Although 99% of the topics here deal with more modern pistols, I occasionally like to share some background and history of earlier guns that laid the foundations for many of today's popular models as I am fortunate enough to acquire them. Today's contribution - the Scholfield Smith & Wesson revolver.

In 1873, the Small Arms Board and the Ordinance Department commissioned the Springfield M1873 carbine and the Colt M1873 revolver to be the regulation small arms for the Calvary service. The new arms began to be issued in early 1874 and most horse soldiers had received them by mid 1875. Even whilst the issue of new carbines and Colt revolvers was taking place, Major George Wheeler Schofield, 10th Calvary, had refined the Smith & Wesson Number 3 revolver from examples that had received favorable notice in Ordinance Department tests carried out in 1873.

A thorough Horse Soldier, Major Schofield's practical Calvary experience had obviously influenced his initial choice of revolvers and subsequent modifications of the Smith & Wesson Number 3 revolver. A letter accompanying his modified revolver to the Ordinance Department states, "The pistol is constructed on the general plan familiarly known as the Smith & Wesson. For this system of construction, the following advantages are claimed: by means of hinging or jointing together of the barrel and frame the pistol, when opened for loading, is shortened to about 1/3, and these two parts brought into such relative position as to enable the mounted man to hold it securely and load it with ease and certainty. The motion of opening to load ejects all empty cartridge cases...no use of the left hand is required in loading or in the process of ejection, except to hold the pistol. This enables the mounted man to guide and control his horse, and to load, fire, and reload while in motion at any gate. In short, this system makes the pistol a Cavalry arm which cannot be claimed for any single ejector style pistol.... in this respect, the single ejector pistol is far behind the age and far below the standard for our musket and carbine. The mounted soldier with his Springfield carbine can load and fire with his horse at a run. Why should the pistol, which is particularly the arm of the mounted soldier, be but a club in his hand after the first round (cylinder) is fired?"

A trial of the Schofield revolver was conducted in 1874 by the Ordinance Board in comparison to the Colt Single Action Army pertaining to speed of loading and unloading. After a preliminary trial with each kind of pistol, an expert horseman was timed to see how long it would take him to eject six empty shells from his pistol and to reload it. The cartridges were taken from a cap pouch on the belt. The horse was at a hand gallop. The Colt pistol began loading in 26 seconds and was fully loaded in 60 seconds. The Schofield pistol began loading in two seconds and was loaded in 26 seconds.

The Board's endorsement of the Schofield was followed by an Ordinance Department approach to Smith & Wesson with an inquiry about the cost of the Schofield revolver. Smith & Wesson quoted a price of $13 each and a delivery time of about four months. This resulted in an order for 3000 revolvers on 18 September 1874. The weapons supplied under this contract were what have become known to collectors as the First Model Schofield Smith & Wesson.

The first mention of the Schofield in the quarterly "Summary of Ordinance and Ordinance Stores in the hands of troops in the service of the United States" is a handwritten heading appended to the printed form for the third quarter ending September 30, 1874,containing returns pertaining to the 4th, 5th and 6th Calvary. Entries under a similar handwritten heading are found on the form continuing the returns for the 9th and 10th Calvary for the second quarter 1875, which records the issue of 45 Schofields to Company F of the 9th Calvary at Fort Clark Texas, 50 to Company A, and 45 to Company G of the 10th Calvary, then stationed at Fort Concho in Texas. By the end of the first quarter 1876 the 4th Cavalry had 580 Schofields in issue. The 9th Cavalry submitted returns for only four companies and shows a total of 97 Schofields in issue. Similarly, the 10th Calvary sent returns for three of its companies and reported a total of 144 Schofields issued.

Early reaction must've been swift and positive because a contract for a further 3000 Schofields was agreed with Smith & Wesson on 15 March 1875. Two further procurements of Schofields were made on 1 March and 7 May 1877, bringing total government purchases to 8005 revolvers from the four procurements. The three later procurements were of what collectors have termed "Second Model Schofield Smith & Wesson" revolvers. Second Model Schofields continued in the same serial number range and are found between approximately serial numbers 3000 and 9000.

