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Old March 21, 2013, 07:34 PM   #1
superpelly
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Smith & wesson 28-2 Going price?

Going to look at a Smith & wesson 28-2, 4 inch, blue tomorrow.
(private sale) The guy says it in very good condition with a little holster wear end of barrel. He is asking 425.00 firm. Ok deal?

Thanks

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Old March 21, 2013, 07:36 PM   #2
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I've seen them going for a LOT more than that in a lot worse condition.

If it's as advertised, and the sideplate screws aren't buggered up (a sign that someone may have decided to do a home "gunsmithing" job), I'd be willing to part with that much for it.
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Old March 21, 2013, 07:50 PM   #3
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Thanks Mike
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Old March 22, 2013, 06:17 AM   #4
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I just paid $550 for a 6" with coke bottles. I'd buy that 4" at $425 in a heart beat. It would have to be really banged up not to be worth it.
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Old March 22, 2013, 09:14 AM   #5
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I'd jump on it. Great revolver. I carried mine for most of my 20 years in LE and it would be my first choice if I was to get back in LE.
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Old March 22, 2013, 01:05 PM   #6
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Bought it. Not beat up. Just holster wear front barrel on top strap area and some on the cylinder. Bore l is perfect. Cylinder not loose, no gap. Most of had some work done on the action, its really smooth. Orginal grips
( not coke) ? I go him down to $400.00

I take it these (28-2) are a commercial grade bluing ? Its like a dull blue not like some of my other shinny Smiths . ?
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Old March 22, 2013, 01:52 PM   #7
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Good deal.

28's are duller. They are working guns and dern good ones at that. I have a '27 that has a fancy finish but it does't shoot any better.

You'll like the gun. It don't care what you use, you won't shoot it loose, at least I haven't mine after nearly 40 years shooting heavy 357 loads.
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Old March 22, 2013, 03:24 PM   #8
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"I take it these (28-2) are a commercial grade bluing ? Its like a dull blue not like some of my other shinny Smiths ?"

In the early 1950s, S&W's pre Model 27 (company called it The .357 Magnum) was the only .357 in the company's line up, and it was expensive.

Smith wanted more police forces to carry their .357s, but the price of what would become the Model 27 put a lot of them off.

To address that, Smith made numerous, essentially cosmetic changes designed to lower the price of the gun, including dropping the fine checkering on the barrel rib and going to a matte blued finish instead of the mirror polish blue, which required SIGNIFICANTLY more time and the attention of very experienced, and highly paid, employees.
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Old March 22, 2013, 03:53 PM   #9
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where in WI r u? may i ask?
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Old March 27, 2013, 09:50 PM   #10
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I just ran across a model 28-2 six inch version at my local gun/pawn shop today. Mechanically it is in excellent condition, clean barrel, locks up well, passes all the test for a revolver. The downside is it's been carried a lot. Finish is intact but you can see where there is a very faint touch of very light pitting in one spot. I would classify it as good condition at best with the finish.

Sticker was $399, was offered it for $375 OTD. I don't have an N frame in my collection, strongly considering this critter.
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Old March 28, 2013, 08:06 AM   #11
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My 6" Model 28 was my first N frame.

I bought it many years ago at Green Top in Richmond, Virginia.

They had two. One was pretty beat up finish wise, and had a bit of endshake and cylinder wobble. The price on it was $299.99 or something like that.

The other one had very close to perfect bluing, zero endshake, zero cylinder wobble, and had barely any drag line.

It was, IIRC, $350 or $375.

I decided to play dumb (not a stretch) and asked the guy "Why is this one so much more than this one?"

He said "If you're interested, I'll give you the (good) one for the same price the other one."

I just about broke my arm getting my wallet out of my back pocket.
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Old March 28, 2013, 01:02 PM   #12
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[quote]Bought it. Not beat up. Just holster wear front barrel on top strap area and some on the cylinder. Bore l is perfect. Cylinder not loose, no gap. Most of had some work done on the action, its really smooth. Orginal grips
( not coke) ? I go him down to $400.00 [quote]

N-frames have very smooth actions especially if they have been broken in. Not saying it didn't have any work done, but it doesn't take much to make them really good. There was a lot of hand fitting of parts back in the day.
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Old March 28, 2013, 01:29 PM   #13
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The significant differences between the model 27 and the model 28 are the 28's finish, the grips, sights,and the hammer and trigger.

The model 28 has what S&W called "satin blue". The 27 has "high luster blue".
The 27 has a checkered topstrap and grooved barrel rib (to reduce glare). The 28 is "bead blasted" (producing a matt surface finish to do the same thing).

The sights are standard blue on the 28, and all had the Baughman ramp front. 27s have the red ramp front, white outline rear, and often have a partridge front sight on the longer barrel models.

The trigger on the 28 is the standard narrow grooved service trigger, and the hammer is the service hammer, with a slightly larger pad on the spur than the usual service hammer found on most other models. The 27 has the wide target hammer and trigger.

As far as I can find out, all 28s left the factory with the small "magna" style grips. 27s have the larger target grips.

28s came in either 4" or 6". There is reported to have been a small number of special ordered 28s with 8 3/8" barrels (200 or maybe less guns) and a couple of special orders of uns in nickle finish, but aside from these small special orders all were satin blued.

28s never came with the presentation wood case. 27s usually did.

My favorite 28 has the target hammer and trigger. This was done sometimes back through the 70s when S&W offered blister packs to shops with the target parts. This upgrade was sometimes done to enhance the sale.

