Looking at a 28-2 Value?

W

WVsig

New member
Looking at a highway patrolman with a 4" barrel that is being sold locally. It is in VG to excellent condition. I would rate it 90%. Lockup and timing look good.

The barrel is pinned and recessed and it is wearing walnut magna grips. No box :(.

Trying to get a serial number to nail down the DOB but I believe it should be a 1970s gun.

What is a fair price for these? Gunbroker seems to be all over the place from $500 for refinished guns up to the $800+ range. Wheelguns are not my area of expertise, yet.... :eek: so looking for advice on this one.
 
Paid $600 and tax locally for a nice one in 2013. Seen a couple for up to $800.

I wouldn't let it get away over much, great shooters and condition is all.
 
There is a guy where I live trying to get $750 for one and it has been for sale for a while. At $600 they seem to sell, though.
 
First off how much is the seller asking for it? The Blue Book states $300 for one in 90% condition (revolvers made between 1957 - 1986). Earlier revolvers are $575.

With the above said, I am leery of the Blue Book's appraisals since they seem unrealistically low to what I see in the market place. This is the latest, 35th Edition, of the Blue Book.

You could use this as a bargaining tool to help bring the price down.

Good luck and let us know how you make out. :)
 
I can get it for $550. I do not tend to use the BB of guns for these type of purchases. They tell you what a dealer might pay you for your gun but they do not account for the real world value of S&W revolvers IMHO. Similar to German Sigs and older BHPs. The market is higher and much more fluid than the BB of guns would lead one to believe.
 
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If I could get a decent 4", 28 for $550.00, I'd be all over it.

My favorite dealer has two, both 6" guns with target grips. They're asking $600.00 for one, and $750.00 for the other. Condition is the difference.

Generally speaking the 4" guns are in higher demand, and command higher prices.

The Blue Book is about as accurate as guessing IMHO.
 
Not long ago I sold my 6" 28-2 which was in 99% condition with less than 50 rounds through it for $800. This was probably the exception and not the norm but I did have the original box to go with it too.
 
At $550, honestly, I would probably buy it -IF- I could get out the door at that price... meaning it's a private sale or if you could talk the shop down enough to eat the tax.

There are a few facts that are worth considering when looking at a Model 28-2...

They made MANY of these revolvers and many, many more of the dash-2 variant than any of the other variants. Also, there's very few revolvers that Smith & Wesson ever made to be specifically a budget, spartan, dull, no-frills model. That's not to take away from what the Model 28 is -- but that is exactly what it is. All the quality, durability and ruggedness and very specifically without the attractive finish and pretty visual features.

I think it pays to keep that solidly in mind when shopping for one. It's not that these aren't in demand or that these aren't worth chasing. But honestly, these guns will have a tough time being "collector" guns unless they have a rare feature that wasn't common to the model, and are in 100% condition with all original box & tools.

If getting a very good deal is high on the list, the Model 28-2 is one that you can snag a great deal on if you're patient. I got my 6-inch in early August 2013 from a LARGE local gun shop that is known as a good place but not as a place where you walk out the door with ridiculous steals on gun buys. Mine was missing the original wood stocks, it had a slightly altered thumb-piece on the hammer and it had a small anomaly in the bluing that was about .22cal in size, clearly visible. The lockup, timing, end shake and every single little thing that I look for in a used revolver were perfect, and I got out of the store, tax included, for $460. I felt like a champion with that buy and I still feel great about it just over a year later.

Yours, being a 4-inch and in better visual condition (I certainly expect) would be a decent deal at $550, but I'd want them to eat the tax. And if I was really excited about it... then yeah, I'd pay $550+tax.
 
The Blue Book is about as accurate as guessing IMHO.
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I'll have to mostly agree with this one also. And I hate to sound like I'm slagging the Blue Book because an absolute ridiculous volume of work goes in this thing, god love Mr. Fjestad, I'm sure it just consumes his life. It is jam packed with information and it's an extremely interesting reference to thumb through.

The Blue Book probably also was a ridiculously powerful tool before the age of the internet and before the age of mobile internet where folks can snag prices and research VERY quickly. And the Blue Book is also helpful to tell you when you happen to come across something that is somewhat rare or uncommon.

But as a tool for actual PRICES?! Many times, it can tell you the original MSRP which is another tool to help judge a price when you otherwise don't know. But as a shopper's guide, yeah, it's not accurate and it's really hardly relevant.

Even if it was relevant and accurate, it bases most of it's information on the data that was collected for that revision, so it's "prices" and market chatter from a minimum of many months (and more often) a handful of years ago. And we have all seen the gun market and how it's been just over the past couple of years.
 
Tough deal to do that, the guns are similar in design & function but should be well apart in price/value. I think you should buy a 28-2 to shoot and enjoy and while you have that, set your sights on chasing a Model 27.

As a guy who absolutely loves and appreciates handguns and gets most of his joy from shooting them, I am happy to love the Model 27 from afar and instead spend my money on component bullets that I will then shoot from my 28-2. ;)
 
A 6"bbl is more desirable to me in a large N frame. I would guess a 6" would have a higher resale value then a 4" in like condition.
 
I would guess a 6" would have a higher resale value then a 4" in like condition.
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It was always my understanding that it was the other way around. The 6" was not as popular and the 4" generally went for higher but then again I am not a wheel gunner by nature. ;)
 
When i bought my 28-2 6" new, back in the day, everyone wanted the 27 that was impossible to find. So i settled for a 28.
 
I am interested in the general consensus on price as well.

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Cabelas in Hazelwood, MO currently has 3 28-2 4inchers.

$689 w/ pachmyrs; turn line and probably VG condition

$800 w/ magnas and a tyler t; turn line and slightly more wear in the bluing; call it G condition

$850 w/ the box and magnas; turn line and VG condition
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I was hoping to get them down to about $550 on the $800 one, but that wasn't happening.
 
I agree with WVsig and Sevens on the Blue Book. I mentioned in my post above the concern I have about the appraisal prices in this book.

Referencing the price in it to WVsig was so he might possibly use it as a negotiation point. This is as long as he were not buying from a good friend.

I have a copy of the 32nd Edition and recently obtained a copy of the 35th Edition. There is another issue that leaves me skeptical. When you compare the two, prices have not changed or if so very little. As a simple amateur I perceive the price of firearms on a whole has risen between 2011 and 2014.
The price of a lot of things have risen over these few years.

As Sevens stated there is a lot of good information in the publication.

Good fortune to WVsig whether it is on the Model 28 and/or the Model 27.
 
I have a copy of the 32nd Edition and recently obtained a copy of the 35th Edition. There is another issue that leaves me skeptical. When you compare the two, prices have not changed or if so very little. As a simple amateur I perceive the price of firearms on a whole has risen between 2011 and 2014.
The price of a lot of things have risen over these few years.
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This is so true especially for things that are no longer in production. As more and more people move into the market purchasing guns these items like the 28 rare or not are going up in price.

I will be making a decision on the gun tomorrow.
 
I have read many threads, and sorted by date to try to ascertain the going rate and what a fair price would be.

As far as I can tell 500 is the norm for a mechanically perfect example, with significant wear to the bluing.

With 600 or so being the norm for a mechanically perfect example, with no significant wear to the bluing aside from a turn line.

I have heard of a few 300-450 steals, and a few 800 examples; all of these for what I would call shooters. Collectors pieces are in a league of their own.

I feel like there is no accurate pricing model on these right now, as the market is fluctuating too rapidly. It seems that these are worth what you are willing to pay, but overall it is trending upwards.
 
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