The day started off as s**t - the head cold I though I was starting to shake yesterday came back with a vengeance this morning, and I found out that small increase in height my slippers give me (I have a cold - leave me alone 
) is just enough for me to crack my skull against the hanging light fixture in the dining room.
Anyway, this makes up for it.
All the S&W #3 frames were made prior to 1898 (making certain calibers antique) but this one was one of the last 550 out the door, making the actual date of sale not until a couple years before the outbreak of WWI. The frame and cylinder have different numbers (which I'm told was common for the last batches of guns as they used the remaining parts) and are aged evenly. Barrel is 8" long - bore has a couple of very small speckles, but no real pitting and the rifling is strong. Caliber appears to be either 45 Schofield or 45 Webley - I'm leaning to the later, as the revolver has British proof marks.
A loaded 45 Colt is too long, so I'm going to trim a few back to see if the Webley or Schofield length fits better. Bore measures .450 in the lands and .454 in the grooves, so I'm going to try and see if a standard .452-453 45LC bullet will "bump up" properly. Really impressed with this old beauty, and the odd characteristics (8" barrel, chambering, proof marks) combined with the fact it was in the right place at the right time to possibly have seen some unofficial action in WWI, makes it a keeper.
Anyone recommend a leather rig for it? At the moment I'm leaning towards a Californian rig by RedDog Leather.
He quoted me $225 for the rig above (although I think I'd make the holster a crossdraw due to the barrel length).
) is just enough for me to crack my skull against the hanging light fixture in the dining room.Anyway, this makes up for it.
All the S&W #3 frames were made prior to 1898 (making certain calibers antique) but this one was one of the last 550 out the door, making the actual date of sale not until a couple years before the outbreak of WWI. The frame and cylinder have different numbers (which I'm told was common for the last batches of guns as they used the remaining parts) and are aged evenly. Barrel is 8" long - bore has a couple of very small speckles, but no real pitting and the rifling is strong. Caliber appears to be either 45 Schofield or 45 Webley - I'm leaning to the later, as the revolver has British proof marks.
A loaded 45 Colt is too long, so I'm going to trim a few back to see if the Webley or Schofield length fits better. Bore measures .450 in the lands and .454 in the grooves, so I'm going to try and see if a standard .452-453 45LC bullet will "bump up" properly. Really impressed with this old beauty, and the odd characteristics (8" barrel, chambering, proof marks) combined with the fact it was in the right place at the right time to possibly have seen some unofficial action in WWI, makes it a keeper.
Anyone recommend a leather rig for it? At the moment I'm leaning towards a Californian rig by RedDog Leather.
He quoted me $225 for the rig above (although I think I'd make the holster a crossdraw due to the barrel length).
I didn't even notice that until you mentioned it. I think the front sight is a replacement though.
) - looks like they'll fit with a 200gr pill on top. I'm gonna load up a couple tomorrow and try them with 777.
