"New" Model 15 coming

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18DAI

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Check out the S&W website. They have a new revolver coming out they are calling a model 15.

Appears to be one of those "classics". Resembles my old 1972 Crossman pellet revolver......no....the Crossman is good a looking revolver.

$1043 MSRP. Can't say they aren't optimistic. EXTREMELY OPTIMISTIC!! :barf:
 
I can't get the link to work. It's under med frame revolvers. You can see a pic in a thread over on the S&W forum too. Evidently even the fanboys over there don't care for it either.
 
Interesting. But I notice it's still ILS, and has those cheap wood grips S&W passes off these days instead of the quality ones they used to make. Sad.

So assuming the street price is 80% of MSRP, that still makes it $825, or $900 w/tax/shipping to most US consumers. Or about twice what a minty original costs, and with several undesirable features as part of the purchase price. Bummer.

Another thing that I find horrible is that apparently even S&W has forgotten what the front sight is called. They list it as "Black Ramp." It's properly called a Baughman front sight, after a famous FBI lawman. Foolish that they are dumbing-down consumers by not knowing the name themselves, or being too lazy to use it. Also it's just sloppy to be so ignorant as to not use one word (Baughman) instead of two ("Black ramp"), and being less precise in the process. This is a small item to gripe about, but it's one of many. I'm getting the impression that even S&W doesn't know much about their guns and their history any more. And if they don't care, why should others?

Sad. :(
 
Or about twice what a minty original costs, and with several undesirable features as part of the purchase price.
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That seems to be the consensus. I hope they don't wonder why they don't sell.
 
recently picked up a 98% 15-3, pinned barrel, no lock, for $300, the dealer said the trigger had a problem, but a little bit of cleaning, a few drops of oil, and 200 rounds latter its a pleasure to hold, shoot, enjoy
 
Still just blows my mind! You know, it's only been ten years since I paid $285 for a brand new/old stock 6" model 14 that is a tack driver. Adjusted for inflation it's only $364 in 2009 dollars. Only been four years since I bought a minty 2" model 15 for $300 and eight years since I bought a near new 29-3 for $420. Don't even wanna think about the K-22's I paid $265 and $200 for in the late `90's. Maybe I'm more than a little behind but I can't imagine paying three or four times as much for lesser guns. Especially something as common as a 4" model 15.

The shrouded ejector is a nice touch though.
 
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Only been four years since I bought a minty 2" model 15 for $300
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I would give my eye teeth for that deal. I have wanted a 2" 15 or a long time (preferrably nickel). I have a pair of 2.5" 19s I do/would carry instead. But something about the 2", SB 15 just reeks "business." I'd expect Eliot Ness or Joe Friday to whip one of those out in a tight spot. There's "tacti-cool," then there's just "cool." A 2" 15 is flat "cool."
 
I would give my eye teeth for that deal. I have wanted a 2" 15 or a long time (preferrably nickel). I have a pair of 2.5" 19s I do/would carry instead. But something about the 2", SB 15 just reeks "business." I'd expect Eliot Ness or Joe Friday to whip one of those out in a tight spot. There's "tacti-cool," then there's just "cool." A 2" 15 is flat "cool."
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They are cool. Here is my 15-2 2" made in 1965. Paid $374 for it in early '09. It served as my primary carry gun for the year until it was supplanted by a 2.5" Model 66 I picked up in Dec '09 for $430. I may start carrying it again sometime, as I've noticed that I generally shoot square butt K Frames better than round butt ones.


079.jpg


And here's a 4" Model 15-3 made in '69. Paid $309 for it in spring '09.


DSC08107.jpg
 
I would give my eye teeth for that deal. I have wanted a 2" 15 or a long time (preferrably nickel).
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What, this old thing??? I was more than a little stunned when I saw the price. Snapped it up quickly.
SandW%20M15%202in%20-%20006.jpg
 
Just bout a new to me 19-5 last weekend $400+tax. Them K frames have magical triggers. For $800 it would still be in the case at the store
 
A Model 67, which is much closer to a real Model 15 than this thing, has a retail price $198.00 lower. Then I saw the so-called "Heritage" version which had the round butt as opposed to the nice square butt on the four-inch-barrelled Model 15s I owned and I am left with one question: Does anybody at Smith & Wesson have any idea what the actual Model 15 looked like?

The original Model 15 was one of the most beautiful S&W ever produced and one of the best .38s that any company ever produced. If this is supposed to be a reproduction of a Classic S&W revolver, how come they didn't just copy the original?
 
Seems like a consensus. Money better spent is a LNIB or close older model 15. NIM parts, lock, just not loving it. My Model 15 with target trigger and hammer, 85% for $190 OTD in 2008, that was a good buy.

Now a question for more knowledgeable folks than myself. My 15 has a tapered barrel not the bull barrel that I am seeing in the pictures. Was there a change to the bull barrel at a particular time. Bill
 
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A buddy of mine who is retired USAF Security Police told me that their qualification scores went WAY down when they switched from Model 15s to M9 Berettas.

Nice revolvers, but the new ones just look cheap.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr
 
I keep reading about people finding awesome deal on mint S&W left and right. But around here, I can barely find a used S&W in above good condition. Those that are mint, the price is more than a new one. I live in a big city. So are these great deals happening in small towns or something?
 
I keep reading about people finding awesome deal on mint S&W left and right. But around here, I can barely find a used S&W in above good condition. Those that are mint, the price is more than a new one. I live in a big city. So are these great deals happening in small towns or something?
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For the most part, I find the good deals in small town pawn shops or at small-medium sized gun shows. But it isn't like tables are overflowing with deals. It takes a lot of time and a lot of persistance. I pass on far more guns that I purchase, but it is a matter of finding the sweet places and then returning to them on a regular basis, sometimes weekly. Other shops are usually overpriced or never have anything I'm interested in; I might pop my head in those once every 6 months.

It also depends on what part of the country you live in. Where I live, good deals are harder to come by then say, southwestern VA.

Now a question for more knowledgeable folks than myself. My 15 has a tapered barrel not the bull barrel that I am seeing in the pictures. Was there a change to the bull barrel at a particular time. Bill
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I've never seen a 4" 15 with a bull barrel, but all the 2" snubs seem to have them. Possibly an effort by S&W to minimize the feel between the two barrel lengths by putting a light pencil barrel on the 4" version and a HB on the 2". Though IHMO the 4" balances noticeably better for me than the 2" model.
 
The heavy or "Bull" barrel was on some of the later model 15's.

It was not a heavy barrel such as on the fixed sight model 10's or 13's, rather it was more like the model 19's barrel, if you picture the 19 barrel without the shroud.

I've seen 15-4's, 15-6's and 15-8's with such a barrel. Hard to notice unless your looking for it.

Even those 15's with the full rather than taper barrel were still good looking revolvers.


TJ
 
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