A little buying guidance please, re Model 27?

F

FoghornLeghorn

New member
Because of this thread...
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=544245
...I'm looking for a 27 with four inch barrel.

I didn't realize they were no more available than they are.

There are currently three on gunbroker. One dealer, known for his high prices, has a nickel plated for a BIN price of $1450. No bids and reserve not yet met. I'm familiar with him, and my guess is that the reserve is very close to the BIN. No box or papers, just the gun.

Another dealer has basically the same nickel plated gun, also mint condition, but he has the presentation case, tools, etc. With 9 days left to go, it's up to $999.99.

The third speciman is an 85% finish blued steel. The starting price is $750 but no bids with 4 days left. It also has the wrong period stocks for the gun, so there's that. No box, etc. It also has a front sight insert I'm guessing somebody did much later.

I'm likely headed to the Wanamacher show next weekend to see what's available. But in light of the lack of activity on two of the above items, I'm guessing they're priced way above market value?

Here's a pic of the blued model.

pix988033979.jpg
 
Personally, I have no use for boxes and papers.../ its just clutter to me....and I don't want to store that many boxes for all my guns, that I'll never sell anyway. If a gun comes with a box, I typically give it away. So buying a gun without a box and papers is no big deal to me...

Model 27's in 4" are great guns ...I have a dash 2 in Nickel with the red ramp front sight and white outline rear sight. Its one of my favorite revolvers...and I have model 27's in a 6" as well (blued and nickel)...and I don't like them nearly as much as the 4" Nickel.

The blued gun in your photo ....looks like it has a lot of wear / or maybe its the photo / but I'd pass on it, if it has a lot of wear, because every time I touched it, it would aggravate me.

Stocks are easy to replace...in my area, a good set of original stocks are around $ 100. I also like some of the Hogue, wood stocks, aftermarket stocks in a variety of woods, with finger grooves for around $ 150 or so...some of them really compliment a gun with a nice finish like a model 27 !!

Prices on model 27's dash 2 or earlier...in 4" blued are around $ 1,000 in my area....and Nickel typically demands at least a $ 100 premium.

Prices on model 27's have been trending up for the last several years...and I don't see them coming down in price anytime soon / but you should buy the gun that is in the best shape you can afford, take care of it, shoot it a lot...and have fun with it.

My 27-2 4" Nickel...I fire at least 4 boxes a month thru it / sometimes 2 or 3 boxes a week ( all 158 gr JHP )...and I run some tactical drills with it all the time, in and out of a Kramer, horsehide leather holster, with a forward FBI tilt...and the Nickel shows no holster wear. Mine was made around 1976 and I've had it quite a while. ( I shoot it way more than my model 19's or
66's or 686's or my 28's(all .357 Mag) ....or my model 29's(.44 mag)... )...

You will have to pay going market prices to get an excellent gun ...but I don't think you'll regret it even in the short term....and in the long run, you'll forget what you paid for it / and enjoy it every time you touch it !!
 
I believe the Model 27 is a gorgeous revolver but unless my plans change (always possible), I simply do not have one on my list of guns to buy some day. And quite simply put -- it's because I have a Model 28. I will not sit and try to tell anyone that the Model 28 is the one to have over the 27, because that is nonsense. But simply because it hasn't been mentioned thus far, it may not be plainly obvious to everyone how similar these two models are, and what my draw to the 28 was.

The 28 is the "spartan" version of the much fancier Model 27. It has a dull, workhorse finish and it lacks the beautiful scaled top rib of the Model 27. It's just a big, tough animal and no 28 that I've ever seen will look as beautiful as a Model 27.

I bought my Model 28 because I'm not really big in to N-frames but I did want to play with one, so I had really hoped to find a solid working gun that was functionally terrific and with a VERY fair price. It doesn't hurt that I don't -EVER- have to worry about this big tank... extra wear, a scratch, over-zealous cleaning...

I got it from a sizable gun store (not the world's best place to find a smoking deal on a used handgun) with tax included, out the door for $460. Mine's a 28-2, 1974 build with a 6-inch barrel. Was missing it's original wood and had an altered hammer, so they priced it accordingly.

As a shooter, I couldn't possibly ask for more bang for the buck.

One last comment on the pictured revolver: some idiot "white lettered" the lettering on that revolver. What drives people to do this, I'll never understand. If that revolver came to me, I'd spend a lot of elbow grease cleaning that nonsense out of there. :mad:
 
One last comment on the pictured revolver: some idiot "white lettered" the lettering on that revolver. What drives people to do this, I'll never understand. If that revolver came to me, I'd spend a lot of elbow grease cleaning that nonsense out of there.
Click to expand...

Generally it's just white grease pencil, and it helps when photographing a gun to show the markings. Cleans out easily with WD-40.
 
Personally, I would be trackng the nickel gun. If it doesn't get any more bids (which it most likely will) it would be the best deal of the three.
 
Everything has been pretty much summer up from all aspects. A model 27 is on my list in 5 inch, and I wouldn't settle for a model 28 for the reasons already listed. But if I'm going to get a -2 or earlier I'm going to wait around for one with as near to a NIB condition as I can get. Unfired ones come up for sale on occasion for about $1500. If you never plan on selling it, I would attempt to buy a NIB or Like New and spend the extra few hundred while they still exist.
 
I wouldn't settle for a model 28 for the reasons already listed
Click to expand...

Exactly. I have a 27-2 with 3 1/2 inch barrel in 99%, and a 27-2 with 5 inch barrel in 97-98%. Then when I was reading about the 4 inch barrel version being somewhat scarce, that's when I got the itch.

The Wanamacher show is next weekend. I hate walking on concrete for 8 hours, fighting the crowds, as well as the occasional negligent discharge. But I think I just might try to brave this one.
 
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