[Rockrz]

I have an old Smith & Wesson "Regulation Police" issue .38 Caliber pistol (revolver) that's so old it takes short .38 rounds.

When I bought the ammo, the guy said it was his last box and he was happy to get it out of stock because nobody asks for these short .38 rounds anymore.

I got it from an elderly family member that left it to me in their will. I'm pretty sure he said it was a pistol that most police departments used back in the 20s and 30s, but I'm not sure (I was a kid when he showed me all his old pistols, so my memory may not be correct on that part)

Anyway, it's in good working condition. But, it does have some slight surface rust so I'll probably need to take it in somewhere for restoration.

But, before I do...does anyone have a ball park idea about what this thing may be worth? Once I get it all cleaned up and restored, I'm thinking about selling it so I can get something more modern and in a larger caliber.

I figure this thing is so old, that it should be of value to someone that collects old revolvers.

Any educated guess about the value of this pistol would be appreciated. I've attached a couple of pics...

[SaxonPig]

If you want to sell it then do it now. Spending money on a "restoration" would be more than the gun is worth.

Right now it's worth between $250 and $400. Spend $300 to refinish it and it's worth $200-$300 because now it's no longer original. See the problem?

There are people who look for these. Put it on GunBroker starting at $250 and see what happens. Don't waste money on refinishing a gun you plan to sell anyway.

BTW- You didn't care enough about this relative to keep the gun he wanted you to have as a keepsake?

[Rockrz]

Thanks for the suggestion. Is "GunBroker" a website to list guns for sale?

No, I'm not much on having keep sakes as I'd rather have a larger caliber pistol that is more up to date than this one that's very old.

I'm hoping to find a collector that would want this.

[jaholder1971]

Rockrz,

PM me please, I may be able to be of help.


Jon