Hello the campfire. I am a new member who has enjoyed these forums for quite some time. High speed internet has come to my part of the woods and I am now in the 21st century.

I have been using a 38 S & W model 3 Top Break Hammerless Safety in Cowboy Action Shooting for several years in the "Pocket Pistol" category. This is a side match where four or five rounds are fired on steel targets. Needless to say I have the little gun tuned and running fine. Competition is fierce with four shot times in the sub one second area. I am always asked the age of the pistol and have never been able to find an answer...so here I am.

It is a model 3...3 1/4" barrel...Nickel with the last date on the barrel address of Aug. 4, 1885...#511XX.

Also...is there a source for replacement main springs?

That's it for now and you will be hearing more in the future.

CC

Welcom to the forum. But a picture would be nice.
I love Cowboy shoots. I do play a Cowboy in the Netherlands from 1980.
(my god I am getting old)

I think you have a .38 Safety Hammerless 3rd Model made around 1890-1891. They were made between 1890-1898 with a serial number range of 42484-116002 with 73,500 produced.

__________________
Cliff

CC: You may want to contact David Chicoine & Sons regarding that replacement mainspring. You can find him on the web at oldwestgunsmith.
You also can contact Jack First Gun Shop.
If you google these, you will find their web sights.

Another S&W Safety Hammerless, 3rd Model, with serial number 51,4xx was shipped from the factory in May, 1891.

Thanks everyone. Life is good..****nning a one hundred and twenty year old gun in speed competitions. I am still quite impressed with the quality of these pistols. Although mine has been around the block, the quality of the workmanship and steel is quite impressive. I am checking on a replacement spring now...mine is O.K. but I might want to take a little more off (you know what I mean) but am afraid to go too far. Need a back up!

Also...looking at other model 3's I've noticed that some have the S & W logo on the right side frame...mine doesn't. Is this a later change?

Thanks again and will be back soon...

CC

I would like to state that all of this model had a S&W logo on the frame, but when dealing with this or any S&W model, there are exceptions to every rule.

Another possibility is that the gun was refinished at some point in time and the logo was removed during the process.

Hello and thanks again Glowe. I have been all over the pistol with a 10X loupe and can find no indication that the pistol was ever refinished or polished. But...like you said...who knows.

CC

Attached Images

sw2.jpg (111.2 KB, 62 views)

The S&W logo didnt appear until the 4th model on the .38 Hammerless.

__________________
Cliff

My interest in these pistols is growing. I have attached a picture from the internet of what I would think is a 3rd model. Again...I am not sure but it shows a logo. My only knowledge of the models is what I can find on ArmChairGunshow.com. I do have a copy of McHenry & Roper [I]Smith and Wesson Hand Guns[I] but it really doesn't give much information. On the 4th model they state: Pinned Sight. Is this the rear sight? Thanks again.....

CC

Attached Images

sw3.jpg (80.3 KB, 36 views)

Pinned sight is the front sight. The Fifth model has an integral sight wich was an part of the barrel.Your model has a pinned frontsight.

I love those Safety Hammerless models. I do own a couple. Nice that you use them in sidematches.
What kind of load do you use?

C.C.: The "pinned" sight referred to is the front sight. In the .38 safety hammerless, the 1st thru 4th models had pinned front sights. I believe that most of the 5th (and last) model had forged integral front sights. I don't know much about the S&W logo introduction. I can tell you that the 3rd model .38 SH, that I have, also has a small S&W logo on the right side of the frame. The Std. Cat. of S&W doesn't mention this logo in the description for this firearm, until the 4th model. I don't know whether that is relevant. I would imagine that, like all small attributes, this can not be expected to be "uniform" 100% of the time.

Howdy

My 38 Safety Hammerless 3rd Model, SN 1006XX shipped in August of 1896.

There is wear on the blue, but there is a S&W logo stamped on the frame. Barely visible in this photo, but quite clear in real life.

Hey Driftwood...good to see you over here. I went over the pistol again with a straight edge and my loupe in the sunlight and (for the sake of discussion) would bet my last silver dollar the pistol left the factory as such. But...as said before...who knows. I do find it interesting.

Hey Thuer...I am shooting a 105 gr. .358 RNFP bullet over 2.0 grains of Trail Boss with Federal #100 primers. Not the correct bullet size but the targets are in your face.

Take care...

CC

These are my squeezers (and a DA). The MOP gripped is a 32 and the others are 38 s&w.