May 18, 2022 Extraordinary Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/18/2022
1896 vintage Smith & Wesson No. 3 Russian single action revolver, serial number 31070. 6 - 1/2" round barrel chambered in .44 Russian with pinned blade front sight and "T" shaped top latch with integral notched rear sight. 2-piece checkered hard rubber Smith and Wesson factory grips. Factory letter confirms configuration as well as shipment to Takata & Co., Yokohama, Japan on October 28, 1896 for the Japanese Government. This gun comes with a Texas/Mexican border style tooled leather holster with cartridge belt manufactured for what appears to be a 5 - 1/2" Colt SAA. Belt is marked "JEFF VAUGHAN" / "E" "X" "S" (between cartridge loops that were part of a repair, one can easily assume that the letters "T" and "A" were covered up by the repair) "STATE RANGER" in the middle of the belt. Included with this gun is provenance associating this gun to Texas Ranger Jeff Vaughan. There are 2 Texas Rangers that served during this period named Jeff Vaughan, which this revolver could have belonged to. Jeff Vaughan was born in Perry County, AR in 1882 and first enlisted with the Texas Rangers in Company A in Travis County on August 12, 1912. Jeff E. Vaughan was born in Kendalis, TX in 1885 and first enlisted with the Texas Rangers in Company A in Marfa, Texas under Captain Gray June 20, 1919. Included in this lot is a book titled "LUMBERING ALONG IN TEXAS" by Claude W. Bryant in which Jeff E. Vaughan is mentioned on pages 145 and 146. Vaughan was serving in Presidio when there was an incident in which a Texas Ranger was killed by 2 of Pancho Villas men along the U.S./Mexican border. Villa sent word to Vaughan's Ranger Captain that he wanted to bring the 2 men to justice if 2 Texas Rangers came over the border to help identify the killers. Vaughan was one of the 2 volunteers. The Rangers made it to Villa's headquarters where they identified the two killers and rode back to their company. While they were with Pancho Villa, one of Villa's staff was shot on the spot and his pistol was reportedly given to Jeff Vaughan. Also included is enlistment documents for both Jeff Vaughans into the Texas Ranger Force, a letter from Clint Peoples (Senior Ranger Captain, Texas Ranger Service) dated 1971 when the enlistment papers were originally ordered, as well as several documents from when this gun and belt were on loan at the Texas Ranger Museum in Waco, Texas from 1999-2006. CONDITION: Very good, with attractive amounts of original bluing remaining turning to a brown-gray patina with even, light freckling throughout. Grips have faded to a light brown from sun exposure but are complete with checkering worn flat. Mechanically fine. Bore is dark with well-defined rifling and a large bulge about halfway down the barrel. Holster is good, with heavy wear throughout and leather supple. A very interesting set with Texas Ranger provenance. TON
Caliber/Bore
.44 S&W Russian
Manufacturer
Smith & Wesson
Paperwork
Texas Ranger provenance, book