Gun Show Samaritan

It was drizzling rain when I went back to the gunshow this morning to have a look around and to see what walked in. The dealers had some fair prices on new guns, indeed good prices if you lived in some areas, but the supply of reasonably priced older Smith & Wesson revolvers was hard to come by. Since this was a boating and outdoor show as well as a gun show though, there was new blood in the traffic. It just felt right for some old heirlooms to walk in with disinterested yuppies.

I had noticed a fellow in line wearing a ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ cap. That is an almost certain indication of a High Road member. I tentatively walked up, asked him where he got the cap, and then introduced myself. We chatted a bit, and then I resumed watching the crowds.

Later, I was chatting with Cussin' Bob when I noticed a fellow in a white felt cowboy hat with a goatee talking to a dealer about an old N frame. The dealer was offering $200 for the gun, and the owner kept saying he just wanted to know what it was worth, not sell it. I stood by, and listened. When the gunowner finally walked away in frustration, I went up to him and asked to see the revolver. It was a Smith & Wesson N frame chambered in .44 Special, five screws, with a six and a half inch barrel and fixed sights. I told the gentleman that I did not know just what his gun was worth, but I had a book that would tell him what the fair market value was. I explained what the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson was, and offered to retrieve my copy from the car if he wanted.

Once back inside with the book, we opened it on the gunwale of a bassboat. We discussed the condition problems of his revolver, which placed it in the good to very good range. Supica had listed his revolver at $450 to $575. I told the gent that I was not interested in a .44 Special revolver. When he told me it was his late father's gun, I advised him to keep it. I explained how refinishing an old gun destroys it's value, and that as a family heirloom, his revolver is irreplacable should he sell it. He asked me about the yoke sticking, and I pointed out the sideplate screws could have been mixed up, creating a bind on the yoke. I offered to clean and lubricate the old gun for him, free of charge, and I left a reference so he could check me out first. We shook hands, and parted ways. Hopefully, my karma is good now......