Ludwig Loewe Production
The Russians were unhappy with Smith & Wesson selling revolvers to the Turks and the Japanese. The Turks were a traditional enemy of the Russians and the Japanese were emerging as a threat to the far eastern part of the Russian Empire. To solve this problem the Russians bought a set of inspection gauges for the 3rd model and made arrangements to have the revolver produced to those gauges at the Ludwig Loewe factory in Berlin. The Russians did not buy a license to produce these.
According to some sources production began in 1880, but it is more likely that it was 1877. This earlier date is confirmed by correspondence of General Gorlov. There were 2 contracts placed with Ludwig Loewe, the first for 70,000 revolvers (delivered 1877-78) and the second for 35,000 revolvers delivered 1880.
The 3rd Model (1874) as manufactured at Ludwig Loewe is called the Model 1880 by the Russians, even though it has the Model 1874 mark (обр. 1874) on the left side of the frame just like 3rd Model S&W manufactured revolvers. The barrel rib carries a Cyrillic address
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Лю********в****************ъ Леве******** Ко. Бер****************нъ Германі********. Ludwig Loewe Co. Berlin Germany
The face of the rib marking is just slightly different on the first contract and the second contract. This seems to be the only difference other than serial number range.
The inspectors/acceptance mark found on the Ludwig Loewe production is CO under an Imperial Eagle. Some sources say that his is a mark for Nikolai Kuchekevich, but this doesn’t make sense. Another theory is that the revolvers were accepted at the Sesroretsk Arsenal and in Cyrillic that would be CO.
Starting with the Ludwig Loewe revolvers the barrel latch is not numbered. This continued with production at Tula.
Production at Ludwig Loewe was terminated with the sale of the tooling to manufacture the revolver to the Russian Government in 1884.
Since the production of revolvers at Ludwig Loewe and Tula was made to original Smith & Wesson gauges, these revolvers are parts interchangeable with Smith & Wesson manufactured revolvers.
Joe
Better pictures and we can determine what its worth.