A pair of .22 Third Model Single Shot Perfected Pistols

mrcvs · Mar 28, 2021

Mix & Match???

I should stress that all 3 of these Single Shot Third Model Perfected have all matching numbers. The two already discussed will be complemented by a third one in a few weeks, and I am stunned!!! to discover that this third one, which shipped in 1911, is of yet a third variation with regards to the Smith & Wesson logo location and the type and location of barrel markings. To recap & introduce a third variation:

No 5034, shipped Dec 1911, small S & W logo & Trademark on left side, 22 LONG RIFLE CTG on left side of barrel; barrel address and markings on right side, if any, TBD.

No 6559, shipped February 1913, large S & W logo & Trademark on right side, 22 LONG RIFLE CTG on left side of barrel, one line no patent dates barrel address

No 9924, shipped April 1922, small S & W logo & Trademark on left side, 22 LONG RIFLE CTG on right side of barrel, and Smith & Wesson on left side of barrel, 2 line barrel address with patents.

So, based on shipping dates, you have a small logo and trademark on the left side, and then it migrates to the right side and is larger, then back to the left side.

In summary:

Ship date 1911, small logo left side, 22 LONG RIFLE CTG left side;
Ship date 1913, large logo right side, 22 LONG RIFLE CTG left side
Ship date 1922, small logo left side, 22 LONG RIFLE CTG right side

More information to be provided in a few weeks...

Vidd · Apr 2, 2021

mrcvs said:
I should stress that all 3 of these Single Shot Third Model Perfected have all matching numbers. The two already discussed will be complemented by a third one in a few weeks, and I am stunned!!! to discover that this third one, which shipped in 1911, is of yet a third variation with regards to the Smith & Wesson logo location and the type and location of barrel markings. To recap & introduce a third variation:

No 5034, shipped Dec 1911, small S & W logo & Trademark on left side, 22 LONG RIFLE CTG on left side of barrel; barrel address and markings on right side, if any, TBD.

No 6559, shipped February 1913, large S & W logo & Trademark on right side, 22 LONG RIFLE CTG on left side of barrel, one line no patent dates barrel address

No 9924, shipped April 1922, small S & W logo & Trademark on left side, 22 LONG RIFLE CTG on right side of barrel, and Smith & Wesson on left side of barrel, 2 line barrel address with patents.

So, based on shipping dates, you have a small logo and trademark on the left side, and then it migrates to the right side and is larger, then back to the left side.

In summary:

Ship date 1911, small logo left side, 22 LONG RIFLE CTG left side;
Ship date 1913, large logo right side, 22 LONG RIFLE CTG left side
Ship date 1922, small logo left side, 22 LONG RIFLE CTG right side

More information to be provided in a few weeks...

boggles the mind doesn't it we're all learning something new

ol777gunnerz · Apr 4, 2021

S&W

Smith & Wesson back in the day would literally sell & ship a revolver or pistol to anyone, even other gun companies. I own this six inch barreled Model of 91 single shot 32 cal. pistol. It shipped to Folsum Arms, the largest manufacturer of shotguns [their own & store brands] in the U S A at that time, but did dabble in handguns & rifles. The left ear, opposite side of the latch has a "C" stamped in it, Roy Jinks says the only ones he has seen were in cased sets, so maybe they sold Folsum this one minus any other barrels with the same serial number, as cased sets were not selling nearly as well as planned?

mrcvs · Apr 18, 2021

And number 5034 arrived, shipped December 1911. This one also has a one line barrel address, no markings on right side, confirmed all matching numbers. I’m particularly pleased to own this one as it has condition, it’s early, AND...

mrcvs · Apr 18, 2021

...it has a checkered trigger which appears factory and is particularly rare on ANY Smith & Wesson.

ol777gunnerz · Apr 18, 2021

info

mrcvs said:
...it has a checkered trigger which appears factory and is particularly rare on ANY Smith & Wesson.

I must say the checkering on the trigger is the nicest one I have seen. The Victor Wesson 3rd Model I own has a very nice grooved trigger, as shown. Anyone ever see a grooved trigger on one of these?

mrcvs · Apr 16, 2022

So, I had identified these variations, using a very small sample size:

“In summary:

Ship date 1911, small logo left side, 22 LONG RIFLE CTG left side;
Ship date 1913, large logo right side, 22 LONG RIFLE CTG left side
Ship date 1922, small logo left side, 22 LONG RIFLE CTG right side.”

