On the second model Schofield does the number 188 on the back strap indicate it is SFPD issue?

Assuming the number has not been added by a faker, it has a good chance of being one of the 300 Schofields, called "SFPD" guns, issued to the Committee of Safety vigilantes by the Calif.State Militia, to suppress the 1877-78 rioting in San Francisco. The prices received at auction sales of these SFPD Schofields in the last few years seem to relate more to the amount of original condition present for the gun, rather than a measurable increment attributed to the SFPD marking. The gun, a 2nd model, is currently up for auction at a popular broker site., having not reached it's reserve at a prior auction this year. These gun will not letter as no S&W factory records exist for Schofield shipping. Ed. (Note: This was before you had to pass a background check to posses a gun in San Francisco ! )

Ed is on the money, as always. It is a "buyer beware" if you are looking for just a nice, all matching numbered, decent mechanically functioning Schofield.

Up the ante to a Schofield with SFPD-like or Wells Fargo-like markings and the fakes start stacking up.

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ANTIQUESMITHS
LM1300 SWHF425

Were these "rack" like numbers added by the SFPD or were they sequentially numbered by the factory? Not that a good faker couldn't match the font of the serial number but sometimes that is a dead give away when looking at some of these markings.

If however, these guns were marked in SF then it would be highly likely that the font of the serial number and the font of the rack number would not be the same.

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James Redfield
LM #497

Can you post some pics?

Ralph, Not absolutely sure but IIRC SFPDs were stamped local to SFPD or perhaps from surplus seller (one of the big 3), which is more likely. Not likely they were sent to S&W to have the rack or ID numbers stamped whereas Wells Fargo armorers did it all "in house".

Machine dies, alpha-numeric had stamp characters can still be made to this day, given most of these other typeface or font (characters) are obsolete, it would likely cost a short fortune to have made.

Two very honest and reputable antique gunsmiths, that I will leave nameless, had many if not most of the antiquated stamping dies, used for legitimate restoration services, not to deceive. There are so many different typeface or "fonts" of yesteryear, someone would need all the exact type and size.

On a few old Americans and Schofields when I would ask of the master records keeper and author of US Military SNs for advice or what he has in his database, he would use words like, "the US stamp on US American SN xxxx has been "helped" or "raised". Or ... the assembly / fitment marks seem to have been created to match the frame, e.g. likely one made up from the components of 2 different guns. It happens.

Oh, then there's that guy who passed about 10 years ago that made better 1873 Cavalry Colts than Colt did and even took a 1980s Italian made Walker to make it pass for an original Walker Colt for many years before it was discovered. There are "those" types of guys, too.

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ANTIQUESMITHS
LM1300 SWHF425

James
As Mr. Cornett explained, no Schofields were rack marked by the factory.

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Don Mundell

The SFPD stamps on the original Schofields are believed to have been added by the State Militia prior to the issuance to any Committee of Safety members, most likely as a method of inventory control. They were not a S&W factory addition. The guns all came from the US Army Arsenal at Benicia, CA. They are not truly Police Dep't guns as they were never the property of the actual San Francisco Police Dep't. After the riots the guns were returned to the State Militia inventory and later disposed of as surplus to State needs. Some long arms were also included in the event, mostly Springfield Trap doors, to my recollection. Ed.

Don, I just read Ed's post again. I don't see where he stated that?????????

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James Redfield
LM #497

Thanks opoefc for the information and confirmation of my thoughts. We are looking at the same "for sell" item. Speculation and supposition sells more antiques than factual data. Thanks everyone for their input.