My sister in law has a S&W model 36 that she wants to sell. It’s about 35 years old and to my knowledge it has never been fired. She’s asking me a price to sell it for and I don’t ever buy used guns or anything else used. Any of y’all have an idea what is a fair price for her to ask?
S&W Model 36
- Thread starter Thumper7
- Start date
Keystone19250
SAINT
Pictures?
HansGruber
Ronin
If it has the original box, papers, etc, with no surface blemishing? It will depend on barrel length & finish, but best case…somewhere around $700, probably.
Just the pistol? $400 or so, if it’s in good condition, and assuming a normal 2” snub.
Just the pistol? $400 or so, if it’s in good condition, and assuming a normal 2” snub.
Annihilator
Emissary
Yea, agree!
Recusant
Hellcat
This what is listed on the S & W web page, so I guess it's still in production for a MSRP of $829.00. They show the barrel length at 1.875" , so apparently the 3" barrel has been discontinured. While is still is a 5 shot new ones are rated for 38 S&W SPECIAL +P. Like HansGruber said, an older model that's in good shape that you find desirable for $700.00 wouldn't be a bad deal. I'm just not sure if you would want to shoot a lot of +P in an older gun. I'd check with S & W for a definite answer.
From S & W: This small revolver, designed primarily for plainclothesmen and off-duty police officers, made its public debut at The International Association of Chiefs of Police conference in 1950. At the conference, the Smith & Wesson sales force asked the police chiefs to vote on a name for the new revolver. The most commonly suggested name was .38 Chief’s Special®. Designed with the needs of law enforcement officials in mind, the Chief’s Special proved to be a popular revolver for personal protection due to its size and weight. When Smith & Wesson adopted model numbers in 1957, the Chiefs Special became the Model 36.
Smith & Wesson J-Frame revolvers have had your back since 1950. These small revolvers were designed to fire full power rounds and are as simple and easy to use as they are reliable. Available in various calibers and with three diverse hammer designs, it is no surprise that the Smith & Wesson J-Frame has become the most popular, small-frame, defense revolver on the market.
From S & W: This small revolver, designed primarily for plainclothesmen and off-duty police officers, made its public debut at The International Association of Chiefs of Police conference in 1950. At the conference, the Smith & Wesson sales force asked the police chiefs to vote on a name for the new revolver. The most commonly suggested name was .38 Chief’s Special®. Designed with the needs of law enforcement officials in mind, the Chief’s Special proved to be a popular revolver for personal protection due to its size and weight. When Smith & Wesson adopted model numbers in 1957, the Chiefs Special became the Model 36.
Smith & Wesson J-Frame revolvers have had your back since 1950. These small revolvers were designed to fire full power rounds and are as simple and easy to use as they are reliable. Available in various calibers and with three diverse hammer designs, it is no surprise that the Smith & Wesson J-Frame has become the most popular, small-frame, defense revolver on the market.
HansGruber
Ronin
So, on +P in older S&W revolvers.
S&W will tell you no…as a default CYA position.
That being said…I have a number of older S&W .38’s that predate the +P loading that will handle it just fine; like all +P loads through any handgun, though, a limited diet is the smart move.
There’s two reasons for this; the first is the watering down of handgun rounds through the years. Older loads were usually at the top of the pressure/velocity curve for a given caliber, unlike todays loads which…aren’t. Today’s +P loads are barely hotter than standard pressure used to be (loads from boutique mfg’s—eg, Buffalo Bore, Doubletap, Underwood—are different).
The second reason is Elmer Keith. If you don’t know who he is, Google him…but this is the guy who invented the .44 magnum by hotrodding .44 specials to the point he blew up pistols.
When the J-frame “Chief’s Special” came out, he decided to test the copy S&W sent him with some of his .38/44 Heavy Duty loads (the .38/44 being a precursor to the .357 Magnum; a .38+P++ load, if you will—a 158gr bullet pushed to around 1200fps). And if Elmer loaded it, it was a HOT load.
After 200 or so rounds with no damage, he deemed the Chief’s Special suitably sturdy.
So…a few rounds won’t hurt it.