WoW...That is a unique looking S&W M64 snubby...

The S&W Model 64 is a six-shot double-action revolver with fixed sights chambered in .38 S&W Special. It was the 2nd all stainless steel revolver made by S&W, the first being the S&W Model 60. It was widely used by several U.S. police, sheriff & state agencies and was a popular choice in high humidity states because the stainless model 64 was more corrosion and rust resistant than the blued Model 10.

Originally offered in two variants, a 4" taper barrelled square butt or a 2" round butt, the Model 64 has since been offered in numerous configurations. The 4" heavy barelled version, introduced in 1974, became a favorite with many police agencies.

Five variants were made for NYPD and these revolvers are marked "NY1" as opposed to the more common "NYCPD" marking for department issued guns as these were intended to be purchased by individual officers. It was one of the two stainless steel revolvers authorized for use by NYPD, (the other being the Ruger Service-Six) as well as one of the last revolvers approved for use being replaced by 9mm semiautomatic pistols in 1993.

Noted for its accuracy, dependability and manageable recoil, the Model 64 is still in use for security, inmate transportation (Corrections), target shooting, formal target competition and personal defense.

Designed	1970
Manufacturer	Smith & Wesson
Unit cost	$689 New ~ Today $450-500
Produced	1970 ~ October 2021
Variants	M&P and DAO

Barrels	2, 3, & 4" (The 6" was rare)

 

Unique is correct...and not necessarily in a good way.

 

On Gunbroker it is more or less a 400 dollar gun.

 

It wouldn't get me reaching for my wallet. To me, the gold would kick it down to somewhere around $500 and change. Truegunvalues has a broad range of sold prices which you can check. So glad I took my Wife to be shooting frequently before we were married!

 

It’s actually a really nice pistol. Id give $500 for it , but for my tastes I would polish off the gold and find a more appealing set of grips.

 

but for my tastes I would polish off the gold and find a more appealing set of grips.

When he first mentioned it, all he said was "a small gun I think its a 38." I was thinking probably RG or maybe Taurus but hoping for Colt or S&W.
When I took it out of the gun rug, I was surprised it was a Smith and immediately told my wife "the gold has got to go!"

 

The gold has to go, as well as those horribly varnished stocks. I would go $350 max. If someone has taken the time to gold plate the trigger, the cylinder latch/screw, and the hammer; who knows what mechanical horrors await hidden inside the frame, thanks to "Bubba's Kitchen Gunsmithing".

Whoever tried to "jewel" the hammer and trigger has effectively destroyed them. The majority of hammers and triggers of stainless Smiths are not stainless steel, they are flash plated with hard chrome. Only the earliest revolvers had stainless hammers and triggers. The 'jeweled' parts will need to be swapped out to get rid of the etching on those parts. A trigger and hammer are going to cost well over $100.00 and that is without the cost of a gunsmith's hand fitting to the sear engagement.

 

He did say it was a friend, and I haven't even seen junk under $400 and change in quite a while.

 

Friend? Okay, if one is willing to gamble on junque, it's not my money.

 

I’d place value 350 low side, 500 high side. Me personally, I wouldn’t consider anything over 400. Anymore than that, I’d pony up a couple hundred more and get an unmolested example.

 

That would be a really fun project gun. Deal with the gold, replace the grips, find a proper silver Tyler T-grip and send it out for a polishing and action job.

 

I have a 64-4. It's the first revolver I ever bought. I like it, and have shot it a lot over the years. It's a little too big to carry but fun to shoot.

 

It is a no-dash gun and I have popped the side plate off and everything inside is present and box-stock. The action is more than a little on the heavy side and it doesn't appear to have been tinkered with. Then again, I am used to my heavily modified L-Frame comp guns.
I did get to take it out last weekend and run a few rounds through it and it shoots pretty well. The grips are a bit on the ugly side but they feel good.

He hasn't decided what he want to do with it...yet. Guess we'll see.

 

“but his current wife doesn't really want guns in the house.”

I’ll bet she’s a joy to be around. 🙄

Not a bad looking little S&W. I usually like my stuff all stock. Except for maybe sights and grips. Depending on the firearm.
Unfortunately the trigger, hammer, & grips don’t add value but takes away. At least in my opinion.

$400-$500. Just my two cents.

 

I would say $300-$400. But you never know, some dip stick might come along and pay stupid money because of the gold
plated parts.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

As to the gold a guy I knew who sold Harleys used to say there is a butt for every seat and a seat for every butt.

 

It's not a Colt but there is a lot of knowledge wandering around in here, so...
A good friend discovered this revolver while cleaning out his Dad's house. He is not a gun guy and I'm not that knowledgeable on S&W revolvers.
He isn't sure what he wants to do with it yet but his current wife doesn't really want guns in the house.
I have a few Smiths but have never seen one like this.

Serial # on the grip - D754374 MFG - 1975
On the frame - Model 64 (no dash)
On the crane - 35721
No box or paperwork
Its hard to see in the pictures but the sides of the hammer and trigger have a very "amateurish" jeweling which leads me to believe the gold bits are aftermarket.

Any information would be helpful, especially a ballpark value.
IF he decides to sell it, what might be a fair offer?
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It's not a Colt but there is a lot of knowledge wandering around in here, so...
A good friend discovered this revolver while cleaning out his Dad's house. He is not a gun guy and I'm not that knowledgeable on S&W revolvers.
He isn't sure what he wants to do with it yet but his current wife doesn't really want guns in the house.
I have a few Smiths but have never seen one like this.

Serial # on the grip - D754374 MFG - 1975
On the frame - Model 64 (no dash)
On the crane - 35721
No box or paperwork
Its hard to see in the pictures but the sides of the hammer and trigger have a very "amateurish" jeweling which leads me to believe the gold bits are aftermarket.

Any information would be helpful, especially a ballpark value.
IF he decides to sell it, what might be a fair offer?
View attachment 785635 View attachment 785636

View attachment 785637 View attachment 785638

Looks good to me, I particularly do not care for the gold accents, but if the revolver is functional, should be OK. The grips are different, but I really like them. Wouldn't mind having a pair like them for a Smith that I have.

 

Rather than spend time bemoaning the modifications that some don't find appealing, remember that for quite awhile in the gun periodicals, plating kits were common - as were articles describing 'jeweling', and a lot of guys tried their hand.

The plating can easily be removed - if you can't figure it out, ask a decent jewelry repair shop - the jeweling needs to be polished out, but it's never very deep, so care and patience will rule the day.

That said, you might be able to use this added effort/cost to lower the price - you also might not.

I really like the grips - I'd put 'em on my Model 19.

 

I would remove the plating and freshen up the parts with some color casing!
S&W are fantastic double action revolvers!
The grips are interesting, looks like a round butt model.
I think someone might have coated the grips with varnish sometime in the past.
I would not hesitate to drop $400 on a nearly 50-year-old Smith!

 

It is a round butt gun. I'm not real fond of the shiny lacquer / varnish or whatever, there is some nice grain there and they really do feel good in my hand.
If he accepts my offer, I will polish off the gold plating and remove the awful "jeweling" on the sides of the hammer and trigger and see what's underneath. The case hardening also crossed my mind.

I did offer $500 because he is an old friend and doesn't have a clue what the gun is or is worth. That is more than I would offer a stranger but I also see him quite often and have to look him in the eye.

 

UPDATE:
He accepted my offer and we both feel good about the deal.
It still needs some smoothing of the action, a little more polishing on the flats of the hammer and trigger and maybe some new grips but all the gold bits are gone.