what would be a good revolver for a texas ranger to carry in the year 1880

Read Fredrick Remington's writings on the Texas Rangers... I don't know where my copy is right now. I think they were partial to Colts. That said TR supplied their own arms. As professionals, I imagine the best & most reliable guns of their day. Mounted Rangers would have had long guns at their disposal as well. Winchester Rifles, maybe a Sharps, a double hammered shotgun. The better armed, the less likely to need it.
Russ

Colt .45 with 7.5-inch barrel or a .44 WCF

Winchester '73 in .44 WCF or a Winchester '76, both rifles not carbines, in one of the several heavy hitting calibers.

And a good 5-inch knife, generally worn toward the front.

Others will suggest good variation of my recommendations, but I have
decided to declare them wrong-headed.

A petition in the Texas State Archives "dated July 31st 1874, headquarters Co E, Frontier Battalion, Post Oak Springs, Coleman Co earnestly requests that Capt W.J. Maltby, Comdg Co, procure for us Colts improved Breech Loading Pistols of the latest and best quality. For which we will pay cash price out of the first money we draw from the State for our services."

This was signed by 53 members. However, at least 12 by my count wrote by their signature various indications that they wanted S&W's, ie "Smith & Wesson", "Smith & Weston or none", "S&W", "S.W.", "S&W N.P.", "smith Weston", "S. Weston", "Smith & Weston".

It is clear that a significant number of members had enough preference for the Smith & Wesson alternative to the SA Colt, which would have been the Model 3 American or OOM Russian to "write in" their preference. It is also clear that most of them knew the brand name as "Weston" rather than "Wesson".

I have found no evidence that the State authorized Capt Maltby to act on this petition, generally leaving it to the individuals to arm themselves during this period, but it gives a good idea of what they wanted to have.

A decade later the preference for the Colt probably would have been a higher percentage, but the Model 3 American would have still been a contender I think.

Many of the service records for individuals on this petition are digitized and available from the web: Texas Adjutant General Service Records - Texas State Library

Some distinguished names on the list are: WJ Maltby (indexed as Maltsby) ,B.S. Foster, W.B. Jones. Some of the ones who wanted S&W were: L. (Lon) Arnett ("or none"), J.S. McWhorter, S.M. Ansley, J.K. Paulk, W.J. Lowrance, Wm. Davis.

I discovered this particular record while researching M.S. Moreland, who also signed this petition. Ranger Moreland passed down a number of cartridges from Sam Bass' gunbelt obtained when Co E shot and captured Bass at Round Rock, TX, July 19, 1878. He was related to L. Arnett, who apparently wanted "none" if not the S&W, but Moreland apparently went with the Colt crowd.

I will also plug the recent book by my good friend Mike Cox, "Historic Photos of Texas Lawmen", Turner Publishing, 2008. It has good photos on pg 17-19, 22, 32, 46, 49-51, 55, 58 showing Texas Rangers and their gear in scenes from 1878 to 1889.

Smith and Wesson Revolvers (2), Marlin Lever Action Rifle (all .44cal.)
10ga short barrel Dbl Shotgun, and a Bowie knife. (possibly a S&W .38 B/T for a "Hideout")
Jimmy

In the Texas Ranger Museum in Waco, Texas, there are 1st and 2nd Model Americans and Schofields on display,as having been carried by various Rangers during their careers. In fact, there was a 2nd Model American on display that was carried by a Ranger Sgt. in 1880.

Ron

I have nothing pertinent to add, but I wanted to say: Great thread!

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Dave