Selling my S&W 629?

[Confederate]

I really don't think I'll ever shoot it, but then....

Don't know what to do. The 629 is the very first generation magnum. It has a pinned barrel and counter-bored chambers. It's got a stamped side plate and an incredible trigger pull. They just don't build 'em like that anymore, and that's the rub. I don't want to be kicking myself months or years from now, and I could never find one anywhere this pristine.

It's never been fired and, like I said, it's not likely to. Still, it is a great example of how S&W used to build handguns.

Am I better off keeping the thing? Is it's value likely to increase as a collector's item or are they all over the place? I really lucked out getting it years ago. I think I'll just keep it, but what would you do?



The factory sent me these smooth grips after I complained about
the cheese-grater type grips that tended to shred the palms of one's
hands. Prior to this one, I had a nickel 29 that I did shoot. I'm kind of
sorry I got rid of that at the time. It was gorgeous.

 

[jad0110]

Wow, very nice.

I think you answered your own question. Just from reading the tone of your post, I sense that though you may not regret the sale in the near term, years from now you might.

It will probably continue to rise in value, but I would not keep it for that reason. I would keep it simply for it's fine craftsmanship and what it represents - the skill and care of the people who built it.

 

[bromdenlong]

I wish I was in a position to make you an offer on it.

 

[batmann]

I would hang on to it if it were me. You hit the nail on the head, they don't make 'em like that anymore!

 

[Oro]

Is it's value likely to increase as a collector's item or are they all over the place? I really lucked out getting it years ago.

I don't see any stainless 629's really getting "premium" prices. The 29's hold that regard. But you have an early 629 "no dash", the first year or two when they still pinned the barrel and recessed the cylinder bores. That makes it a little rare among 629's (plus those super nice plain target grips - those are my favorite grips on larger framed S&W's). I totally agree with you - checkered grips are just dumb with big magnums - plain grips are much smarter and more practical. Even if I were to sell it some day, I'd hang on even longer. But I probably would go shoot it a little... Unfired is really only a big valuer if it's still in the original box.

 

[Confederate]

Well, I've always told others, NEVER sell a gun if you even suspect you'll regret it. My wife has wanted me to sell it and says if I ever do want to shoot a .44 mag, that I should shoot the cheap stainless Astra I have (and have never fired). It, too, has a pinned barrel, counterbored chambers and a great trigger. Problem is, I don't really want to get rid of it, either, mostly because it doesn't have a great resale value.

Well, I regret selling the nickel version, so I reckon I'll keep this and won't really care if I shoot it or not. It'll make one of my relatives very happy when I pass away!

The thing about selling guns is that long after the money is gone and spent, you still have that hole that never gets filled up.



The Astra is not too shabby, either. Both are too gorgeous
to part with.

 

[Oro]

It'll make one of my relatives very happy when I pass away!

I am available for adoption, or you can just keep my username handy and send me an em when you want to sell it - it would go well with my snubbie 629-1.

I am really wanting a longer barreled .44 for target shooting.

 

[bluetopper]

First of all, why in the world wouldn't you want to shoot it? Nothing quite so exhilerating as a nice outing with a 629!
It certainly won't hurt it. Live a little. It was made to shoot.

Kind of like being married to a beautiful woman and never making love to her.

I guess I'm dense and don't understand.

Maybe like my grandmother who always had a fine China set that she thought too much of to use and never did............and never enjoyed it.

 

[Confederate]

Well, maybe I will. I'd just never thought of it.

I'll have to wait awhile until ammunition prices come down a bit, if ever. It doesn't take long to shoot the value of the gun itself just in ammunition.

I also belong to a knife forum, and for the life of me, I don't see why some folks spend as much on a knife as they would a gun. There's a point of diminishing return in both knives and guns. Usually, better guns shoot better, but no one's been able to show me that an expensive knife cuts better than a cheaper one. I dunno...maybe it's just the times. I can't see spending five hundred bucks on a knife.

