smith and wesson russian model

In 1870, Smith & Wesson introduced a new cartridge revolver that would become the basis for at least five other subsequent models, and which would remain in production in one form or another for some four decades. The Model No 3 First Model, which eventually received the moniker “American” was the prototypical large frame Smith & Wesson handgun of the old west period. The nickname originated to differentiate this variant of the Model #3 from a variant produced in a different caliber that had been adopted as part of a contract for the Russian military. The 1st Model “American” revolver was chambered for the .44 S&W American cartridge, with less than 100 also manufactured in .44 Henry Rim Fire. Initially it was simply called the .44-100 when it was first introduced, but which had to be differentiated from the “Russian” variant of the .44 cartridge after that foreign contract was signed. The gun was a single action revolver with a six-shot fluted cylinder and a ribbed round barrel that was usually 8-inches in length. The revolver incorporated a number of “firsts” for the company. It was the first centre fire revolver that Smith & Wesson produced. It was also the first .44 caliber handgun for the company, the first “large frame” handgun for Smith & Wesson, and most importantly the first gun to feature a tip down barrel with simultaneous extraction. 

The revolver was originally designed for the 1870 US Ordnance Board handgun trials, where it performed well enough that a contract for 1,000 guns was received by the company in December of 1870. The deliveries made under this contract took place in March of 1871. These “martial” #3 Americans appear to be somewhat evenly distributed within the serial range of 125 to 2199. One of the features that made the #3 so appealing was the “simultaneous” extraction system. By lifting a latch on the top of the frame the action of the revolver was opened and as the barrel was tipped down, a star extractor, powered by a ratchet mechanism, withdrew the cartridges from the cylinder, and expelled the empty cases. It was then an easy matter to replace any spent rounds, close the action and be ready to use the revolver again. By comparison, Colt’s competing design, the Single Action Army, released in 1873, required a slow system of manual extraction of each spent case one at a time, with an equally slow loading process. The simultaneous extraction system would be so successful and popular that a number of Smith & Wesson models in multiple frame sizes and calibers would utilize it well into the 20th century. The first 1,500 or so of the #3 American revolvers were manufactured with a tiny “oil hole” in the bottom of the barrel web, just in front of the frame hinge and ratchet system. This allowed for the ratchet mechanism to be lubricated. It was discovered that this was an unnecessary feature and was eliminated from standard production somewhere between serial numbers 1450 and 1537. In all, Smith & Wesson would produce about 8,000 Model # 3 “American” First Model revolvers between 1870 and 1872, when a refined version the “Second Model” American would replace it. 

Many of the small design changes and improvements for the 2nd Model can be credited to changes requested by the Russian government, who had ordered some 20,000 #3 Revolvers in 1871. The initial order for the Russian contract arms was for all practical purposes a No 3 1st Model American Revolver that was chambered for the slightly more powerful .44 Russian cartridge. The primary differences with these early contract guns was the change from German silver to iron for the pinned front sight, the use of a new interlocking hammer that locked the cylinder latch when it was in the down position and the inclusion of a lanyard ring in the butt. These changes were all standard on the Model No 3 2nd Model American, which was introduced almost simultaneously. The 2nd Model Americans were produced in a continuation of the 1st Model American serial number range, while the first Russian contract revolvers were serialized in their own range from 1-20,000. After about 3,000 of the Russian contract arms were delivered the Russian requested that the trigger pin be increased in size to increase its strength and all subsequent 2nd Model American and 1st contract Russian Revolvers had this feature. More minor improvements were made to the mechanism as production continued and these improvements were incorporated into both the 2nd Model American and Russian contract revolvers. The Russian military contract guns were produced with blued finishes and with 8” barrels that were roll marked in Cyrillic rather than English. These guns had a double headed Russian Eagle at the right end of the mark and the inspection initials KO on the left side of the. Of those guns 500 were rejected and were resold as commercial revolvers. In most cases the commercial Russian contract revolvers had their original Cyrillic markings ground off and were re-marked with English markings that included the term “Russian Model” to indicate the caliber. The rejected guns were sold along with 4,655 No 3 2nd Model revolvers that were also chambered in .44 Russian that were marked with the English version of the Russian markings. These majority of these commercial revolvers were sold with 8” barrels but were also available with 5 ½”, 6”, 6 ½” and 7” lengths as well as in nickel in addition to blue. The lanyard swivel in the butt was optional for the commercial guns and those that were not delivered with a swivel has the hole in the butt filled with a screw. Some 20,735 Model No 3, 2nd Model revolvers were produced and these included the 4,655 commercial “1st Model Russians” and 3,014 that were chambered in .44 Henry with the balance of those guns being true “Americans” in .44 American. Today, these scarce early .44 Russian handguns are referred to by collectors as “Old, Old Model Russian” revolvers, to differentiate them from the 2nd contract Russian guns known as “Old Model Russian” revolvers and the later contract guns that were simply “Russian Models”.

