I'm looking at a S&W New Model No. 3 Frontier (44-40) and thought it might make a good addition to my early Colt SAAs. I'm quite knowledgeable on Colts, but not so on early S&Ws. Mechanically it's nice and tight, with an excellent bore and chambers, little to no original finish, mostly typical brown patina. It looks to me like a nice unmolested piece, and that's where I'd like some input.

With Colts there are lots of frauds and fakes and you need to really know what to look for. How is it with S&W? anythings in particular to watch out for? Is fakery as much of problem with the Smiths as it is with the Colts? How are the prices running on these?

Sorry, I won't be able to provide any pictures.

Best regards,

I'll take a stab at it, but many more will offer opinions. As far as I know, no one is making copies of New Model 3 Frontiers. The majority of reproductions made are 45 Schofield revolvers and 44 Russians. My guess is that it would be very unlikely you will run across a copy with all the correct numbers and stampings. You will find put-together guns, so need to look at serial numbers to make sure the gun is original. Serial number locations are on the butt-frame, the back of the cylinder, the bottom of the top latch, and on the rear of the frame between the "ears" of the top-frame on each side of the latch. If all numbers match, you almost certainly will have an original 44-40 New Model 3.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

There are tons of foreign copies of the S&W .44 DA, however they are usually easy to spot when compared to the real thing. Too bad you can't post some pictures, as we could quickly tell you if you are looking at a S&W. Prices for a no finish example , in the USA, will range from $550 to $950 if the gun is tight and mechanically OK with the upper limits applying to 4 in. and 6 in. barreled guns. Double for target models. Ed.

Thanks for the reply. This is a New Model 3 Frontier (single action 44-40) not a DA Frontier. After another look to confirm, it's a 6-1/2" 44-40, HR grips, blue (what few spots of original finish remain), standard sights, serial numbers in the correct locations per glowe above. I'm confident that it's an original S&W, but I don't have an idea on the price ranges on these. Any help there would be appreciated.

Best regards,

Monsai52: I'm not near any reference books right now but if you're sure it's chambered in 44-40 and not 44 Russian, you have a rare revolver IIRC. I have my New Model #3, nickle 80%, excellent rifling, in 44 Russ valued at $2,300 in my inventory. I also seem to recall fewer were blued than nickled. Letters to 1882. Yours' should be worth more.

Hank M.

No finish guns take a huge hit on value. While an 80% gun might go for $2500, a 0% finish would be lucky to get half that value. These are collector guns and very few collectors will pay big money for a no finish revolver. The good news it that there were just over 2000 made, so not many out there to collect.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

Monsai52, Some semantics involved here. The only model S&W called the "Frontier" was the .44DA . New Model No. 3 revolvers came in many different calibers, including a few in caliber .44-40, but they are not Frontier models, just NM#3 in .44-40. I would agree with Gary's values for your gun. Ed.

Interesting news Ed. I have always used the "Frontier" name, probably since Roy/Neal and Supica/Nahas use that term to identify the 44-40 SA in their books. Are you saying that the factory never used the term??

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Gary
SWCA 2515

My understanding is the same as Gary's. However given Ed's input, I've made a quick review of the books. The "Frontier" designation may come from the collectors and historians rather than the factory. Maybe borrowed by analogy from the 44-40 1st Model 44 DA.

Apparently the New Model No. 3 did not appear, as with the 1st 44 DA, until Smith lengthened the cylinder to 1 9/16'. Std. Catalog of S&W states that a NM No3 in 44-40 with the late production feature of a shortened the ejector housing with a SN under 2000 would be a Frontier Model and command a value premium.

Below are a New Model No. 3 in 44 Russian (SN 13xxx) with the 17/16" cylinder and below a "Frontier" in 44-40 (SN 7xx) with the 19/16" cylinder. Both have the shortened ejector housing.

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Rush

I hate to ever disagree with Ed, but pulled out my 1887 S&W Catalog and found these 2 pages.

Attached Images

	New Model 3.jpg (9.4 KB, 160 views)
	New Model 3 Frontier.jpg (74.0 KB, 127 views)

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Gary
SWCA 2515

I just used the designation that Mr. Jinks used to identify a separate sub-group of New Model 3, in his S&W history.

Best regards,