[FPrice]

Some people may remember a very recent thread in which I described a nice Model 28-2 I found in a local gun store ( http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=40979 ). I had to pass for a bit because of the opportunity to buy an almost mint Mossberg .22 bolt action rifle from the 1950's.

Well, I stopped in my favorite dealer today and as I was ready to walk out I noticed a new addition on the wall. A S&W Model 27 (no dash), 4" barrel with a Patridge front sight, ser no. S200,xxx, which puts it about late 1959. Price is $375 but I am going to try to talk him down a bit. Finish is very nice albeit with some wear here and there. Action is smooth and cylinder lock-up is tight.

I think I've found my next purchase. :D

[uglygun]

I hate you

[FPrice]

"I hate you"

You are in good company. So does my wife. :D

But my FFL loves to see me.

[Standing Wolf]

I think I've found my next purchase.

In exactly one short word familiar to one and all: Visa! I already have a model 27, so I might or might not snap it up; there are guns, however, I'd snap up in half a heart beat without a second thought whether I could actually afford them or not.

[uglygun]

Heck, I've already got 3 N-frames that all owe their existance in my collection due that little four letter word "VISA".

That's part of the problem!


I've laid off the cards as best I can, have told myself I may only break them out ONLY and ONLY IF I manage to track down a very nice model 24 or 26.

[HogRider]

I know what you are talking about.

3 N Frames and going to be 4 soon....

[C.R.Sam]

Visa is nice but.
I believe in patience and carrying cash.
If I see one I like, I calculate what it is worth to me...
Then lay that amount of green on the counter.

Amazing how much can fall off of the sticker at times.

Then there are times when I don't get it.

But there will always be other times.

Patience and carry cash.

Sam...N and K frames follow me home like snuggled dogs.

[Mike Irwin]

"I believe in.... carrying cash..."

I'm surprised you don't still believe in the barter system...

"I'll give you 15 flint spear points, 10 baskets of sorgum, 10 fine woven baskets, and 5 of this new thing called pottery, which Thag and Umgah discovered when the dropped some clay in the fire..."


See, Sam's been buying weapons for a LONG time...

I'm not going to say how long, but hell, he was using Cylinder & Slide when it was still called Club and Spear!

[Tamara]

I believe in patience and carrying cash.


I was gonna get me some of that patience stuff, but I couldn't wait around for it to be delivered. :D

Personally, I believe in: 1) Knowing what I want to acquire, 2) Knowing what a reasonable going rate is for such items, and 3) Enjoying the taste of Ramen Pride noodles. :D

[Kevinch]

Ahhhh, the N Frames....

I only have 1 - a 4" Model 57-1. When I made the purchase, I did so not so much because it was an N-Frame but because I wanted a .41 Mag.

Now I've grown to like the platform & I need a Model 25, 27 &/or 28, & a 29.... :(

*sigh* I also need an executive position & the pay that comes with it.....

[C.R.Sam]

and 3) Enjoying the taste of Ramen Pride noodles. Amazing how well one can eat , even these days, for bout a buck a day.

My first APV was a mastodon with fire pots on the tusks.

Sam

[Archie]

I missed a five screw model 27 (3.5 barrel) because I didn't have my checkbook. My posterior is still sore because I'm still kicking myself. I really have the hots for a short 27 to expand my set of carrying guns.

By the way, a short M 27 does multiple targets in an amazing manner. And dispatches a truly official round in so doing.

Next time........

By the bye... having a serious and devoted appreciation for S&W N frames (and their revolvers in general) is not "mania". It is simply good taste.

[Neal Bloom]

Have picked up two n-frames this past year. One for me and one for the wife. Gun show next weekend and I'll be on the lookout for another.

[P95Carry]

Oh yes .... the beloved N Frame. I have already told my story ..... when I put my browning Citori on consignment cos too much cash tied up for amount of useage.

It sold and went to collect my check for $650 ... but walked out of gun shop with check for only $250!!

Ya see ... under the counter glass was ....... a Smith M27-2 5" tube (my fave) .... originally purchased 1977 .... probably one of the last 5" made. used to have a much earlier m27, probably like age of your proposed purchase FPrice. I know the $375 sounds high but . these are IMO quite sought after. Mine was in a box and wanting $400 . I didn't haggle .... my ''lust'' got the better of me!

http://www.patriotnetwork.net/cb_gun/m27_03_400c.jpg

I do certainly want another N frame .. probably a mod 29 if i can find one ... even a 629.:evil:

[FPrice]

Well, it's mine. Or it will be when I go back Tuesday to pick it up. My dealer owed me some money so we settled up and I owe only $200.

Now for the "Calling Mike Irwin" part.

As we were finalizing the deal my dealer casually mentioned that he has a NIB S&W M19 with a 2.5" barrel coming in in a few days.

ARGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

I gots to sell something. Anyone interested in a S&W Model 12-2 or a S&W Model 41 with two barrels, 5.5" and 7"?

[FPrice]

"I would invest the $30 for a letter from S&W on this one. If it turns out to have been a special order for the short barrel and target sight it will add to the value."

Thanks, I plan on it. I found these features to be a bit unusual myself. I don't particularly like the front sight but won't do anything about it until I find out more.

