Was looking to try something different today and grabbed the Schofields just for kicks.
Been several years since I shot them and figured I would just spend 10 maybe 20 minutes messing around.

Spent almost two hours playing around with 38's & 45 LC.
I forgot how much fun they really are.

Attached Images

Schofield2.jpg (261.2 KB, 148 views)

They look like they would be fun to shoot.

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I've often wondered why S&W never pursued the 45LC ammo conversion to gain a military contract.
The Schofield design, in my opinion, was a superior calvry handgun when compared to the Colt,

It would have been expensive to re-tool to allow a longer cylinder & frame to accommodate it, instead the military switched to .45 S&W cartridges that could be used in either S&W or Colt. Apparently the ease/speed of reloading didn't get enough pluses to hold interest, they were phased out & the cavalry kept the more rugged Colt SAA. Cavalry handguns have always been backup weapons & they only carried 20 rounds of ammo so faster reloads weren't a big point. OTOH border outlaws like Jesse James loved them.

Also, S&W had all the business they could handle with the Russians (101,000). They were selling model 3 revolvers to Montegto, Argentina, Japan, Ottoman Empire, RCMP, Australia, Spain and Poland. They did not really have time or production capability for the small number of guns the US would need.

Story is that the Army Cavalry Board was firmly convinced that the greater mechanical complication of the Schofield didn't result in any benefits to the cavalry trooper. The prevailing belief was that the six shots provided by the sturdy SAA Colt was all that a trooper would ever need, and rapid reloading on horseback was very seldom necessary. The Cavalry Board apparently felt much the same way about adopting the M1911 somewhat later.

Also, if I remember correctly the Russians paid in gold.

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S&WCA 1729