Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Price Check Help S&W 29 with 4” Barrel

I don’t keep up with pistols like I do rifles so I have no idea on a fair price. I Googled a little bit didn’t find much info.

Fella has a blue Model 29 with a 4” barrel and 4 or 5 boxes of ammo. I haven’t laid eyes on it yet but I believe he said it was made in the 1980’s or 1990’s. Supposed to be in excellent condition. I don’t think he has the box. Seems like he said it’s a 29 no dash model. I bet he hasn’t fired a handful of rounds thru it knowing him..

He’s thinking $850 with the ammo.
Any idea if that price is fair? Thanks!

A 29 no dash was made way before that IIRC. I haven't looked it up but if his estimate to age is right then he's probably wrong about the model and vice-versa.

Leaving out the collectibility of a no-dash or some other scarce variants, I would not want to pay quite that much for one. I'd be all in at $650 and stretching to $700. Then again, I've bought a lot of N frames for around $300 so I may be spoiled on that.

If you want it bad, then pay the man. If less so, I'd go at him with $650 and see what I could get it for.

Remember, a handful of $100's speaks louder than a checkbook.

$850.00?......Seems a little high to Me, I think you could do better than that for a 4" model 29.....Good luck....Hb

standard ammo is 40 bucks a box. a no dash in excellent condition would be worth 850, more if it has coke bottle grips. (google it). but no dashes were made 57-60 so if it was made in the 80's or 90's it could be anything from a -3 to a -7. nothing wrong with any of those. they are actually beefed up from the originals. that vintage in excellent condition is a 700 dollar gun. so with the ammo, 850 is not a steal or a rip-off. i think the 4" 29 is a much handier gun than the 6" and you really don't lose anything appreciable.

If it's -2 (1981) or earlier it's well worth that price. Have seen 4"ers bring 1K plus with regularity on GB.

Haven't seen a -2 or earlier 4" at a gunshop in a long time. If it's one of those I would think it would be worth every penny of that. Even a -3 or later is seldom seen around here. Condition is everything of course. Like was said above the ammo's worth quite a bit.

Hard to say without seeing it and knowing the dash number. Engineering changes—indicated by the dash number—over the years have made the guns more durable but less collectible. Dash number is most important, followed closely by condition.

I’m not a collector, so if it’s a 29-4 or later AND in good shape with 4-5 boxes of factory ammo, then $850 would be about right in western Washington. A -3 or earlier collector grade gun is worth close to $1k around here.


Okie John

Maybe a 4" is more collectible. But I would much rather have a 6.5 inch barrel, or a 6. And much much rather have an 8 3/8 model.

6" and 6.5" guns tend to be the most expensive, the 8.375", then 4".


Okie John

The No Dash up thru the -2 had screw-in barrels and recessed cylinders, and are considered more valuable. After that, they went to crush-fit barrels and regular cylinders.

To get a better idea of the price you really need to have the - and preferably the serial number...

If it is a Pinned barrel and Recessed cylinder 29-2 it would be made between 1962 and 1981. The serial number would have a "S" prefix if made between 1962 and 1968. It would be an "N" if made between 1969 and 1981. The "S" prefix serial number guns will bring $1-200 more than an "N" in the same condition. The blue on the 60s vintage has to be seen to be appreciated.

Depending on the ammo it is worth $25-50.00 a box...so at four boxes knock $100 off the price of the gun...don't know where you live but a 29 4" is rarely seen and would be gone in a day if in a shop around here for $750...and even $850...

These things don't grow on trees any more and the junk S&W is passing off as their "Classic" line is a crime...

Bob

Gunnut,

Open the cylinder and look under the crane (that’s the thing that holds the cylinder to the frame).

It will read 29. Or 29-2. Or 29-3. Etc.

This needs to be determined if you want to know what it’s worth.

Personally, I would offer $700 regardless and take it home. 4” 29’s are the shizz and they don’t make them without locks any more.

Pre dash M29's through M29-2s all had pinned barrels and recessed cylinders.

Valid point!

I have been around a ton of Smiths and the early 29 4" are a rare breed because it was the time of dirty harry and as everyone knows you had to have a 6" to be a real man. At least that is what I told myself. I owned a couple 6" 29's and finally sold them after shooting the day lights out of them, thanks Elmer and got a 629 6". Everyone of my other smiths are 4" mountain guns.

My old M29-2 was made in 1978 so his no dash dates are full of crap. MB