S&W No. 3 Rebounding Hammer

[lawlor2]

I have previously posted on two New Model No. 3's that I have, one a standard revolver factory ordered with target sights and shipped about 1900 and the second an Australian model shipped in 1881. I just realized that the Australian has a rebounding hammer and the one with target sights does not. Can someone tell me which was "standard" and which style was used when? Is one style rarer or more valued than the other? I would have thought that the rebounding hammer would have been an improvement but my early and late No. 3's suggest the opposite. Any thoughts or info will be appreciated as usual.

 

[lawlor2]

I have previously posted on two New Model No. 3's that I have, one a standard revolver factory ordered with target sights and shipped about 1900 and the second an Australian model shipped in 1881. I just realized that the Australian has a rebounding hammer and the one with target sights does not. Can someone tell me which was "standard" and which style was used when? Is one style rarer or more valued than the other? I would have thought that the rebounding hammer would have been an improvement but my early and late No. 3's suggest the opposite. Any thoughts or info will be appreciated as usual.

 

[2152hq]

It was my understanding that the non-rebounding hammer was an option and it is most often found on target sighted revolvers, but I don't know where I heard that or read that. There are others here that have much more info on the #3s than I (that doesn't take alot!) and will most likely post some replies to this post.
I have a target sighted #3 in 44Russian w/5" bbl that was shipped very late (1915) and it too has a non-rebounding hammer FWIW.

 

[lawlor2]

Thanks for the info. Does this mean that all normal sales of New Models had the rebounding hammer and that those without were special orders? You would not think they shipped the two types randomly. The S&W letter on my New Model with target sights is in the normal serial range and it confirms the special order of target sights but says nothing about the absence of a rebounding hammer. I hope someone can eventually help me figure this out. One final question I have wondered about: Were rebounding hammers used on any Americans, Russians or Schofields or are they limited to the New Models? Sorry for all the questions but as an old research guy I enjoy researching my guns as much as shooting them.

 

[mmaher94087]

Lawlor2, I don't have any references at my fingertips but I'm under the impression that the target sighted NM#3 revolvers did not have the rebounding hammers. Only the standard, fixed sighted, New Model 3's were equipped with rebounding hammers. I hope that Jim Supica will chime-in and clearify this. Mike