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Webley's Mark I was a .455 caliber, 6-shot, self-cocking revolver with a top break action and automatic extraction. The double action mechanism utilizes a rebounding hammer for safety, keeping the firing pin away from the cartridge until the trigger is pulled, and has no half-cock position in the hammer pawl. The revolver's design was robust and relatively simple, with a minimum of parts. A very strong, stirrup shaped locking system kept the action tightly closed, but the ergonomic thumb break release made the pistol easy to open and allowing the pistol to be opened and emptied with one hand. The revolver had simple, fixed sights with the front sight machined integrally with the barrel and the rear sight notch machined into the locking mechanism. A 4" octagonal barrel was equipped with Metford style, 7-groove rifling, and a pair of wedge shaped wings machined on either side of the lower barrel web, forward of the cylinder, assisted in holstering the pistol and kept the cylinder from being hung up on the holster lip. The bird's head grip was comfortable and well suited to hands of various sizes, and had a pair of checkered grip panels made from vulcanized hard rubber, referred to as “Ebonite”. When the Webley Mark I revolver was accepted into service in 1887 it was initially utilized with the current .450 Adams cartridge, but that would be replaced in 1891 with a new Webley cartridge. In 1891 the .455 Mark I cartridge was adopted for use in the Webley service revolver. It was loaded with 18 grains of black powder and a 265-grain round-nosed lead bullet that traveled about 650 fps. The slow velocity, heavy, large diameter bullet was a good man-stopper and the .455 cartridge, in various loadings and designations, would remain in British service through the end of World War II. In 1894 the cartridge was improved by replacing the 18 grains of black powder propellant with 6.5 grains of cordite. The cartridge was further modified in 1897, by shortening the casing to make the cordite burn more effectively, and increasing the charge to 7.5 grains. This new cartridge would remain the standard service cartridge for British revolvers until the adoption of the .38-200 cartridge in the World War II era, and would remain in service until after the Second World War. With the adoption of the new cordite cartridge and the increased pressures it brought with it, a new Webley revolver was adopted, the Mark II. The Mark II was adopted in June of 1895 and was nearly identical to the previous Mark I, with a few minor improvements. Externally, the shape of the grip was very slightly changed, and the small “shelf” or hump on the backstrap, at the grip to frame junction, was eliminated. Additionally, the hammer was made "bulkier" and the triggerguard were made "sturdier". The Mark II also introduced a new recoil shield at the rear of the cylinder. The Mark I recoil shield was integral with the frame of the revolver. The new shield was dovetailed into the frame and secured by a screw and a locating pin. This allowed the shield to be replaced if it became worn or damaged. The older Mark I revolvers were authorized to be upgraded (as necessary) to the Mark II recoil shield system, and these modified revolvers were to be designated Mark I* (pronounced "Mark One Star") revolvers. Technically a Mark I* was also supposed to have the hump ground down on the grip frame, but this rarely happened in service. The Webley Mark II revolver was produced from 1894 through 1898, when the Mark III replaced it. The Mark III was authorized in October of 1897, with the contracts published in May of 1898. The Mark III included the "patented cam cylinder" improvement, but from a casual glance was not noticeably different than the preceding Mark II. The Mark III remained standard issue for only a year, being supplanted by the Mark IV in October of 1899. There were some minor, internal mechanical enhancements, but the primary difference was the use of improved steel in the production of the revolver. In 1913, the Mark V was adopted, again with little noticeable external changes, but with some minor internal improvements and a very slightly longer cylinder. It was the Mark VI, adopted in 1915 that made radical changes to the overall appearance of the Webley service revolver. The Mark VI introduced a 6" barrel and a new grip frame with a squared butt profile. The conclusion of World War I essentially brought the production of the Mark VI Webley to an end, but the majority of the Webley .455 caliber service revolvers remained in some form of British military service through the end of World War II, no matter their model number or designation. During the 1950s and 1960s, many of the British Webley service revolvers were exported to the United States as surplus. The vast majority of these guns had the rear of their cylinders shaved to allow the guns to be loaded with the popular (and readily available) .45 ACP cartridge, with either full or half-moon clips. While that cartridge can be fired in these revolvers, it is s somewhat dicey proposition in the older Mark I, Mark II and Mark III revolvers, due to the lower quality steel used to produce them, and the fact that the .45 ACP has a much higher operating pressure than the .455 Mark II cartridge. None of these older Webley's should be fired with .45 ACP ammunition until inspected by a qualified gunsmith. Due to the fact that so many of the guns were modified, finding one with the original, full-length cylinder is difficult and these revolvers are quite desirable among collectors today.

