Help with Model 3

SegundoViel

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Hello to everybody!
I've inherited this model 3, it belonged to my great great grand father and wanted to know more about it, i was not able to find any serial number on it. I would aprecciate any information you could give me. Thank you in advance.
 

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You have a S&W New Model #3, probably an early one due to the length of the housing for the extractor. The guns were built between 1877 and 1898, with some sold after that date.
There are several other serial number areas to check besides the bottom of the grip frame (this one was partially obliterated by the post-factory lanyard stud): The back of the cylinder, the rear vertical face of the barrel between the 'ears' for the barrel latch (on both sides of the cut for the latch), and the bottom of the latch itself.
 
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By configuration, it looks like a New Model Number Three.
 
As said above, you have a New Model #3. They were made in several differnt calibers, however .44 Russian is the most common. The serial number on the butt ( ending in ...17 ) has been oblitered by the after market addition of the lanyard ring, but will appear on other parts as mentioned. Once you determine the complete serial number, you can obtain a S&W Historical letter that will tell you when, where and to whom, the gun was shipped and it's configuration when shipped. It appears from your photos that the gun is missing the cap screw on the right side of the barrel hinge. ( It actually is backward, as it belongs on the right side ) You might be able to get a replacement from JackFirstGunParts.com. Ed
 
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. . . and that screw 'opoefc' mentioned actually belongs on the LEFT side; The hollow barrel joint pivot pin has been stuck in backwards.
 
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I'm glad to see that you were able to remove the lanyard stud without breaking it off. They can be a bugger to remove. Also, if the SN appears on the left frame under the stocks (grips) then the lanyard ring was probably added by the factory.
 
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I've found the serial number! It was engraved on the wood inside the stock...is it only 4 numbers right? Or do i need something else?
 
I'm glad to see that you were able to remove the lanyard stud without breaking it off. They can be a bugger to remove. Also, if the SN appears on the left frame under the stocks (grips) then the lanyard ring was probably added by the factory.

The stud is threaded, super simple to remove!
 
As said above, you have a New Model #3. They were made in several differnt calibers, however .44 Russian is the most common. The serial number on the butt ( ending in ...17 ) has been oblitered by the after market addition of the lanyard ring, but will appear on other parts as mentioned. Once you determine the complete serial number, you can obtain a S&W Historical letter that will tell you when, where and to whom, the gun was shipped and it's configuration when shipped. It appears from your photos that the gun is missing the cap screw on the right side of the barrel hinge. ( It actually is backward, as it belongs on the right side ) You might be able to get a replacement from JackFirstGunParts.com. Ed

I'm looking online for that screw, but haven't been able to find it yet.
 
You have a S&W New Model #3, probably an early one due to the length of the housing for the extractor. The guns were built between 1877 and 1898, with some sold after that date.
There are several other serial number areas to check besides the bottom of the grip frame (this one was partially obliterated by the post-factory lanyard stud): The back of the cylinder, the rear vertical face of the barrel between the 'ears' for the barrel latch (on both sides of the cut for the latch), and the bottom of the latch itself.

The one under the latch is the only one that's complete, all the others have been corroded by rust
 
. . . and the mystery number is. . . ?

If the number on the bottom of the latch ends in '17,' then it's a reasonable guess that it matches what was on the butt. However, if it does not do so, then it's anybody's guess what the real number once was, as the latch is an easily-replaced part. As to the number beneath the grips, S&W first stamped the serial number, changing to pencil markings circa 1900. If that number ALSO ends in '17,' you have it identified. Otherwise, same as for the latch.
If you are uncomfortable posting the complete serial number that you've found, an internet search will help you to 'bracket' when the gun was shipped or manufactured. All of these are antiques under US law, by the way.
 
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"The stud is threaded, super simple to remove!". Consider yourself very lucky. The threaded stud is often rusted to the frame and snaps off leaving the threaded part in the hole.
 
More information?

so, is it a 44 Russian caliber? What number did you find on the wood grip? Does the action work? Can you post a photo of the gun open with back of cylinder, looking down the tube, etc.
Thanks,

Murph
 
so, is it a 44 Russian caliber? What number did you find on the wood grip? Does the action work? Can you post a photo of the gun open with back of cylinder, looking down the tube, etc.
Thanks,

Murph
It works perfectly, except for the pivot screw missing. I can't take one right now, but i'll post it tomorrow!!!
 
You are luckier than you think.

At SN 2817, your great great grandfather's gun falls in the proper serial range for one of 2002 S&W NM3s sold to Argentina at the very beginning of production (between SN50 and 3400), circa 1881. They were sold to Argentina by New York City dealers Schuyler, Hartley & Graham. His being in the Argentine Navy supports this being one of those revolvers. If you look VERY closely, you MAY find the remnants of the marking 'Ejercito/Argentino' stamped on the frame ahead of the trigger guard.
I believe that your gun has been reblued at some point, but the smooth wood grips are probably original. It is almost certainly chambered in .44 Russian, which is still being made. Given that this gun was shipped 'overseas,' and for a government order (not to S&W directly, but to SH&G), it is possible that the lanyard loop IS original, installed by the factory after the serial number was stamped to fill the order, so look again for a serial number stamped into the left side of the grip frame.

You have a real piece of history, my friend.

. . . of course, I HAD to look up 'Conquest of the Desert.' Oh, MY! Maybe we don't want to talk about that.
 
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Here there are some more pictures, the extractor works perfect, and so does everything else. I could not find any "ejército argentino" markings.
 

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There isn't a lot more to say about your revolver; Everything points to it being an Argentine government order gun as I mentioned, contemporary to your relative's service.
I do think that the gun has been refurbished, perhaps at a government arsenal long ago; The cylinder may also be a replacement, or at least has been heavily polished on its rear face as no pitting is present, and no remnant of the serial number remains.
If you're comfortable with what you now know, there is nothing else that I can tell you. If you wish, you could obtain a letter for the gun with the factory's information on it (instructions are on this site).

Update: I did find a copy of an S&W letter by Mr. Jinks from 2006 regarding one of these Argentine revolvers; It states that such-and-such serial number in .44 Russian was shipped from S&W to Hartley & Graham on 1/10/1881. This particular gun, a lower SN than yours, was shipped with a 6.5" barrel, blued, and had checkered hard-rubber grips--not wood. It also says that the shipment including this gun was for 2002 pieces, and that the shipment guns had 'stamping,' but not what the stamping was for nor whom the order was manufactured.
As your gun does not appear to have the Argentine Army stamping, and has numbered wood grips, it is possible that yours was an individual order--or differed from the one mentioned in the letter, as these guns weren't necessarily all 'manufactured' for the order, as some may have been sourced from 'stock,' and modified to suit (by the addition of the sling swivel post-marking of the serial number, for example). Sadly, the markings may have been obliterated during the refinish, as the characters were not very deep.
No matter what, though, you have a 141-year-old survivor from your country's past, and it's remarkably well preserved for a gun that saw active service for years.
 
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