If I Handed you $300, What do you buy?

Just last month I bought a Smith & Wesson 64-6 in excellent condition at J&G for $299.99. It was advertised as a gunsmith special with a timing problem, but, upon my cursory exam, the "bad timing" was being caused by gummy lube on the cylinder axle.
 
If looks are not important, I think I can get a good quality .38 Special revolver (Colt, S&W, Ruger) for $300 and have money left for ammo. And if you are able to really look past the surface, you might just do better than that.

As an example, I recently purchased a .38 S&W (not Special) Double Action Second Model for well under $200. The nickel finish is about gone and there are areas of "patina" (spelled "rust"). But inside, that gun is almost new. Other than some light rust in a couple of chambers and dried grease on some parts, it looks like it left Springfield yesterday, not in 1882. Almost all the color case hardening is on the hammer and trigger and even the barrel shows no wear. I often warn about firing old guns, and don't retract that advice, but there are always exceptions.

I have fired a box of ammo from that gun with no sign of any problems and have no doubt that it would do what it was made to do if I needed it.

Jim
 
I have to agree with a couple of other postings. not sure i could find a $300 revolver in my area. and if used, i'd be a bit suspect as to what kind of shape it were in.
That said, i have seen some $300 aluminum baseball bats for sale these days... Then again, i'm old school and would probably choose a wooden bat :D
 
I think an old Taurus model 80 (copy of the S&W model 10) is a good choice if it has been cared for. I have a model 84 (copy of the S&W 15) and it is an excellent shooter.

They are trying to sell them for a little over $200 on Gunbroker but I think they should be a $200 gun. My neighbor paid $200 for it years ago and I traded him a Hi-Point even for it.
 
Well, I could find a very few $300 revolvers but I'd need to take someone along with me that could really check out a used revolver otherwise, at $300 I think I would run a fair chance of getting a junk gun.

My advice, save up a couple hundred more.
 
For strictly $300 I couldn't get much. For a bit more out of pocket a Model 10 would be a great choice, as would a Ruger semiauto if that option was available.

Most likely I would use the money towards something much more expensive and reduce the out of pocket expense of acquiring something I really wanted.
 
If I Handed you $300, What do you buy?
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Revolver? Can't find to many for 300 buckos.

But, just spied ANOTHER Ruger stainless slide LCP .380 for $199. I got one two weeks ago, stainless slide, for $161, tax included.

Yea I know they ain't wheelguns, and they are plastic ones to boot, but $300 just don't go far these days unless you are real pawnshop savvy.

I even found a Glock 19, 3ed gen, for $300.

I sure miss finding S&W 19 snubs for that price. I just am a fool for a snub K frame. But you are lucky to find those for $500 now in good shape.

Deaf
 
http://armscor.com/firearms/revolver-series/

I do not yet own one of these but have handled both the model M200 and the M206, and I intend to own each eventually.
They just aren't on my short list.
Both models are all steel six shot 38 Special revolvers and though the finish on the blue models leaves tons to be desired, their matte nickel finish is quite sharp.
Aside from the nickel M206 which was slightly over, all are well under $300 from any reputable seller and I think you could find it for less than that as well.

If Armscor builds these like they build their 1911s, I doubt you could go very wrong.


Just to clarify after looking at the MSRP listed in the link, the nickel M206 I saw NIB at a lgs recently carried a price tag of $329 before tax. That is the only one I've ever seen that was $300 or above, and it was no where near the MSRP.
 
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Everyone repeats the same old mantra "condition is everything". For a collectors gun, and all else being equal, the outside condition is the most important determinant of value. But when the budget is tight and the gun is for use, not looking at, appearance means little. As an example, a LGS has two S&W Victory Models (the old .38 revolver, not he new .22 auto). One is in poor outside condition, but has the new hammer block and has been fired little; mechanically it is in excellent shape. The price was $300. The other has the old hammer block, but the Parkerizing is about perfect, the grips are excellent; the price is $450.

For the collector's safe, the latter is the better choice; but for a practical and economic SD/HD revolver, the first is better and you can still buy a fair amount of practice ammo or even a loading tool for the $150 difference.

Jim
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by dgludwig View Post
I agree with smee78-no question about it.


Are these a common used gun to find?

J&G Sales is currently selling used, square-butt, Model 10 revolvers with 4" heavy barrels in "good to very good" condition for $349.95.
 
lamarw said:
I was quick on the trigger and went ahead and bought it this past December. It is a S&W Model 10-6 (4" heavy barrel) trade-in from the Mobile, AL Police Dept. SWAT. With sales tax (10%), it came to $298.71. You can keep the change and simply send me the offered money preferable via a postal money order.



Thank you so much for your generous refund of money already out of pocket. ;)
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This may seem like an odd question but I have never heard of and I'm wondering what a police trade-in is?
 
Deja vu said:
I like some of the responses!
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Me too. This has been one of the best threads I have ever started. It is always good as a mental exercise to see what one could acquire if they had a simple requirement and really pushed for it.

In my case? I need something to match all this spare .38 ammo lying around.
 
The term "Police Trade-In" is a generic term referring primarily to firearms generally used by law enforcement (LE) agencies to offset the cost of new firearms or other equipment. It can also be things like tactical lights or sights and other gear. Often thought of as former LE firearms, but some LE agencies also trade-in confiscated items. The seller to the public is often a LE distributor of new firearms and other tactical gear.

There appears to be some sellers who have even obtained these items in bulk from, I gather, LE auctions and even foreign sources of LE forearms arms and equipment.

I imagine other Forum members will have greater insight into the nature of the "Trade-In" business.
 
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