New Model No. 3 - I'm in the club!

CptCurl · Nov 9, 2023

This is my first post on the S&W Antiques forum, and I'm showing you my first S&W antique. Usually you will find me over on the S&W Hand Ejectors: 1896 to 1961 forum or on the Firearms & Knives - Other Brands forum.

I've had the desire for a New Model No. 3 for a long time. This week, thanks to another forum member, I fell down that rabbit hole. I think I kind of like it down here!

This one is a shooter grade, and I intend to shoot it. Mechanically it is excellent. To my eye, the nickel, what's left of it, is original. There's no substantial pitting. It's no museum piece like some displayed here; but it's a start. I won't feel the least hesitation to shoot it. Yeah, it has a few anomolies, questions, and issues; but it's twice my age. I respect it for its own history.

If you click on the photos you will get full resolution renditions. These are phone pictures just taken this morning. Certainly they are not professional grade.

Curly

mmaher94087 · Nov 9, 2023

Curly, it's a nice example of the NM #3 Target. Is it 38-44? The serrated trigger is a treat to see. Nice start in the Antique side of collecting.

rickyt · Nov 9, 2023

It dosn't have the target site? As a guess I would say it's a .44. I thought the target NM 3 were in 32/44 & 38/44.

mrcvs · Nov 9, 2023

I would letter it. I’m not sure if the knurling on the trigger is factory, but it’s still neat and a great revolver. I have three revolvers with knurled triggers and two are et factory. I’m not sure the factory would leave the knurling as “unfinished” higher up on the trigger???

Club Gun Fan · Nov 9, 2023

rickyt said:
It dosn't have the target site? As a guess I would say it's a .44. I thought the target NM 3 were in 32/44 & 38/44.

The factory would produce a .44 in a target model on special order. I have six New Model No. 3's in .44 Russian. Here are two, they are consecutively numbered. They are 02 & 03. Both target in .44 Russian.

Boulder350 · Nov 9, 2023

Is it a frontier with the 1 9/16 cylinder? If so, nice snag

CptCurl · Nov 9, 2023

More information.

To answer some questions, let me begin by listing some of its attributes.
* Caliber .44 Russian;
* 1-7/16” cylinder;
* No S&W logo on right side;
* Last design extractor hook; and
* Non-rebounding hammer.

I don’t believe the trigger work was done at the factory, but that is just a guess. It looks a little too rough.

Other observations, starting with the serial number (2101):

There are three possibilities for this low number. (1) It could be from the original series of the NM#3; (2) It could be from the NM#3 Target series in the special order caliber of .44 Russian; or (3) It could be a NM#3 Frontier. The third possibility is eliminated by the fact that the cylinder measures 1-7/16”.

We know it was made as a target configuration, as the rear target sight has a matching number.

The rub comes in when you look at the barrel. It has the last design, “hook” type extractor. You would not see that on a revolver from the original series bearing this low a number. I don’t know whether this eliminates the possibility of it being from the NM#3 Target series.

However, I don’t think this barrel matches the frame and other parts. I have tried carefully to discern the barrel number, but I can’t quite make it out. It looks like there is a “7” in the mix. I’m leaning to the conclusion that somewhere, whether it be at the factory or in Bubba’s garage, the original barrel was scrapped and the present barrel was installed, along with the original latch.

Obviously, somebody has monkeyed around with the front sight. The blade that’s present does not correspond to the target rear sight. There are tool marks on the right side of the rib, being the lingering footprints of the artisan who pecked away at the front sight retaining pin.

If the barrel is replaced, I suppose it is a mutt. A nice mutt it is, though.

Curly

P.S. Can anyone supply a proper front sight?

mrcvs · Nov 9, 2023

CptCurl said:
I bdon’t believe the trigger work was done at the factory, but that is just a guess. It looks a little too rough.

Okay, and so we both agree upon that. Yes, too rough for factory work, but a different era and revolver than the photographs of the factory lettered knurled trigger of my 1914 shipped Triple Lock revolver. (Photographs 1 & 2)

In contrast, the knurled trigger of my New Model No 3, which does not letter as such and is likely not refined enough to be factory work. (Photograph 3)

Also in contrast is the knurled trigger of my Third Model Perfected Single Shot Pistol, which also does not letter as factory. (Photographs 4 & 5)

TheTinMan · Nov 9, 2023

Nice addition Curly!

Model19man · Nov 9, 2023

CptCurl said:
Curly

Well it looks fine to me and if it cost less than you think it is worth it's a good deal.

iby · Nov 9, 2023

The cylinder appears to be in much better condition than the rest of the gun. The font of the # is different than the other stampings.
It may be a replacement.
I like it.

CptCurl · Nov 10, 2023

iby said:
The cylinder appears to be in much better condition than the rest of the gun. The font of the # is different than the other stampings.
It may be a replacement.
I like it.

If you could personally inspect this revolver, I don't think you would have that impression. But who knows? It's a 140 year old machine and has a lot of history behind it.

