A sad state of affairs

[john c]

Brutal Truth: The heyday of the affordable used Smith market is closing in on a decade in the rear view mirror now.

That's not completely true. The CA prison system just released a large number of K frames, heavy barrel model 10s and 64s. I just picked up two Model 64s in typical cop-gun condition: worn on the outside, tight as drums on the inside. Price: $150 each.

Most are going for $300 or so, with a lot of variability. Some are thrashed; others barely shot.

[BobM]

Today I decided to go gun shop hopping. I'm looking for a couple different K frames (model 14 4" & a 2" model 15) so I decided to see if I could get lucky. I went to 9 different shops a various sizes. Most I hadn't been to before. 9 different shops full of almost nothing but soulless plastic bullet pushers. Most of them crappy soulless bullet pushers. I did not find a single used K frame in any of them. Only 2 used Smiths - a 325 Thunder Ranch and a post lock 686 4".

At each store I also asked if they had any old junky K frame RB grips in a box in a back room. I need a pair to use as a guide for fixing the hack job SB to RB conversion on my M10. Nada. Only 1 had any old school grips at all.

I guess I got spoiled growing up in and working in my brother in law's shop. They have old grips, old hard to find parts, old stocks, screws, etc. that they've accumulated over the 40+ years they've been in business. There just aren't very many shops like that around here anymore. Kinda sad.

No guarantees of course that you'll find what you're looking for but there is a gun show this weekend at 68/71.

[Hambo]

So I walked into a shop here a few months ago and there were three Colt Troopers on the top shelf of the case, Ruger Security and Service Sixes, K and N frames, 80 Series Gold Cups. I thought I had been transported back to 1985. I'm not sure there was a plastic gun in the place. I knew I hadn't been transported back to 1985 because the prices were 2016. I'm also not sure he's still in business.

[Lon]

No guarantees of course that you'll find what you're looking for but there is a gun show this weekend at 68/71.

I heard that. And the next weekend is an Ohio Gun Collectors Association show there. That's the one I really want to go to. I'm gonna try to get a guest pass if I can.

[Tamara]

That's not completely true. The CA prison system just released a large number of K frames, heavy barrel model 10s and 64s. I just picked up two Model 64s in typical cop-gun condition: worn on the outside, tight as drums on the inside. Price: $150 each.

Most are going for $300 or so, with a lot of variability. Some are thrashed; others barely shot.

This is something worth noting now, but fifteen or twenty years ago, we called it "Tuesday".

[mtnbkr]

This is something worth noting now, but fifteen or twenty years ago, we called it "Tuesday".

Yeah.

I remember walking by tables of $150-$200 k-frame 38s while looking for the sexier 44 caliber guns.

Chris

[Chef]

Locally this forum seems to have 90% of the classics I ever see. https://www.theoutdoorstrader.com/forums/handguns.72/


Hardly any in the shops.

That is my home forum. Lots of good stuff pops up. Like the king cobra for $1200two days ago

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

[SeriousStudent]

That's not completely true. The CA prison system just released a large number of K frames, heavy barrel model 10s and 64s. I just picked up two Model 64s in typical cop-gun condition: worn on the outside, tight as drums on the inside. Price: $150 each.

Most are going for $300 or so, with a lot of variability. Some are thrashed; others barely shot.

Pray tell, where are you finding such goodies? And can a mere mortal such as myself obtain one?

[john c]

Pray tell, where are you finding such goodies? And can a mere mortal such as myself obtain one?

A couple of people have asked me about where these revolvers are hiding. Mine were $150 because they had restamped serial numbers. The CDC (CA Dept of Corrections) put lanyard rings in the butts of the ones I bought, presumably for mounted use. Since the serial numbers were partially obliterated, they restamped the serial numbers on the side of the frame, by the cylinder latch. It doesn't bother me; I like guns with character and history.

These revolvers are box stock; spur hammers and DA/SA. They're currently going for $300. The condition is highly variable; some appear to have been training guns, and have chewed up cylinder notches. Others looked virtually unfired. I'd be a little wary buying these sight unseen.

SeriousStudent, I'll PM you with the location.

[jh9]

some appear to have been training guns, and have chewed up cylinder notches. Others looked virtually unfired. I'd be a little wary buying these sight unseen.

Stainless? Depending on vintage this isn't a sign of excessive use, it's just there's like a 15ish year period of CNC/MIM stainless guns that had wonky surface hardening of the cylinder and the notches would peen easily. They work harden eventually and even in the worst case only need minor dressing on the ramp to prevent it from being a functional issue.

It's fairly well documented on the benos revolver forum, though at this point you have to do a bit of searching. My 686-5 has looked like this since before 9/11 and at ~8k it's still fine. Cosmetic only.