Model 13

[Dagga Boy]

I would love to see the 3" 64's and/or 13's produced again. Without that stupid lock though.

I agree that this would be a perfect pistol for many out there. And I have a hard time believing that S&W couldn't sell enough of them to justify bring them back.

I think the issue is two fold-price and "gee whiz". Smith revolvers have gotten expensive, especially compared to things that "look" similar, or even quality semi-autos with "lots of firepower". For those who will shoot 44 rounds at the range, load 6 and put it in a drawer for the next several years, you are talking a ton of money. Back in the early to mid 90's when I had my own store I sold a lot of the Taurus versions or the 3" Smith's and they were very inexpensive compared to the Smith's and Rugers. Personally, a 3" GP 100 built like an LCR to me would be pretty neat.

[Wheeler]

I would love to see the 3" 64's and/or 13's produced again. Without that stupid lock though.

I agree that this would be a perfect pistol for many out there. And I have a hard time believing that S&W couldn't sell enough of them to justify bring them back.

A friend of mine looked into having S&W introduce a model 12-5 with the standard K frame dimensions and an updated Aluminum frame. The price point was in the neighborhood of $50,000 for a limited run (I disremember the number of guns that would produce.) I'm sure if anyone could convince Talo or one of the other large distributors the production could be arranged.

[Beat Trash]

I know I'm dreaming here.

I can't believe what a new S&W revolver is going for. I still cry when I think about the gun my Ex took in the divorce about 5 years ago, a factory 3" model 66.

I grew up seeing the round butt 3" model 13 in pictures and the movies. It was THE FBI gun. There is something about that revolver. Just wish I had thought to buy one way back when they were still available.

The modern day replacement for that gun would be the 3" GP100. But it just doesn't have the sex appeal to me.

[Tamara]

And I have a hard time believing that S&W couldn't sell enough of them to justify bring them back.

If they could, they wouldn't have discontinued them in the first place.

I know I'm dreaming here.

I can't believe what a new S&W revolver is going for.

Like the 1911, it was designed in a time when labor was cheap, with the only overhead for your workforce being the amount of money you put in their pockets every payday.

There were no HR departments or pensions or scholarship programs or paternity leaves or paid sick time or any of that other stuff. No OSHA and no EPA to monitor plant emissions. You could pay people a squat-oh-nine a day to inspect the work and if they didn't do a good job, fire them and hire the next one standing at the factory door.

I was taking a little Mauser 1910 .25 apart to take some pictures the other day, and the amount of machining and (no doubt) hand-fitting that went into that pocket pistol that sold for a pittance in its day was just practically obscene to modern eyes. Every single part of that gun was whittled from a block of steel. For every Mauser 1910 that came out the factory door, there were probably two more in the form of iron filings and metal chips on the factory floor. It was like looking at gold leaf toilet paper.

[Robinson]

You can sometimes find round butt 3" Model 13s on the auction sites, but man the prices people want for S&W revolvers... They can be found if you want to pay the money though.

[Tamara]

You can sometimes find round butt 3" Model 13s on the auction sites, but man the prices people want for S&W revolvers...

The market for medium-frame centerfire Smiths was artificially depressed through the Nineties and into the early Aughties as the glut of po-po trade-ins moved through the market like a pig through a python. This coincided with a lot of people getting into Smith collecting because it was the workingman's alternative to collecting Colt's. Up until just ten years or so ago, the only Smith Hand Ejectors that brought big money were prewar large-frame guns and some rare and hard-to-find variants.

Now the police trade-in supply has pretty much dried up, and this coincides with Smith collecting becoming a respected discipline within the larger avocation of firearms curating. Prices will only be going up. (Personally, I'm pretty much priced out of the Hand Ejector market. It was fun while it lasted, though.)

EDIT: Look on the bright side of things: You could be a Colt's fan. Pythons and Diamondbacks have always been expensive, but they've gone off-the-charts looney tunes flat-out crazy in the last few years. Half the Pythons I've seen lately have been stickered for more than I paid for my Subaru.

[JonInWA]

I think the issue is two fold-price and "gee whiz". Smith revolvers have gotten expensive, especially compared to things that "look" similar, or even quality semi-autos with "lots of firepower". For those who will shoot 44 rounds at the range, load 6 and put it in a drawer for the next several years, you are talking a ton of money. Back in the early to mid 90's when I had my own store I sold a lot of the Taurus versions or the 3" Smith's and they were very inexpensive compared to the Smith's and Rugers. Personally, a 3" GP 100 built like an LCR to me would be pretty neat.

Isn't that called a SP101??

Best, Jon

[Chuck Haggard]

Isn't that called a SP101??

Best, Jon

Not exactly.

a 3" GP 100 built like an LCR to me would be pretty neat

I'd really dig a 6 shot 3" LCR, that would be totally bad kitten.

[Robinson]

The market for medium-frame centerfire Smiths was artificially depressed through the Nineties and into the early Aughties as the glut of po-po trade-ins moved through the market like a pig through a python. This coincided with a lot of people getting into Smith collecting because it was the workingman's alternative to collecting Colt's. Up until just ten years or so ago, the only Smith Hand Ejectors that brought big money were prewar large-frame guns and some rare and hard-to-find variants.

Yes I think that colorful observation is spot on. At least the guns are still out there -- I mean, if you want a P&R magnum in good shape you can still find one without much trouble.

[Chuck Haggard]

I'm wishing I had bought about ten of our model 66s back when they all got sold for $125 a piece.