Why is demand so strong for excellent revolvers?

The current production expensive junk, is driving up the prices of the older well made revolvers.

Why are revolvers so expensive?

Lack of competition.


Relatively few companies make revolvers, and less competition means that those who do make them can charge a higher asking price.

Competition among makers is always a good thing for the consumer.

Also the baby boomers are all getting old and many can no longer easily rack the slide and clear a jam with an autoloader.
And some have lost hand strength and tend to limp wrist autoloaders moreso than younger folks.

The current production expensive junk, is driving up the prices of the older well made revolvers.

Click to expand...

Well said

22-rimfire said:

Demand is pretty steady for Smith & Wesson and Colt revolvers. Folks don't like the trigger locks and buy the pre-lock Smiths often at premium prices. Also, many feel the older revolvers are better made than the current manufacture. Folks are collecting the older revolvers. Hence prices keep going up. Ultimately, the moderating force on Smiths in general is the price on current manufactured revolvers. But you can't get that wonderful deep high polish blued guns these days as new guns. I have not looked at any of the Smith Classics however to compare the bluing.

As far as shotguns go, most people don't buy a lot of shotguns but they may buy more than a few handguns. Demand is less.

Click to expand...

I agree that demand has pushed the pricing of the older Smiths (I've always been a S&W man). Sometimes one has to have patience (something I can be short on) when looking for a decent revolver at a decent price.
After having some hand surgery (left thumb joint deal) that went south fast and took it's toll on strength I refocused on revolvers. Traded off a Springfield XD, (not because it didn't shoot to point of aim but because that dual spring racking was incredibly more difficult to achieve comfortably) for a S&W 686 and even though it has the dreaded internal lock I do like the gun, a lot.
That said I live outside a small town in West Texas and had become friends with a fella that teaches CHL and also started his own business complete with FFL . I put out the word that if he comes across any older S&W revolvers in very good condition to keep me in the loop. Lo and behold he accepts a police stamped 66-1 in exceptional condition with the original grips, Hogue rubber grips and a service paddle holster that I got for a song.
Lucky? Absolutely !!

goon said:

Speaking for myself, I'd much rather have an old S&W revolver than a new one. If I buy any more new revolvers they will almost certainly be Rugers.

Click to expand...

Sort of in the same boat, but I buy Taurus to mess with. I am not taking my Python out on a fishing boat, no way, ain't goina happen. I'll take my Rossi or a Taurus any day of the week. They are not investments. They are tools.

Once upon a time, my little S&W Kit Gun was the go to for fishing and hiking. Not any more. It's also gotten to valuable. It's OK to go camping, but if it could go overboard, no way.

OLD FLUFF hit the nail on the head here.
"Part of the attraction is that the firearms that were featured offered mechanical excellence and/or a piece of history. The arms that went on the block were made at a time when cost-cutting and manufacturing savings were not the driving force that it is in current production."

The newer revolvers are decent but I carry a well worn Python for backpacking, hiking, and on the farm because it is still perfection. The newer S&W's you have to pay an extra $500+ for a performance center gun to get the quality of a normal gun that they produced in the 70's.

As I type this there is a 42 year old Colt on my hip.

There are expensive shotguns, old and new.

There are inexpensive shotguns, old and new.

There are expensive revolvers, old and new.

There are no inexpensive revolvers, old (good condition) or new.

Today I can buy a new Mossberg 500 around $300 (or less). I can buy a new single shot for about $100.

I can buy a new Taurus revolver for around $450.

The only new DA revolver (IMHO) that even comes close to the quality of the older ones is Ruger. Those start around $500 new.

When I walk into the Fine Gun Room at Bass Pro I tend to ask "why in the world are these shotguns so darned expensive?" By comparison the old revolvers seem cheap to me. I've never been particularly interested in shotguns because I really don't have a place to shoot them and I don't hunt. So, I am much more willing to pay for an old wheelgun that I can shoot. I think there are a lot of people out there like me that just don't have as much use for a shotgun.

I can certainly appreciate the beauty of a well made shotgun, though. Just like I appreciate a nice shiny blue S&W revolver with wood grips.They are truly things of beauty.