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Smith & Wesson No. 3, 1st Model .44 American TRANSITIONAL Variation
Guns International #: 100796240 Seller's Inventory #:
Category: Antique Pistols - Cartridge - Smith & Wesson Revolvers - Antique
Seller's Information
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Seller: rkotz
Member Since: 4/1/08
State: Montana
Zip: 59923
Country: United States
Phone: (909) 268-2346
Number of Active Listings: 0
Total Number of Listings: 31
Seller: Private Seller
Return Policy: 3 day inspection and return policy on used guns.
All Sales Final On Modern Arms. 3-Day Inspection On Antique Arms.
Payment Types Accepted: U.S. Postal Money Orders ONLY
Description:
Rare S&W No. 3, 1st Model .44 American TRANSITIONAL. Overall very good condition. All lettering and markings are discernable with a rare tiny circled-D stamp on the right front portion of the the latch housing and the tiny S&W six point star mark under the flat of the latch, all denoting that this initially went to Russia as a contract piece, was rejected by the Russian military inspector, Capt. Kasavery Ordinetz, for whatever reasons (sometime nothing more than a flaw in the finish), and then shipped back to the S&W factory where the Russian Cyrillics were buffed off the top rib, the English stampings applied, and was then shipped to one of their U.S. distributers to be sold on the frontier commercial market. This particular gun, S/N 6803, has been specifically given a few lines of honorable mention in column 2 on page 285, in Charles Pate's book 'Smith & Wesson American Model' (considered 'the' bible on all of the S&W No. 3 variants). This has the transitional features. The piece cocks, locks, and indexes properly. After ejecting and closing the action, the extractor some times needs to be manually reset by simply pushing the paul lever slightly forward (located on the bottom of the frame) where it then resets. At times there is no need to reset it. This is due to a slightly weak spring. This does not detract from its features, and is a simple fix for any gunsmith that's familiar with antique firearms. Overall the gun displays nicely with evidence of frontier usage without having been abused. The barrel release latch-lever has very good spring tension. The lands and groves are visible with noticeable frosting and pitting - probably about a 5 or 6 on a 1 to 10 scale that might clean up better. Cosmetically, it has a mottled brown patina, moderate to heavier in some areas and lighter in other areas, which fades out about halfway down the barrel to the muzzle from apparent holster wear. There is some small period dings and handling marks that attest to its role as having been a constant carry piece. There is no noticeable pitting and no rust. All the screws heads are nice and serviceable, except for the lug screw on the left side which shows noticeable use, but is nevertheless serviceable. The grips have a very nice smooth hand-worn feel without being damaged, cracked, or chipped, and having a well worn-in oil like finish from years of application and handling. ALL NUMBERS MATCH, INCLUDING THE GRIPS. This is a nice early western frontier piece, not for the discriminating purest looking for a pristine hot-house rose that sat in a bureau drawer all its life, but rather for the collector looking for that carried tool of reliable protection that most likely had a blazing 'been there - done that' historical past in the old west, and that's in the rarely encountered and desirable transitional variation. This is an antique and can be shipped directly without FFL transfer. Buyer must be 21 years old and proof of age must be submitted if requested. $35.00 shipping to lower 48. Insurance optional. Hawaii and Alaska priced accordingly. Payment terms: Postal Money Orders or Certified Cashier Bank Checks from major national bank institutions ONLY, i.e. BOA, Wells Fargo, and Chase. NO PERSONAL OR COMPANY CHECKS ACCEPTED. 3 day inspection. Buyer pays return shipping. Item must be returned in exactly the same condition as when shipped by Seller. Buyer is encouraged to call before to confirm availability. Please call or e-mail if you have any other questions or desire more photos
SOLD
Antique: Yes