Because it has been cerakoted, it doesn't much matter how old it is. The value has been destroyed and the age of the gun will only tell you how much value was lost. That said, S&W went to model numbers in the late 1950's. My 27 no-dash, for example, dates to 1957. With a five digit serial number your friend's gun likely is from the early 1950s, but that is just my ballpark guess.
Value is in the eye of the beholder and you may find a buyer who wants a cerakoted .357. I wouldn't part with it for less than $500, because that is what a good shooting S&W N-frame .357 is worth to me. But the gun lost all collector value when it was cerakoted; frankly, that's much worse than merely being reblued, because cerakote--or any additive coating other than very thin hard chrome--will alter the tolerances and the older S&W's were so finely fitted that coating them, to my mind, ruins the feel of the action.
Last edited by Oregon45; 10/20/17.
