Mod.3 Navy .44 Russian

Exmilcop · Apr 30, 2021

Antique pistol prices are getting seriously nuts up here in Canada. It seems that functional pistols that meet the "antique" status criteria are getting snapped up pretty quickly and availability of decent shooters is drying up. For example, here's a nice, obviously refinished, Mod.3 with the 6" barrel in .44 Russian. Originally, the seller wanted $5995. Now he's down to $4995. I paid about $1500. less for mine, refinished, in excellent shape with the 5" barrel and that was about a year ago. What would something like this go for in the realm of my southern neighbours? How is your availability?

Kinman · Apr 30, 2021

I paid a little North of $2K for this New Model #3 recently and was very happy. It works like a champ.

For comparison I also picked this .44 D.A. up on G.B. a year or two ago for just South of $2K, it was sent back to the factory in the mid fifties for a terrific old school factory refinish.

Mbrgr1 · Apr 30, 2021

I got this one free in a Walmart parking lot!

Waiting on a letter!

That's a beauty you have there!

Oldmanwesson · May 1, 2021

Prices in the US are just as bad. Okay, maybe not quite as bad, but I'd say 30% up from before COVID. - That's what it is all about, you know. Folks are bored, can't spend their money, so they buy toys...

Exmilcop · May 1, 2021

Kinman said:
I paid a little North of $2K for this New Model #3 recently and was very happy. It works like a champ.

2 GRAND!!!!! For that? Even with the exchange rate, if a pistol like that came on the market up here, in 2 min. you'd have at least 5 "I'll take it" responses. Lucky you!

steelslaver · May 1, 2021

About 4 or 5 years ago I hesitated on a refinished #3 at $1500 on the for sales on this forum. It was gone a few hours later.

Whoever did the refinish on yours made it look really nice. While the not worth the same as an original finish it is still a fine example of a S&W big bore top break.

reccpd101 · May 1, 2021

Is the Canadian premium due to your stiff firearms laws? While it's not a 44, my "baby russian" in 38 S&W from 1877 works great in an underrated caliber. The way the US is going, the shootable antique may be a good thing to have. I thought it was a bargain at $350.

Club Gun Fan · May 1, 2021

I just got this one. It's a .32-44 Target. Almost perfect condition. It was owned by Walter Wesson. He was Vice President of Smith & Wesson. He later became President after D B passed.

glowe · May 1, 2021

If you are talking about 44 Double Action revolvers like you show, they sell regularly here in the US. Just go on Gunbroker and you can see them for sale or sign in and see those that have sold. A cosmetically challenged example here will struggle to make $1000 at sale. They are the least popular large frame S&W top-break, even today. They had a reputation for having too many small parts and were much more prone to breaking than their single action cousins. I have to say, however, that I have never broken a part on any that I have owned.

Supica and Nahas Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson, 4th Edition list them in the following conditions:

Fair: . . . $600
Good: . . $850
VG: . . . .$1000
Fine: . . .$1700

Some may disagree, but on a national auction house basis or online gun sites I still see those prices. Prices on everything firearms related are higher during this buying frenzy, but even in normal times, this gun still has limited interest and value in the US.

If you sign into Gunbroker, you will find several 44 DAs that sold under $1000 and one even stated the seller would ship to Canada in their headlines. Here is just a partial list of 44 DAs that have recently sold.

SMITH WESSON 44 RUSSIAN DOUBLE ACTION REVOLVER, WILL SHIP TO CANADA - Antique Guns at GunBroker.com : 898771576
smith and wesson .44 russian double action - Semi Auto Pistols at GunBroker.com : 896667005
Smith & Wesson .44 Double Action Frontier 44-40 Antique PENNY - Antique Guns at GunBroker.com : 893602124
Smith & Wesson Double Action Frontier Revolver - Revolvers at GunBroker.com : 893088540

first-model · May 1, 2021

I have a factory refinished .44 DA in .44 Russian that was sent back to the S&W factory and refinished in 1952. The gun looks like it was refinished yesterday, and other than a bit of push-off on the hammer it works fine.

I think I paid $700 for it in Baton Rouge about three years ago.

Mike

Exmilcop · May 3, 2021

first-model said:
I have a factory refinished .44 DA in .44 Russian that was sent back to the S&W factory and refinished in 1952. The gun looks like it was refinished yesterday, and other than a bit of push-off on the hammer it works fine.

I think I paid $700 for it in Baton Rouge about three years ago.