And here’s a fourth variation, correct for the immediate post WWI era, shipped 1919: NO LOGO, 22 LONG RIFLE CTG right side, “SMITH & WESSON” left side of barrel.

mrcvs · Apr 16, 2022

And the factory letter.

Arman4461 · Apr 16, 2022

Gents,
Do these fine looking rimfires Eject upon opening, or are they Extract-only mechanisms?
Thanks!
Arman

mrcvs · Apr 17, 2022

Arman4461 said:
Do these fine looking rimfires Eject upon opening, or are they Extract-only mechanisms?

These do not automatically eject and only extract.

rct269 · Apr 21, 2022

0le said:
What accuracy can be expected from these arms?

I tested three different variations of the 3rd Model SS, #10617, with the shortest of the two different Olympic "chambers"; #11112, with the .025" longer Olympic "chamber"; and #7642 with a standard "chamber". The test was conducted indoors, and consisted of 25 rounds of Aguila Super SE Extra .22 Long Rifle ammunition fired from each pistol at 25 yards. The standard chamber gun produced all 10 ring hits. Each of the Olympic models produced all X ring hits.

As an aside, the original (shortest) throat occasioned a sufficient number of complaints about the effort required to load the pistol from what I'll refer to as the general public to cause S&W to lengthen the throat by .025". This version was still difficult to load, just not as difficult. This resulted in another .025" change in the chamber found in the earlier Straight Lines. The complaints continued, and the standard chambers found in the later Straight Lines mark the end of the so called "Olympic Chamber". I guess this characteristic can be noted as one of those defining the difference between shooters, and people who shoot--------the latter group not recognizing when they were well off.

Ralph Tremaine

Arman4461 · Apr 21, 2022

Impressive!
I just want to know how they saw the sights. My 20/10 vision isn't sufficient.

rct269 · Apr 21, 2022

You may very well have been using an early gun----the so-called Thin Round Top Blade front/U notch rear. The later versions were almost always fit with Patridge fronts/square notch rears-------not as good as today's optical sights, but not too shabby!

Ralph Tremaine

rct269 · Apr 29, 2022

9924 should be an Olympic Model (per Jinks' letter)---is it?

My two early (1911) guns both had one line barrel addresses (4807 (6") and 4826) (8")---I presume all early guns are the same--and I have no idea when they might have gone to the two line address (but 7642 (10"), 10617 (10"/early Olympic) and 11112 (10"/later Olympic) all had two line addresses). I never took any notice of small/large logos, caliber markings nor their location. I'm pretty sure both early guns had the Thin Round Top Blade front sights---Patridge on the others. The only rather odd thing about the two early guns is the 8", which was a single unit special order shipped within two-three days of completion; and the 6" shipped four and a half years after completion. Go figure!

Ralph Tremaine

mrcvs · Apr 29, 2022

rct269 said:
9924 should be an Olympic Model (per Jinks' letter)---is it?

Yes.

How do I know for sure? Well, when one has the bright idea to fire this pistol at an outdoor range and the temperature is 19 deg F out and when one uses one’s numb fingers to push in a .22 LR round, it’s very quickly painfully obvious that this is the case!

Club Gun Fan · Apr 29, 2022

This is Douglas Wessons personal Secretary Mildred Trench's .22 Single Shot Club Gun.

Heinz · Apr 29, 2022

mrcvs said:
These do not automatically eject and only extract.

they had good range manners back then, "police your empty brass"

rct269 · Apr 29, 2022

mrcvs said:
Yes.

How do I know for sure? Well, when one has the bright idea to fire this pistol at an outdoor range and the temperature is 19 deg F out and when one uses one’s numb fingers to push in a .22 LR round, it’s very quickly painfully obvious that this is the case!

I'm told the shooters of the time used a "pusher" to seat the cartridge----a piece of wood fashioned to suit the user-------also saves wear and tear on fingers.

Ralph Tremaine

turnerriver · Apr 29, 2022

I passed this holster around the Show & Tell circle at the Tulsa Symposium. It’s lettered- Roy Jinks sold it to me and sent me a letter with it. Full floral carving on front & back and edge laced all the way around, a fitting accessory for the fine specimens you all have posted.

Regards,

6917sctygrp · Apr 29, 2022

The letters are show in the post at the top.

A pair of .22 Third Model Single Shot Perfected Pistols

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