Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns S&W 396 (no dash), Mountain Lite, What's it worth?

Found a very clean one. What are they worth. I can't even find one on gunbroker. Curious about todays prices, with the soft market. It has sheep grips (no originals). (Grashorn Mountain Sheep grips)
And a Simply Rugged Holster
And no zit on the side.
Firing pin on the hammer.

Last one I saw for sale in a local shop sold for $699. It likely would have gone higher in an online sale.

Never seen one. But I'd say $1000 just based on rarity.

I am just ball parking because the Night Guard is up around $900.

a 396 is kind of a sequel to the 696, also no longer made. Couldn't give them away when in production. When stopped became a cult classic. the 696 is a L frame, and per pearce will take stouter loads than the normal 44special. The 396 was made on a lighter frame and limited to about 200grain projectiles, where the older 696 could fire the heavier stuff.
696's are probably in most places in the 800 to 1000 range these days. I would suspect the 396 is not far behind.
I haven't fired a 396 but have the 696. A light to carry five shot, accurate, and a nice gun.

Good input.

According to BB:
MODEL 396 AIRLITE Ti MOUNTAIN LITE
.44 S&W Spl. cal., L-frame, 5 shot, 3 1/8 in. two piece barrel, adj. rear and Hi-Viz front sight, aluminum alloy frame with titanium cylinder, matte stainless/grey finish, Hogue Bantam grips, 18 oz. Mfg. 2001-2004.
There has been one engineering change to this model.

MSR: $812
100% $625; 98% - $475; 95% - $400; 90% - $355

BB is unfortunately (when buying) behind the times ...ie low.

I think You have to log into gunbroker to do this, but look at old listings for the S&W 396 ...the ones that actually sold.

It's been a couple of years since I looked them up on gunbroker, but they were selling around $800'ish and plus depending on whether they had the orig. box etc. Bought a S&W 69 and decided against anything lighter.

If I found one local for $650 or minus, I'd pick it up to play with and possibly keep.



Jerry

the BB is pretty good and giving a description on a firearm, but way off on actual prices stuff trades at. Looking at closed sales on gunbroker is a lot more accurate. If you could find a 396 or 696 at 650 ore less, you got money in the bank.
i would have to go back and look at the article by pearce on the 696, but from memory you can run a 240grain up around 1000fps which is pretty much snorting. I don't that would work in a 396, but probably with a lighter bullet.
i have always compared both models to the charter arms bulldog, except a heck of a lot better built revolver.
the one i have used to belong to a pretty well known gunwriter, who had the trigger/action tweaked. it works pretty good as they say.
it really looks impressive with those 180grain golddots peeking out of the cylinder. I have also loaded snake shot to be used in it too.
an easy companion handgun when out birdhunting.

I have a -1, the one with the "zit". They are neat little packin' revolvers but recoil can get nasty with anything approaching the Buffalo Bore load (250gr Keith at 954fps per BB website from 3.2" 396). I talked with both S&W (they said 250gr bullets were OK) and with Tim Sundles at BB about using their load in the 396 (also OK). The problem is potential "crimp jump" and the thin barrel butt/forcing cone area -- the cylinder, with offset bolt notches, is said to be strong enough.

The factory grips (Hogue bantams) magnify the felt recoil significantly - almost like shooting with no grips).

FWIW, I sold a no dash, 696 earlier this year or late last year for right around $850 on Gun Broker.

Cariboujack, I might be interested in the Sheep grips if you are willing to sell them separately.

Paul

I'd jump on one for $800.

They can handle larger than 200 grainers. Pearce did a write up on one recently.




Clark

I decided to pass on this one, if someone is interested pm me and I'll tell you how to contact the private sale. I'll stick with my 696 and be happy.

thats pretty much the story i heard as to bullet jump, and the thin forcing cone.
the one i got came froma guy replacing it a 696 with the 396, sold the 696 to me for about 350bucks. Later reconized the error of his ways and also bought another 696.
I have shot the 429421 in mine without any issues, but i wasn't pushing them very hard either.