Still, it's not a lot of ammo.... At the ranges out where I am, they're limiting people to one box if you can believe that.

 

[loadedround]

You will regret selling it! JMHO

 

[Buck Snort]

jad0110 wrote: "It will probably continue to rise in value, but I would not keep it for that reason. I would keep it simply for it's fine craftsmanship and what it represents - the skill and care of the people who built it."

I'd keep it for shooting intruders.
__________________

 

[pith43]

Your 629 is a nice old classic, I certainly won't go down in value any. I don't shoot mine much anymore, but I'm sure I would regret selling it.

 

[harmonic]

These are hard economic times for many. If you need the money for your family, sell it and don't look back.

If you don't need the money, but your wife isn't going to be happy until you do sell it, then list it on gunbroker at a starting price of $50,000. And when she asks, "Have you sold that gun yet?" You say, "Times are hard. Nobody's buying it."

If you don't need the money and she's not insisting, I'd definitely keep it. I have a weakness for pinned and recessed Smiths and yours is positively beautiful.

Shoot it. Don't shoot it. Doesn't matter. Sometimes it's just nice to take them out and fondle them once in awhile.

 

[wraco]

Keep it, Shoot it, Clean it and figure out how to buy more . .

 

[easyrider604]

AFAIK, all Smiths are test fired at the factory.

Fire a cylinder of factory ammo, or reloads of the same pressure, just to make sure it works. Then clean it and admire it once in a while.

I'd keep that 629 for sure.

 

[Thomas Garrett]

Nice, i'd wish i had one. It's a keeper.

 

[moooose102]

KEEP IT! i sold my 686 years back. i wanted a 45 auto. after about three years, i wished i had the 686 back :banghead:. i still do. that was roughly 15 years ago. if it does nothing but sit in your safe, it will not deteriorate, or loose any value. but once it is gone, it's gone. and trying to find a brand new one like that is going to be like trying to pull teeth from a hungry lion.

 

[LTR shooter]

I think I'll just keep it, but what would you do?

I would do just that - KEEP IT!

I don't want to be kicking myself months or years from now, and I could never find one anywhere this pristine.

You will most assuredly be kicking yourself if you sell it - "I once owned this gorgeous 629 and sold it"

I have a pinned/recessed Smith 66-1. I know I could make money selling it but would miss it greatly. And trying to buy one the second time around gets very expensive. Been there, done that, on past firearms.

 

[Hutch]

Keep it. Sell blood plasma. Cut yards. Whatever it takes. Or, sell it to me

 

[Duke of Doubt]

That's a shooter.

Heck, I shoot my nickel 29-3 all the time. Suitable friends can even try her out. Most beautiful gun I own, and I own some nice ones. But all good guns get to shoot. Have to shoot. Only a presentation piece wouldn't, in my hands.

 

[safetyjoe]

I bought a 6" 629 in 1986 and shot the heck out of it but never could really get it to shoot to where I wanted (with an Aimpoint, it was dead on but I couldn't get used to the sights). So I traded it off and always regretted it. I finally found another (last year) and I love it. Maybe it's the gun or maybe I just got more patient (older) but it shoots great and I can use the sights now. Anyway, if it were mine I would shoot it, enjoy it and not sell it.

 

[Confederate]

I think you guys are right on. I had a 686 4-inch that I sold years ago and I've regretted it ever since. I think the modern Smiths are ugly and really prefer the older models with the chromed hammers and triggers. Although I realize why people would like the frame-mounted firing pins, I never had the slightest problem with the hammer-mounted ones. I now have only one old 686, and it's a 6-incher and is gorgeous. It's the first generation, and it was released just at the time that S&W wanted to give the Colt Python a run for its money.

The older 66s didn't have nearly the reputation for accuracy as did the 686s, but the 66 pinned-barrel, counterbored chambered, stamped sideplate model always held a certain amount of charm. The way the cartridges would just sink flush with the back cylinder face looked sooooooooooooooo cool.