I picked this up last year and was wondering if I should letter it.













I understand they made app. 6200 Commercial models in the mid to high 30,000 # serial range. This one has the diamond "SH" on the butt.

How could I expect this to letter? Did these go thru M.W. Robinson prior to being distributed to Schuyler and Hartley?

Thanks, Ed

If it were me, I would letter it.

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Don Mundell

Could the nickel possibly be factory ?

Larry

Oh yes it's original nickel.

Assembly number matches and stocks are numbered to the pistol.

Nice one! I have #35955 that letters to MW Harris/Shuyler Hartley Graham. Not as pretty as yours, but it belonged to an ancestor who was a cowboy and sheriff. Shipped in 1875. I presume my Great Uncle in Texas bought it mail order when he turned 18. In fact, that's him in my avatar.

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Some collect art; I shoot it!

That's very nice, your personal connection to your pistol more than makes up for any small loss of condition.

Thanks for the info and picture. I've seen many 3rd Model Russians but only a few of the 2nd Models.

Anyone else have one that's lettered?

Thanks, Ed

So no one else here has a 2nd model Russian that's lettered????

My 2nd Model Russian (38420) lettered as shipped Sept. 15, 1872 with nickel finish and a 6 inch barrel.

B. Mower

I am going to say that gun has been chromed and not nickeled. I am almost certain I see minor pitting under the current finish on the left side of the barrel and shroud. The metal should be very smooth and any roughness or pitting would be black and not plated. Nickel usually has a yellow tone, while chrome is bright silver mirror finish. Compare the posted picture from Peak53 with your gun to look for differences.

Attached Images

	Untitled.jpg (40.1 KB, 33 views)
	Untitled1.jpg (26.2 KB, 30 views)

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Gary
SWCA 2515

Please check the date on your letter. That is physically not possible.
Joe

My mistake, it was shipped Sept. 15, 1875 to M.W. Robinson.

B. Mower

Do you think it will letter as being chromed?

Seriously, there is no way this pistol has been refinished.













All the edges are sharp, the sideplate is seamless in fit, all factory lettering is very crisp, absolutely no dishing around the screws, and the front sight pin protrudes on both sides from the barrel as it should...

My original photos were shot outside with sunlight reflecting off the nickel making it look very bright. Above pics were shot in my garage under fluorescent lighting.

Besides, I showed it to O.C. Young last year at one of the Dallas shows and he confirmed for me that it was an original condition 2nd Model Russian with the only replaced part being the ejector pawl.

Now back to my question, is it safe to assume that all these went to MW Robinson?

The Model 3 was only available in blue and nickel, so chrome was a fairly common 1900s re-finish. The quality of workmanship was top notch on all S&W firearms and just prior to finishing the gun, the metal would be as smooth and uniform as possible. The look of a finished S&W would have been perfectly flat, with no pits as show on your revolver. Many years ago, I bought a 44 DA that was chromed and it did not affect its operation at all and I loved to shoot it. The only time the refinish did negatively affect me was when I sold it.

The refinish on your Model 3 was done much better than many, with attention paid to the parts that originally were blued or case colored, remained correct. The reason why there was no dishing, wavy metal, or heavily blurred stampings, was most likely the finish was applied without any buffing, resulting in many small pits with plating covering them. That cannot happen at the factory.

To answer your questions, first, I would definitely get a factory letter to determine original finish. Second, I believe that SHG was a distributor, much like Robinson and would have ordered directly from S&W. SHG's involvement with S&W went all the way back to the Model 1 tip-up 22 revolvers, as they were listed in the company's Civil War era catalogs.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

We will just have to agree to disagree.

Here is an original nickel American I owned a few yrs back. It was a little rougher condition wise vs the Russian:







Notice how shiney it is on top of the barrel and how it has turned silver/grey under the muzzle. It also exhibits areas of black just as you previously stated in spots where the nickel has flaked off.

That American was wearing its original nickel.

My point is don't assume all nickel ages the same. I've seen nickel so cloudy it looks like the pistol was silver plated and Ive seen nickel as bright as both the American and Russian I have pictured.

And if OC Young tells me its original nickel Im pretty inclined to believe him...

Thanks for the shipping info, just what I was looking for

says it was shipped May 29, 1875 to MW Harris as part of a shipment of 20 nickel revolvers for SHG.

I hope this sheds some useful light on the distribution chain.

Attached Images

model 3 letter.JPG (129.0 KB, 33 views)

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Some collect art; I shoot it!

That's excellent info, thank you for posting a pic of the letter

It went to that great big S@W black hole in NY - MW Robinson

Interesting that only 20 out of 160 in that order were nickel.