A Smith & Wesson New Model No. 3 Frontier Revolver
--Japanese Contract Pistol--
(Additional Images Near Bottom of Page)
The Smith & Wesson Historical
Foundation provenance letter for this pistol states:
“The revolver you inquired about in your recent letter is the New
Model No. 3 Frontier.
This model, designed to fire the 44-40 cartridge, was introduced in
1885 and manufactured until 1908, with a total production of 2,072
revolvers. Out of these
2,072 revolvers, 786 were converted to the .44 Russian caliber for
export to Japan.
Therefore, the total number of guns produced in the 44-40 caliber
was reduced to 1,286.
The New Model No. 3 Frontier was serial numbered in its own serial
range and was numbered from 1 to 2072.
It was available in blue and nickel with barrel lengths of
4”, 5”, 6”, and 6 ½”.
The average retail price for this model during the years it was sold
was $12.75.
We
have researched your Smith & Wesson New Model No. 3 .44 Frontier,
Japanese Government Contract, caliber .44 Russian, revolver in
company records which indicate that your handgun, with serial number
911 was shipped from our factory on March 30, 1895, and delivered to
Takata & Co., Yokohama, Japan.
The records indicate that this revolver was shipped with a
6.5 inch barrel, blue finish, and checkered walnut grips.
The ivory grips were added after this revolver was shipped
from the factory.”
The revolver described and pictured in this article is in well
used but what I consider NRA antique forearm FINE condition.
The revolver has been in my possession for approximately 40
years. It was in the
possession of a longtime friend for at least 15 years prior to that.
This friend was told at the time he purchased the weapon, that he
believes it
had been brought home by a service member, from Japan as a souvenir
after WWII.
S&W New Model No. 3 Frontier revolver #911 has no Japanese applied
markings. The pistol retains
approximately 50% of its original factory bluing.
The barrel bore and cylinder chambers are both pristine.
The gun has obviously been used, but appears to have always been
well cared for.
This Top Break revolver retains the following specifics: 6 ½” barrel.
1 9/16” cylinder length.
Serial #911 on the frame, barrel, and barrel block.
The cylinder is serial #940.
Historians say that it was common occurance on those revolver in Japan,
as they were often disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled in mass,
causing some interchange of parts.
The factory walnut grips are replaced by what appears to be Ivory
grips. Apparently added to
the revolver in Japan.
I
observed the pistol fired a couple of times by the previous owner and I
have fired the weapon once many years ago.
Functioned perfectly.
Recently the cylinder stop spring broke from fatigue and has been
replaced. Bringing the
weapon back into working order.
A
little historical background is needed for understanding this revolver’s
provenance.
"……. Note: 786 were converted to .44 Russian for shipment to Japan but
are usually not found with Japanese markings……….
The Japanese Chose The Smith & Wesson Revolver
Chapter 1 - Background (2)
“.......Recognizing that Japanese manufacturing would be unable to meet
the nation’s need for some time, the Shogun and the hans purchased most
of their arms from abroad,……………
By
the late 1860’s, a broad civil war broke out in Japan……….
In
the end, the Imperial forces were successful and Emperor Mutsuhito
gained control over the country…………
………the Japanese government first bought Smith & Wesson revolvers.
Small lots of S&W Model 2 Army revolvers were purchased through
one or more international import/export firms,…………
Beginning in 1878, and continuing through 1908, the Japanese government
purchased over 17,000 S&W Model 3 .44 caliber revolvers.
These were the first handguns formally adopted by the Japanese
government………Purchase in 1878 and 1879 were through the H. Ahrens & Co.,
but nearly all subsequent purchases of Model 3 revolvers were made from
Takata & Co. of Yokohama, after Ahrens withdrew from its general export
business. Japan was the
first country to import significant numbers of Smith & Wesson revolvers,
and was ultimately the second largest country to import these handguns,
with Russia being the first………." (3)
Chapter 3 – [S&W Model 3] (4)
Model 3 Russian 3rd Model (5)
"Grips were normally smooth walnut……, but at least one has been reported
that has Ivory grips……….
New Model No. 3 Frontier (6)
".......This variation was originally chambered for the longer .44-40
Winchester cartridge. When
sales proved somewhat disappointing, 786 revolvers were taken out of
stock and given new cylinders chambered for the .44 Smith & Wesson
Russian cartridge, in order to fill two Takata orders for the Japanese
government. These revolvers
have plain bowed trigger guards, no butt swivels, either checkered hard
rubber or checkered walnut grips and 6 ½-inch (165mm) barrels.
The guns do not appear to have received any Japanese markings
based upon the examples reported……….
The new Model No. 3 Frontiers are easily differentiated from the other
.44 single-action Smith & Wesson revolvers discussed in this section
because of the noticeably longer 1 9/16-inch (40mm) cylinders.
Collectors can quickly determine if a New Model No. 3 Frontier
example is from the Japanese contract by examining the six cylinder
chambers. If there is a
shoulder where the cartridge rests, which looks like a ring, it is
chambered for the .44 S&W Russian cartridge used by the Japanese………..
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(1) Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson, by Jim Supica & Richard Hahas,
3rd Additon, 2006, Gun Digest Books, page 108
(2) The Japanese Chose
The Smith & Wesson Revolver, by Francis C. Allan, Chip Goddard, &
Takehito Jimbo, 2011, AK Enterprises
(3) abit, page 7
(4) abit,
page 30
(5) abit, page 31
(6) abit, page 32
S&W New Model No. 3 Cylinder Stop Spring Replacement
S&W New Model No. 3 Inside This Revolver
Copyright: Bruce Varner, 1972 - 2021
