Why has the demand and price of revolvers shot up recently?

I think its because they are sticking to what sells best, plastic fantastic 9mm.
So a shortage makes them go up.

Mostly the cival unrest from before covid hit. Then all the hype from covid 19 just kept it going.
Then the Democrats winning the election only added more fuel to the fire.
People get in a panic buying mode and it takes a lot of time for that to recover.

It hasn't been recently. Maybe you just noticed. But all revolvers have been expensive for several years.

I’m thinking that materials and manufacturing costs are higher than those for semi auto’s

How about, it's become a rather small, though persistent market, compared to plastic nines? Besides the nostalgic, safe-queen Colts, there is a niche demand for the things revolvers do best. Easy manual of arms and ammo independence.

I mitigated the cost somewhat over the years by buying multiples in auction lots. The last lot of 5 S&Ws worked out to about 400 apiece. Did get one pig-in-a-poke, but am having it re-barreled by Smith for $250. Still a good deal at today's prices. Where I got bit was the M627 and then the trade to the 929. That hurt.

I see prices up but what I sold my 586-3 for and fielded calls for the 686-3 were disappointing. Out here callers offered $500 and when I countered they said they'd buy a new on online. Good luck with that.

From my perspective, it's not all that recent-- I first noticed the trend five or six years ago. There was a time not that long ago when places that handle surplus guns were selling former law-enforcement Model 64s* for about $300. Now a beat-up Model 10 is $500 or more. Eight years ago, I got an excellent conditon 6" Model 19 for $450. Those days are gone.

I would guess part of is that all the old LEO revolvers that came onto the market as police departments modernized are gone now, so there's more demand than supply.

*I think I was told they were from prison guards, but I'm not sure I remember that right.

I would add without any corroborating data at hand to back me up that the large influx of first time gun owners may have opted for something simple for their first gun…. a revolver vs the more complex semi autos.

tightgroup tiger said:

Mostly the cival unrest from before covid hit. Then all the hype from covid 19 just kept it going.
Then the Democrats winning the election only added more fuel to the fire.
People get in a panic buying mode and it takes a lot of time for that to recover.

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Recent SCOTUS rulings seem to be throwing water on the fires atop the heads of those in panic mode. It may get worse before it gets better though because gun that are currently verboten in certain lo-CALI-ties will be hot commodity once the lists get struck down.

Frulk said:

I would add without any corroborating data at hand to back me up that the large influx of first time gun owners may have opted for something simple for their first gun…. a revolver vs the more complex semi autos.

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That’s a good theory and I would have said the same thing until I got inadvertently caught up in a conversation at the indoor range and realized that, for most absolute newbies, loading a magazine and racking a slide is less complicated than opening a cylinder, feeding in bullets, closing the cylinder and getting a grip. The Glock action is stupid simple for an instructor to explain, especially when everyone has the exact same thing. I don’t know if people are generally getting dumber or…. Yeah, that’s probably it.

I think it depends on which brand of revolver. When prices were low about 5 years ago, a Taurus or Charter snub was right under $300 and a S&W 642 was around $375. Looking at prices online, Charter and Taurus are back around $300, but a 642 has not come back down and is still around $475.

I was discussing this very thing with a friend this weekend.

He opined that in this coming decade a lot of classic revolvers are likely to come on the market…. as the last of the male Boomers hit “three score and ten” and the widows sell off “those old guns”

I said something about how his parents never married and that my revolvers would go in the Gulf before he got them.

Unfortunately he is right…. and fortunately he will get one or more despite his youthful disrespect for his elders…. though hopefully he will be truly ancient by then.

-kBob

kBob said:

I was discussing this very thing with a friend this weekend.

He opined that in this coming decade a lot of classic revolvers are likely to come on the market…. as the last of the male Boomers hit “three score and ten” and the widows sell off “those old guns”

I said something about how his parents never married and that my revolvers would go in the Gulf before he got them.

Unfortunately he is right…. and fortunately he will get one or more despite his youthful disrespect for his elders…. though hopefully he will be truly ancient by then.

-kBob

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Weren’t me!
But, in the spirit of the season and so on, Christmas in July you know, in order to keep those fine classics away from said young skalawag, and being neighborly like we are, I’ll let you store them in my safes for the rest of your life. If needs be.

kBob said:

I was discussing this very thing with a friend this weekend.

He opined that in this coming decade a lot of classic revolvers are likely to come on the market…. as the last of the male Boomers hit “three score and ten” and the widows sell off “those old guns”

I said something about how his parents never married and that my revolvers would go in the Gulf before he got them.

Unfortunately he is right…. and fortunately he will get one or more despite his youthful disrespect for his elders…. though hopefully he will be truly ancient by then.

