Repo Smith Price

[Brownie 12th U.S.]

I have a teammate looking for a Smith. What is a fair price for the Smith, a case, cleaning rod, and a mould?

[bobanderson]

Honestly, whatever the traffic will bear. Avoid the high volume sellers if you want the best price. Buy from someone who "knows" the gun, what it likes, etc.

[Lou Lou Lou]

Original Smiths are selling for 1,000 to 1,200 lately. New Repro mists at $1300
i favor the originals

[Maillemaker]

There are 2 Pietta Smiths on Gunbroker right now. One current bid is $850, one is $750.

This one is odd as it has no cleanout screw in the bolster:
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/907053391

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/907638622

Steve

[PapaRob]

That one without the bolster screw is a little weird. When you look at the first pic it looks like it's there kinda but in the closeups it's just flat not there...Odd.



There are 2 Pietta Smiths on Gunbroker right now. One current bid is $850, one is $750.

This one is odd as it has no cleanout screw in the bolster:
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/907053391

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/907638622

Steve

[Maillemaker]

It appears to me to be welded over.

Also, it's missing it's sling ring.

I picked up a BN coded Pietta Type I Smith yesterday for $850.

Steve

[Ben Nevlezer]

The GB Pieatta with the welded bolster raises a red flag to me. I agree with Lou. I believe your best bet is to be patient and hold out for an original. Even if you need to put a little work into it, in the end you will be further ahead. They are out there you just have to be patient. There are usually a few decent ones for sale at the Nationals. GB can be very hit or miss and the Smiths I've seen on there lately have either been quite ugly or very overpriced. Although after over a year looking I did find a decent shooter for my daughter on there for under $1500....

[Lou Lou Lou]

Picked up one that weekend for $850. There was another for $1100 that I didn?t buy. They are out there

[Lou Lou Lou]

Those are Original smiths

[Maillemaker]

I bought an original Smith after buying my daugher's Pietta.

It's in good condition. I paid $2200 for it. It doesn't shoot as well as my daughter's Pietta, and it has a massive trigger pull (I think it was 10 pounds). Even after replacing the trigger spring with an aftermarket wire replacement, I could only get it down to 7 pounds. Needs a lighter mainspring. Also had to put a new nipple in it, and a taller front sight.

And of course, it doesn't look like a brand new gun.

I think for skirmishing, a Pietta Smith is the way to go.

Steve

[Kevin Tinny]

Hi, Steve:

Thanks for the report that the Hood coil trigger spring knocked 3# off the pull weight.
"Big Grit" here, has the Hood coil.

A Yeck or S&S replacement mainspring will help further. Am not sure if these are around. Both in my orig resulted in a consistent 3.5# pull.
Maybe someone has one of the Yeck's or S&S's. Worth finding.

Regards,
Kevin Tinny

[Lou Lou Lou]

Years ago I replaced the original mainspring with a Yeck. World of difference. Ask Bruce Cobb if he has any left

[Maillemaker]

I took the stock off the original and did some repairs with acraglass to the area under the trigger guard where the wood had split.

Now it's on very tight. I'm not sure I could get it off again to replace the mainspring.

S&S sells 2 reproductions and 2 originals:

https://www.ssfirearms.com/proddetail.asp?prod=PSC11
https://www.ssfirearms.com/proddetail.asp?prod=SC8
https://www.ssfirearms.com/proddetail.asp?prod=W14139
https://www.ssfirearms.com/proddetail.asp?prod=W17421

I ended up bending the wire spring to get the lightest trigger I could with it but I overdid it because sometimes the trigger won't catch in the tumbler notch. I need to open it up and bend it back some more but then the trigger pull goes up again. Might just put it back original since I now have another Pietta Smith to shoot.

Steve

[Big Grit]

I bought a repo mainspring from S&S. It was much softer than the original, combined with the coil trigger spring it made a nice combination. I only did that on one original, my other one was good with just replacing the trigger spring with a coil.

[Maillemaker]

I figure it would be easy enough to weaken up a replacement mainspring if it was too harsh by narrowing it (not thinning it). I've done this to a Spiller and Burr reproduction revolver.

Steve