Quote:
Originally Posted by jimmyj
IIRC (?) the #3 came in 1870.
What was the original caliber ?
The U.S. Army purchase a number of them. What was the caliber ?
What issues did the Army have with them in the field that caused them to be withdrawn from inventory ?
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The original caliber of the #3 was .44 rimfire. The Army purchased them in .44 American for trials.
Main reasons for not being accepted.
1. Not as rugged mechanically as the Colts still in use. Ie. Broken parts. Rust issues.
2. The Army ended up adopting a more powerful .45 Caliber (what we know now as .45 Colt). The # 3 frame wasn't long enough for the cartridge. And Smith & Wesson wasn't very interested in remaking the frame. Even after Major Schofield simplified the #3 design (less moving parts in the ejection, and a redesigned latch that allowed one hand operation). Smith & Wesson produced it in a .45 caliber with a shorter case. The Cavalry bought 5000 of them and got a logistics nightmare.
I believe Smith & Wesson was asked to make modifications to allow the .45 Colt to be used, but they declined.
Edit. This info was taken from old "Man at Arms" issues and is cited from memory. There may be some mistakes. I use to have better memory.