For a while now I've been thinking about a new snub so that my S&W M36 no-dash can take semi-retirement and join my Walther PP as a "dress gun". Not that I was dissatisfied with the M36, but the bluing is so nice that I've always had this nagging feeling that it's too nice to pocket carry routinely.
So, being that I got paid yesterday and had the day off today, I decided to spend the morning perusing local shops and see what I could find for what price. After visiting four local shops, the only J-Frame I managed to find in stock was a NIB 642 for $439 (a fairly routine price in my area). Somewhat disappointed in the lack of supply, I came home and relaxed for a bit. Then, on a whim, I decided to stop by another local shop which I don't frequent often. To my surprise, they had three NIB J-Frames: a 637, a 442, and a 642 with CT laser grips. I asked to look at the 442 just for kicks and to find out what the price was (for some reason, this shop doesn't put prices on their tags
).
Upon handling the gun, I immediately noticed two things: it did not have an internal lock (despite being NIB) and it was cut for moonclips. As it turned out, I was holding a 442 Pro Series. Upon inquiring about the price, I was quoted $469 + tax. After thinking for a moment, I decided that the extra features were probably worth an extra $30 and that I liked the look of the black finish better than the silver-colored one of the 642 so I bought the gun.
I don't really see myself getting attached to this gun like I did to my M36 (I still like the look of the regular spur hammer better), but then again that was kind of the point to begin with. The lack of a lock and moon clips aren't really a big deal to me, but I figure they might add a bit to the resale value of the gun if I decide to sell it later on (though I did go ahead and order a moon clip stripping tool and five additional clips from Brownells). So what does TFL think? Did I make a good deal?
So, being that I got paid yesterday and had the day off today, I decided to spend the morning perusing local shops and see what I could find for what price. After visiting four local shops, the only J-Frame I managed to find in stock was a NIB 642 for $439 (a fairly routine price in my area). Somewhat disappointed in the lack of supply, I came home and relaxed for a bit. Then, on a whim, I decided to stop by another local shop which I don't frequent often. To my surprise, they had three NIB J-Frames: a 637, a 442, and a 642 with CT laser grips. I asked to look at the 442 just for kicks and to find out what the price was (for some reason, this shop doesn't put prices on their tags
).Upon handling the gun, I immediately noticed two things: it did not have an internal lock (despite being NIB) and it was cut for moonclips. As it turned out, I was holding a 442 Pro Series. Upon inquiring about the price, I was quoted $469 + tax. After thinking for a moment, I decided that the extra features were probably worth an extra $30 and that I liked the look of the black finish better than the silver-colored one of the 642 so I bought the gun.
I don't really see myself getting attached to this gun like I did to my M36 (I still like the look of the regular spur hammer better), but then again that was kind of the point to begin with. The lack of a lock and moon clips aren't really a big deal to me, but I figure they might add a bit to the resale value of the gun if I decide to sell it later on (though I did go ahead and order a moon clip stripping tool and five additional clips from Brownells). So what does TFL think? Did I make a good deal?