Added bonuses: The gun has a pair of Magna Carta (sp?) grips on it, but my dealer pulled out the ORIGINAL blue S&W box (kinda beat up) and the ORIGINAL small diamond grips.

I think that I may be on my way to replacing Tamara as the THR member with the MOST S&W revolver toys. :neener:

[Preacherman]

FPrice, having seen Tamara's revolver collection, you're going to have to be a long, long way into double digits before you pass her numbers... :D

[Mike Irwin]

Frosty,

Talk to me about your Model 12...

[FPrice]

"FPrice, having seen Tamara's revolver collection, you're going to have to be a long, long way into double digits before you pass her numbers... "

I am.

However, if Mike Irwin and I can strike a deal, I may be back in a big tie for second place.

[FPrice]

When I get home tonight I'll pull it out and try to take some good pics. Mechanically it's sound, but the finish has some wear. Especially where your fingers curl around the fron the grip.

[FPrice]

Well, I decided to pick this up today. Some interesting observations. The finish is a bit worse than I estimated, but not bad, just more wear than I had noticed before. The grips are serial-numbered so they are the original set.

But the more observant of you may have noticed that the dimensions look slightly...off. They are. When I went to check barrel length I found that it was 4 1/2". I've never heard of this. The barrel markings are exactly the same as my pre-Model 27.

I am defintely sending this info off to Roy Jinks to find out if this was some sort of custom job or an after-market change.

[Mike Irwin]

4.5"?

Not unheard of, but certainly not out of the question.

The original pre-Model 27s were available with just about any barrel length between 3 and 8.5", IIRC, something that may have continued into the numbered models for a period of time.

It's possible that this one was a special order, or it was made up with a barrel left in the shop, or it was rebarreled at some point with the barrel from an earlier gun.

[FPrice]

"I got a crisp one dollar bill that says this gun will letter as a 6" or maybe an 8 & 3/8" barrel from the factory. May be a factory re-work but more likely a previous owner had a local smith shorten the barrel for more handy carry."

I will PM you my address, please make sure it is a NEW bill! :D

Seriously I am putting together a letter to Roy Jinks. I am VERY curious myself. It came with an old S&W box that had several layers of cardbaord cut-out to hold what looks like a 5" or 6" barrel. But we have no way of determining if this was the original box. If it was a gunsmith job it was done very well.

If it was anything but what it is now, I'll send you a dollar bill.

[JNewell]

Frosty/all, I wonder if there's another possibility. I have a spare 629 MG-contour barrel that is supposed to be 4", but in fact measures (IIRC) closer to 3 3/4 - 3 1/2". If you compare it to the barrel on a 4" 629 I've got, it is noticeably shorter. I don't know how tight the specs on barrel lengths is -- you'd think that it'd be reasonably close given that they used to offer the pre-27 pistols in 1/2" increments -- but maybe it's just a long 4" or a short 5"? Probably not, but it's a theory...

J.

[Mike Irwin]

Frosty,

Just to be sure, how are you measuring the length of the barrel?

[FPrice]

"Just to be sure, how are you measuring the length of the barrel?"

From the end of the barrel to the beginning of the forcing cone (just about at the front face of the cylinder). I used this method to check my other revolvers and it gave me their barrel lengths within 1/16". Held up against my 4" M28, the M27 barrel is significantly longer.

[degmon]

FPrice et.al.,

Numbers and quality.....Old retired cotton farmer friend of mine here in Texas won best of show at the S & W Collectors annual in San Antonio a few years back with his 44 Hand Ejector display. Would guess that he ranks pretty high on everyone's envy list. He got me interested, and has cost me one hell-of-a-lot of money over the years.

I can't get him interested in internet-sharing...big loss for all.

Just thought I'd throw this in...dennis

[BigG]

Here's a 27-2 that's a fun plinker. :D

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?s=&postid=537336

[P95Carry]

I'd sure like to add that to my collection BigG .... VERY nice indeed!:)

[FPrice]

The Smith & Wesson Shooting Sports Center haad a Columbus Day Sale and was offering free gun cleanings. I brought in my 1949 S&W M&P 2" and my new Model 27. The guy doing the cleaning said he had helped assemble many Model 27s and he felt that mine very likely came from the factory just like it is. I'm still going to send a history request to Roy Jinks but it's nice to have some initial confirmation from the factory.

[Johnny Guest]

I truly hope your new/old Smith letters out to something truly rare. Then you'd have perhaps the best of all possible worlds: A collector's item that is a really great shootin' piece, and which has enough mileage on it where you can actually shoot and enjoy it!

Please keep us up to date.

I realized recently that I have been neglecting the wunnerfulness of N-frame S&Ws. Went for years with just a 1917. Picked up a .45 Colt Mountain gun when they were first introduced. I'm still basking the in the glow of having gotten my 3-1/2" five screw pre-27 this year. Now I'm carefully stalking a model 58. I'd probably be happy then if I could acquire either a 1926 or 1950 Military .44 Special.

Best,
Johnny

[M58]

Stalking M58?!:what: :D

[FPrice]

"I'm still basking the in the glow of having gotten my 3-1/2" five screw pre-27 this year."

I found a similar pre-<odel 27 several years ago. Here's mine. I have the original diamond grips but they are too small to shoot comfortably.

[Byron Quick]

I've got four N frames. Fifth should be at my FFL shortly.

We've got the fever.