Performance Center Schofield-WFS SN

[Injun Ryder]

I would like to obtain some information on the PC Schofields with the WFS SN prefix. These were a special series with SN's WFS0025 to WFS0041.

1. What does the WFS prefix stand for in the SN? (I know that WFC is Wells Fargo Co. and WFE is Well Fargo Express but I do not know what WFS stands for).

2. What did the special series represent? I know that the NTM series were for Nelson Tool and Machine.

3. Why did the WFS Schofields come with the wooden case/gold box whereas the WFC's and WFE's came with only the gold box?

4. Why do the WFS Schofield's have a rounded hammer stud (see pictures) whereas all of the other Performance Center Schofields have flat hammer studs?

 

[Injun Ryder]

Can anyone provide an answer?

 

[The Wizard]

First, are you sure they are Smith and Wesson Performance Center Schofields? Second if they are really S&W Performance Center Schofields are you sure the serial begins with "WFS"?

The reason I am asking these questions is I believe that the S&W Performance Center Schofields' serial numbers all began with "GWS". Which stands for George W. Schofield.

 

[Injun Ryder]

I own the S&W PC Schofield with the WFS SN and have been trying to track down information regarding it. I have obtained a S&W letter from Roy Jinks but the letter did not address all of my questions, thus this query.

In addition to the WFS SN, I have other S&W PC Schofields that have the following SN prefixes: GWS (Blue 7"), NKL (Nickel 7"), NTM (Blue 7"), DBW (150th, Blue w/ Gold inlay 7"), WFC (Nickel 5") and WFE (Blue 5").

 

[Avery11]

OP, I hate to offer nothing, and worse, ask a favor on this thread but would you be willing to post photos of your Schofields?

I have recently become somewhat obsessed with this model and have never seen all of the variations in detail.

Thank you very much.

 

[Injun Ryder]

OP, I hate to offer nothing, and worse, ask a favor on this thread but would you be willing to post photos of your Schofields?

I have recently become somewhat obsessed with this model and have never seen all of the variations in detail.

Thank you very much.

Glad to oblige.

The original post has pics of the WFS and GWS SN's. The NTM SN is identical to the GWS model. (The NTM (Nelson Tool and Machine) SN's were a few special issue Schofields to a company that manufactured many of the PC Schofield parts for S&W.)

Thus far, I have been able to account for the following SN counts: (Updated 7/22/14, though some clarification still needed)
Model, SN's, Totals
7" Blue, GWS SN's, GWS0000 – GWS2599, 2600
7" Nickel, NKL SN's, NKL0000 – NKL0121, 122
7" Blue, NTM SN's, NTM0001 – NTM0006, 6
7" Blue, DBW SN's, 150th, Gold inlayed, DBW1852 – DBW2002, 151
5" Blue, WFE SN's, WFE0000 - WFE0151, 152 (S&W letter states 151 total)

(I have received 3 different letters with 3 different SN ranges for the WFS SN's!)
5" Blue, WFS SN's, WFS0025 – WFS0041, 17
or WFS0001 - WFS0024 and WFS0042 - WFS0072, 55
or WFS0013 - WFS0041, 24

5" Nickel, WFC SN's, WFC0000 - WFC0106, 107 (S&W letter states that WFC0036 is 7" barrel)

Attached are pics of the NKL, WFC, WFE and DBW SN's.

 

[Injun Ryder]

OP, I hate to offer nothing, and worse, ask a favor on this thread but would you be willing to post photos of your Schofields?

I have recently become somewhat obsessed with this model and have never seen all of the variations in detail.

Thank you very much.

One more. This is one of the first 125 PC Schofield's that were in a special auction. It came in a Cherry wood display case. It has a GWS SN.

 

[Avery11]

Thank you sir. What a beautiful collection. I found a blue WFE lnib that is local to me. As i cannot find a comparison, would you have an idea of its market value? I saw on that sold on gunsamerica in the upper 3k range buti thought that seemed high.

Thank you.

 

[Injun Ryder]

WFE Schofield value

Thank you sir. What a beautiful collection. I found a blue WFE lnib that is local to me. As i cannot find a comparison, would you have an idea of its market value? I saw on that sold on gunsamerica in the upper 3k range buti thought that seemed high.

Thank you.

Sending you an e-mail.

 

[jw mathews]

Wondering if the "WFS" might mean "Wells Fargo Schofield?" The original 7" barrel revolvers were released by the Army and the literature states that may of those had their barrels cut down to 5" and were nickel-plated for use by Wells Fargo. I don;'t recall to what extent such guns were purchased by the WF Company or if they picked up that name because many individual employees purchased them.

