Originally Posted by Jim in Idaho
I was watching a Model 35 (6" J-frame .22) on gunbroker all week where it sat at $599 until about one hour before the auction ended, then it was bid up to $720 and that's with $50-60 in shipping on top of that.

Kept telling myself all week "I don't need it (but I want it), I don't need it (but I want it)..." and was willing to pay any price with a 6 as the first digit but just had to set a limit on "want" stuff. Unless some radical change occurs S&W's are the new Colt Snakes and have been for a while. The old Colts have been priced up out of most folks' reach so now they're looking at Smiths as the new collectibles and pretty much any pre-lock Smith qualifies.

I know, I know, they're only going to get more expensive but my fun budget rate of increase isn't keeping pace with the rising intersection of supply and demand these days and a fellow just has to get picky and set limits.

This week I have to talk myself out of this one for reasons previously given plus the fact that I've bought another Smith .38, a Ruger SP101 and getting a Model 14 reblued all within the last month.

5" thin barrel, post 1980 but still a beauty. $600 buy it now.

[Linked Image from p1.gunbroker.com]



If anyone wants it, here's the link.

That's a nice one because it has the six inch pencil barrel, no key lock, and still has the firing pin on the hammer and forged steel trigger, hammer, and sear. Not to mention being in pristine condition. All despite not being pre-82 (so no pinned barrel).