How did they come from the factory?

[Hutch]

I have discovered an S&W 25-2 with packaging I've never seen before. There is a cardboard shipping box with the kind of informative stickers I'm used to seeing attached to the blue slip top or clamshell boxes (S/N, product code, bbl length, etc). Within this box is a cardboard spacer, the customary but un-marked blue slip-top box containing the revolver (more on that later) tools, and papers. Underneath all THAT is a wooden presentation case. It is apparently of a new design of the innards, in that it is not the blue flocked sort. There is a lidded compartment in the case for the tools, I guess.

The revolver is ANIB, if I can judge. I'm afraid to handle it much or work the action, b/c I can hardly detect the turn line on the cylinder. Did the revolvers get cycled enough at the factory to cause this? I also found a small baggie with full moon clips in the blue box. Did S&W ship these, d'ye reckon? The S/N of the revolver is N805xxx, and someone had scribbled a price on the exterior of the shipping box.


$399.99

Reckon what such thing might actually fetch from a collector?

I will post pictures next week, if I can, but right now, curiousity consumes me.

 

[Oro]

yes, that is how they cased guns shipped from the factory. You have it all original. Clips were in the box for the .45acp (should be steel, I think). That is a late N s/n so circa 1980 before the changeover to 3-alpha style s/n's.

As to price, I have seen boxed unfired guns from that era not sell at $750, and some do $1k or more. The market has really slowed down and prices on average have moved downward. 25's are very much in vogue right now, so that could help this one quite a bit. Barrel length matters, too, on how fast they sell.

You usually could not discern a turn line from the factory on the high-finish guns like 27s, 29s, 25s. That isn't a hard rule, though. Better evidence of firing is examining the forcing cone area or the recoil shield for case head marks from recoil. But either way, that won't detract much from the value if you are considering selling it.

 

[DRYHUMOR]

The last S&W I bought new several years ago had a definite turn line on the cylinder. I wasn't too impressed with that. As it was I bought it to shoot it, but if it had been one I wanted to set back, I doubt I would have bought it.

 

[David E]

My guess as to the presentation box, once they reach a certain age, the flocking crumbles and comes off. I've seen several flocked coatings removed to make it look far more presentable than the crumbling flocking. It sounds like this is what happened to yours.