which is a S&W Military and Police model of 1905. It is either a very well preserved factory nickel or a plating job by someone who knew that S&W do not plate the hammer and trigger. No doubt somebody will be along to tell its age.

The M39-2 was probably made in the 1970s. They seem to be getting some attention now, after years of disregard. It, like the nickel revolver appear to be in tip-top condition and the .32 is quite well preserved except for having lost its front sight. I don't know the dollar value, but it will be substantial.

You might ask at http://smith-wessonforum.com/groupee/forums

[Suzie]

Yes Jim,
I had some technical difficulty and therefore, posted the pictures out of order - sorry about that.
Thank you Jim - i am feeling so lost with this stuff and hungry for information.
I wish you a wonderful evening,
Suzie

[SaxonPig]

I am not at all familiar with antique pistols (made before 1900) so I can't help with the .32 except to say that there may be considerable collector interest in this piece. Jim Supica (author and owner of Old Town Station, search for that name on the Web) collects these and could probably help you.

The .38 looks refinished to me but I could certainly be wrong. I think that serial is from around 1920ish. Appears to have original stocks and that's a plus with collectors. I'd guess $200-$400 depending on originality.

The 9mm would likely fetch around $350-$400.

If you want to sell any or all just open an account on GunBroker.com and put them up for auction with a $100 starting price. The people who do the bidding and buying will tell you what each is worth.

[asknight]

According to the 3rd Edition of the Standard Catalog by Supica and Nahas, the values look something like this…

S&W Model No 2 Army Old Model .32 rimfire long. Made 1861-1874
As New: $4000
$550 - 2500, according to condition

S&W .38 Military & Police Model of 1905 is the 4th Change version, according to your serial number. The 4th Change models were made 1915-1942.
As New: $1200
$250 – 450, according to condition

S&W 39-2 was made 1971-1983. Yours was made in 1981.
As New: $400
$250 -325, according to condition

[Trebor]

I agree you should register over at www.smith-wessonforum.com and post the pictures there. You'll get a better indication of current prices and how "desirable" those guns are right now to collectors. That would also be a good place to advertise them if you wish to sell them.

Btw, sorry to hear about your Brother's death.

[Suzie]

I really appreciate your guidance with the guns - it has made a difficult situation a little easier.
I have registered with S & W forum and am awaiting acceptance.
I do have another question - do most of the people on this site deal with later guns - what about guns that are over 100 yrs old?
thanks again!
Suzie

[Trebor]

If by "this website" you mean "The High Road" the members of this forum primarily focus on modern guns with a heavy emphasis on self defense and target shooting. It's really not the best place to ask about 100 year old guns.

The Smith & Wesson form is focused more tightly on S&W firearms and has a lot of very active collectors on that board.

My best advice is to repost your questions over there after you are granted approval.

One good way to sell the guns would be to contact Jim Supica, co-author of the S&W collectors book, "The Standard Catalog of Smith and Wessons." Jim also runs a firearms aution business called "Old Town Station." He would be qualified to evaluate and price your firearms for sale and could sell them through his website and catalog. You would have to pay him a percentage, but he would undoubtably be able to find buyers for the two revolvers at a good price.

Just so you know, the Model 39 is a fairly recent semi-auto pistol that is not really in demand from the collectors. It is still more of a "shooter" than a "collectable."

There are legal issues that you have to be aware of when selling firearms and technical issues about how you describe the condition of the firearm, conduct the sale, etc, that Jim could walk you through. I think the fee you pay for his service would be worth it considering the value of the two revolvers. (If it was *just* the Model 39, I'd say just put in ad in the paper and sell it locally or post a classified ad here, but those other guns are potentially valuable and you'd be better off selling with Jim)

Here's a link to his website.

http://armchairgunshow.com/

[TimboKhan]

Where is Vern Humphries on this one? He usually is Johnny on the spot with estimated values....