Value? S&W 29-2 4" bbl. Nickel in 44 mag.

[DesertGunner]

One of my friends has this gun and is interested in selling it. I told him I would try and get a good approximation of its current value.

[yellowfin]

I would like one, I know that much.

[QuarterBoreGunner]

Well, Tabors Shooters Supply had a 29-2 4" nickel with the factory diamond grips that sold for $600 about 6 months ago and I missed that deal by 20 minutes.
I would say something around the $800 would be fair for California.
Check gunbroker.com for similar sales and add $100 for Cali.

[JTROKS]

What condition is it in? Does it come with original box and papers? Are the grips still original? Are there any wear or scratches anywhere? This will determine the cost of his gun. There is a certain following on blued S&Ws, I'm not sure about nickel. If your friend's gun is in 95% condition with all original accessories that it came from the factory I'd say about $700 +- $50 in the free states. I'm sure ivanimal, rivviepop or trashman will chime in on this.

[kurac]

$750-$800 if its in real nice shape. If it comes with the original box add $50 and another $25 with the tool kit.

[DesertGunner]

The finish is in great condition with very little wear, and the grips have slightly more wear, but in a "well-worn" type of way, not like damage.

Is this gun legal to sell to civilians in CA? (I don't see it on the roster). I told my friend I would look into that too. We are both LEOs, so I can buy it from him even if it's not on the list.

Here's the part you'll hate: he offered to sell it to me for $400, even though I gave him a WAG guess of a $500-600 value.

ETA: No box or tool set with it.

[kurac]

If it has "wear" then $400 may still be a good deal just not a steal.

[DesertGunner]

If it has "wear" then $400 may still be a good deal just not a steal.

Just kidding.

[c good]

Hi Desert Gunner:
Yes, it's legal to sell as a Private Party Transfer to anyone who can legally own a firearm. The "approved list" does not apply to Private Party Transfers.
HTH c good

[rivviepop]

$400 sounds good from the condition you list, but honestly we'd have to see pictures - what does the primer strike area look like, how tight is the lockup, did it go through "hammer bite" (the hammer striking the frame a little on the outside-underside, I can post a pic of one if you don't know what this is), is the bore/barrel still strongly grooved, etc.

I always start with the primer strike area (that's what I call it, it's part of the frame where the cylinder closes into and leaves a groove and the firing pin comes through the bushing to strike the primer itself on the round) to help judge how many rounds it's seen, and if they've all been magnums or was this one mainly used to shoot specials. That's a good first indicator of how hard a life the used gun has seen...

[Spelunker]

What does it mean if it has "hammer bite" and what do you look for in the primer strike area to tell if it has used magnums or specials most of its life?

[rivviepop]

What does it mean if it has "hammer bite" and what do you look for in the primer strike area to tell if it has used magnums or specials most of its life?

haha I knew I couldn't describe that right, lemme grab the camera and I'll take some pics... will edit this post in a bit.

OK quick pictures ("oh please sir, don't make me open my safe and play with my guns") - both are 80s-something (I'm assuming, never had them lettered) 357s - 686 "gently used" on the left, 66 "rough life - it's a shooter" on the right.

Notice the ring on the right side - that's from a lot of hot rounds (probably +P or magnums) going through the 66, this is where is slams back and eventually leaves this type of marking:



Notice here that something was obviously off kilter with the hammer on this one, they probably should have had this fixed a long time ago to prevent the frame destruction it caused:



I bought the gun on the left as a keeper, the one on the right is a 66 shooter (the 66 is probably my most favorite gun to shoot, even though this one is rough it's a damn accurate and fun gun, love it). Unfortunately for me the hammer damage was done by the time it made it's way to my hands.

[aplinker]

It's worth more than they're suggesting... IMHO... It's been my experience with EVERY "how much is ----- worth" that people will give prices a few hundred beneath what it can be sold for. Remember, the "expert market" isn't always your buyer. Buyers are often swayed by other factors. The "$100" California premium can be substantially higher, depending on desirability.

Take all advice with a grain of salt.

You're better off pricing too high (by about $200, without being insulting) and coming down from there.