I'm new here and I just bought a s&w model 64-5 ny1 .38sp never fired new in orig box so I want to know what it is worth like this or if I should use the gun
They're great to shoot IMO. Not an extremely "valuable" gun, meaning it's not gonna be a collectors item or anything. The gun's value will come from shooting, carrying and enjoying it.
Check online for similar listings to get an idea. Regardless of what you find, things tend to price in the line of "what someone will pay for it" rather than "what it's worth" so you see classifieds with $2,000 O/Us or collectible pistols going for less than what they are worth simply because there are no buyers out there.
I actually just made a post today about resell values and how they seem whack now days.
If I were you, I would only see it (and any other gun you buy) as a gun to shoot. It doesn't seem a good time in the firearms industry to be a personal buyer and reseller unless you are a damn good bargain hunter & trader.
You may find this interesting. This seems to be a limited production revolver that was special issued for NYPD. I am not a person that buys guns for collection or investment purposes. If I buy it, it gets used.
The total number of known Model 64's of all flavors is 5,479 pieces. A statistical breakdown is as follows:
Model 64-4 NY-1 2 inch Round Butt - 453
Model 64-5 NY-1 3 inch Round Butt - 612
Model 64-5 NY-1 4 inch Round Butt - 932
Model 64-5 NY-1 4 inch Square Butt - 2,169
Additionally, there were 1,313 guns in the records with no notation as the barrel length and grip configuration.