Curly

JSR III · Nov 10, 2023

I would have to agree that the cylinder condition does not seem to match the rest of the gun. The numbers on the frame, cylinder and latch appear different. The latch 1 top is a straight 90 degree angle from the shaft and the ones on the frame appear to be slanted.

Regardless, the gun is what it is and came down through the years ending up like it is. Some folks would consider that "character".

As Dr. Jinks has stated many times, "there is something special about finding a sock drawer gun that looks like it was made yesterday however, there is also something neat about a gun that has been there and done that".

I agree......

CptCurl · Nov 10, 2023

Gettin' ready . . .

Curly

iby · Nov 10, 2023

As I said, I like it

rct269 · Nov 10, 2023

Keep it up!

If you stumble along at the right place at the right time, you may very well stumble upon one like I did-----a NM #3 Target (#3914), (one of those made ONLY in 32-44 S&W or 38-44 S&W) with "38 WINCHESTER CTG." stamped on the barrel.

My letter said, "There are no notes in the records on this revolver. It appears to have been a special order for one unit and the revolvers in this serial range are all .38-44 Smith & Wesson cartridge revolver. (SIC) Sorry we cannot solve the mystery."

I fussed and fumed about that for a spell, and then decided it was alright, because whoever made the holes in it and stamped the barrel knew what the caliber was.

Ralph Tremaine

rct269 · Nov 10, 2023

rickyt said:
It dosn't have the target site? As a guess I would say it's a .44. I thought the target NM 3 were in 32/44 & 38/44.

Yes, it has a target sight, and you're more right than you are wrong, but they snuck one past you. That's the one where there are NM #3's---a separate model series with their own serial number series---in more than a few different calibers (but mostly .44 Russian)---and some of them came with target sights. You could get one outfitted pretty much to whatever floats your boat. (I had one, .44 Russian, target sights, and a Russian style trigger guard. I'm not sure what was up with the trigger guard (as far as shooting goes) because trying to use that "Russian" spur with a one hand hold pretty well defined "clumsy". Now using it with a two hand hold was right up there with sliced bread, but I've never seen any pictures of shooters of the time using a two hand hold. The bottom line of all this, as the good doctor Jinks has told us (MORE than once) is "They would do anything anybody would pay them to do!") So much for that!

Then there was another separate series of NM #3's---called NM #3 Targets---all with target sights, all within a separate serial number series, and all made in either .32-44 S&W or .38-44 S&W caliber----except for at least one of them that I know of---and used to live here for a spell. There were at least a couple of other separate series (Turkish, and Frontier that I know of without looking in the book). Speaking of the book, THE BOOK is titled SMITH & WESSON 1857-1945. You get your paws on one of those, and it'll tell you EVERYTHING about all of this----quite possibly more than you care about, or wanted to know; but there aren't many questions it doesn't answer.

Ralph Tremaine

There's another book (Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson). One of the folks who wrote that (Jim Supica) had a collection of NM #3's that'd knock your socks off!! He had a display at one of the NRA Collectors Arms shows (Kansas City??) back a spell. All I could do was stand there and stare in disbelief! It pretty well defined the expression of "Been there and done that!!" If he wrote down all he knows about NM #3's, there very likely wouldn't be any room for anything else!

rickyt · Nov 11, 2023

This one is mine. My favourite of all time. Very hard to get here in the UK. I bought quite a few of the so called "obsolete calibre" pistols and they turned out not to be obsolete. Nagant, Russion.44 and many Belgium ones. It's an instant five year stretch if caught with these things so, after locking them in a safe for a while I decided to hand them in regardless of losing all the money I paid for them. They get registered, logged and checked by the Police and then the Armory will decide what to do with them. I have recieved news that the NM 3 is OK and I can have it back.....very pleased about that but I will lose the S&W Russion .44 and maybe the Nagant 1878 & others.

JSR III · Nov 11, 2023

rickyt said:
This one is mine. My favourite of all time. Very hard to get here in the UK. I bought quite a few of the so called "obsolete calibre" pistols and they turned out not to be obsolete. Nagant, Russion.44 and many Belgium ones. It's an instant five year stretch if caught with these things so, after locking them in a safe for a while I decided to hand them in regardless of losing all the money I paid for them. They get registered, logged and checked by the Police and then the Armory will decide what to do with them. I have recieved news that the NM 3 is OK and I can have it back.....very pleased about that but I will lose the S&W Russion .44 and maybe the Nagant 1878 & others.

Obviously you have not heard of the famous "I lost all of mine in a boating accident"!!!

rickyt · Nov 11, 2023

I could have pretended I didn't own any, I could have reseached before I bought. I could have just thrown them all away. So many could haves. Not worth taking the risk of keeping them. You can be locked up for owning front venting blank firer's. The law comes down heavy here in the UK. So, I wasn't taking any chances.....plus I dont like porridge!

New Model No. 3 - I'm in the club!

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