A local gun shop has an S&W Model 28 Highway Patrolman 4 inch .357 for sale, and even though I already own a Model 28 6-inch, I'm thinking about picking it up. I'm not very knowledgeable about S&W revolvers, so I'm not sure how reasonably priced this one might be.
The dealer is asking $470.00. The revolver shows signs of having been carried - small areas of bluing wear on the barrel at the muzzle and the leading edge of the cylinder; and a spot about 2/3 the diameter of a dime on the right sideplate where there are a number of scratches through the blue, probably from a holster snap. The front sight has had white paint(?) applied, but it's flaking and I think I could remove it fairly easily. There are not many signs of the gun's having been shot - very light cylinder turn line, tight lockup, virtually perfect case coloring on the hammer and trigger. The grips are the oversized (target?) style, with the open backstrap but covering the front strap and filling a bit of the area behind the trigger guard. The grips are almost mint, probably indicating that they were not on the revolver when it was in regular use.
So, what say you who know more about these than I? Should I go back at lunchtime on Monday and try to buy it and, if so, what would be a fair price?
Thanks.
That was a $275 gun five years ago, and could be again nearly overnight. People are running out of money and the gun industry is going to see a huge glut very soon, if not already. That said, at today's prices, it's about where it should be. I'd offer $400 and see where it lead-unless I really wanted it. If I did, I'd just pay the man. Maybe see if he'll eat the taxes.
