Guns International #: 103414820
Seller's Inventory #: 36945

Category - Frank Wesson - Antiques

Category
Frank Wesson
Antiques

Frank Wesson Model 1870 Med. Frame Pocket Rifle 3rd Type 12" Barrel, .22 Rimfire (NOT LR) single shot pistol **SOLD 01/12/2026**

Description:
**SOLD 01/12/2026**

Make: Frank Wesson
Model: Model 1870 3rd Type Pocket Pistol "Sportsmans Jewel"
Finish: Steel frame with blued barrel assembly
Caliber: .22 rimfire (.22 LR does NOT enter the chamber fully)
Action: Single shot
Barrel length: 12 inches
Bore: Shiny with sharp rifling with an area of light speckling in the center.
Grips: Rosewood
Sights: Rear peep sight (3 elevation holes) and front dovetail blade sight
MFG Date: Early 1870s (based on SN#357 and total production run of 5,000 to 1893)
Features: 

• Serial number matching frame and barrel
• Single shot rotating barrel mechanism for loading/unloading
• Grip attachment for a shoulder stock
• Rosewood grips, fully protected by steel butt grip frame
• Target sights, very modern for the 1870s
• Spur trigger
• Half-cock lock button on the left side frame
• Unusually patent marked Nov. 11, 1862 (A known unexplained anomaly by Flayderman's Guide to Antique Firearms, as it employs the 1870 patent design.)
• Manual extractor rod

Condition: Excellent condition for its age with consistent patina. The blued barrel has expected light finish wear on the octagonal edges and around the manufacturer stamp- retaining a surprising amount of its original blue finish elsewhere. The gloss steel frame is in great shape, some minimal finish wear and corrosion.The rosewood are in fantastic condition, with very negligible surface handling marks- no deep indentations or scuffs. The pistol is mechanically sound, hammer properly locks in full cocked position and in half-cocked position with locking button, strong trigger reset.
Shipping Cost: $40.00
Tech: SRD.123025.799

This exceptional Frank Wesson “Sportsman’s Jewel” represents the ingenuity of early American rimfire design. With its clever rotating barrel system, advanced target sights, and provision for a shoulder stock, it was clearly built for precision and sporting use. The pistol is in excellent condition, retaining much of its original blued barrel finish, glossy steel frame, and crisp rosewood grips, with all mechanical functions operating correctly.
With only 5,000 pieces produced between 1870 and 1893, this elegant, historically significant pistol is a standout for any antique firearms collection, offering both beauty and technical intrigue from the early 1870s.

SOLD

Curio/Relic: Yes
Antique: Yes