Scoffed revolvers remained in service for a considerable period of time. However, the small number of Scofield revolvers purchased by the government can be attributed in part to a growing Army preference for the Colt revolver and also to Major Schofield's premature demise in 1882. Without his vigorous promotional efforts, the Scofield revolver ceased to be a serious competitor to the Colt.

The period of use provided excellent opportunities for combat trials of the Schofield revolver. A number of Indian campaigns - notably against the southern plains tribes of Comanche, Kiowa and Arapahoe in the Red River War of 1874-75, and against the Sioux and Cheyenne in 1876 - followed hard on the heels of their issue.

The Schofield was a .45 caliber, single-action revolver with a 7-inch barrel, fixed, rounded front site with a full-length sighting groove on the top rib of the barrel. A raised rear sight notch formed part of the barrel catch. Letters P and L are stamped under the barrel flat just ahead of the joint, and US is stamped on the butt.

This particular Schofield is one of the first "First Model" revolvers produced. It is serial number 127 and was produced during the first month (maybe the first week) of Schofield production. The revolver is all matching and functions as it did when it left the Smith & Wesson's factory 150 years ago. These revolvers saw very hard use in the West and this one is no exception. Almost all of the factory bluing had been worn away leaving grey metal. However, the factory, inspection and acceptance stamps are still visible. Interestingly, this revolver has 4 "notches" underneath the barrel. While their exact significance can only be guessed at (kill notches?), they were purposefully and deliberately made.

I have not been able to track down the unit this revolver was issued to, but being one of the first it is highly probably that it was issued to the 4th, 9th or 10th Cavalry. Regardless of who it was issued to there is no doubt that it is one of guns that battled Indian tribes in the 1870s.

The fame and popularity of the Colt SAA and its contribution to the taming of the West is legendary. However, I wanted to share another capable but less known contributor and substantial Cavalry arm - the Schofield Smith & Wesson.

parabellum likes this post

Whenever I hear Schofield, it always reminds me of my favorite scene from one of my favorite movies…

I love these pistols. Getting a reproduction one has always been on my "One if these days" list.

I've always liked these. A bucket list item. Very nice.

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A trial of the Schofield revolver was conducted in 1874 by the Ordinance Board

It probably didn't hurt that his brother John was head of the Ordnance Board at the time.

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Major Schofield's premature demise in 1882.

Quite premature, he shot himself. At least he used one of his own design revolvers.

There was a bit of an ammunition conflict.
The Schofield took .45 Smith & Wesson, shorter than .45 Colt and with a larger rim for the simultaneous extraction. So the Army came up with .45 Government, at a length for the Smith and with rims that would not overlap in the Colt.

Mojojojo great post, is that #127 your revolver?

I like the hash marks.
Wonder what they signify.

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IIRC, I read some years ago that Dan Wesson refused to chamber it in 45 Colt. I believe had he done that, the Schofield would have surpassed the Colt 1873 as the premier cavalry sidearm & perhaps replaced it altogether.

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Originally posted by Greymann:
Mojojojo great post, is that #127 your revolver?

Thank you. Yes, I was fortunate enough to acquire this early example.

I've become interested on guns of the Old West recently. I stumbled upon a Colt Thunderer from 1880 and a really nice Whitney-Kennedy rifle from 1882 as well.

One day I hope to add an original early Colt SAA (pre-1876 ideally) but those are significantly higher priced.


This Scofield will pair nicely with my 1849 Colt First Model Dragoon and my Colt 1851 Navy from 1856 which are also US marked. Kind of like a progression of Cavalry sidearms.

Didn't Tom Selleck use one in the movie Crossfire?

PC

Very nice history lesson and a very nice piece for your collection. I have always thought Schofields were uber-cool revolvers.

I went looking for a .45 Colt revolver about 10 yrs. ago.
Got a Uberti 3rd pattern Schofield and love it, shoots darn good too!

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Originally posted by 357fuzz:
Very nice history lesson and a very nice piece for your collection. I have always thought Schofields were uber-cool revolvers.

Thank you. The empty case extraction of the S&W Number 3 (which the Schofield is modified from) is pretty cool. I hope to find another one some day to add to this one.