[BladeRimfire]

Gentleman I'm looking for some help/advice. I've pretty much always been a Ruger fan along with some Springfield Armory 1911s. I'm considering stepping off into the S&W realm. I somehow always seek the odd duck and different things one doesn't normally come across. I have an opportunity for the following. 657 AUY480^
57 N72966^
Below is a pic. Considering the serials can someone tell me the year of manufacturing on each? Seller wants $1200 each or $2400 for both and get the presentation box. Do the grips on each look to be the original grips? I asked of the condition, owner claims like new. I truly will appreciate any consideration provided.

 

[357 Terms]

The 57 1980
The 657 1987
I can't comment on the grips, although they look period correct.
As for the price? Not an expert on the 41 mag Smiths, but seems ok-ish. Hard to tell in recent times.
If I were to buy one, I would be more inclined to pay $1200 for the pinned/recessed mdl 57.
Nice pair.

 

[Pizza Bob]

If the seller was selling these individually, $1200 is about right - with maybe a slight premium for the 57 (pinned and presumed recessed) and slightly less for the 657. You should be given some consideration for buying the pair. They look to be in nice shape, but I wouldn't call them "like new" - a bit of sales puffery.

The stocks (on S&W's they are stocks, not grips - don't ask me why) are period correct. Target stocks were not numbered to the gun so there is no way to tell if they are original to the gun. The 57 stocks have the extractor relief cut and the 657 have the speed loader relief cut. The speed loader cut came into being in the early 80's.

Serial numbers will lead you to an approximate ship date, not a date of manufacture. The 700,000 series N-frames were from 1980. The AUY serial prefix is not listed in the S&W "bible" and they alphabetically skipped around some so a linear extrapolation may be off the mark, but other AU prefixes were from 1986 and 1987.

The presentation case is either custom or one from an 8 3/8" barreled gun adapted to hold the two shorter barreled guns. I lean toward custom since it appears to be plywood and the S&W cases were solid mahogany. It's up to you whether or not you feel it adds value. It would not to a collector unless it was original and complete.

Adios,

Pizza Bob
SWCA Member #3434

 

[BladeRimfire]

Thank you both! I truly appreciate you

 

[rmichael63]

Gentleman I'm looking for some help/advice. I've pretty much always been a Ruger fan along with some Springfield Armory 1911s. I'm considering stepping off into the S&W realm. I somehow always seek the odd duck and different things one doesn't normally come across. I have an opportunity for the following. 657 AUY480^
57 N72966^
Below is a pic. Considering the serials can someone tell me the year of manufacturing on each? Seller wants $1200 each or $2400 for both and get the presentation box. Do the grips on each look to be the original grips? I asked of the condition, owner claims like new. I truly will appreciate any consideration provided. View attachment 172481

I'm somewhat in your boat, I want a 41 mag but can't seem to find a Ruger that's budget friendly, but I've seen some s&w models that have been ... I just can't pull the chord to jump off the Ruger train ...

 

[moparclan]

I'm somewhat in your boat, I want a 41 mag but can't seem to find a Ruger that's budget friendly, but I've seen some s&w models that have been ... I just can't pull the chord to jump off the Ruger train ...

Last 57 Smith I saw at a LGS was $1700 but that included a holster!(think its still there)
The .41 Redhawk's one found at a pawn shop for $350, the second I traded a gun store a Ruger Old Army + $50
the 4.2" was on sale at Sportsman Warehouse for $550.

 

[rmichael63]

Last 57 Smith I saw at a LGS was $1700 but that included a holster!(think its still there)
The .41 Redhawk's one found at a pawn shop for $350, the second I traded a gun store a Ruger Old Army + $50
the 4.2" was on sale at Sportsman Warehouse for $550. View attachment 172535

Well, most of the 41's I've found (GB) Blackhawks, have gone well north of $700 ...

 

[Wheelguns]

You know what they say about the 41 magnum? 90% of the 44 magnum, at 150% of the price.

 

[jeepnut711]

I had this 57 and sold it last year for 1750.00 and have two Blackhawks. The Rugers let me load hot loads and no complaints. But at 1200 each does sound reasonable.

 

[rmichael63]

You know what they say about the 41 magnum? 90% of the 44 magnum, at 150% of the price.

@Wheelguns ... seems I've heard that before ... 🤔🤔🤔🤔 ... but I think it would pair nicely with my 327 ...

 

[Messy Breeches]

I'd give $1200 for the M57, but not more than $900 for the M657. SCSW gives $950 as the ANIB value, and since you're not getting an unfired gun with box and tools/papers, there should be a discount. $2100 for the pair is a fair price, IMO. Both are near the end of their respective no-dash series. Too bad S&W didn't release the M657 before the P&R ended, it would be nice to have both guns that way. Also would be nice to get a second presentation box, one for each gun. Those are a nice, clean pair of revolvers

Do you plan to shoot these? I certainly would, but you almost have to be a reloader to find ammo for them. I love .41 Magnum myself, I have a 6" M57 from 1968, and a M58 from 1967. They both see a fair amount of range time. I gave $1300 for my M57, didn't get factory stocks, box or papers/tools, but it is a "S" prefix. I gave $1200 for my M58, it was ANIB. I bought both of them in 2020.

 

[PaddyD55]

Gentleman I'm looking for some help/advice. I've pretty much always been a Ruger fan along with some Springfield Armory 1911s. I'm considering stepping off into the S&W realm. I somehow always seek the odd duck and different things one doesn't normally come across. I have an opportunity for the following. 657 AUY480^
57 N72966^
Below is a pic. Considering the serials can someone tell me the year of manufacturing on each? Seller wants $1200 each or $2400 for both and get the presentation box. Do the grips on each look to be the original grips? I asked of the condition, owner claims like new. I truly will appreciate any consideration provided. View attachment 172481

The grips look original, but there are many copies oit there. That said, with pristine revolvers like those, doubtful the grips are fake. While M57s command premium prices, $1,200 ea is a little high to me, but when you factor just how little today's dollar is worth it may well be a fair price. Go to a Smith & Wesson forum and someone there will say better than me.
Have you tried googling S&W manufacture dates?

 

[Messy Breeches]

Have you tried googling S&W manufacture dates?

357 terms is pretty accurate on the dates he posted. "Googling S&W manufacture dates" won't get him any closer. S&W uses the 'ship date' as the gun's birthday, and the only definitive way to get that (unless you bought the gun new and have the packaging) is with a Letter from the S&W Historical Foundation, which costs $100. Approximating the date from the SN is usually good enough for a gun without a known provenance, or something obviously old and rare. The Standard catalog has a list of SN ranges, which owners can use to get an approximate age from. S&W did not ship in serial order, and guns were not produced in chronological order of their SN's. For example, his M57 SN of N72966x may have been part of a larger order of that model and serial produced, or it could have been flanked by another N frame gun of a different model. The three-letter prefix of the M657 is even more difficult to date precisely, as the letter combinations were not all used, and they cover the entire gamut of S&W firearm production and not just revolvers.

 

[JConaway]

You know what they say about the 41 magnum? 90% of the 44 magnum, at 150% of the price.

Perhaps, but with twice the pleasure!

 

[Bob Lewis]

I believe what Messy said of the case, to me it is a convivence case not a presentation case. I have two 57s, 1 Nickel and 1 blue and to me the price is in the eye of the beholder. Blued gun seems right, 657 seems high.

 

[VictorLouis]

A six-inch 657 is one of the few handguns I regret selling. While I find the same platform in .44 mag to be a bit abusive, it was great in .41. Plus, the cartridge just has that rep for accuracy and trajectory.