Revolvers That Will Be Much Harder to Find Five Years From Now

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Revolvers rarely disappear all at once. The supply usually dries up slowly as production ends, older examples get tucked into collections, and the clean guns stop coming back onto the used market.

That is what makes certain models worth watching now. Some are already discontinued. Others were produced in relatively small numbers or fill niches manufacturers are unlikely to revisit. Five years from now, plenty of these guns will still exist, but finding a nice example at a reasonable price could be a much different experience.

Smith & Wesson Model 13

The Model 13 never had the glamour of Smith & Wesson’s adjustable-sight magnum revolvers. It was a fixed-sight K-frame .357 built as a straightforward working gun.

That is exactly why clean examples are disappearing. Many were carried, shot, and treated like tools rather than collectibles. Today, shooters increasingly appreciate the combination of a trim K-frame and .357 Magnum chambering. Smith & Wesson does not currently offer anything quite like the classic Model 13, so the best older guns are likely to keep moving into permanent collections.

Smith & Wesson Model 547

The Model 547 is one of the more unusual Smith revolvers because it chambers 9mm without requiring moon clips. That alone gives it serious collector appeal.

Production numbers were never huge, and the revolver has been gone for decades. As interest grows in unusual Smith & Wesson variants, surviving 547s are being recognized for what they are rather than treated like strange old service revolvers. Five more years of collectors pulling clean examples off the market will not make them any easier to find.

Smith & Wesson Model 520

The original Model 520 in .357 Magnum was produced in relatively limited numbers and built around a fixed-sight N-frame format originally associated with a law-enforcement contract.

That combination makes it a natural collector gun now. It is unusual enough to interest serious Smith buyers while still being a shootable magnum revolver rather than a pure display piece. Clean examples are already the kind of guns people hesitate to sell, and that tendency will probably become stronger as more collectors learn what they are looking at.

Smith & Wesson Model 16-4

The Model 16-4 chambered in .32 H&R Magnum gives shooters an N-frame-style level of quality in a cartridge that has developed far more interest than it enjoyed when the revolver was new.

The resurgence of .32-caliber defensive and sporting revolvers has made older .32 Magnums considerably more interesting. The 16-4 is also not something Smith is flooding the market with today. Shooters who find clean examples increasingly understand that another one may not show up anytime soon.

Smith & Wesson Model 24

The Model 24 gives you .44 Special in a traditional N-frame package without stepping up to the full power and blast of .44 Magnum.

That makes it increasingly appealing as shooters rediscover the .44 Special cartridge. Older examples also carry the fit, finish, and styling people associate with classic Smith revolvers. Since .44 Special remains a niche compared with .357 and .44 Magnum, manufacturers have little incentive to produce huge numbers of guns like this. Existing Model 24s are likely to get steadily harder to pry away from owners.

Smith & Wesson Model 25

The Model 25 combines the classic N-frame with .45-caliber chamberings, most famously .45 Colt and .45 ACP depending on the version.

Older examples have become increasingly attractive because they provide big-bore revolver shooting without moving into modern super-magnum territory. Condition matters, and many were used heavily by serious revolver shooters. The best examples are increasingly ending up with people who appreciate exactly what they have, which is rarely good news for future availability.

Ruger SP101 .327 Federal Magnum

The .327 Federal Magnum SP101 fills a niche that becomes more appealing every time shooters rediscover the cartridge. You get more capacity than a comparable .357 revolver while still having access to several compatible .32-caliber cartridges.

The problem is that .327 revolvers have never been produced in the same numbers as .357s. If a particular configuration disappears from regular production, used examples can dry up quickly. The cartridge has enough of a loyal following now that clean SP101s in .327 are likely to become guns owners keep rather than casually trade.

Ruger GP100 .327 Federal Magnum

The GP100 version takes the same cartridge and puts it into a heavier, extremely durable frame. That makes it an excellent range and field revolver for someone who appreciates the flexibility of the .327 family.

It is also much less common than ordinary .357 GP100s. Specialized chamberings tend to become surprisingly difficult to find once production cycles change, especially when the buyers who want them are already dedicated to the cartridge. A clean .327 GP100 is exactly the kind of revolver that could become noticeably scarcer over the next five years.

Ruger Redhawk .357 Magnum

A .357 Magnum Redhawk is almost excessive, which is also what makes it interesting. The large frame gives the cartridge enormous durability and makes recoil extremely mild compared with lighter revolvers.

Ruger has produced far more Redhawks in bigger cartridges, so the .357 versions stand apart. They appeal to collectors, hunters, and shooters who simply like overbuilt revolvers. If production remains limited or intermittent, these are likely to become increasingly difficult to locate compared with ordinary GP100s.

