38 spl revolvers have a certain utility value a bit like an old pickup. You may not use it much but when you need to haul or tow something they can be very useful. I always look at how much it costs to keep the item around and do I have room for it. If I think I might have a use for it (or maybe someone else) in the future I'll try to keep it. I had an old tractor for a long time that I never used. My neighbor borrowed it to move his boats and I didn't see it for years. Somebody had a use for it so I was good with that. Shortly before he died I finally sold it. We traded labor and tools for over 20 years.
I have a slug of S&W revolvers and see no reason to ever sell any of them. Pistols, rifles, shotguns all come and go but the revolvers stick around. I think I only sold one revolver in my lifetime when I was in my 20's and that's the only firearm I wish I had kept. Probably sold a dozen firearms over the years.
In 5 years you'll wonder why you sold those.
In the P-F basket of deplorables.
I can't in good conscious tell anyone to sell revolvers. At least not until I have spare cash to buy them.
If you do decide to split, I'd say toss them up here on PF. Someone around here needs a good K-Frame or three and at least you'll know they went to good homes.
In the scheme of things, I don't think I really regret ever selling any of the guns I've sold. Mostly, because I can't remember which ones I've sold over the years.
I agree with Stephanie about keeping the 3" M65. I have one I bought cheap years ago. It's appreciated 300% in the six or seven years I've owned it. I would sell it, if someone offered me the right amount of cash salad for it, because I rarely shoot/carry it. But I'm hanging on, because no-lock Smiths continue to rise in value and offer a good place to gain some value. If I ever decide I want to split with the gun, it'll be easy to move.
Also, don't forget that no-lock K-Frames in any kind of shootable condition can be turned into good trade fodder. For instance, to me a M64 4" is a ~$350-450 gun. Giving you 7-900 in trade value. I'd probably trade you straight across a single $1000 gun for both revolvers, depending on the gun. I'd do so, because two functionally identical guns for training and carry purposes trumps one gun I have sitting in the safe. I bet you could parlay two M64s into a Beretta 1301 Tactical without issue.
Last edited by RevolverRob; 08-16-2019 at 10:09 AM.
I’ve swapped bought & sold lots of guns over the years.
Nothing wrong with unloading stuff you may not be interested any longer.
I’d probably get rid of some stuff in my safe, except finding an FFL to ship is such a PITA.
The selloff has continued. I knew I would be happy, but wasn't quite expecting the feeling of relief/exhilaration to see some of the less useful ones go. Knowing that the project I had envisioned to turn them into something I really wanted is off my to-do list, and that there is money going back into the bank account, is a heck of a tasty-carrot/stick-avoided motivator. And it turns out I knew what I was doing when I bought at least some of them. Told myself I was looking at a "can't lose" price, and that turned out to be true in a couple cases.
This post was actually pivotal. I printed it out and hung it on the wall over my workbench:
I decided to focus on these three platforms and get my ecosystems up and running on each, do a bunch of work with them, and decide what to move forward with. I've finally gotten into doing the work on USPs; some may have noticed my scattered inputs based on that experience lately. Turns out to be very satisfying, and I feel like I'm doing what I needed to be doing for a long time. Interestingly, I've been surprised at the number of little details that I find can be improved once you actually open them up and start looking around. It seems to me that what sets them apart is they function and don't break; it's not that there isn't low-hanging fruit to clean them up and make them a bit nicer. (And I'm not trying to re-engineer anything, just get them to the level of their designed-in potential.)
I've decided to sell the 4-inch M64s. Will probably put them on consignment at the LGS - that's a strategy that's been working. Shipping out of state is too expensive, since I'm not an FFL and the FFL I work with only uses UPS. If anyone in the Houston area wants to check them out for a FTF deal, PM me.
If I want a .38 SPL K frame, it's probably going to be an M67 anyway, but I don't see that happening any time in the next few years. I'd certainly want to pick out one that was in better cosmetic condition (and would cost more) than these police trades. For now, I'll keep the M65, because it's pretty iconic; the quintessential carry revolver....even though I think a 3953 is probably a better carry option.
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Well, to update...
I needed a fresh can of Hornady One Shot to keep my stuff from rusting, so I pulled on the N95 and dropped by the LGS. The last of my K frames has sold, without me having to spend time meeting with any filthy Cletuses or losing any money even after the shop's commission cut, thanks to the great gun buying dempanic of 2020.
As I got into the GP100 more and realized how much time and money it has taken to get it all dialed in and squared away, the Ks seemed less and less fun and interesting. In particular, I couldn't think of a situation in which I would pick even the M65 over the GPMC, where I wouldn't also pick something else before the K.
Happy with the decision so far. Will be posting some K frame gear in the near future.
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