Schofield Model 3

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Smith & Wesson New Model 3 Frontier (Schofield)

The Schofield Model 3 is .45 caliber, single-action, break-top revolver originally produced from 1875 until 1878. During that time, approximately 9,000 of the handguns were produced. The revolver's cylinder held six cartridges, and the break-top action allowed easier access to the cylinder for faster reloading. The weapon was produced mostly for the use of the American and Russian militaries, among others, and was manufactured as many knock-off variants throughout the world.

1 History
2 Models
3 Modern Versions
4 External links

[edit] History

The revolver took its name from Major George W. Schofield of the 10th Cavalry. About 1870 he wrote to Smith & Wesson requesting one of their then-new "Model No. 3" revolvers, hoping it would prove useful in combat. Schofield made his own modifications to the Model No. 3 to meet his perceptions of the Cavalry's needs, and in 1875 Smith & Wesson incorporated these refinements into a design they named after the Major, planning to obtain significant military contracts for the new revolver.

When the US Army purchased the new No. 3 .44 in 1870, they were the first cartridge revolvers used as standard issue sidearms. Up until that time, most pistols relied on the black powder cap-and-ball system which was, by comparison, slow, complicated, and susceptible to the effects of wet weather. In 1875 the Ordnance Board granted Smith & Wesson a contract to outfit the military with Schofield pistols, providing they could make the revolvers work with the .45 Colt (AKA ".45 Long Colt") ammunition already in use. Smith & Wesson instead developed their own, slightly shorter .45 caliber round, the .45 Schofield, otherwise known as the .45 S&W. When it became obvious in the field that the two cartridges would not work interchangeably in the Schofield, although they both worked in the Colt the U.S. Government adopted the shorter version as the standard cartridge. Dispite the change old stocks of the longer rounds in the supply line caused the Army to drop most of the Schofields and continued with the Colt. Major Schofield had patented his locking system and earned a payment on each gun that Smith and Wesson sold. At the time his older brother John M Schofield was the head of the Army Ordnance Board and the political situation my have been the main issue for the early end of army sales.

Many of these saw service in the Indian Wars, and there are reports of them in use as late as the Spanish American War and Philippine Insurrection. Like the other Smith and Wesson Model 3’s, they were also reportedly popular with lawmen and outlaws in the American West, and were reportedly used by Jesse James, John Wesley Hardin, Pat Garrett, Theodore Roosevelt, Virgil Earp, and many others. While the standard barrel length was 7", many Schofields were purchased as surplus by distributors, had the barrels shortened to 5", and were refinished in nickel.

[edit] Models

The Schofield was produced in three numbered versions, the third of which was the mass-produced military version. The First Model Schofield has a latch configuration that is rather pointed at the top and has a circle around the screw head at the bottom, whereas the Second Model latch has a large raised circle at the top of the latch. Smith and Wesson Model 3 has the latch mounted on the frame rather than the barrel. Serial number range also will give an indication of whether it is First or Second Model, with the s/n’s changing from the First Model to the Second Model at a little over 3,000.

In 1878, S&W discontinued production of its other Model 3's – the American, Russian, and Schofield – in favor a new improved design called the New Model Number Three. Standard chambering was .44 Russian, although other calibers were offered on special order or in related models such as the .44-40 Frontier Model, the .32-44 & .38-44 Target Models, and the very rare .38 Winchester Model. The New Mod. #3 was arguably the pinnacle of 19th century revolver design. Their accuracy was such that they were used to set most of the target records of the era.

[edit] Modern Versions

Currently, several firearms companies have issued reproduction Schofields for Cowboy Action Shooters and other Old West aficionados. Uberti, Smith & Wesson, Beretta, and Armi San Marco have all offer modern versions for sale.

[edit] Uberti

Uberti version, imported by Navy Arms, had external dimensions generally similar to the original 2nd Model Schofield, but the barrel and topstrap are considerably thicker, for additional strength. As with the ASM model, the Navy Arms/Uberti has a lengthened cylinder to accommodate .45 Long Colt and .44-40 cartridges. Although there were some problems with the locking latch angles in early guns, these were generally corrected or the guns replaced. As with the ASM, the Uberti Schofields have changes made to their lockwork to meet import regulations.

[edit] San Marco

The version formerly made by Armi San Marco was the closest, dimensionally, to the original First Model, but, unlike the original which was chambered for .45 Schofield ONLY, the ASM was chambered for .45 Long Colt. This was done by lengthening the cylinder and shortening the breech end of the barrel, leaving less room between the face of the cylinder and the rear of the frame hinge than was the case on the original. There are also internal differences in the lockwork required by U.S. Government import regulations to supposedly make the guns safer. The gun was imported by Cimarron Arms. Production problems, especially with the angle of the locking surfaces on the latch and frame sometimes alarmingly allowed the gun to open on firing. Many of these were recalled by Cimarron and replaced, but the gun was dropped from importation by the company. Production was discontinued with the sale of ASM to an American corporation.

[edit] Smith and Wesson

Another Schofield was made by Smith & Wesson, the original manufacturer. This gun was first shown at the 2000 SHOT Show. Although made by the same manufacturer as the original, and touted as being a "true" reproduction, side-by-side comparison of an original with the pre-production gun showed that the new version is slightly beefier than the original around the barrel and topstrap, though not as much as on the Navy Arms guns. Changes in the internal lock mechanism were also made. It appears from the photos that the firing pin in the S&W Model is frame-mounted instead of being an integral part of the hammer.

[edit] Cartridges

Current Schofield models are available chambered for .45 Long Colt, .44 Russian (in the Russian Model, not discussed here) and .44-40. Be aware that, while the .45 Schofield cartridge will fit the .45 Long Colt chamber, the reverse is not true. The .45 Auto-Rim will not fit either, as the rim is too thick and binds the cylinder. The .45 S&W apparently will fit a revolver chambered for .45 Long Colt. Black-powder loads are not advisable, because the fouling tends to jam the cylinder after only a few rounds.

[edit] Other Media

The western film Unforgiven features a character known as "The Schofield Kid" due to his favoring of the weapon.

In the game Resident Evil 4 the Schofield Model 3 is featured as a gun labeled the "Broken Butterfly" and is one of the most powerful guns in the game.

In the game GUN, the hero Colton White uses a Schofield revolver that belonged to his father through a small part of the game.