Howdy folks. I went in to the local gun shop today, and happened upon a bunch of old revolvers. Not something I normally see here, it's a small town shop and usually there's not much around aside from your typical bolt actions and Glocks and the like. I reckon someone was probably getting older and decided it was time to pare down their collection.
Here's what's interesting - all of them were priced very, very low compared to what I expect, and also all of them had horribly sloppy actions (probably a correlation here). In total there were two .32 breaktop S&Ws (one nickel plated, one blued), a nickeled .44-40 breaktop (I'm not super familiar with Smiths and and the model was not listed so I'm not certain what model it is), and a Colt Lightning presumably mislabeled as a .38-40 (the designation is DA .38 as one would expect with one chambered in .38 Long Colt).
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested in all four, but the reality is what it is and I can't get that carried away. As I said, they're all quite sloppy - not a single one of them locks up tight. The .44-40 had a note on it detailing some DIY repairs, and given I have no idea who performed them and the fact that all of them have considerable issues, lends me to be a little skeptical.
But as I also mentioned, the prices make them a little lucrative nevertheless. The .32s were $200 and $400, respectively. The .44-40 was listed at $500. Even without knowing the exact model, I have not seen such a Smith for less than $1,000 at any time.
Most interesting of all, of course, is the Colt Lightning. The bluing is gone but it has never been reblued and is not rusty; I didn't have time to inspect very closely, but at a glance the bore looked okay. And to make it even more irresistable, they're only asking $650 for it! I had half a mind to snatch it up right then and there, but of course there's a catch. Like the rest of them, the cylinder had a lot of slop to it. The hammer did not lock at any position except full cock, and that still seemed janky. I don't know how many clicks are typical of a Colt double action, but I assume there must at least be a half cock that allows the cylinder to turn freely. This would obviously have to be fixed. I didn't dare risk dry firing an old gun I don't own to test the double action mode. But, while I have done some light tuning with my single actions, I am a complete novice in this regard.
I do know that the Lightnings/Thunderers were perhaps known for having a design flaws that could result in this sort of dysfunction, and that it is fixable. I guess what I am asking is, how easy would it be to repair the old girl? If it's better left to someone more qualified than me, what do you reckon that would cost a guy? And, while less interesting to me, would any of you be jumping on those old Smiths? Colts (in the form of reproductions) are at least familiar to me, my knowledge of Smiths goes as far as the 686 I rarely shoot that will likely be traded for one of these beauties.
Anyone that had the patience to read all that, I would appreciate hearing whatever you might know!
Here's what's interesting - all of them were priced very, very low compared to what I expect, and also all of them had horribly sloppy actions (probably a correlation here). In total there were two .32 breaktop S&Ws (one nickel plated, one blued), a nickeled .44-40 breaktop (I'm not super familiar with Smiths and and the model was not listed so I'm not certain what model it is), and a Colt Lightning presumably mislabeled as a .38-40 (the designation is DA .38 as one would expect with one chambered in .38 Long Colt).
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested in all four, but the reality is what it is and I can't get that carried away. As I said, they're all quite sloppy - not a single one of them locks up tight. The .44-40 had a note on it detailing some DIY repairs, and given I have no idea who performed them and the fact that all of them have considerable issues, lends me to be a little skeptical.
But as I also mentioned, the prices make them a little lucrative nevertheless. The .32s were $200 and $400, respectively. The .44-40 was listed at $500. Even without knowing the exact model, I have not seen such a Smith for less than $1,000 at any time.
Most interesting of all, of course, is the Colt Lightning. The bluing is gone but it has never been reblued and is not rusty; I didn't have time to inspect very closely, but at a glance the bore looked okay. And to make it even more irresistable, they're only asking $650 for it! I had half a mind to snatch it up right then and there, but of course there's a catch. Like the rest of them, the cylinder had a lot of slop to it. The hammer did not lock at any position except full cock, and that still seemed janky. I don't know how many clicks are typical of a Colt double action, but I assume there must at least be a half cock that allows the cylinder to turn freely. This would obviously have to be fixed. I didn't dare risk dry firing an old gun I don't own to test the double action mode. But, while I have done some light tuning with my single actions, I am a complete novice in this regard.
I do know that the Lightnings/Thunderers were perhaps known for having a design flaws that could result in this sort of dysfunction, and that it is fixable. I guess what I am asking is, how easy would it be to repair the old girl? If it's better left to someone more qualified than me, what do you reckon that would cost a guy? And, while less interesting to me, would any of you be jumping on those old Smiths? Colts (in the form of reproductions) are at least familiar to me, my knowledge of Smiths goes as far as the 686 I rarely shoot that will likely be traded for one of these beauties.
Anyone that had the patience to read all that, I would appreciate hearing whatever you might know!
