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The Kelton safety was a thumb-activated safety device invented by Colonel John C. Kelton, Assistant Adjutant General of the U.S. Army, and patented in 1885. It was fitted to a limited number of Smith & Wesson 1st Model Schofield revolvers and New Model No. 3 revolvers. The safety consisted of a lever attached to the frame with a single screw, designed to prevent the hammer from falling and firing the revolver unless the thumb piece was depressed. This was intended to reduce accidental discharges, particularly when the revolver was dropped or mishandled.
Approximately 25 Schofield revolvers were modified with the Kelton safety by the Springfield Armory around 1885, and at least 20 New Model No. 3 revolvers were factory-fitted with it in the serial number range 24510–24519. However, the Kelton safety was deemed unacceptable for widespread use due to its complexity and the additional step it required for firing, leading to no further conversions after the initial trials. One notable example is a 1st Model Schofield, serial number 2240, which was fitted with the Kelton safety and sold as an antique. Another is a rare engraved Schofield, the only known example with both the Kelton safety and New York-style scroll and vine engraving, likely embellished for a client of surplus distributors like Francis Bannerman or Schuyler-Hartley & Graham around 1880–1881.
The Kelton safety is considered a rare and historically significant feature due to its limited application and the lack of adoption by the military.
The Kelton safety was a thumb-activated safety device invented by Colonel John C. Kelton, Assistant Adjutant General of the U.S. Army, and patented in 1885. It was fitted to a limited number of Smith & Wesson 1st Model Schofield revolvers and New Model No. 3 revolvers. The safety consisted of a lever attached to the frame with a single screw, designed to prevent the hammer from falling and firing the revolver unless the thumb piece was depressed. This was intended to reduce accidental discharges, particularly when the revolver was dropped or mishandled.
Approximately 25 Schofield revolvers were modified with the Kelton safety by the Springfield Armory around 1885, and at least 20 New Model No. 3 revolvers were factory-fitted with it in the serial number range 24510–24519. However, the Kelton safety was deemed unacceptable for widespread use due to its complexity and the additional step it required for firing, leading to no further conversions after the initial trials. One notable example is a 1st Model Schofield, serial number 2240, which was fitted with the Kelton safety and sold as an antique. Another is a rare engraved Schofield, the only known example with both the Kelton safety and New York-style scroll and vine engraving, likely embellished for a client of surplus distributors like Francis Bannerman or Schuyler-Hartley & Graham around 1880–1881.
The Kelton safety is considered a rare and historically significant feature due to its limited application and the lack of adoption by the military.
