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.38 Snubby - hmmmm...

Batousaii

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2009
Messages
1,226
Location
Kitsap Co., Washington, USA
A little help or advice would be great,
~ So, was at LEED the other day, and looked at a Rossi 685 2" 38, old school snub nose revolver. It was in very good condition..... for $350 ..... Am I wrong or does the price seem really high? Even with an el-cheepo trade in ($100 value) and him dropping the price a bit, it was still $200 plus the trade.

- Let me ask if anyone has one? Are they (Rossi) worth that much? I have been looking for a good .38 snubby, and I like the old skool SA/DA with hammer i.e.: Colt Detective Specials, or equivalent Smith and Wesson from that era. The price on many of the old brand name snubs is hefty, so an off brand is fine if it's reliable... ideas?? How much should I expect to pay for an old snubby like the Rossi v.s. a brand name like Colt or Smith?

Rossi 685.jpg
 
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1245A Defender

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2009
Messages
4,365
Location
north mason county, Washington, USA
Well,,,

wow!! old times..
I bought one of those. new, in 1980? I think I paid 90 bucks at value giant in bremerton..
nice little 5 shooter,,, quality was just fine, reliable, always went bang when it was supposed to...
lost it in my divorce in 1990, then my ex wife lost it,,, dont know where.
look for a notch filed in the butt of the grip,,, my neighbor blew out his brains with it,, sad.
 
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MSG Laigaie

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jan 10, 2011
Messages
3,239
Location
Philipsburg, Montana
Seems a bit high for a Rossi. Used to be known as a good throw away pistol. I just picked up an S&W Bodyguard with a S&W laser for 375. Better weapons may be available.
 

WalkingWolf

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
11,930
Location
North Carolina
I bought two Rossi's back around 1984 for 100 each plus shipping. Gave one to my mother, both were good handguns, I later gave the second one to a relative. The days of the 100 dollar guns are pretty much gone.
 

thebigsd

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2010
Messages
3,535
Location
Quarryville, PA
I paid $300 for a brand-new Rossi R461 in .357. It is a great revolver, one of only a few that I own. I too think his price is a bit high and you could do better.
 

amlevin

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2007
Messages
5,937
Location
North of Seattle, Washington, USA
Rossi's are good pistols but that price seems a little high. I bought two stainless .38's back when they were imported with 3" bb'ls and the importer changed them to 2" bbl's. Paid 160 ea. Sold one just a few years ago for $250.

They aren't exactly S&W's or Colts but they are a far cry from "throwaway's". The one I still own has been shot regularly since 1985 and I've had absolutely no problems with it. Nice jacket pocket gun. Won't jamb on ejected cases if I ever have to fire it from inside the pocket.
 
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EMNofSeattle

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2012
Messages
3,670
Location
S. Kitsap, Washington state
I've seen Smith M36s go for 350 dollars at LEED in Tacoma off of 6th Avenue.

if you're willing to get one with dissappearing finish or marred finishes you can probably find those in the 300 range
 

Gil223

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2012
Messages
1,392
Location
Weber County Utah
A little help or advice would be great,
~ So, was at LEED the other day, and looked at a Rossi 685 2" 38, old school snub nose revolver. It was in very good condition..... for $350 ..... Am I wrong or does the price seem really high? Even with an el-cheepo trade in ($100 value) and him dropping the price a bit, it was still $200 plus the trade.

- Let me ask if anyone has one? Are they (Rossi) worth that much? I have been looking for a good .38 snubby, and I like the old skool SA/DA with hammer i.e.: Colt Detective Specials, or equivalent Smith and Wesson from that era. The price on many of the old brand name snubs is hefty, so an off brand is fine if it's reliable... ideas?? How much should I expect to pay for an old snubby like the Rossi v.s. a brand name like Colt or Smith?

View attachment 9226

I wouldn't compare an old, used Rossi to Colt, S&W, Ruger or Taurus. The last four are all high-quality, whereas Rossi (in the old days) was considered "adequate quality for the money". I owned a Rossi .38 snub back in the early 80's, and it was a very good revolver. But, as I recall, I only paid about half as much for it new as they are asking for it used. Old Rossi's are not collectibles, and this is NOT a "good deal"... especially when you are within about $50 of a new Ruger LCR .38+P ($399) or a Taurus .38Spc (even less than $350 if you shop around). I have a Ruger LCR .38+P (one of only 3 wheel guns I presently own) and I love it! At 16.1oz with a full cylinder of JHPs, I have carried it all day long and not even noticed the weight. However, my personal preference is for the superior firepower of my Glock pistols. Pax...
 
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