Value of S&W Mod 15-4

[George Dickel]

A friend has a Model 15-4, 4" barrel in nickel finish. The revolver is in very nice condition and looks to have been fired very little. It belonged to his father but he isn't a revolver fan and is looking to sell it. He is a good friend so I want to give him a price that is fair to the both of us. I checked the SOLD listings on Gun Broker and there aren't very many sales of that model, a small number of the 15-1 and -3 models. The ones I did find for the 15-4 show around the $400 range, naturally there were quite a few that had $700 plus prices but they didn't sell.

 

[adcoch1]

Just from what I see around here, around $500-600 is the range of ones that sell. I have seen them for as low as $425 and over 700, but both are rare. If I could fond one south of $450 I would snap it up...

 

[Drail]

Yup. Under $500 - jump on it. S&W will never build revolvers to that level of quality again.

 

[WestKentucky]

Value of a nice gun is one thing. Value of a nice gun with paperwork, box, tools is something else, and often when the gun is that nice the other stuff isn’t far away.

 

[luger fan]

2" or 4" barrel?

 

[bikemutt]

I recently paid $550 for a very nice 15-3 specimen which included the box, papers tools etc. Very nice to me means 98% or thereabouts.

 

[George Dickel]

It is a 4" barrel, no box, cleaning kit or papers, just the gun itself.

 

[Monac]

Yup. Under $500 - jump on it. S&W will never build revolvers to that level of quality again.

Or at least they won't make them that way. And bright nickel is becoming a thing of the past too. Hey, did you know that if you have a nice minty S&W Model 15 with Pachmayr grips and some Hoppes bore cleaner gets trapped under the Pachmayr's, it will take the nickel off? Ask me how I know.

 

[Drail]

I have never been a fan of any of Hoppe's products. I know that for more years than I have been alive it was about the only thing you could buy - there are much better products around today. Was the bore cleaner that attacked your nickel a copper solvent or just plain Hoppe's?

 

[Monac]

I have never been a fan of any of Hoppe's products. I know that for more years than I have been alive it was about the only thing you could buy - there are much better products around today. Was the bore cleaner that attacked your nickel a copper solvent or just plain Hoppe's?

It was just plain Hoppes bore cleaner. I've never used a copper solvent. In a way, it did me a favor, because before that the gun was so minty I was reluctant to shoot it, and Model 15's are excellent shooters. Once I had buggered it up, I felt free. The only other problem for me was finding good grips. I later ditched the Pachmayrs for some Herretts.

 

[Drail]

Good choice. Pachmayrs never worked for me. Shoot that thing til you're too old to hold it up......

 

[Eddietruett]

I think the model 15 is one of the most under rated guns out there. In my neck of the woods they won't sell. I see them for sale all the time in the $400 range. I've go t a nice 4" in nickel and blue or I'd buy more. Would like to find a nice nickel 2". People here don't appreciate the quality of a well built .38. Everyone around here has to have a "magnum". I think the perfect gun would be a model 15 with a 3" barrel. I like my magnums for hunting but 90% of my shooting with my magnums is with specials. We have a public outdoor range near here and its a hoot to go out and watch people trying to shoot their magnums and AR's.

 

[Drail]

It was the issued sidearm of the Air Force Security Police when I was in. A very good choice.