Mike

If any of you are curious about Canadian prices, go to Old Guns Canada. I've dealt with the guy a few times, as have friends, and he's pretty good. Stock now is very low, mostly rimfires. Any decent centre fire pistol will go for pretty good money up here and move quickly. An example of the Canadian Gov't stupidity is the S&W Mod.3's that are pictured. If it's in .44 Russian, no paperwork required. If the same pistol is in .44-40, it has to be registered since the ammunition is currently readily available. Nuts, eh? I could go on and on about the idiocy and inconsistency of our firearms laws. Though I may miss a few, obsolete big-bore calibers that are exempt are .44 Russian, .45 S&W, .45 Schofield, .44 S&W, .455 Webley, .41 Colt and almost any rimfire ammo except .22. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe .44 American and .44 S&W are the same cartridge, are they not?

glowe · May 3, 2021

Exmilcop said:
. . . Now correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe .44 American and .44 S&W are the same cartridge, are they not?

There were a few early changes to the name of this cartridge. The very first production was made by the Frankford Arsenal, calling the caliber simply ".44" in 1871. It was a Martin primer design which was a complex folded base design. Apparently only used with copper cases. Later in the 1870s the term 44-100" was used for a time and ultimately "44 American" or "44 Smith & Wesson American". I have read that this cartridge was also called "44 S&W", but never have seen a box of ammo printed that way.

first-model · May 3, 2021

Exmilcop said:
An example of the Canadian Gov't stupidity is the S&W Mod.3's that are pictured. If it's in .44 Russian, no paperwork required. If the same pistol is in .44-40, it has to be registered since the ammunition is currently readily available. Nuts, eh? I could go on and on about the idiocy and inconsistency of our firearms laws.

A few years ago I reached out to the RCMP about the classification of the S&W Model 1, which was chambered in the original .22 rimfire black powder round. Because that round is dimensionally identical to a modern .22 short, the RCMP told me that the Model 1 is a prohibited firearm. I tried to go back and forth with them, but I might as well have been trying to reason with a brick wall.

I will always love the country of my birth, but purgatory would freeze over before I move back.

Mike

BMur · May 3, 2021

Lay Low!

Being from California and on the "front lines" since birth? I recommend that you lay low regarding the Antique laws in Canada.

The last thing you want is for the Government to re-evaluate that section of firearms laws.....Leave it alone and enjoy what you have for as long as you can have it. Do what you can to "protect it" by promoting safety and "Historical Significance" as your shield from their endless ignorance. They know nothing about the subject...Let's keep it that way!!!

Murph

Oldmanwesson · May 4, 2021

BMur said:
Being from California and on the "front lines" since birth? I recommend that you lay low regarding the Antique laws in Canada.

The last thing you want is for the Government to re-evaluate that section of firearms laws.....Leave it alone and enjoy what you have for as long as you can have it. Do what you can to "protect it" by promoting safety and "Historical Significance" as your shield from their endless ignorance. They know nothing about the subject...Let's keep it that way!!!

Murph

Amen to that, Murph. Canada's "antique status" laws are based on the fact that ammunition is not supposed to be readily available (actually the same in the US) however in recent years the demand for ammo for antique guns has prompted some manufacturers to re-introduce these "obsolete" calibers - .44 Russian, .41 Long Colt, .455 Webley - all still "antique" by Canadian standards, but for how long?? I heard a rumour from one of my collecting colleagues that a small firm in Alberta is planning to make rim fire ammo again - .32, .38 and .41. It's just a matter of time before the feds catch on. I am actually surprised that your ATF does not enforce 26 U.S.C. 5845(g) "...any firearm...manufactured in or before 1898, for which ammunition is no longer manufactured in the US and is not readily available in ordinary channels of commercial trade..." there are quite a few manufacturers in the US making the above ammo, and buying it on line surely qualifies as an "ordinary channel of trade", wouldn't you think?? Sshh...

BMur · May 4, 2021

Dynamic

Old man Wesson,
I hear what you are saying but anytime you start including the “ Black Powder Era”? You’d better do your homework.

I wrote a book on the 41 Rimfire. Any ammo manufacturing company that try’s to bring back that round is asking for trouble!

That’s the reason it hasn’t happened since the Navy Arms batch. Some of the derringers were coming apart with that smokeless load!

Long story that’s all in my book but basically no two manufactures were alike regarding bore dynamics. Some made their 41 Rimfire pistols with a groove diameter of .410 but others made theirs with a groove diameter of as low as .383!

There was NO standard during that period. My research proves it!
Calling it safe to pull the trigger on a gun that’s over 130 years old is an act of stupidity if you ask me! You’re asking to get sued! And actually manufacturing ammo for them? Obviously they HAVE NOT done their homework!!!

Even black powder loads of that period damaged many derringers because the rounds they were using were actually “ contracted” for another gun!!!

I swear, the past is always repeated!

Murph

Mod.3 Navy .44 Russian

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