When is $800 for a 66 NOT too much??

Oh. Why did you have to post that picture. Now I seriously need, er, want a 3"..:D

Maybe I'll satisfy my immediate need to buy a gun (and soooon) by getting a 6"Colt Cobra... Getting a 4" now would seriously complicate my ability to convince my wife that I need a 3" when one comes up...
 
I'm looking for a 4" in good enough condition that I can shoot it (mostly at the range but some carrying around my property) without ever having to worry about it giving problems. Obviously, any 66-0 is about 35 years old and there's a wide range in ones well-used and ones not well-used. So I would expect a wide range in price/value.
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Given your criteria (and, why do you want a no dash for a carry piece/knock around gun?) $800 is way too high.


I've seen some highly polished guns at a higher cost
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I'd stay away from "highly polished" stainless steel cause if you use them they're going to get "highly scratched" in short order.

But you say you can't find a no dash, etc. Here's one currently on gunbroker for $600 buy it now that sounds exactly like what you want.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=310094999
 
Yes, I've been ready to buy that gun for a week but I don't like to open bidding on a gun at a high level. I like guns that start bidding low and then reach ( in most cases) their fair market price. This gun has had no bids for a long time which tells me it could be priced too high..?
 
3" 19s...200 maybe?? Forget trying to find one of them unless you have serious money to part with, or get REALLLL lucky. One has been posted for sale for a few months, asking $4695. No takers yet.
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I had to dig to find it, but a guy on THR posted his 3" M19 some time ago. IIRC, it was an FBI gun.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=289400&highlight=3+FBI


Regarding the 3" M66 - Buyer Beware - S&W also had a run of 3 1/4" 66-5s. They look like 3" 66s (but with a FO front sight), and may even be advertised as such, but they aren't as rare (read: valuable) as bona fide 3"ers.
 
Well as I said, buying a slightly used 66 is fine. Remember SS is not "plating" or a finish, so minor marks can be polished off. I don't like when guys take matte guns and polish them bright, I just mean some minor polishing/cleaning with the objective of getting the marks out.

The deal with the first year no dash guns is that they had a SS rear sight assembly but this was often changed out and was discontinued. I got mine for approx $400 in the box. $800 isn't worth it unless unfired with some kind of verification (hard to get) and even then, its only a 66. A 66 is a great gun, but its not a 5 screw 357 model or a first year combat magnum, or a 5 screw highway patrolman, etc etc etc

A 3 in 66 would probably be a good deal at $800. After that, even a P&R snub ANIB to me is not worth $800. Too many of them and too modern for that money.

I have one thats nearly in the condition you seek. No dash 1974 gun, P&R, box and papers, SS rear sight. If you want, you can have it for $700 ;)

SW663.jpg
 
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$800 is way too high, even here in the Peoples Republic of California. I will say that while you will always hear someone tell of the one they bought for $75 last week, the prices on then are going up.

The no dash models are the most highly sought after and do command a premium. The prices are somewhat all over the place, but $450~600 (depending on condition) seems to be the going rate. Add about 25% or so for a 2 1/2" barrel and you will be in the ball park.

The somewhat later no dash models with the blued sights are worth considering also. I bought this one two years ago for $300.

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"I've been looking at 66s lately and see three basic price ranges: $400ish for guns with lots of use; $550ish for "cleaner" guns but maybe with burring on the screws indicating past work; $800ish for really clean specimens."

You are looking in the wrong places.

I just checked Gunbroker - 4" 66s for $500 , snubbies for $600.

They looked in great shape.

Maybe add $75 for a really sharp looking one.

More than that is TOO MUCH for a shooter. :)

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IMHO the 3" Model 66 is one fine firearm. Barrel just long enough for full length ejector rod and decent velocity. Workable sight plane. Excellent balance. And if anyone wants to sell me one in 95% condition for $750 or less I'll take it!

I gave this 66-4 to my daughter:

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BTW that's an SDM fiber optic sight to compensate for older eyes.
 
A 66 is a great gun, but its not a 5 screw 357 model or a first year combat magnum, or a 5 screw highway patrolman
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What is a 5 screw highway patrolman? Is that the model 27/28? They look like the same number of screws as the 66:confused:
 
Regarding the $600 as being too much, my point was this is an auction and this gun had been in the auction for over a week with zero bids. Since I don't know much about these guns, I'm reluctant to be the first bidder. The gun could very well be worth $600... If it had started with a $100 bid and then worked its way up to $600, I would be more confident about it.
 
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Is it too much? Probably, for "just a 66." But if you're looking at an unfired example, in the box, with the papers, tools, etc., it might not be if that's what you really want. Only you can make that decision.

I know a lot of people say they don't care about the box and papers and such. And that's great, because there are people like me, who don't want it at all unless it HAS the box, papers, and stuff. When you decide that's what you want, you narrow the field down quite a bit, and that raises the price.

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Yes, I paid too much for it. How much isn't important, but since I don't plan to sell it, it doesn't matter. IF I ever did have to sell it, and I can't get my money back...well, that's just the cost of having owned it for a while.

When I compare what I paid, to a Glock, Sig, Kimber, or even a new Smith & Wesson, it was a steal. :D
 
I bought a 66-4 for 450 about 8 months ago. 2.5 tube. At a gun shop. They are out there just have to be patient and wait for the right gun / price. Hit the shops and learn who has finds and who has junk.

I don't feel you are wasting anyones time, I have bought and sold many things from watches and clocks to antiques to surplus instruments and it took me time and a few mistakes to figure out the gun market and have confidence in what I was doing / looking at

I think it's human nature not to open auctions hi. I have seen it for decades. 18k farm tractor at auction, goes down to 500 bucks then bid up to 19.5 k. Guess it's human nature, if you can get past that often there is, in my observation often less bidding wars with high openers, guess the flip side is people figure someone who is serious and throws down high will keep going. Maybe maybe not but the few times I have tried it at live auctions it seems to work often.

Frankly I would not buy a 66 online, no need for the hassle unless one is really in a remote corner of the world. I limit onlie buys to new or rare guns in high condition. Plenty of 66's to be had in most locals that may be without box/papers but are otherwise near new and highly worth it.
 
When you consider the exhorbitant asking prices for current production S&W revolvers, with their MIM parts, canted barrels and idiot locks, $800 for a nice pre lock 66 starts to look not that far out of line.

I know which one I'd prefer. ;) Regards 18DAI
 
I bought a 66-4 for 450 about 8 months ago. 2.5 tube. At a gun shop. They are out there just have to be patient and wait for the right gun / price. Hit the shops and learn who has finds and who has junk.
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$450 is about right for a shooter in good condition. Expect box and papers to add about $100. A 4" model should go for about $50 less.

There are still law enforcement and security company trade-ins floating around online from time to time. I've seen runs of the pre-620 2002 models running ~$350 from time to time.

There were a lot of 66's made, and it's not seen as a collector's piece.

3" models? $800 might not be ridiculous, but that's a whole other story.
 
moxie wrote:

It's not too much for YOU if YOU wanted it and had the spare $$$ to pay for it. YOU get to decide the worth of things to YOU.
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The post posed the question if the price was considered too much. Suppose the question was about a used truck. Used trucks are selling for $2,000 to $4,500, and the prospective buy has the chance to buy one priced at $25,000 and asks if tha't too much. I would still say its too much.

The gun he aksed about normally sells for $600~$700, again, I say "too much." If he chooses to pay the price, that's his business.

Bob Wright
 
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