Top break .45s..............

[Bob Wright]

I know there were some commercial No. 3 revolvers in .45 S&W caliber. My question is were all .45 S&W No.3s of the Schofield pattern? That is, did they all have the Schofield latch?

I've read/heard Smith & Wesson chafed at paying royalties for each gun sold, so did they revert to the original latch for commercial .45 revolvers?

Bob Wright

 

[iby]

unless this is a trick question, the answer is no.
Only the Schofield model used the frame mounted latch
I have heard of NM#3's in 45 S&W

 

[Bob Wright]

unless this is a trick question, the answer is no.
Only the Schofield model used the frame mounted latch
I have heard of NM#3's in 45 S&W

No, not a trick question. My question was, were there any .45 S&W caliber No. 3 Top Breaks that were not of the Schofield pattern?

But I got an answer on another forum that some New Model No.3s were indeed made in .45 S&W caliber.

Bob Wright

 

[iby]

Bob
Interesting that you had to ask on another forum
I have had mixed results lately on some posts too

 

[cgt4570]

The 'book' says that .45 S&W was an available special order option on the New Model Number Three (along with several other rarely seen calibers on early Smiths like British .45 .450 and .455 variations. It even mentions .41 S&W, which I don't think ever made it out of R&D to the market.
Probably only Roy would know if any .45 S&W chambered NM#3's were actually ordered.
But it was available.

 

[opoefc]

NM#3s in various.45 calibers ( Schofield, Webley, Eley, etc. ) were made and shipped. I've owned several over time. Walter Winans had var ious NM#3s in these calibers. No NM#3s had Schofield patented barrel latches, that I know of. Ed