Author Topic: King Schofield  (Read 6326 times)

Offline Gaucho

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King Schofield
« on: February 13, 2006, 06:12:39 PM »
Is it just me or do other Smith & Wesson top-breaks tend to get pushed aside in discussion of their class of revolvers? Why are many of the Schofield's features--that were standard on Smith & Wesson guns of the day--hailed as revolutionary?

This .44 Russian lover would appreciate any insight to why the Schofield tends to get all the credit.

Offline Four-Eyed Buck

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Re: King Schofield
« Reply #1 on: February 13, 2006, 06:25:54 PM »
I would guess low numbers/short service life. They're not a dime a dozen..........Buck 8) ::) :-\
I might be slow, but I'm mostly accurate.....

Offline Will Ketchum

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Re: King Schofield
« Reply #2 on: February 13, 2006, 06:30:17 PM »
Is it just me or do other Smith & Wesson top-breaks tend to get pushed aside in discussion of their class of revolvers? Why are many of the Schofield's features--that were standard on Smith & Wesson guns of the day--hailed as revolutionary?

This .44 Russian lover would appreciate any insight to why the Schofield tends to get all the credit.

I agree, I have never been that much of a fan of the Schofield.  I much prefer the New Model Number 3 ;D

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Re: King Schofield
« Reply #3 on: Today at 06:40:44 AM »

Offline Gaucho

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Re: King Schofield
« Reply #3 on: February 13, 2006, 08:59:57 PM »
Well, my meaning was more to the effect that the Schofield was not revolutionary because it was a top-break revolver, and it seems many do not realize that the top-break action was found on many other guns. But yes, I understand what you mean. I just don't like to see other fine top-breaks go unnoticed under the shadow of the Schofield.

Offline St. George

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Re: King Schofield
« Reply #4 on: February 13, 2006, 11:56:19 PM »
The Schofield was the end result of the modification of the earlier Smith & Wesson Model 3 American - making it easier to manipulate for a Cavalry trooper in mounted combat.

It was adopted and used by the Frontier Cavalry until phased out by the increasing use and purchase of the Colt Single Action Army.

They were sold off - many had their barrels cut - were nickel-plated and sold to Wells Fargo.

As such - that particular revolver had one hell of a service life during the most exciting times of the Old West.

Sure - there were other top-break Smith & Wessons - and some had better ergonomics and some had an innate sense of beauty by design - but the Schofield was arguably the best-known of the product line.

That'd probably go a long way towards explaining why they got reproduced first for C&WAS and why folks write about them as they do - they're the most familiar to them.


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Offline gw

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Re: King Schofield
« Reply #5 on: February 21, 2006, 10:32:35 AM »
My sentiments exactly St. George, it was the right gun at the right time and place to make an indelible mark in Old West history. No other model 3 before or after was used by the military, civilians(both good and some notoriously bad) and also Wells Fargo at that particular period. Simply stated, the Schofield model captured the spirit of the times like few other revolvers.

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Offline Fox Creek Kid

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Re: King Schofield
« Reply #6 on: February 24, 2006, 07:53:33 PM »
Trivia: the U.S. Gov't actually tried to order MORE Schofields circa. 1877 and S&W turned them down!!!  ;)

Offline gw

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Re: King Schofield
« Reply #7 on: February 25, 2006, 08:53:05 AM »



Good answer Joss. Schofield recieved a paltry $0.50 royalty per revolver sold and only on the second model produced. Only 5934 of these were made, so Schofield made $2967.00 total. Not exactly a huge amount, even by 1870's standards to have your patent name on 8969 total revolvers made. I'd also guess this to be the largest govt. contract for S&W to date, so it seems they could have been a little more generous than they were. I'd further venture to say that Colt would have made Schofield a better deal, but that's speculation on my part. Seems Major Schofield might have benefitted from an agent to better represent his interests.

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Offline Gaucho

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Re: King Schofield
« Reply #8 on: February 25, 2006, 09:35:41 AM »
Well, this thread has taken a different turn, but it's certainly an interesting subject.

Offline Forty Rod

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Re: King Schofield
« Reply #9 on: February 25, 2006, 09:53:01 AM »
S&W may not have sold a lot of guns to the U. S. government but they sold a LOT of 1st, 2nd, an 3rd model RUSSIANS to RUSSIA, and a bunch of Russians and #3 SAs to japan, Turkey, and others.

I've always thought the Schofield was an uglified 1st Model Russian with a clumsy latching system.

The 2nd and 3rd models were really ugly with that stupid spur on the trigger guard (Which made it awkward to holster) and the roman nose on the  rounded back strap.

The Americans and 1st Model Russian are the most elegant looking S&W pistols ever made.
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Offline Will Ketchum

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Re: King Schofield
« Reply #10 on: February 25, 2006, 09:59:54 AM »
S&W may not have sold a lot of guns to the U. S. government but they sold a LOT of 1st, 2nd, an 3rd model RUSSIANS to RUSSIA, and a bunch of Russians and #3 SAs to japan, Turkey, and others.

I've always though the Schofield was an uglified 1st Model Russian with a clumsy latching system.

The 2nd and 3rd models were really ugly with that stupid spur on the trigger guard (Which made it awkward to holster) and the roman nose on the  rounded back strap.

The Americans and 1st Model Russian are the most elegant looking S&W pistols ever made.

Forty Rod, I was agreeing with everything you wrote until that last line......any person of any artistic perception would have to say the New Model Number 3s were the most elegant and well balanced of the big S&W breaktops. ;D

Will Ketchum
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Offline Forty Rod

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Re: King Schofield
« Reply #11 on: February 25, 2006, 11:31:43 AM »
Well, you're both just wrong and I'm right, so there. 

Nanner, nanner, nanner!!!
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Offline Gaucho

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Re: King Schofield
« Reply #12 on: February 25, 2006, 01:46:45 PM »
Gaucho, threads on CAS City have a tendency to drift all over the place. Think of it as sitting around the camp fire having a conversation. If you prefer to leave the thread as only your original topic, I can split this and make it a new post.

Joss

No, that's okay. By the way, I also find the trigger guard spur aesthetically appealing.

Offline gw

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Re: King Schofield
« Reply #13 on: February 25, 2006, 05:28:51 PM »
Well golly gee whiz fellers, and here I thought this thread was about Schofields and why they are always going to be the standout in any of the large frame S&W's of the 19th century. Oh, thats right, this really is a thread to glorify all the other famous model 3"s used by the U.S. Army, notorius gunmen and Wells Fargo. Somehow in all the discussion here I managed to lose track of that. Sorry 'bout that.

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Offline gw

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Re: King Schofield
« Reply #14 on: February 26, 2006, 07:40:31 AM »
Quote
This .44 Russian lover would appreciate any insight to why the Schofield tends to get all the credit.
[/quote]Just trying to answer the original question Joss. Don't take this wrong fellers, I love all the Model 3 topbreaks, have 4 other large frame S&W's that are original,it's just that the Schofield garners more attention due to it's usage and military history that it seems to "overshadow" the others. I guess it's just a matter of the amount of information one can get when comparing one model to another. If anyone can dig up some good info on the "other" models, please share it here so we don't stagnate into a personal favorites column.Thanks.

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