.32 S & W model 31-1 in good condition - advise needed...

[ssmickey.32]

Hello friends,
I have come across a .32 bore Smith & Wesson model 31-1 in good condition. The dealer is asking for Rs. 4,12,000/- I have also taken the pics that i shall upload tomorrow morning. Upon the physical verification i am satisfied (although it shows slight rusting & pitting on outer surface NOT inside), barrel bore & chamber bores are in very good condition, it appears that very less shooting has been done. There is no end play... Checked the timing too by applying some drag while cocking through thumb - the chamber doesn't move - rock solid. Checked the cylinder to barrel gap which is perfectly okay. Whatever i read on forum and how to check revolver conditions - i applied there
Dear gun guru's... Kindly advise me what to do? What more to check? How about the price? etc etc
Awaiting response...
Kind regards...
ssmickey.32

okay here are the pics:

http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/fc5042b808.jpg

http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/0c52ef34c3.jpg

http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/0f097333a0.jpg

http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/f7fc685a03.jpg

http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/1cc803f37d.jpg

http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/4ce1319f5b.jpg

Kind regards...

[Anand]

A common Hollywood/Bollywood mistake most people tend to copy is open the cylinder and then snap it back with a flick of the wrist. This is damaging to the crane area and can get bent which may lead to other problems including timing, no lock up etc. If the closed cylinder does not show a gap between the frame and cylinder crane then you should be okay.
Anand

[The Doc]

ssmickey.32

4.12L is the price quoted by a dealer or is he asking for it after you have finished bargaining ?
Does the handgun have a 3 inch barrel ? ( snubbies are more expensive )
Is the serial number pre-fixed with "H" ?

Rp.

[ssmickey.32]

Thanks for the reply Anand & RP,
The dealer quoted Rs. 4,20,000/- i asked him for his final price... that he quoted Rs.4,12,000/- but he also made it clear that i won't negotiate further. Negotiably, i am yet to quote my price
He told me some customer is coming in the evening for having a look on this weapon... But i wanted to get the green signal from gun gurus here...
Yes, it's a 3" barrel...
Kind regards...
ssmickey.32

-- Thu Oct 08, 2009 7:42 pm --

Sorry RP did not check the serial number...

[The Doc]

He told me some customer is coming in the evening for having a look on this weapon...

It is the same story every time. Some customer is really interested, he called just now, he is coming this evening, willing to pay XXXXXX , but , I have kept this gun for you Saar , please hurry !!!! These are petty tactics used by all the gun dealers. There is always a scope for bargaining with these guys. The problem is that they know one really wants/likes the handgun and will buy it sooner or later at their price !!!

Some time back on IFG the price discussed for a S&W .32 in mint condition was 3.75L in Punjab. It varies from place to place you see. Ask Sanjay , a senior member here on IFG . He would know better.

best,

Rp.

[Vineet]

A dealer in Muktsar has a similar Smith & Wesson rev. for sale. The only difference is that its barrel is shorter than the one shown in picture.Its barrel is either 2 inches or 1.5 inches (I am not sure). He would sell it for around 3.95 lac. Its in better condition than the one shown in pictures above.

[ssmickey.32]

The ammunition it uses is '32 S&W Long' ... Is it available in market freely.... what is the price???

Will it chamber IOF ammunition? I am sorry I do not know much in this regard...

please help....

ssmickey.32

[The Doc]

The ammunition it uses is '32 S&W Long' ... Is it available in market freely.... what is the price?
Will it chamber IOF ammunition?

ssmickey.32,

You are planning to buy a handgun worth 4L and you are worried about the cost of ammo ?? With a limited ammo quota , how many shots do you plan to fire per year ?

.32 S&W long is freely available in the market. Price varies from place to place , lets say between 140-180 bucks a round for the imported ones in these parts. Yes , the handgun will chamber .32 KF ammo too.

There is a thread in the ammo section regarding usage of imported vs KF .32 ammo. It will be worth your while going through it .

best,

Rp.

[Risala]

In your budget you should be looking at something absolutely NIB,there is no question of any kind of rusting or pitting anywhere on the fire arm.So for 4.2 L I would not touch this S&W,given that Vineet has recommended a .32 Snubbie in better nick for around 4L and these generally command a higher price.

When one is spending that kind of money,a few thousand more or less really do not really make a diff.

Where are you based ?typically the prices in the Metros are a lot higher than they are in the hinterland…based on that I would suggest that you don’t rush in but rather scout around the market throughly before picking up a piece.

Ask the dealer to show you the original papers/box/Licence of the fire arm,did the fire arm have multiple owners over a period of time or was it just one,a case of direct import from the good old days,the latter would be the preferred option.

In Delhi a dibba packed NIB S&W would be anywhere North of 4.25 L and yes fire only imported ammo.

HTH

[winnie_the_pooh]

What distinct advantage would a 4 lakhs + revolver afford you over a 80,000 + IOF.

BTW the IOF revolver is not bad.Ugly but reliable.Neither the S&W nor the IOF .32 are target weapons.The IOF .32 revolver is plenty accurate for it's intended purpose.

Another thing,even 4 lakh plus revolvers break parts and can have 'issues'.

[ssmickey.32]

Thanks for all your replies friends... it increased my knowledge...

Sanjay I am based in Kanpur...

Rs. 4L Vs Rs.80K.... Winnie i take it the other way round... i think in terms of spending a diffrential cost of Rs.3,20,000/- more for a beautiful revolver more concealable, more smooth & more accurate... after reading through the thread about IOF revolvers i have lost all my interest... i saw the IOF stuff in the shop too... i will purchase that only if i do not get a good foreign make revolver...

... & i was just browsing through the net... details about 31-1, it's a very accurate S & W model... i will check out more details about the weapon as suggested by Sanjay... in case of any discrepancy... i will leave it... I am also thinking of quoting a lower value...

The pictures taken are from my cell phone... may be the pics are more Zoomed in... weapon appears to be in much better condition than the pics

Kind regards...

ssmickey.32

[nm]

Since your budget is not a constraint, it depends on your luck and if you happen to chance upon a good piece, just grab it.....

Wish you good luck....

NM

[ssmickey.32]

SOLD

[Vineet]

BTW the IOF revolver is not bad.Ugly but reliable.

When someone has to buy a handgun it is really confusing because if one chooses to buy Indian handgun then he receives suggestions that it is not worth buying it as there are many problems in it. When someone decides to buy an imported handgun then he receives suggestions that it is foolishness to spend so much money and Indian handguns are worth buying!!!!!!!

-- Fri Oct 09, 2009 21:39 --

Sanjay I am based in Kanpur...

If you buy IOF revolver one advantage you will have is that you won't have to travel long distance to reach the factory and you will be able to save travelling and accomodation cost as compared to people like me from Punjab.
Also you won't require T/L and NOC certificate. LUCKY !!!!!!

-- Fri Oct 09, 2009 21:52 --

SOLD

Should not be much of a problem. Indian gun market is huge market and with that kind of a budget you will be able to find another good gun. I had recently bought a rifle and the first two rifles that I was deciding to buy got sold away yet I have been able to buy a rifle of my choice.Better luck next time

[weapon247]

400k for a revolver!! that 640k (1.6 times) in our RS. dude you can get a full auto PB weapon in that kind of money seriuosly....

this is insanely crazy for a revolver which might not sell for more than 15-20k here!!!

and to top it off 180 a pop!!!!!

Is there anything special about this pistol?? or are there many taxes/restrictions on your imported pieces??

Pardon me for my ignorance but thats just plain crazy amount of money your spending!!