“It looks like a revolver, but it’s not a revolver!” are the words exclaimed by most people when they first encounter this interesting target pistol. They are seldom found today, but a good condition Smith & Wesson Perfected Target Pistol can still be depended on to render excellent results in target shooting. In fact, an old and good friend of mine claims to have used one in the early 1960s. He told me that for him it outshot any other small bore target arm existing at the time for slow-fire competition. Not bad credentials for an arm first made in 1909 and discontinued in 1923!
The evolution of this top-notch target pistol began as a conversion of the .38 Single Action Third Model Revolver. That revolver could be had with an accessory single shot barrel in .22 Long Rifle, .32 S&W, or .38 S&W. This conversion was known as the Model of 1891. It went into production in 1893 and could be ordered in 6”, 8”, or 10” lengths. Oversized hard rubber target grips were offered as an option. This style of grips was also used on later single shot pistols and the famed “Bekeart” .22/32 target revolver first produced in 1911. Sights on this conversion barrel were the Smith & Wesson adjustable target type. As the conversion became popular, Smith & Wesson soon began making complete pistols on this design; these are now known as First Model Single Shots. They can be identified as factory-complete pistols by the fact that the serial number is on the front grip strap. Since the larger target grips covered the butt of the grip where serials usually appeared, this change was necessary. These factory-produced single shots lacked a cylinder stop or a cylinder-rotating hand in the action. At the same time, a combination revolver/single shot arm was also cataloged as an option. It utilized the standard revolver frame complete with a hand and cylinder stop. All versions retained the cylinder recoil shield of the parent revolvers, and the separately-crafted trigger guard. The factory then began reworking the frames to make them function only as single shots, abandoning the “two guns for one” idea, which probably made economic sense for the company.
In 1905, the Second Model Single shot was introduced. The recoil shields were eliminated, making the sides of the pistol flat. This model continued in production until the factory ran out of the parent frames for the .38 Single Action Third Model. This gun was offered in a choice of blue or nickel finish, with a 10” barrel only. Some 6” and 8” barrels were factory installed on special order, as there were plenty left over from First Model production. All of these Second Models were chambered in .22 Long Rifle only. Serial numbers were a new and separate run, beginning with 1 and ending with 4,617 in 1909.
The factory had used up all of the original frames, and in 1909, they began using the frame of the .38 Perfected Double Action. This frame was a double action design, having the trigger guard as an integral part of the frame. The removable side plate was now on the right of the frame rather than the left. Inasmuch as the parent revolver was a double action design, the Third Model was also made as a double action, a dubious feature. As with the parent revolver, the hammer could be brought to full cock with the thumb, giving a very nice crisp single action trigger pull. This Third Model was called the “Perfected” due to the use of the .38 frame of the same name. The oversized target grips were now made of walnut rather than hard rubber. Produced until 1923, the serial numbers of this arm began as a continuation of the Second Model string, beginning with 4,618 and ending with 11,641. 6,949 were manufactured. They were offered with 10” barrels and a blued finish only. Various styles of front and rear sights were offered, including Patridge and Ira Paine types. All were shipped in a hinged-lid purple or lavender box with instructions printed inside the lid. The particular pistol illustrated for this article left the factory in March, 1914.
A rare variation of this pistol was called the Olympic Model. The factory had been experimenting with ways to make the pistol more accurate for Olympic competition. They found that if the chamber were made shorter so that the cartridge had to be forced in for the last 1/16”, seating the bullet into the rifling, better accuracy would result. Most guns were not chambered in this manner, as it made the gun difficult to load, and only an Olympic-level shooter could utilize the accuracy improvement. However, Olympic barrels could be special ordered, and some were, due to their reputation for accuracy. The only way to tell if the barrel is an Olympic variation is to put a round into the chamber. If it goes in easy, it’s a standard barrel, and if it has to be pressed in to fully chamber, it’s the unusual Olympic chambering.
Operation of the Perfected Target Pistol is easy. To open the barrel, press up on the knurled knob just in front of the rear sight blade with either thumb. Pull down on the barrel, rotating it down. If a loaded round or empty case is in the chamber, the automatic extractor will pull it up and extract it. The extractor will then snap back into place. Insert a loaded round and rotate the barrel up until it clicks back into place in the frame. The gun can then be cocked and fired single action, or by a double action pull on the trigger. Why this latter feature was put on these pistols, I don’t know, as a double action single shot target pistol seems a bit unnecessary and counterproductive!
The Perfected Target Pistol ended the era of revolver-framed single shot target pistols when it was discontinued in 1923. It and its two predecessors were quite popular and had been instrumental in setting records around the world. S&W thus established a fine reputation for precision firearms that were capable of very accurate shooting. In handling one of these arms today, it’s quite evident that it was produced with a great deal of professional hand labor. The parts mate perfectly and work together with a smoothness that has to be felt to be appreciated. It balances well and hangs steadily in the hand. The carefully bored and rifled barrel, the long sighting radius, the extended stocks and the crisp single action trigger all contributed to great scores in the hands of competition shooters of the early 20th Century.
Although the Perfected Target was the last revolver-framed single shot, it was not the last single shot made by Smith & Wesson. In 1920, the company circulated a questionnaire among target shooters, asking them what they’d like to see in a successor to this pistol. The consensus was that a new pistol should have the shape of an autoloader, and that the hammer and trigger should move in straight line to provide for minimal sight disturbance. Following these suggestions, the company made their fourth and final single shot, called the Straight Line. It did indeed resemble an autoloader, with a grip angle similar to that used on the Model 1911 service pistol. The .22 LR 10” barrel was provided with the Olympic chamber. Introduced in 1925, it was a flop on the marketplace. The trigger pull was erratic, and if over-lubricated, the pistol’s tight tolerances made the hammer fall light enough to cause malfunctioning. The Straight Line model was dropped from the company catalog in 1936 after only 1,870 were produced and sold. The success of the Perfected Target Pistol was never equaled again in a single-shot Smith & Wesson. It’s a true classic handgun and a curiosity today wherever displayed.
(c) 2012 JLM
Hope you enjoyed this brief summary of a unique pistol.
John
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