I have not seen the S&W replicas in person, but I think their cylinders were made to the original length, requiring use of 45 Schofield ammo, whereas the replicas from navy Arms had longer cylinders & will shoot 45 Colt ammo. They all seem to be very nice guns, though.

 

[Injun Ryder]

Could be. As noted in my OP, there are a number of other aspects of this model that were unique to it.

The following is from the literature provided by S&W with the PC Schofield:
"From 1880 forward the Model 3 Schofield was issued only to National Guard units, and large quantities of them were sold as surplus, primarily to the firms of Schuyler, Hartley & Graham and Francis Bannerman both of New York City. These resold Schofields became very popular with 1880s frontiersman, and one of the most prominent purchasers was the Wells Fargo Express Co., which purchased a large quantity from Schuyler, Hartley & Graham for its guards. As ordered from the distributor, the Wells Fargo guns' barrels were cut to five inches, and the express company stamped with its property mark."

The S&W PC Schofields do have cylinders closely matching the originals and are chambered for the 45 Schofield (45 S&W) cartridge only.

I have been using two in Cowboy Action Shooting for 10 years.

 

[Injun Ryder]

For anyone interested, I received the following reply from Roy Jinks regarding the questions in the initial post:

"It is very difficult as the Performance Center Mix production of these units and the serial numbers are not always consecutive and other product code variations are mixed together. The production of these Models was done in a random manner and there are no records kept that describe the various production variations. The only goal was to produce as much product as possible to meet the distributors demand. Therefore, I cannot answer the questions that you included in your letter."

So, I guess these questions will remain a mystery.

I also received some new SN ranges that I have included in Post #6 but there is still some confusion from S&W on the WFS SN's.

 

[Dogmann]

This is a fantastic thread that was found for me by another member! I' have two of these PC Schofield revolvers. New. Never fired. In their cases and in the cardboard packaging with serial numbers just 1 apart. I'm trying to find a value so they can be sold. Any ideas?

 

[rct269]

Same church----slightly different pew:

Several years ago (15-20----+/-) I paid a visit to Turnbull Restorations. While there I was subjected to a sales pitch for my pick of the litter of a group of these reproductions----as spruced up by Turnbull's band of merry men. As I recall the story, Turnbull purchased a fairly significant number of these guns from S&W (ostensibly remaining stock S&W was unable to sell through normal channels). The guns had been what I'll call extensively re-manufactured ----down to bare metal, all surfaces made perfectly flat/round/whatever, and finished in high polish blue.

So, as I said, that's my recollection (of something I wasn't particularly interested in----at the time). Now some older, and at least a little bit wiser, I'm thinking I should have grabbed one of those VERY spiffy guns.

Does anybody know this story better/more completely than I've told it?

Do these guns show up in the marketplace now---and like that?

Ralph Tremaine

 

[Injun Ryder]

This is a fantastic thread that was found for me by another member! I' have two of these PC Schofield revolvers. New. Never fired. In their cases and in the cardboard packaging with serial numbers just 1 apart. I'm trying to find a value so they can be sold. Any ideas?

If these have a GWS SN prefix, the online auctions have recently been going from around $1800 to $2500. No idea why the range.

You mention "cardboard" packaging. Some came in a Gold Box. These could be the following SN's NKL, WFC, WFE, and possibly WFS. These could go for more.

Same church----slightly different pew:

Several years ago (15-20----+/-) I paid a visit to Turnbull Restorations. While there I was subjected to a sales pitch for my pick of the litter of a group of these reproductions----as spruced up by Turnbull's band of merry men. As I recall the story, Turnbull purchased a fairly significant number of these guns from S&W (ostensibly remaining stock S&W was unable to sell through normal channels). The guns had been what I'll call extensively re-manufactured ----down to bare metal, all surfaces made perfectly flat/round/whatever, and finished in high polish blue.

So, as I said, that's my recollection (of something I wasn't particularly interested in----at the time). Now some older, and at least a little bit wiser, I'm thinking I should have grabbed one of those VERY spiffy guns.

Does anybody know this story better/more completely than I've told it?

Do these guns show up in the marketplace now---and like that?

Ralph Tremaine

I know that there were some DT (or DTR) SN'd Schofields but I do not know the number. I have only come across one on the auction sites.

There is a mention of the Turnbull Schofields in the "Standard Catalog of Handguns".