Smith & Wesson Model 27 3.5" info please

[MagnumDweeb]

Hey all, I was in my parents neighborhood where I do landscapping on a dozen plus houses(mostly folks too old to do the work, but well setup enough with pentions from New York and Massachusetts) when a kindly neighbor I've only talk to in passing(I know most of the people within two square blocks of my parent's house) came up to me about a gun. Everyone who knows me in the neighborhood knows I'm an NRA pistol instructor and gun owner amongst other things. Some older people who I've known since I was old enough to walk(I'm only 25 so far) have left me guns through their surviving spouses or have called me over to help them liquidate their or their spouse's collections through a couple FFL guys I know(FFL transfer them to the students of my classes).

We chewed the fat for a bit. And he gave me his story. More or less the guy is getting on in years and wants guns of his he values to go to the right plcaes or people. One of which is a Smith and Wesson 27 3.5" in .357 Magnum. He took it to a few gun shops and the most anyone would offer him was $200. Even used the gun would fetch $500 I'd have to think. I've got more guns than I know what to do with with folks leaving them to me, selling them to me for what I can afford(usually I use them for my classes). I've got three mint Model 19s(3,4,5) as safe queens already, one 19-4 6" I shoot only with .38 special with my students. I told him I needed a few days to think it over. Plus a couple Model 15s.I was planning to buy a S&W M21 or M22 and couple thousand rounds of ammo for it as a gift to myself for graduating from law school. If I get this one I got hang up buying anymore pistols for a long long time I figure. There are plenty of spare cylinders out there for the 27 so I could have them converted to 9mm and .38 super(to get the most fun out of the gun).

The guy asked if I could do $350, but if I do it I don't want to burn any bridges and rather have the guy sing my praises(doing it with other folks has gone my way) and give him $400, the gun is plenty worth it I think. I reload for .357 magnum and got ammo sitting around for it.

Should I make the jump and hang up my personal pistol buying habits(which will last a year at best).

 

[harmonic]

27 which dash? What condition? Blue? Nickel?

Anyway, if it's in very good shape, $350 is almost stealing the gun. It's not ethical, but it is a good deal.

Personally, I couldn't do that to an elderly gentleman.

 

[S&Wfan]

Hi,

There was a rough looking 3 1/2" Model 27-2 in one of our local gun shops a few months ago. It had rust in spots, including the cylinder latch and the sides of the hammer and trigger . . . and the guy had the nerve to ask $750 for it . . . claiming they were bringing this much on Gun Broker.

He was right too . . . for one with a box, materials, tools . . . and in decent condition!!!

It gave me the bug though . . . and I got this 99% perfect one recently, for $825. Unfortunately, it is virtually too nice to shoot!!!

One on GB right now in 3 1/2" (and in the same condition) is still in the bidding stage with about 25 bids and a price over $1,200 so far.

Rougher specimens will go for much less but anytime I see a "decent" 3 1/2" M27 "shooter" with original stocks for under $550 it never lasts long!

PS: Here's my new one . . .

 

[Gordon]

I want a 27-2 3.5" really bad like the one pictured above. Yeah I'd pay $900 for a cherry!

 

[SaxonPig]

A very rough, shooter grade 3.5" Model 27 (or post-war, pre-model variant) would easily fetch $400 or more. As condition goes up so does the price. A very nice M27 or 27-2 with a 3.5" barrel will sell for $700-$1,000 in most areas. Sometimes even more if really clean. The 27-1 is uncommon and brings a premium.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

He took it to a few gun shops and the most anyone would offer him was $200. Even used the gun would fetch $500 I'd have to think.

When the gun shop turns around and resells it, you can bet that will be the price on the tag.

 

[S&Wfan]

Listen to the "pig" . . . for an expert he IS!

 

[Rexster]

I can assure you that a 27 that is not totally ruined will be priced around here somewhere in the high hundreds. A minty one will be priced in the four-figure range. Any 27, dash anything.

 

[jad0110]

As others have said, assuming the gun is in at least decent condition, it would fetch $700 or more.

$350 is a freakin' steel. The $200 he was offered from a gun shop was frankly disgusting.

Again, assuming at least good overall condition. By comparison, I got $250 for a freakin' Taurus 66 from my local gunshop a few years ago; though that was a nice 66, it isn't even in the same league as a Model 27.

 

[MagnumDweeb]

I passed up guys, thanks for all your input. One of my past students who I keep on an email alert bit ended up getting it. I keep a profile on students who like me to remember them in case I run into odd guns and I had that the guy like S&W revolvers(him and a dozen others but this was first come first serve). So called him up at 11:00am, gave him the neighbors number and the details. We all had coffee at the neighbors, chewed the fat and we haggled and the neighbor got $550 for the revovler. It's a 3.5" nickel 27-2(95% I'd say). After the past student left after trading a few more stories the neighbor went and got another pistol out for me to look at. It's a 19-2 4" with the blueing 50% or so, it's a bit rough but a perfect candidate for when I start nickeling the other clunkers at my house after a couple months of getting the bath right(a cousing in Georgia does it and they come out great).

I own other model 19s and three are safe queens, one I only shoot .38 special out of, this new one will be guinea pig for some light grain, high velocity loads I'm working up.

Thank you all for your trouble, I wouldn't have ended up shooting the gun anyways, if I can't bear to shoot mint model 19s I don't what I would have been able to do with the 27, it has a good home, I got another S&W revolver, alls well that ends well.