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Nicely Priced Smith & Wesson Model No 1 2nd Issue Revolver

Nicely Priced Smith & Wesson Model No 1 2nd Issue Revolver

  • Product Code: FHG-3577-SOLD
  • Availability: Out Of Stock
  • $0.00


This is a VERY GOOD+ to NEAR FINE example of the Smith & Wesson Model No 1, Second Issue single action pocket revolver. The Model 1 was the first truly successful self-contained cartridge revolver sold in the US. The seven shot revolver was chambered for the .22 short rimfire, a cartridge that is still available today, although it is now loaded with smokeless powder, not black powder. 117,000 of these diminutive “tip-up” revolvers were produced between 1860 and 1868 by the famous Smith & Wesson firm. The majority of the guns were produced with a silver-plated brass frame and a blued barrel. However, custom finishes and completely nickel-plated pistols were produced as well. The Model 1 revolvers under about serial number 83,170 were produced prior to the end of 1865.

 

The pistol offered here is really attractive and is in about VERY GOOD+ to NEAR FINE condition. The pistol has the typical No 1 finish, a silver-plated brass frame and a blued barrel and cylinder. The brass frame retains about 90%+ of the original heavily tarnished silver plating, with most of the loss due to high edge wear and thinning from carry and use. The barrel retains about 15%+ of the blue, mostly in protected areas, mixed with an attractive and mostly smooth plum brown patina. The cylinder and the ejector projection under the barrel both retain about 70%+ of their original blue, mixed with a similar plum brown patina as well. The barrel of the gun is deeply and clearly marked in a single line: 

 

SMITH & WESSON SPRINGFIELD MASS.

 

The cylinder is marked with the usual Smith & Wesson patent dates:

 

April 3, 1855. July 5, 1859 & Dec 12, 1860

 

and are much more legible than they normally are on these revolvers. The serial number 88491 is clearly stamped into the bottom of the squared butt. This puts the pistol towards the beginning of Smith & Wesson’s 1866 production, as the guns made in 1866 ran from 83,171 to 106,316. Smith & Wesson used assembly numbers during the 1860s, instead of the serial number, to mark the major components of their pistols. This one is marked with the alphanumeric assembly number JJ3 on the rear face of the barrel web, the face of the cylinder and inside the left side of the frame under the grip. In traditional Smith & Wesson fashion, the interior of the left grip panel is stamped with the revolver’s serial number, 88491, and the right grip panel is unmarked. The two-piece varnished smooth rosewood grips are in about EXELLENT condition. They are extremely crisp and retain nearly all of their varnish, with only the most minor thinning and loss, along with some minor high edge wear. The grips show only some minor light handling marks and show no significant wear. The action of the gun is very crisp, and it functions perfectly with excellent timing and lock up. The bore of the revolver is in VERY FINE condition and is mostly bright with strong rifling and shows only some lightly scattered pitting and some scattered oxidation and frosting.

 

These little pocket pistols were extremely popular throughout the mid-19th Century for their light weight, small size, ease of use and robust design. Many Civil War soldiers, enlisted men and officers alike, on both sides went to war with one of these little revolvers tucked in their pocket as a “backup” weapon for when things got up close and personal. No collection of American made revolvers from the Civil War era is complete without the model that started the cartridge revolution in American and fueled the initial success of one of America’s most storied gun makers. This is a really lovely specimen would be equally at home in any sort of Civil War period or early Old West display. This is a lovely piece overall that would be a great addition to any collection.


SOLD

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Tags: Nicely, Priced, Smith, &, Wesson, Model, No, 1, 2nd, Issue, Revolver