In the 1980s, I had quite a collection of older S&W Firearms, mostly dating to Pre-Model 10 Revolvers & Carbines.

They were lost in the theft of a storage unit’s contents where I had stored most of my belongings during a divorce that wasn’t pretty.

But... Over the years, I had finally begun to re-acquire “replacements” of the firearms I lost, most of which, as I pointed-out above, were 19th Century Firearms, predominantly “Pocket Revolvers,” or Firearms typically carried by “Gamblers” in the Old West (Merwin & Hulbert, Forehand & Wadsworth, Colts of varying Calibre, and some rather obscure European Revolvers that remain hard to find).

I have yet to be able to replace the pricier Smith & Wesson Model #3s, Merwin & Hulbert Frontier or Pocket Models (and especially not yet the rarer Pocket Army Models). It will be a chore replacing the original blued M&Hs I had.

But, currently I am most focused on getting my S&W revolvers replaced.

It was really difficult to find these until I discovered Rock Island Auction and Murphy’s. Finding “New” or “Mint” 19th Century, or Early-20th Century firearms of any kind became trivial at that point, and I was lucky to pick-up some of the less extravagant pieces of Dr. Gerald Klaz’ collection (It is agonizing to see the Tiffany & Co. S&W Models 1-½, 2, & #3 that are so far out of my price-range... freaking-heck those are Beautiful!!!). I managed to get an early-mid ranged serial# Model 1-½ 3rd Issue, Blued!, and in pristine condition that was in a lot with a Model 2, Double Action, Safety Hammerless, Chromed, in .32S&W, and a Model 2, 1st Model “Baby Russian” in .38S&W (well... Technically all of the Single-Actioned Model 2s were .38S&W), Blued with a 4-½” Barrel.

Now looking to find a few “Newer” Early-20th Century S&Ws.

Anyway... Time to look around the place.

MB

Welcome to the Forum. I’ve learned a lot over the last few years here. There are true experts in virtually all things Smith and Wesson. It would be smart to join the historical foundation and have access to letters from our Historian Roy Jinks.

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SWCA 3255 SWHF 615

Welcome from the Great Plains of Nebraska!

Welcome from Texas!

“Historical Foundation???”

That is good to know about.

I have been looking for a source that can help decipher the Early Smith & Wesson nomenclature (It is almost as arcane as Organic Chemistry).

I have managed to learn the respective nomenclature for Model 1, Model 1-½, and the Model #2 Army (which is different from the Model 2, which just further complicates things by having “1st Model, 2nd Model, 3rd Model, ...” in addition to a few of the “Models” of Model 2 having “Iterations” within the Models of Model 2.

So you can have a Model 2 .32 Double Action(unofficially labeled the “4th Model”), 3rd Iteration.

And then some people I have seen calling the “Safety Hammerless” (Lemon-Squeezer) the “5th Model” of Model 2 (again, likely “unofficial”).

While the “Model No. 2 Army (also written as Model #2 Army) is a completely different thing to the “Model 2.”

And then the “Model 3” has similar “weirdnesses” where the “Model #3/No. 3” is a slightly different thing from just the “Model 3” (from what I have read in a book on Scribd about S&W 19th Century Large Frame Revolvers, this has something again to do with the “Army,” where the “Model 3” refers to the first of the Large-bore/Large-frame Revolvers, but the “Model #3 Army” refers to the model that was chambered in the .45S&W that caused all of the problems with .45 Long Colt being unable to be fired from the S&W Model #3 Army, while the Colts could chamber the .45S&W and the .45 Long Colt...

Anyway... Thanks for the suggestion... Going to go look into that before bed.

MB

Welcome from Western Massachusetts.

Welcome to the campfire. I might have an old H&R pocket pistol you would like but, presently, I will have to find it. Get back to me some time after you find your S&Ws.

I love the catalogs I get from Morphy's and Rock Island - just some wonderful pieces every time!

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Come and take it!!

Hi from North Dakota

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John

Welcome to the forum

Welcome from NW PA.

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Made it, Ma! Top of the world!

Welcome to the forum!

Welcome from another who just restarted his addiction......Ben

Welcome to the Forum!

Welcome from coastal North Carolina.

Welcome from Va.

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Roger

Welcome from Ohio!

welcome from California

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Larry

Welcome from NC

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Patriots Forever!!

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Keep on Chooglin'

Welcome from Arkansas

Welcome from Tampa.

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NRA Bene Life, SWCA 2372

Hi from Salome, AZ.

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Paul
Salome, AZ

Welcome to the forum.

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Life is short,live it fully.

Welcome from the Commonwealth of Virginia.