What's a good price for an antique status cartridge revolver?

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orangemushroom

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Hi all,

I've found a dealer in the states who is willing to sell me a S&W 44 Russian DA for $1500 USD (so around $1900 CAD) or an 1874 Officer's Chamelot Delvigne for $800 USD (around $1000 CAD). Since they're both made before 1890 (The S&W has an early serial number) he said shipping should only be around $100.

Is this a good price for either of them?
What are ball park price ranges for the more popular antique revolvers (Swiss revolvers, Lebels, Webleys, 32 rimfire revolvers, etc.)?

I've looked in the Equipment Exchange board a couple of times but it seems like every time I remember to visit, postings have disappeared, and when something is sold the price is removed, so I don't have a good idea for what's a fair market value to expect.

Thanks for your help!
 
Smiths have reputation for Clockwork innards, seems like they command about 2200 - 2400.
Swiss wheelguns are insanely over machined... cartridge is a touch underpowered though. The Swiss Cadre will be all over me on this topic... I'll sleep OK though.
The 1874 Officers has a rep as simple and tough, if you want a 'shoota' for cheap...they can go for 1500 - 1700.
Stay away from 1877, 1889 and 1892 Colts. They command about 2000 again... weak arse lockup and timing.
German RR are tanks at 1500 +/- ...but I find them displeasing to the eye.
Lebels are pretty cool...1500ish.
Breaktop Webleys are suspect as far as accuracy... maybe 2500ish? Lots of Panache though.
32 RF are about 500 max unless you've S & W.
Surely someone will be along to declare BS on my prices or opinions...again, I'll sleep alright.
I think the turn of the century European Officers sidearms are an undervalued resource... sure they are ceremonial weapons to some degree. But very well engineered.
Depends on what you want it for? Bears... go RR or 1874.
Just to have one? 7.5 swiss or 8mm Lebel for my $$$...just nice pieces.
Good luck
 
tokguy said:
Smiths have reputation for Clockwork innards, seems like they command about 2200 - 2400.
Swiss wheelguns are insanely over machined... cartridge is a touch underpowered though. The Swiss Cadre will be all over me on this topic... I'll sleep OK though.
The 1874 Officers has a rep as simple and tough, if you want a 'shoota' for cheap...they can go for 1500 - 1700.
Stay away from 1877, 1889 and 1892 Colts. They command about 2000 again... weak arse lockup and timing.
German RR are tanks at 1500 +/- ...but I find them displeasing to the eye.
Lebels are pretty cool...1500ish.
Breaktop Webleys are suspect as far as accuracy... maybe 2500ish? Lots of Panache though.
32 RF are about 500 max unless you've S & W.
Surely someone will be along to declare BS on my prices or opinions...again, I'll sleep alright.
I think the turn of the century European Officers sidearms are an undervalued resource... sure they are ceremonial weapons to some degree. But very well engineered.
Depends on what you want it for? Bears... go RR or 1874.
Just to have one? 7.5 swiss or 8mm Lebel for my $$$...just nice pieces.
Good luck
Click to expand...
In my experience, prices are very much regional. I won't debate pricing with you, but hereabouts, the numbers you quote are dirt cheap. I have a S&W Mod.1-1/2 in 32rf. Condition is good, and I paid top end for it, maybe a little over ($800). Now my wife has something she can handle easily and it still packs a good punch. I bought a high condition S&W .44 Russian DA off a fellow gun nutter. For a pistol like mine now, I'd expect to pay around $4000. and as insane as that sounds, it's not unreasonable. When I see them for sale, if they're in decent or good condition, they pretty much fly off the shelf.
 
LawrenceN.
What you say is likely true.
I tend to skip over the Top-end stuff as I'm more of a shooter than a collector.
I must have been amiss it my description of 32 RF S & W prices. They seem to me to be the gems of the 32 RF world. Likely as they had the bored through cylinder patent locked down and were really built. So many of the later 32 Rf's are barely a 500 $ pistol. I had one thrown in just to 'Sweeten' a deal on a Colt.
 
Is this going to be used as a shooter or just a collector?

I say that because down in the states, they dont need to have antiques be in good usable shape like up here. Down there, they have a million and one options for replicas they can shoot and use without rpal nonsense. So for us up here, if we wanted to have a usable antique it needs to be in really good shape. So keep that in mind when shopping if you plan on being able to shoot it safely.
 
tokguy said:
Smiths have reputation for Clockwork innards, seems like they command about 2200 - 2400.
Swiss wheelguns are insanely over machined... cartridge is a touch underpowered though. The Swiss Cadre will be all over me on this topic... I'll sleep OK though.
The 1874 Officers has a rep as simple and tough, if you want a 'shoota' for cheap...they can go for 1500 - 1700.
Stay away from 1877, 1889 and 1892 Colts. They command about 2000 again... weak arse lockup and timing.
German RR are tanks at 1500 +/- ...but I find them displeasing to the eye.
Lebels are pretty cool...1500ish.
Breaktop Webleys are suspect as far as accuracy... maybe 2500ish? Lots of Panache though.
32 RF are about 500 max unless you've S & W.
Surely someone will be along to declare BS on my prices or opinions...again, I'll sleep alright.
I think the turn of the century European Officers sidearms are an undervalued resource... sure they are ceremonial weapons to some degree. But very well engineered.
Depends on what you want it for? Bears... go RR or 1874.
Just to have one? 7.5 swiss or 8mm Lebel for my $$$...just nice pieces.
Good luck
Click to expand...

These are accurate, prices seem up about 20 percent from 5 years ago. Keep in mind ammo or component availability and price when choosing an antique.
 
Thenoobgunsmith said:
These are accurate, prices seem up about 20 percent from 5 years ago. Keep in mind ammo or component availability and price when choosing an antique.
Click to expand...

That's a really good point.

One thing also to consider is collector's value vs the inflated shooter's value in Canada.
Some guns that started out with good collectors value have been modified to shooters (1873 MAS bored for 45 ACP; Webleys shaved for 45 ACP; Colt .41s rebarreled as 38 spl frankenstein guns), which - while raises their prices in canada - destroys their collectable antique value.

If legislation gets passed adding a few more calibers to the Non-antique exemptions list, then we can expect to see the values of these modified shooter guns collapse.
Such a thing happened recently in the UK; they reclassified .44 Russians, 442 Webley, .41 Colt, .320 Revolver, 11mm French Ordnance, and a few others as non-antique calibers.

I would also be afraid if guns rechambered to modern calibers (38 spl, 45 ACP) get kicked off the antique status if such legislation were passed.


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I'd be careful with a dealer in the Sates unless he has an excellent reputation. Also, don't forget to add your tax to the purchase price. Shipping for $100 seems to be very high.

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