-kBob

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It is already happening. The number of “Like new, with box & documents “ ,classic S&W revolvers on Gunbroker is astounding. You name the model and there is very likely a number to choose from. I was recently shopping for a 3.5” model 27. At one point for about a month, half those listed were pre model 27’s. I saw 4 of the dash 1 guns listed in about a months time span and they are the least common, only having been made for about a year.
An area shop had about 30 S&W revolvers back in February from a collection he purchased. At least half were like new with the box. I got one of them and a buddy got one too

In case you have been asleep, the price of everything has shot up recently.

I think a lot of new shooters, new in the past 2 or 3 years, have grown in their experience with semiauto guns that they have bought and are now branching out into other areas, like rifles, shotguns and revolvers. I know 3 different guys that have recently decided to buy revolvers to try them out. One gent, an avid tactical rifle guy recently bought 2 Henry lever guns to try out.
At first I thought it was guys hinging their bets against more semiautos falling off roster in the PRC, but I was wrong. They just want to try new “old” things.

I am not saying that is what is happening everywhere, but my experience with guys I know in CA.

Honestly, I think revolver prices have been going up for a few years now. Manufacturers aren’t making as many. The laws of supply and demand kick in.

I think some of it has to do with being able to shoot a gun that is what I would call timeless or truly a piece of craftsmanship. To hold it and my hand and admire it, I have done this with every revolver I own. I don't shoot them as well as my Glock's but to me they're more enjoyable to shoot. Especially with the Smiths with some age on them it's supply and demand. The longer gas hovers around 5 bucks the cheaper things will get.

I haven't seen a new blackhawk in a gun shop in 2 years. There seems to be carry type revolvers and of course piles of Heritage 22s.

Like the other poster said, the inexpensive revolvers don't seem to be much more expensive.

The nicer ones are getting to be outrageous, though.

DukeConnor said:

I haven't seen a new blackhawk in a gun shop in 2 years. There seems to be carry type revolvers and of course piles of Heritage 22s.

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Funny you'd mentioned that.
I found a new, blued 4½ (or 4⅝", can't recall what the standard is now) Blackhawk in .357 at my LGS for under $600 ($587 IIRC)

First one I've seen in quite a while.

Surprised me to even see it let alone under $600.

I know I'm gonna take some crap for this but, I really have a thing for stainless steel and that's the only reason I passed it up (plus I was kinda looking for a 4¼ stainless GP100 but those are north of $800 these days!)

In retrospect, I should've snagged it up.

I'm sure I could've gotten my money back if I ended up not liking it.

I think supply on revolvers may be down some also. Ruger focused on the Marlin line some, and I think S&W is moving or moved some operations. They likely were also focused on the polymer stuff as I am guessing those are easier to make and more profitable (totally a guess and lots of speculation in my entire post!).

Ohen Cepel said:

I think supply on revolvers may be down some also. Ruger focused on the Marlin line some, and I think S&W is moving or moved some operations. They likely were also focused on the polymer stuff as I am guessing those are easier to make and more profitable (totally a guess and lots of speculation in my entire post!).

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I agree with you.
Profit is the "name of the game" right now.

Ruger has set the bar high with their acquisition of the Marlin name and want to get product on the market but, of course, they're going to try to sell everything they make under their own banner at the same time.

Limited raw material, manpower and production line capacity is bound to create a shortage of models with less "apeal".

Not sure about S&W specifically but, let's face it, everyone wants the lastest "plastic fantastic" so it a good bet that all companies are putting their resources into those.

Y-T71 said:

Funny you'd mentioned that.
I found a new, blued 4½ (or 4⅝", can't recall what the standard is now) Blackhawk in .357 at my LGS for under $600 ($587 IIRC)

First one I've seen in quite a while.

Surprised me to even see it let alone under $600.

I know I'm gonna take some crap for this but, I really have a thing for stainless steel and that's the only reason I passed it up (plus I was kinda looking for a 4¼ stainless GP100 but those are north of $800 these days!)

In retrospect, I should've snagged it up.

I'm sure I could've gotten my money back if I ended up not liking it.

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I also saw a brand new Blackhawk at the last show, first time in a couple of years.

Be aware that the stainless and blued Blackhawks balance just a little differently because of the difference in grip frame material. This is a little unlike most blued/stainless versions of a given offering.

Plus the stainless Blackhawks are somewhat harder to run into in my experience. Harder than New Vaqueros. Be prepared to possibly wait awhile for stainless.


Just FYI - the above may or may not matter to you. Hope you find what you want eventually.

Might have something to do with the .gov printing money (making existing dollars worth less, now that there’s more of them) and giving it to people that didn’t earn them.

Drives the price of everything up. It’s the “well, it’s not like I had to work for the money, might as well blow it on something I don’t need and cost doesn’t matter much because they are going to give me more, right?”

Revolvers get caught up in it just like Eggs, milk, cars, clothing,…