s&w 396 mountain lite value?

when I see them for sale they usually seem to be wanting in the 7-800$ range.

It depends on whether the revolver has the internal lock or not. The model without the lock will be worth a bit more than the one with the lock. However, this is mostly due to collector demand and not regular market forces. The last time I saw a 396 mountain lite for sale it listed for 600 USD, with the lock at my LGS that specializes in used pieces. That shop is also know to be very inexpensive, so that price may be on the lower side of secondary retail.

$650 to $800 is the range in my mind. High end is a good sale. Lower end is a solid buy.