Schofield with a 4 digit serial number... and its marked "JF&CO'S.EX"
Anything would be helpful! Would a letter be available for it? Apparently it went to the US then to a private company, was modified and used by the private company.
On government guns (the vast majority), it will be marked “US” on the butt.
For the JF&CO EX marking, is it possible this is “WF&CO EX”? Wells Fargo bought a number of Schofields, modified them (shortened) and then stamped them with this mark as well as a new serial number. They put the stamp right by the patent information on the right side of the ejector housing (the rib under the barrel).
The SWHF can get you some information. The amount of information available varies wildly from gun to gun.
Edit: the most prominent mid to late 1800s company using “EF&CO” would likely be Ernest Francillon & Co, later called Longines (Swiss timepieces).
Last edited by Incendiary; 03-13-2024 at 12:23 PM.
I suspect your "JF&CO'S.EX" is actually WF&CO'S.EX for the Wells
Fargo Company. I don't believe WF shortened those barrels. It
was the surplus company that bought them from the Government
that cut off the barrels. Some were nickel plated before they were
re-sold to Wells Fargo.
The Wells Fargo stamp is well document BUT there have been many
counterfeit marked guns. It has been estimated that there are as
many counterfeit stamped guns as originals. Therefore one must
verify and not accept it at face value until validated.
My understanding is that that there are two different types of WF stamps on these guns and that the SN of the revolver was the number stamped along with the WF stamp. Since there are many fakes, I won't buy one.
There were at least two different stamps used. The two that are
accepted as original are almost identical. The difference being
that one version has "WF&CO. EX" and another has "WF&CO.'S EX."
There are a couple of different size stamps used for the serial no.
stamped next to the Wells Fargo stamp (the serial number was
the same as the serial on the butt).