Need help with identifying gun

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smith.rome

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Hi. I just "found" a 38 s & w special CTG. in a box that I inherited. I have never owned or even held a gun before! I have read that there is a book that has serial numbers that date and value the gun but since my intention is to get rid of it ASAP I really would rather not invest in the book. I thought that I would just take it to a gun shop and see what they would give me for it. I would like to be a "little" knowledgeable about the gun so any info you could share would be appreciated. The Serial # on the handle is D716XXXX. As I was writing this an ad on TV came on for a gun show in town. What do you think of me taking it there to sell? Thank you for your help.
 

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not knowing anything about the SN, and just going by the pic , I would guess a S&W mod 10.... do you have a pic of the other side of it?

EDIT: found you an answer (I believe)

The model 10 "D" serial number series revolvers were made between 1968 and 1977. Smith & Wesson made 999,999 of them during that time period.

The most common configuration is square butt, blue finish, 4" barrel. One in excellent condition is worth (more or less) $350.00.
A 2" snubby for slightly more, while 5 and 6 inch lengths go for slightly less.
 
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Well, Doesn't everyone wish they had an item worth millions? LOL I'll gladly take the $350 for it especially since it scares me! Yikes! Would you recommend a gun shop, gun show, or something like craigs list to sell it?
 
The gun appears to be a S&W Model 10 aka .38 Military & Police. The serial number dates to 1974-1975, and I assume you typed an extra digit; there should be 6 digits after the "D". The gun has the 4" tapered barrel and blued finish, which is far and away the most common configuration; S&W sold hundreds of thousands of these- perhaps over a million- to almost every major American law enforcement agency between the 1940s and 1970s.

This particular gun appears to have some finish damage near the end of the barrel, unless this is an illusion caused by the lighting in the photo; assuming that the finish is indeed damaged, value should be $125-$200, although it may be higher in some areas where S&W fever is epidemic. :rolleyes: At any rate, most dealers will only offer ~2/3 this amount to ensure a profit when the gun is resold.

The original numbers-matching box and paperwork will enhance value slightly, but only by $25-$40 with poor finish.
I have never owned or even held a gun before!... As I was writing this an ad on TV came on for a gun show in town. What do you think of me taking it there to sell?
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Make sure you familiarize yourself with federal laws and your local state laws before you do this! Federal law allows face-to-face sales as long as the buyer resides in the same state as you, he or she is at least 18 years old, and you have no reason to believe that he or she is prohibited from owning a firearm due to being a fugitive from justice, in the country illegally, etc. However, state laws vary widely.

If you don't wish to thoroughly familiarize yourself with the laws, I would suggest finding a local gun shop that offers consignments and selling it that way.
 
Would you recommend... something like craigs list to sell it?
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Craigslist bans gun sales unless they are written in special cryptic code. ;)

There is a website called Gunbroker.com that functions like eBay except that it's geared towards guns. However, gun sales across state lines require a transfer by a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL), i.e. a dealer, which typically adds $10-$40 to the transaction, and handgun shipments by private individuals are pricey because you can't legally use USPS. Both FedEx and UPS require that handguns be shipped via Next Day Air (typically $35-$60).

The transfer and shipping costs tend to discourage potential buyers from bidding on commonplace guns in the sub-$200 price range because they won't want to be saddled with ~$30-$60 of added costs. IMHO you would be better off selling locally. These guns are a known quantity due to their abundance (see my prior post) and typically sell easily if the price is reasonable. :)
 
That looks like a model 10, probably 4 inch barrel. .38 S&W Special CTG. is not the type of gun, but the caliber. thats just a fancy way to say .38 special. CTG stands for cartridge. if you open the cylinder, on the inside of the frame where the crane sits, it should say mod. 10 then a - then another number, unless this is a no dash model. the number after the dash represents the number of the engineering change made to the gun (-8 would mean 8th change etc). im still fairly new to revolvers so if any of my info here is wrong somebody feel free to correct me. your best bet to get the most for it would probably be a gun show. gun shops buy it to resell so they will pay way less than its worth so they can make a profit. it is illegal to sell guns on craigslist.
 
your best bet to get the most for it would probably be a gun show.
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IMHO this is not necessarily true, which is the reason for my concern in my prior post.

The advantage is that it's a "one stop shop"- arrive with gun, leave with cash. :) However, there are several disadvantages. The first is that shows vary; some shows are packed with lowballing jerks. The second is that, in my experience, you won't get much more from the dealer tables than you would from a stand-alone gun store, particularly if you do consignment. The third and most serious concern is that the OP will inadvertently walk into a legal minefield since he/she already said that he/she has little knowledge about guns. This is particularly true if he/she lives in a restrictive state.
it is illegal to sell guns on craigslist.
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There is nothing inherently illegal about selling guns on CL; it's no different than selling guns in the Greensheet or newspaper classified ads, which was commonplace in the past and is still common in some areas. The problem is CL's policies; they support the 1A but not the 2A. :rolleyes:
 
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