This particular revolver has been highly modified, the frame is from a MKII and the barrel and cylinder are from a MKVI, making for a very strong revolver.

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Ottoman Empire Flintlock "DAG" Blunderbuss Pistol Also called a knee pistol because of how they were fired from a horse.
c. 1780-1830, Ottoman Empire Flintlock "DAG" Blunderbuss Pistol.
This type of Ottoman Empire Flintlock "Dag" Blunderbuss Pistol was a style coveted by the Barbary Coast pirates. This example has a 9" steel Blunderbuss barrel with flaring muzzle. The flint lock has rather crude decorative engraving and has a dark and dirty age patina. This gun is in its original Flintlock configuration and functions correctly as designed. It has all brass furniture. The stock has areas of decorative carving. Overall, the stock is solid with light scratches and dings from handling.

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Originally marked on the lock plate by the maker but has been purposely removed.  This pistol is beautifully made with heavy silver mounts and extensive intricate gold inlay, this flintlock pistol is almost certainly of French manufacture with British influence. The silver pommel is encrusted with deeply embossed Stands of Arms, the trigger guard, side plate and ram rod pipes are also of silver. The 10" barrel is also decorated in silver and gold and is most likely of Arabic design, the lock plate also has silver overlays making this an extremely attractive pistol. The silver stamps do not appear to be French, likely Arabic.  Dating from the time of Napoleon Bonaparte, circa 1750-1800, this was a period of French expansion of the Eastern Mediterranean.

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The British Royal Navy Sea Service Pistol has the unique distinction of being one of the very few military small arms to retain its basic form for a century of service. While most military arms have service lives of a few decades at most, the flintlock Sea Service Pistol of the British Royal Navy remained in general use from 1716 until 1816, exactly 100 years, with only some minor modifications. While these minor changes, primarily to the locks, have led modern collectors to label the variations as different pattern dates, the reality is that from its introduction circa 1716 through the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, the basic form of the pistol remained unchanged. 

The first pattern date applied to the Sea Service pistol in this form is 1716. The Pattern 1716 Sea Service Pistol was very similar to the Land Service Pistol of the same era, in overall appearance and design. The pistol was a single shot, flintlock ignition gun with a 12” long, round iron smoothbore barrel in “pistol bore”, approximately .56 caliber. The guns were of simple, but robust construction, and like their land service brethren were built with an eye towards the gun seeing equal service as a club, as it did as a firearm! In fact, US Naval manuals from the first decades of the 1800s included instruction on how to throw the pistol at an enemy, a tactic that no doubt originated in the Royal Navy. The 12” barrel of the Sea Service pistol was secured to the full-length stock by a pair of transverse wire pins, and a single screw through the breech tang. The forend tip was without cap or reinforcement. The furniture was of brass, with a simple cast brass lobed butt cap that doubled as the head of the pistol butt “club”, a brass triggerguard, a flat brass side plate and a single brass ramrod pipe. A steel belt hook was attached to the reverse of the pistol by the rear most lock mounting screw, and a stud at the inboard rear of the hook engaged a hole in the side plate to keep the belt hook from swiveling when in use. A recurved iron trigger was suspended from a single iron wire pin that passed through the stock and into the lock mortise. A simple, brass-tipped wooden rammer was secured under the stock by the ramrod pipe. 