A 28 with a target hammer and trigger is about the best "economy" heavy revolver ever done, in my opinion.
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Old March 29, 2013, 11:41 AM   #14
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I paid $400.00 for my 4" Model 28 back in 2004. I haven't seen a 4" Model 28 for sale at any of my LGS for several years. Just the 6" model and the price seems to bounce between $450-$550.
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Old March 29, 2013, 12:02 PM   #15
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27's and 28's

I got a 6" 28-2 used with the Herritt grips and some unusual sights(maybe custom shop?) which are red ramp front and white outline rear.
The price you were quoted is a good one.
I also have a 27(no dash) 6.5" and it has the original grips which in this case are the small Magna ones.
I also have a pre-28 4" Highway Patrolman with the larger "target"grips-no end of variety with these guns and assuming they are in good mechanical condition they are solid wheelguns-fun to shoot and practical for defense/hunting/etc.
The blueing on the 27 isn't perfect any more but it still has the mirror like quality.
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Old March 31, 2013, 01:15 PM   #16
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prices in my area are extreme and rediculous to me. Seems like everything is at least $200 more than it ought to be or was just a couple years ago.

I guess that's that's because of both a free market and the fact that thanks to parties unnamed, our money isn't worth crap anymore.

Have seen 28s in great shape at shows with tags asking $650....
Will be going to a big show next weekend, they'll probably be over $700 by now...sheeesh...
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Old March 31, 2013, 01:31 PM   #17
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Best price I've heard of on a decent Mod. 28 in quite some time.
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Old March 31, 2013, 01:52 PM   #18
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This one was $300 cash. It has holster wear on it. It was the duty weapon of a retired police officer. His widow took care of it, after he passed away. She was going to be moving into a group homw, and gun was not allowed. So she sold it to me for a fair price, that was a good deal for both of us.





Note it is a 6 inch barrel. Model 28-2 Highway Partolman
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Old April 1, 2013, 05:59 PM   #19
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Here it is. She's a beauty.

Last edited by superpelly; April 1, 2013 at 06:08 PM.
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Old April 2, 2013, 07:22 AM   #20
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I ended up buying the one offered for $375 otd. Put it in layaway, I'm a happy camper with her. Here is a cell phone picture I took of the piece before placing it in layaway.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg S&W Model 28.jpg (248.0 KB, 27 views)
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Old April 2, 2013, 09:18 AM   #21
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Quote:
The sights are standard blue on the 28, and all had the Baughman ramp front. 27s have the red ramp front, white outline rear, and often have a partridge front sight on the longer barrel models.

The trigger on the 28 is the standard narrow grooved service trigger, and the hammer is the service hammer, with a slightly larger pad on the spur than the usual service hammer found on most other models. The 27 has the wide target hammer and trigger.

As far as I can find out, all 28s left the factory with the small "magna" style grips. 27s have the larger target grips.

28s came in either 4" or 6". There is reported to have been a small number of special ordered 28s with 8 3/8" barrels (200 or maybe less guns) and a couple of special orders of uns in nickle finish, but aside from these small special orders all were satin blued.

28s never came with the presentation wood case. 27s usually did.

My favorite 28 has the target hammer and trigger. This was done sometimes back through the 70s when S&W offered blister packs to shops with the target parts. This upgrade was sometimes done to enhance the sale.

A 28 with a target hammer and trigger is about the best "economy" heavy revolver ever done, in my opinion.
Most of the above is true. However, the model 27 at one time DID come with a standard hammer and trigger. Longer barrel guns often did have a patridge front sight, but this was optional - you could get either sight with any barrel length. Model 27-2s were most often 3.5, 4, 5, 6, 6.5 or 8 3/8 in barrels. The grip type, whether magna or target was also an option. So in other words, you could find (esp pre 1975) a model 27, with magnas, a 6in barrel, baughman aka ramp front sight, standard trigger and standard hammer, and it be completely factory original. I actually had a 1969 8 3/8 27-2 with a standard hammer and standard trigger. Perhaps you were thinking of the model 29 or the model 57, which both came standard with TG, TT, TH and a ramp front sight. For the model 27, it depends on the time frame. In 1975, they made TG TT and TH standard, so many model 27s did not have those features but were factory original. IIRC the white outline rear sight was standard on many 27s (perhaps not all) while it was an option for a model 28.

A model 28 could be ordered with a patridge front sight (rare), but they were commonly ordered with TG, TH or TT and TH. It just all depended upon what the person or dealer who ordered the gun wanted. Wood presentation cases were available as extra cost options, but since it was not necessary, this would have been rarely ordered with a model 28. The model 28 was made to be an economy model, so if someone wanted a 28, with TG, TH, TT and a wood case, they would have most likely simply ordered a 27. However, with S&W, never say never! S&W would put together anything you wanted basically, as long as you or someone paid for it. Now of course, most often, a 28 will be seen with a baughman aka ramp front sight without insert, solid black rear sight (no white outline), 4 or 6in barrel, magna grips (reveals the frame) and standard hammer with standard trigger. However, just like a car, some people wanted the optional features, and some did not.
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Old April 2, 2013, 10:52 AM   #22
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sarge83

Quote:
I ended up buying the one offered for $375 otd. Put it in layaway, I'm a happy camper with her.
Since it's a shooter grade revolver are you going to have it refinished?
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Old April 2, 2013, 01:52 PM   #23
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Haven't decided yet.
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Old April 2, 2013, 06:23 PM   #24
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To address post #1:
I'd say if there are no troublesome faults, and it checks out well compared to the common revolver checks, I'd grab it. Mine is very nice, might not be better than yours, could be similar but mine cost a bit more.
A 28-2, especially with low wear & use if it applies, is a solid keeper.
I could be wrong. Even if it had more wear and use, it still might be a solid keeper.
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Old April 2, 2013, 06:40 PM   #25
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Haven't decided yet.
Okay. Well if you do keep us informed.
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