Now there's a thought----what do the letters say?

Letter #1: February 23, 2000---"The information you have supplied---identifies the revolver in question as a New Model No. 3 Target." (It's #1610, a 38-44 S&W caliber, shipped May 13, 1893.)

Letter #2: March 31, 1998---"The information you have supplied--- identifies the revolver in question as a New Model No. 3 Target." (It's #2163, a 32-44 S&W caliber, shipped May 28, 1894.)

Letter #3: August 30 2011---"The revolver you inquired about recently is a New Model No. 3." (It's #30261, a .44 Russian caliber, shipped October 18, 1896.) The author goes on to say "This was a special order and the revolver was shipped with a 6.5 inch barrel equipped with a Paine front sight, adjustable target rear sights, special checkered Russian style trigger guard, blue finish, and checkered black hard rubber grips."----one of which is brown now, but if you turn the gun over, it looks pretty much like it did when it left the mother ship. He didn't say anything about the fire blued screws, but I'm not so sure I asked about those---seen some before. Oh, and this gun is pictured in that book Sal mentioned---the one we usually refer to as "Neal & Jinks"---page 190---revised edition---although I did see a first edition one time---two of them actually---autographed by the authors yet(!!). David Carroll has them squirreled away in his bookcase.

Letter #4: November 18, 2015---"The information you have supplied in your recent letter identifies the revolver in question as a New Model No. 3 Target." (It's #3914, a "38 WINCHESTER CTG" caliber, shipped October 25, 1902.)

Oh, and in that book Sal mentioned (N&J), (albeit the revised edition---1975) the authors refer to what I doggedly insist upon calling New Model #3 Targets as New Model #3 Targets. They refer to New Model #3's as New Model No.3, but do mention they were available with both service and target sights. They provide no guidance as to what we should call them when they have target sights, so whatever floats your boat is fine by me---even when it makes my teeth hurt. Just don't expect me to follow suit. My boat floats on what doesn't make my teeth hurt.

So it is written---for the last time---by me anyway. No applause is necessary.

Ralph Tremaine

And up there where I said "They (the authors of N&J) provided no guidance as to what we should call them (NM #3's) when they have target sights-----. Not so! Here's what they called my NM #3 with target sights in the photo caption in N&J----"New Model No. 3 "target"." A small distinction, but an entirely appropriate distinction.