GUN FALL 2017
The live portion of this session begins on Tuesday, October 31, 2017.
SCARCE NICKEL FINISH SMITH & WESSON 1ST MODEL AMERICAN SINGLE ACTION REVOLVER. SMITH & WESSON #3 1ST MODEL AMERICAN 3336 44 AMERICAN Cal. 44 American. Nickel finish with 8" keyhole shaped bbl, pinned half-moon German silver front sight and rear sight integral with the bbl latch. Mounted with matching numbered, smooth, 2-pc walnut grips. Right heel of the grip frame is marked with assembly no. "PO". The cylinder and bbl bear the assembly no. "P8", obviously an assemblers mistake. According to Flayderman's Guide to Antique Firearms there were about 8,000 of these large frame revolvers produced 1870-1872. Bottom of the bbl has the long ejector housing without hole and has a tiny "P" in a diamond stamp. These revolvers were extremely popular on the American frontier by members of law enforcement and outlaws and history records that the Ford brothers carried such revolvers which were used to assassinate the infamous outlaw Jesse James. Such luminaries of the Old West as Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley were also known to have owned these large frame Smith & Wesson's. It is alleged that Wyatt Earp carried one of these revolvers in the shootout at the OK Corral and that there were a few of these revolvers at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, probably carried by Custer's scouts or by hostile Indians. PROVENANCE: The collection of Robert Roughton. CONDITION: Extremely fine, all matching including grips, cylinder and bbl, numbered as noted above. Overall retains about 98% strong orig nickel with a few light scratches, some dulling and turning slightly milky. Hammer retains strong bright case colors on the sides and rear edge with the top edge faded to grey. Trigger guard retains faded case colors in shaded areas, mostly having turned to grey. Grips are sound showing light edge wear with a few scattered light nicks and scratches and retain virtually all of their orig oil finish. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore. 52328-28 JRL (5,000-8,000)