Time sensitive S&W M-27 help needed

N

new guy

Inactive
Howdy. I was cruising the local shelves and found what might make a nice stablemate to my four-inch Smith Highway Patrolman. It's a factory-nickel, 3.5 in. Model 27. The sideplate and screws looked unbuggered. The nickel showed no wear except a slight drag line around the cylinder. By my reckoning the piece is about 90%. It's definitely been used but not heavily. Maybe five or six hundred rounds. It comes with its original grips but no goodies such as box or tool or papers.

So a few questions are in order. The S/N is N176xxx. When was it made? What's such a gun worth in your market? They're asking $400 which is about the norm for such a piece. No sales tax here, so that is the out the door price.

Anything in particular on the 27s I need to watch for? One point of concern: the bolt stop did not grab the cylinder notch on one cylinder when I cocked the piece slowly. Otherwise, the gun's function looked good.

Thanks in advance.
 
Greeting's new guy-

The Smith & Wesson model 27 in question was made
between 1972 and 1974!:) Serial number range for
that period ran from N60001 thru N190000.:cool: Hope
this helps some?:D

*FWIW, in N.R.A. excellent $400.00; but for VG only
$300.00. From what you describe, $300 would most
definitely be my max! Even with the 3.5" barrel and
factory nickel being somewhat rare.

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
 
Agree with Ala Dan.

I would also want to know why that one hole doesn't lock up like the rest. Might have a chipped star and need an infusion of money. More investigation is warrented.

Sam
 
NewGuy, if you call Smith customer service, they can usually give you a rough window of production dates. My 27-2 is smack-dab middle of the '70's. I have a link below, if you're curious. Sorry about the lousy lighting on the photo shoot... the pics don't do the gun justice, and she needed a good cleaning, too.

I paid $350 for mine, with original grips, and two sets of aftermarkets, one of which you see in the photos. I don't know if this applies to yours, but there's an additional 10% given to pinned & recessed models. If you ask me, sounds like you got a square deal. You won't find them too often on any of the gun sales sites. In months of looking, to find an estimated value, I have yet to find a factory nickel 3.5" for comparison, to see what the street price is. Plenty of the 4" and up, but I've never seen a 'sister' to mine yet. That leads me to suspect that the books may say one thing, but they're probably worth more.

http://www.gothammarketing.com/rck/S&W.htm
 
Finding a M27 under $400 is no longer the norm. Running $400-$450 typically on the auction sites. A fellow over on the S&W forum offered a pair of 3.5" M27s, one blued the other nickeled with both about 98% finish and demanded $550 with no offers considered. Folks were climbing over each other to throw money at him. The short barrel is very popular and will bring a premium over the more common 6" models. If you want the gun I would buy it. If you don't, how about giving me the seller's phone number?
 
Not to mention, location counts. If these guns were in California, they likely wouldn't last on the shelves for 24 hours knowing the hawks that are out now trying to buy before the 1st of the year.
 
Two nickled 27's just showed up in our area. Both 6.5'' with wooden cases. One is $ 550.00 and the other $ 500.00 and the dealer is in no hurry to begin negotiations. Another ditto on that caveat as to timing/lockup. Good luck.
 
First off, thanks for all your help. Second, I passed.

Mostly it was the nickel finish and mechanical wear that turned me off. Also, right next to the M-27 is a pristine four-inch M-28 with good lockup and a better trigger. All my guns are shooters and a near-new P&R M-28 would be better for me. Besides, since I already have one just like it, the wife will never know it's a new gun I'm bringing to the range.

Oddly enough, the price, which according to some, was too high, didn't turn me off at all. Like it or not, that is what N-frames go for in these parts. I live in central Montana and we have to live with high prices. It pains me to see how low some of the prices are for used Smiths in other parts of the country. Four hundred may be high where you are, but here, it's right about average. We're in bear country here and it's not at all uncommon to see used .44 Mags going for over five hundred.

SaxonPig- are you still interested in the seller's number?
 
new guy,

I really envy you, being located in grizzly country!:D
Here in central Alabama the only good thing seems
to be handgun price's; at least at one local dealer.:cool:
Other than that, Alabama does not offer much else.:(
Lots of unemployment, low paying job's, high crime
rate, and tons of welfare receipent's.:eek: Not much
else!!!:( :eek: :D

FWIW, I've seen pristine S&W model 29's in LNIB
condition going for a shade over $300.00. I gave
$509.95 for my NIB S&W 5" 629-5 "Classic".

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
 
Unless the barrel has been shortened there are no 4.5" M27s. Five inches was a stadard length. Are you measuring all the way from the muzzle to the end of the forcing cone in front of the cylinder? If you only measure to where the barrel meets the frame it comes up about 1/2 inch short and this is a common mistake.
 
Thanks For Reminding Me-

Wow! SaxonPig, I had a factory nickel, 5" barrel Smith
& Wesson model 27 a few years back. Boy, do I miss it!

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
 
I quit buying 27's when "ordinary" ones started approaching $500.

Sellers are cashing in on the frenzy started by the anti S&W boycotters.

Thanks to them, anything that is "pre-agreement" seems to be commanding a premium price these days.

I'm glad I filled my collection before prices got stupid.

It used to be, you could barely give away a Model 28 Highway Patrolman, and tons of them were going for $200-$250 in mint shape. Now I see crappy ones going for $300 and nice ones for $400 or more.



:eek:
 
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