S&W New Model Number 3 Japanese Navy Contract - needs some help!

"RIA did advertise this as a Japanese Navy gun and it seems the frame is, not so sure about the barrel now though since I think it is missing that stamp. Hopefully Roy Jinks will know." Your barrel and latch are in the late 25000 range and are consistent with the range of revolvers marked with an anchor and no wavy lines as yours is. These revolvers were usually only marked in one place. The mark is most common on the bottom strap forward of the trigger guard but the marks can be found on the butt, frame knuckle or barrel.
 
Thanks mmaher! That's very helpful. And thank you also Driftwood! By random chance I actually already had snap ring pliers (for installing Mauser K98k sight hoods actually haha) they are the pin type rather than the jaw, but they did work to remove the mainspring. I got stuck at the part after that, when I compressed the hand backwards I couldn't figure out how to wiggle the hammer out of the gun - it seemed like it was still under spring pressure from somewhere else or something.
 
"..it seemed like it was still under spring pressure from somewhere else or something. " Trigger spring pressure and a tight fit to the hammer stud. Wiggle, wiggle, wig.. you get the idea.
 
To follow up: place the revolver with the side plate facing up (and removed) to expose the hammer and hand; mainspring removed as said above. Use the Left hand index finger to hold the hand to the rear out of the frame slot while the ring finger, or finger of choice, applies pressure on the trigger to keep it from engaging the hammer. Move the hammer nose rearward just enough to clear the barrel latch/frame slot. With slight upward pressure, move the hammer front to back to release it from the hammer stud.
 
mmaher94087 said:
To follow up: place the revolver with the side plate facing up (and removed) to expose the hammer and hand; mainspring removed as said above. Use the Left hand index finger to hold the hand to the rear out of the frame slot while the ring finger, or finger of choice, applies pressure on the trigger to keep it from engaging the hammer. Move the hammer nose rearward just enough to clear the barrel latch/frame slot. With slight upward pressure, move the hammer front to back to release it from the hammer stud.
Click to expand...

Well done!

RT
 
It is not unusual to find a Japanese contract NM3 with mixed numbers. Usually it's just a cylinder mis-matched number however, I have seen many in the past 40 years with different numbered barrels / clasps. Usually all of these I've seen are numbered to another Japanese contract NM3.

My opinion is (with no supported facts) that likely the mismatched cylinders were from arsenal reworks in Japan prior to WWII. Further I have come to believe and accept that (mostly) those with the mismatched barrel / clasp and / or more ... all having other Japanese contract SN ranges ... were likely done after WWII by whomever surplus-ed these revolvers after WWII.

I feel the ones with major mis-matched parts were likely the last sold off out of the bunch where they did mix and match to sell off the remaining Japanese contract NM3s after the bulk of the bunch were sold.

I still own a NM3 Japanese Contract with a generic blue refinish, having mis-matched SNs (from 2 different guns) but both are Japanese contract SNs.

Yours, however, also had a clipped barrel. If it was not presented as a mis-matched SN gun you should call the auction house to inquire if you feel the description did not accurately match the item. I don't think you have a complaint about the clipped barrel if it was shown properly in the auction photographs.
 
I'm not one to complain really, I wasn't purchasing this revolver as a purely collectible item so the mismatched numbers are more of a curiosity then a point of irritation for me - thank you for the great insights thought!

Also thanks to the above posters for the detailed info on how to get the hammer out! After cleaning the gun and having it inspected, the smith I took it to said the ejector ratchet/star thing looked alright, and the hand did as well. It does seem like the hammer clicks back before the cylinder locks up - I tried pulling it back a bit farther from that point but without result.

It seems like it might indeed be safe to shoot as long as I am ginger with the action and make sure the cylinder is locked up?
 
Well I'm never absolutely sure of anything in this life but I have shot it, two rounds total now without issue. Loading up a whole cylinder and trusting it to time properly on its own is another matter, possibly bearing further investigation by another gunsmith.
 
Hello
there is a contract for the Japanese Navy and a contract for Japanese artillery
Japanese marine model serial numbers 5426 to 5701 and 9001 to 9600. Subsequent purchases with higher serial numbers, were made.
The major identification markings are an anchor on the frame (to my knowledge no mention of marking on the barrel)
the Japanese artillery model with serial number in the range 25000 and japonaise character markings on the left side of the extractor housing, blue finish and 7 "barrel
Yours is a model of the Japanese navy but late series.
I noticed a small defect on the frame (see photos), perhaps the reason for the change barrel cylinder block.
this fault is caused by a problem of return of the extractor to the closure
I also find that the axis of the cylinder (in the center of the extractor) is of different color (this axis and the extractor does not seem original )
for your mechanical problem, Driftwood Johnson has said everything, possibly if you have the opportunity to try another cylinder, it might be possible to know if it is the hand or the extractor which is defective.
 

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In case anyone remembers this old thread, I did eventually have an antique dime cut to make a front sight for this old revolver:

IgGgBBIh.jpg


Found one from 1890 on ebay for like $12 and a machinist friend was kind enough to do the work for me since a project like this is at least ten orders of magnitude beyond my rather inept skills haha

Haven't been able to bring it out to the range yet but another friend with a .44 Russian was kind enough to load some black powder rounds for me so I'll definitely be shooting at some point!
 
Jap #3

I like the new sight and the shortened barrel looks pretty cool.
 
rct269 said:
I quoted the line from the letter. There is nothing about the context to suggest any meaning other than as quoted. I suspect the tale of #3 frames (all forged prior to 1899---1898 actually) is one fabricated and hatched by S&W (Roy Jinks) and the ATF folks with an eye toward simplifying their respective lives----a bit of mutual back scratching. That aside for the moment, picture yourself as the man in the corner office at S&W. Your marketing guy and your plant manager have come to you with a plan to forge an unknown but large number of frames---on spec---just in case they might be needed sometime down the road. I can think of only one question you might have asked before you fired both of them----"WHAT------are you two NUTS?!!"

On the rare occasions I speak of such things, my line is "All frames are deemed to have been produced before 1898." Depending upon my audience, I might add,"as a matter of convenience."


Dunno Ralph.
But I have 2 NM#3's. One shipped 1897 and another, 10 numbers lower shipped 1900
Click to expand...
 
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