What the hell is going on with used DA/SA .22 revolvers?

[TruthTellers]

I've been watching auctions on .22 revolvers for over a month and the past week, I've seen two guns sell for over $400 used.

Now, you would likely say, "$400 for a used .22 revolvers is pretty good. I'd love to buy a S&W or Ruger for that price."

Here's the thing: they weren't Rugers, Smiths, or Colts. The first one was a Charter Pathfinder 3 inch blued and it sold for $456. I almost fell out of my chair when I saw that. I mean, the Charter .22's are a good gun, especially those made in the 70s/80s, but I didn't think they were worth that amount.

I wrote that one off as a fluke as it did look in really good condition, probably 98%, but then I watched the auction for an H&R... yes, H&R 9 shot. Here's the result of that auction:

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/738094720

$405! I know the top break 999 Sportsman revolvers go for a pretty penny, but this is not that! This is an H&R, a decent yet unspectacular brand of low cost firearms.

What's next? Am I gonna find a Rohm that goes for $250? Anybody know what the reason is for these high prices? It's uncanny.

 

[44 AMP]

Anybody know what the reason is for these high prices?

PT Barnum knew the answer!

"There's a sucker born every minute!"

 

[Sevens]

You have seen TWO auctions end higher than market and you believe there is a newsworthy development...?

Gunbroker attracts all kinds of buyers. If you really want to see a trend worth investigating, follow these two models for four months and note every sale. One sale of each, taken on it's own is almost statistically irrelevant. Certainly insignificant.

Please note -- I am not saying that this topic isn't relevant. Frankly, I find Gunbroker activity to be wildly interesting and research in to different auctions and their results, compelling.

But to pull two different auctions that are only tangentially related... well, I believe that it is WAY too small a sample size from which to draw any conclusions. And sometimes... you can find them related by a single (oddball) bidder.

 

[briandg]

It is because nobody wants them yet somebody wants them. A revolver is more demanding to manufacture than a plastic framed semiauto. Nobody wants a $1,000 new smith and wesson and rimfire revolvers are almost certainly the lowest on the chain of sales. People who want a revolver are likely to forgo the price of a new or used premium, and there are not that darned many revolvers around that are worth owning at the level you are looking at.

 

[James K]

I think that is the result of a climate of fear among people who desperately want to buy a gun "before", with "before what" never quite clear even in their own minds.

Jim

 

[JERRYS.]

the Sig P232 use to sell for $450, then when production ceased they went up to $800. now you're lucky to sell one for $500.

its just what the market bares at the time.

 

[TruthTellers]

I think that is the result of a climate of fear among people who desperately want to buy a gun "before", with "before what" never quite clear even in their own minds.

If that were the case, then the bidders who drove up the prices on these two revolvers would have looked at some .22 semi auto pistols, no?

I followed the auctions on Charters and H&R revolvers to see what the going prices are for certain models and I have to imagine these were abnormally high, but Idk. I figured the Charter would be around 300 and the H&R around 250.

 

[hemiram]

I want a Dan Wesson 22, but wow, they are expensive. I've bid on a couple on GB, but they always get into stupid territory and I'm done.

 

[mk70ss]

Those well made, durable, accurate, .22 DA revolvers are getting scarce. Supply and demand my friend. Only Ruger and S&W really make a quality .22 DA revolver any more

 

[ViperR]

If you really want an eye opener, Go on GB and see what vintage S&W 34's, 63's and 18's are going for.

 

[Rifletom]

If you want a new H&R revolver, go to budsgunshop. They have 'em for $150.00, new. There ya have it.

 

[Onward Allusion]

The last time I'd shot 22LR was probably over 6 months ago. I primarily shoot pistol, so I mostly shoot 9mm for practice. My thinking is that it serves double duty - 9mm is inexpensive and reloadable AND FMJ rounds can be used for SD in a pinch.

Going back to the OP - yeah - Double Action 22LR revolvers are notoriously expensive, even Taurus 22LRs are expensive. For example, one can buy a Glock with up to 3x the capacity for the same price.

Yeah, I don't shoot 22LR much these days.

 

[Onward Allusion]

NOT H&R -

Heritage Rough Riders . . . zinc alloy single actions . . .

 

[Carmady]

Check the prices on old High Standard .22 snubs.

I was thinking about grabbing one a few months ago because of the very low price, $375, but it was a MK IV .22 mag. Too heavy and too short a barrel for what I'd want in a .22 mag, but I'd have jumped on it if it was a .22 LR Sentinel (9 shots).

 

[TruthTellers]

I was primarily looking to see what the older Charter's were going for because I'd rather have a nice looking blued Charter .22 for $300-ish than a new Ruger SP101 and it's gritty and heavy trigger. I will admit that they're pretty rare because I've only seen two of those older Charter's on gunbroker.

 

[T. O'Heir]

"...they weren't Rugers, Smiths, or Colts..." Exactly.
No H&R anything since 2015. No collector interest either.

 

[DukeConnor]

I feel some of the high bids on gun broker come from a couple guys, with money, going after a piece to complete some sort of collection.

There are alot of wealthy people in this country. A thou to them is like 5 bucks to me.
They aren't worrying about a few hundred dollars. They see something they want and buy it. No matter the cost.

 

[ThomasT]

I have an old flat latch model 34-1 and there is one on GB for a buy it now price of $1300. Good luck with that. It was clean and had the box, paperwork and original grips. Mine does not have the box, paperwork or original grips but if I could get $600 for it I would sell it I think.

I like my Ruger single sixes for 22 revolvers. But yep, some gun, heck all gun prices have went crazy.

 

[shootniron]

If you want a new H&R revolver, go to budsgunshop. They have 'em for $150.00, new. There ya have it.

They do not have NEW H&R revolvers!

 

[TruthTellers]

I feel some of the high bids on gun broker come from a couple guys, with money, going after a piece to complete some sort of collection.

There are alot of wealthy people in this country. A thou to them is like 5 bucks to me.
They aren't worrying about a few hundred dollars. They see something they want and buy it. No matter the cost.

I actually thought earlier today that it must have been people who have a Charter Arms collection going and the 3 inch .22 must have been the one that has eluded them so far.

That's probably what accounts for it.