Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 1969 Smith7 Wesson Model 27 value?

A while ago I helped out a fellow worker and purchased a Smith & Wesson Model 27, 6 1/2" barrel, 375 mag., wide case hardened hammer spur, wide case hardened trigger from him. Long story short, I have no idea what one of these revolvers goes for. This one is darned near perfect, shinny dark blue with just a tiny touch of holster wear int he bluing and a tiny speckle of rust spotting, and I mean tiny, you've got to look for it next to the hammer. This thing is a piece of engineering beauty. I hadn't realized how many short cuts we now see in a handgun until I got this gun.

I looked around on the web and my golly I can't believe what I'm seeing for prices, does anybody have a handle on the real value of one of these revolvers is? Thank you.

HH - The 27 came in 3.5", 4", 5" 6" & 8 3/8"

From what you describe, I'd say your gun is in the neighborhood of $600 - $700.

This is the Blue Book on them but I guarantee they will bring premium prices above that if they are really nice.

MODEL 27
- .357 Mag. cal., N-frame, 3 1/2 (disc. 1977), 4 (disc. 1991), 5 (disc. 1977), 6, 6 1/2, or 8 3/ 8 (disc. 1991) in. barrel, blue or nickel (disc. 1987) finish. Disc. 1994.
Grading 100% 98% 95% 90% 80% 70% 60%
4 screw $850 $775 $700 $575 $450 $325 $225
3 screw $700 $600 $475 $325 $250 $200 $175
Last MSR was $486.
Add $28 for white outline rear sight - (disc. 1991).
Add $8 for 8 3/8 in. barrel - (disc. 1991).
There were 7 engineering changes to this model.

Do you think the barrel length is a modification?

According to what T-Lee just posted, 6.5" was a factory offering. I wasn't aware of that.

The 27 "IS" a thing of beauty! Only surpassed by a 60s vintage 29! In my callow youth, I let mine go...(they could always be replaced). DON'T LET IT GO!

Dan

I often wonder , "Why a 6.5" barrel?" an odd length by most anybodies standards. All I know is this thing is one big chunk of old time craftsmenship quality steel, but not as handy or as balanced as the 686/586. It's a dream to shoot with 38's, I don't think it would be possible to wear it out. But I didn't buy it because I wanted it, I bought it to help someone out. I should stick a $500 price tag on it and move it out of the accumulated pile of handguns I've accumulated over the years.

6 1/2" was just the standard barrel length at the time. I'd say $500 wholesale-maybe $700 retail. 27's are nice guns but were pretty slow sellers near the end of their run.

At the end of their run, production quality had declined significantly. They were no longer the fabulously blued meticulously detailed jewel of the S&W line, but more a production line remnant that would no longer be representative of the fantastic craftsmen who were involved in past pieces.

And it was during a time where Semi-autos were becoming all the rage. Police departments were sellig their revolvers by the box full to dealers. I remember mixed boxes of them on the counter, $125 for any one you wanted and there were some very decent ones there too. Times change and revolver prices seem to have rebounded a bit.

The Standard Catalog of S&W says the 6.5" barrel was dropped in 1967. I'm guessing there aren't a bunch of those around and it might draw a bit more from a collector type.

Stupid question, but I can't remember the answer. How do you measure a revolver barrel? Is it from the muzzel to the frame or is it to the forcing cone? I was told that it was a 6 1/2" barrel, but now I'm wondering a bit about it.

Measure from the front of the cylinder/rear of the forcing cone. (Interesting that semi-autos are measured from the rear of the chamber....)

Another reason, I think, for the decline of the Model 27 was just that it was a huge piece of steel to compete with the K & L frames and other more compact .357s. If you are carrying it on your hip a lot, that weight is a "drag." The older ones are a piece of art, though!

That's what I was thinking, it's deffinately a 6 1/2" then.

Thank you