Ruger Redhawk .45 Colt/.45 ACP

The convertible Redhawk that handles both .45 Colt and .45 ACP gives owners an unusual amount of flexibility in a single revolver.

That versatility is exactly why people hang onto them. You can shoot inexpensive .45 ACP with moon clips and switch to powerful .45 Colt loads when the job requires more horsepower. It is a specialized configuration that Ruger does not need to produce in enormous quantities. Five years from now, nice examples could easily be one of those guns owners wish they had grabbed while availability was better.

Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan .454 Casull

The Alaskan is one of the strangest combinations Ruger ever made: an enormous Super Redhawk action paired with a very short barrel and a cartridge capable of serious power.

It is specialized enough that most shooters will never need one, but the people who want one usually want it badly. That makes limited-production configurations dangerous to pass on. If Ruger changes chamberings or trims the lineup, .454 Casull Alaskans could become significantly harder to find because existing owners have very little incentive to sell.

Colt Magnum Carry

The original Magnum Carry is not the same thing as the current crop of Colt revolvers. It was a compact stainless .357 produced for a relatively short period before Colt’s revolver business contracted.

That short production history has become a major advantage for collectors. The gun combines the Colt name with a practical compact-magnum format and relatively limited supply. As more people collect transitional-era Colts instead of only chasing Pythons and older snake guns, Magnum Carry examples are likely to become increasingly difficult to locate.

Colt SF-VI

The SF-VI sits in an interesting period of Colt revolver history between earlier Detective Special-style guns and later compact designs.

It never became a household name, which kept collector attention low for years. That is changing as buyers start looking beyond the obvious Colt models. Short-lived configurations often become difficult to find almost overnight once collectors decide they matter. The SF-VI has exactly that kind of profile.

Colt Agent

The Agent was intended to be a lightweight, practical carry revolver, not something owners would preserve for future collectors.

That means many examples were carried extensively and show it. Clean original guns with correct grips and strong finish are becoming much more interesting because Colt no longer builds this exact style of compact revolver. The ordinary shooter-grade examples will remain around, but truly nice Agents are likely to become considerably less common.

Dan Wesson Model 15-2

The Model 15-2 is one of those revolvers people finally appreciate once they understand the interchangeable-barrel system. Owners could change barrel lengths while keeping the same frame and action.

Complete pistol packs with multiple barrels are especially desirable, but even standalone clean revolvers are becoming more interesting. Dan Wesson no longer occupies the mainstream revolver market the way it once did, and there is little comparable available today. Complete, unmolested examples will almost certainly get tougher to locate.

Dan Wesson Model 44

The large-frame Model 44 applies Dan Wesson’s interchangeable-barrel concept to .44 Magnum. That gives it a combination of strength, accuracy, and modularity that still feels unusual.

Many were bought by serious magnum shooters and saw substantial use. Clean examples, especially guns with additional barrels and original accessories, have become collector targets rather than ordinary used revolvers. As complete sets disappear into collections, finding one that has not been broken up will only become harder.

Dan Wesson Model 715

The stainless Model 715 has a devoted following because it combines the Dan Wesson barrel system with .357 Magnum and corrosion-resistant construction.

Older examples and complete barrel sets are particularly interesting because they represent the era when Dan Wesson revolvers were far more common on the market. The design appeals to both shooters and collectors, which is usually the combination that drives clean examples out of circulation. Five years from now, the nicest ones are unlikely to be easier to find.

Freedom Arms Model 97 .327 Federal Magnum

Freedom Arms revolvers are never produced in mass-market numbers, and the Model 97 in .327 Federal Magnum is especially specialized.

That combination makes future scarcity almost built into the gun. The buyers willing to pay Freedom Arms money for a .327 are usually dedicated revolver shooters, not people likely to trade the gun six months later. As .327 Federal continues developing a loyal following, high-quality low-production revolvers chambered for it should become even more desirable.

Manurhin MR73

The MR73 has gained far more American recognition in recent years as shooters learn about its durability, finish, and history as a serious French service revolver.

It is also expensive enough that owners tend to know exactly what they are buying. That means these guns are more likely to settle into serious collections than bounce around the used market. If demand continues growing while supply stays relatively limited, finding a clean used MR73 at anything resembling a bargain could become extremely difficult.

Korth NXS

Korth revolvers occupy a premium category where production numbers are naturally much smaller than mainstream Smith & Wesson or Ruger guns.

The NXS combines that limited production with modern styling, high-end machining, and the kind of price that ensures most buyers have already decided they are keeping it. Premium revolvers often become even harder to find used than common guns because relatively few were circulating to begin with. Five years from now, desirable Korth configurations may be available mainly when another collector decides to let one go.