Price check on aisle 15 and 19.

B

Buzzcook

New member
I'm looking at an S&W Model 15 and Model 19 both are in similar condition and both are priced at $449.

The price for the 15 seems a bit high, but gunbroker.com says it's not out of line. The Model 19 is about the right price in my mind but low for gunbroker.

I'd prefer the 15 because I like .38 more than .357.

So what do you think of the prices and which gun would you pick?
 
You're not really giving us enough info to help you .....but I'd pick the model 19 hands down over a mod 15 99% of the time / and just shoot .38's out of it if that's what I wanted to do....but condition is everything ..on older revolvers ( as well as which engineering dash numbers they each are ) -- and how long the barrels are ...all affect price. If either one is a Nickel finish vs blued ...that is also a factor ....so we need more info ....

The price might seem cheap on both guns...but without photos / hard to tell you truthfully on price ..../ but if you've checked other model 15's and 19's locally you should know what the average prices are...assuming you have the info above...
 
I like the balance better on the M15.

The M19 gives you the magnum option

Which feels better to you?
 
More info. Both are 4" both are in +90% condition. I ask the gun store guy if the both came from the same place because they looked like twins.
I should have taken more time.

In my hand they feel about the same balance wise.
 
I'll rehash what I wrote in a recent thread about M15 prices.

Prices HAVE climbed for the hard-to-find early variants, i.e. the pre-Model 15 K-38 Combat Masterpiece up through the M15-2. This is particularly true if they are in high condition and have factory Target stocks, a wide target hammer, and a wide target trigger (these features were uncommon on this gun). Barrels other than the standard 4" taper also command a premium- a moderate one for 2", a big one for the long barrels and 4" bull barrel.

IMHO the picture is different for the 4" standard-barrel M15-3, M15-4, and later versions, particularly in nice-but-not-great 90%ish condition with ordinary Magna stocks or aftermarket grips. These guns are flat-out commonplace and I simply don't think $400+ is a fair price for one unless it's nearly flawless. I paid $260 delivered for an 85% original nickel M15-3 with Pachmayrs ~2yrs ago. This gives you an idea of where I'm coming from.

The problem is that some sellers are seeing 90% early nickel 4-screw guns sell for $450 on GB or the S&W forum and mistakenly assuming that ALL 90% M15s are worth this much. :rolleyes: This is not necessarily the case.
 
Model 19's in my neck of the woods vary on price. I got one with target grips in the 90% range or better for $325 OTD at a local pawn/gun shop last December. On the other hand another model 19 was sitting in the case a little later with a $449 price tag on it and rubber pachmayer grips.

I would shoot for the 19 in the $375-$450 range.
 
Versatility is the key issue here ....do you want a .38 spl or a .357 mag...??

You still didn't give us the dash numbers on each guns...and 90% isn't a top end gun.../ and if they are really 90% ...it kind of depends on what makes up the 10% wear ( grips can be changed / wear can't really be fixed) ...wear is one thing...big dings or scratches are another.../ condition of the bore / check the timing.../ are the screws in good shape - or is there an indication someone has messed with these guns...???

+1 on carguychris's comments...all of those factors matter...

but I would still lean toward the model 19 in my area as the better choice ...model 15's in my area...are not in great demand in general / unless they are in excellent condition.
 
The 19 is worth more / more in demand so I would buy it even I wanted to shoot 38s primarily. If you reload, you can always load 357s down. If you HAD TO SELL (for something unplanned) the 19 will usually be woth more. 19s aka K frame 357s are a classic, a cut above many other revolvers.
 
In my area that's high for a 19 and about right for a nice 15, depending on the era. But we've got a lot of nice 19's floating around. The 15's tend to be older revolvers, which lends to their collectibility. IMO everyone should have at least one of each.
 
Another consideration is which dash these both are. If the 19 is say a -1 or no dash, and the 15 is a 15-4, then the 19 every time. If its a 19-5 or so, and the 15 is like a 15-2, then the 15. The 19s were not both pinned and recessed after 19-3. The 19-3s are very common but earlier 19s are not. It would be cool if one of them was a pre model, a combat magnum or a 38 combat masterpiece. If one was a 4 screw, I'd consider that one. There never was a 5 screw combat magnum, which later became the 19. There were 5 screw 38 combat masterpieces though.
 
Here is a photo of my model 4" 19-4 and it is pinned & recessed. The same is true for my 6" 19-4. In fact all of the 19-4's that I have encountered have been pinned & recessed.:eek::D:
P1000778.jpg
 
The 19s were not both pinned and recessed after 19-3.
Click to expand...
...my model 4" 19-4... is pinned & recessed. The same is true for my 6" 19-4.
Click to expand...
W73, I don't have "The Book" handy, but I'm pretty sure that the -5 version was the first without the barrel pin for both the M15 and M19 and the first without the recessed chambers for the M19.

I used to own a M19-5 with a 1983 serial number; it was not P&R. (I foolishly traded it away. :( )
The 19-3s are very common but earlier 19s are not.
Click to expand...
This is correct for both guns. FWIW both of them went through somewhat of an interesting transition, from a high-tech target revolver ca. 1957 to a very common police sidearm ca. 1970. This is why the 4"-barrel -3 and later versions are relatively abundant; by the late 1960s, police departments were buying them in large numbers.
 
Christopher the man of cars,

I will accept you're most likely correct. You are part of the TFL S&W cult so you may be right. Most of what I say is without reference, so I occasionally make a mistake. Thanks for pointing it out.

I do however know I had a 19-4 without a pinned barrel. With S&W, you never know it seems.
 
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