The lock was the one area that showed the largest amount of variation, and the pattern of lock is the principle reason for the various pattern date designations assigned to these pistols. The earliest Pattern 1716 pistols used the Pattern 1716 Sea Service Lock, which was flat with a semi-banana shaped profile with an integral, faceted, unbridled iron pan without a fence, and a flat reinforced cock (hammer). The plates were pointed to the rear and did not have the boarder-line enhancements of later pistol locks. All of the lock markings were engraved. These included the lock contractor’s name, as well as the lock’s date at the tail of the lock, and the royal crown over “GR” royal cypher forward of the hammer. The Pattern 1716/77 Sea Service Pistol was in in essence identical to the Pattern 1716, with the exception of the adoption of the new Pattern 1777 Sea Service pistol lock. The new lock featured a shorter sear spring, which meant that the ends of two internal screws are visible to the rear of the hammer, while the older 1716 lock had the end of the sear spring screw concealed behind the hammer. The Pattern 1777 lock also introduced a rounded pan with a bridle. 

The final variation of the pistol was again for all reasonable purposes identical to the two previous variations, with the exception of the lock, which was the new India Service pistol lock. It was adopted for use with the Sea Service pistol in 1801 and that is the designation that this final variation carries, the Pattern 1801. The refinements of the new lock were primarily simplifications and production improvements. Visually the most identifiable features were the addition of a fence to the rear of the round iron pan and the change from engraving the markings on the lock to stamping them. With the simplification of the marking system, aesthetic enhancements like stamped boarder lines around the lock and body of the cock were added. The pistol remained unchanged in this variation until 1816, when it was determined that the barrels of the pistols should be shortened from 12” to 9”, and many Pattern 1801 pistols were subsequently shortened. 

Other than some changes in the lock system, the long barreled Royal Navy Sea Service Pistol remained in the same basic form from and in constant service from 1716 to 1816, a claim that very few other military arms can make. These pistols saw service during the entire range of British Wars during that century of service, from The War of the Quadruple Alliance (1717-1720) to the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748), to the Seven Years’ War (or French & Indian War 1756-1763), through the American Revolution (1775-1783), and into the era of the Napoleonic Wars (on and off from 1793-1815, through 7 coalitions), and the War of 1812 (1812-1815), just to list the major wars that occurred during their service. It was the British Royal Navy that time controlled the seas during that time and extended British power around the globe. These pistols were a small part of the Royal Navy’s ability to project British influence beyond the horizon of the British Isles.

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John Jones and Co. are recorded as Gunmakers at 12 Bells Buildings, Salisbury Square, London, between 1828 and 1830. The company also had a factory in Birmingham between 1814 and 1835.  Obviously, since this pistol is in its original flintlock configuration t must be a very early gun for jones.

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A rare British Military Light Dragoon Flintlock Pistol dated 1780. The lock plate engraved with a crown & "GR TOWER". Standard military pattern side-plate, trigger guard, brass butt-cap and ramrod pipe. London proof marks to the breech on the 9 inch barrel. Wooden ramrod. Marked on the stock a crown with the date 1780 underneath. Calibre approx .69 cal. Nice crisp action. In good condition with some minor dings and scratches during it's working life. Overall length 15 inches. The middle 18th century saw a change in the way the British Board of Ordnance approached the design of small arms. The need for small arms for men in the field began to influence designs and innovation.  This pistol dating 1780 very possibly saw action in the American Revolution.  I am presently researching the possibility that is had some relationship with West Chester County Volunteers.

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The prancing unicorn deeply struck next to the name "TEZENAS LARONI" is the mark of Francois Tezenas who worked in France from 1689-1720.  This is a very ornate pistol in absolutely incredible condition, by a master gun maker of the sixteenth century.

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Gun maker Jean Dubois, worked in Sedan in Northern France from 1633 to 1670.   This is an early French Pistol from the time of King Louis the 14th.  Information is scarce on this firearm and is therefore on going.

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The 1796 Heavy Cavalry Pistol was the result of an initiative by the Board of Ordnance led by Henry Nock in the late 18th century to produce a more modern simplified pistol for Heavy Cavalry which was easier to maintain and more cost-effective to manufacture than its predecessors. This involved the slimming down of previous designs and a focus on improved core functionality.  This represents a  clean example of a regulation pattern British Military 1796 Heavy Dragoon Pistol, Proof stamped 9" round barrel, full walnut stock with regulation brass mounts, the lock plate stamped with CROWN over GR under the pan & TOWER across the tail.

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