Antique Smith & Wesson New Model No. 3 Frontier .44-40 6.5″ SA Revolver
SOLD FOR: $2,502.00
LSB#: LSB260323CL047
Make: Smith & Wesson
Model: New Model No. 3 Frontier
Serial Number: 287
Year of Manufacture: 1885-1908 / Antique
Caliber: .44-40
Action Type: Single action, top break revolver
Markings: The top of the barrel rib is marked “SMITH & WESSON SPRINGFIELD MASS. U.S.A. PAT’D JAN. 17 & 24. 65. JULY 11. 65” / “AUG. 24. 69. APR. 20. 75. FEB. 20 & DEC. 18. 1877 REISSUE JULY 25. 1871”. The grip butt, rear face of the cylinder, and beneath the barrel latch are marked with “287”. Under the barrel latch is also marked “3306”. The left grip panel is marked “PAT’D JAN. 29. 78.” under the checkering.
Barrel Length: 6.5″, Full rib
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a round sight blade pinned to the barrel rib . The rear sight is a U notch built into the barrel latch.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered black rubber with S&W monograms at the top and diamonds around the escutcheons. There are scattered handling scuffs and compression marks. The checkering remains defined with minor peak loss. There is a slight discoloration between the panels, with the left showing more of a brown tone. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the stocks rate in about a Very Good condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original, wiped down with Cold Blue
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is light fouling in the grooves. There is minor erosion in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, this bore rates 6.5/10.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains 55% of its original finish. There is finish loss along the barrel, frame, cylinder, and grip straps, as well as thinning throughout. There is a brown patina on the thinning areas. There are scattered scratches and compression dings. There is scattered oxidation staining. There is original blue remaining in the protected areas. The screw heads are sharp with minor tooling. The markings are mostly legible. Overall, this handgun is in Good-Very Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The lockup and timing are good. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None
Our Assessment: The Smith & Wesson New Model No. 3 Frontier is one of the scarcer and more historically interesting variations of S&W’s great large-frame top-break revolver. Introduced in 1885, the Frontier was specifically chambered for the .44-40 Winchester cartridge, allowing users to pair the revolver with popular Winchester and Marlin lever-action rifles chambered for the same ammunition. Despite that practical advantage, the model arrived well after Colt had established itself in the .44-40 revolver market and only 2,072 New Model No. 3 Frontiers were produced between 1885 and 1908. Of those, approximately 786 were subsequently converted by Smith & Wesson to .44 Russian for export to Japan, leaving only about 1,286 in their original .44-40 configuration. Serial number 287 comes from the model’s separate 1-2072 serial sequence, and the 6 1/2″ barrel, blue finish, and checkered hard-rubber stocks are all characteristic factory offerings for this scarce Frontier variation.
This revolver retains approximately 55% of its original blue finish beneath later cold-blue touch-up, with substantial honest age represented by finish loss and thinning, exposed brown patina, scattered scratches and compression marks, and oxidation staining. The checkered hard-rubber stocks remain particularly attractive in Very Good condition, retaining strong definition and showing no chips or cracks despite their age. The bright 6.5/10 bore retains sharp rifling with only minor erosion and light fouling, while the action continues to function correctly with good timing and lockup. Matching serial number 287 on the butt, cylinder, and beneath the barrel latch is an important positive, and the revolver remains in its desirable original .44-40 Frontier configuration rather than having undergone the .44 Russian conversion seen on a significant portion of production. Taken together, this is a scarce, substantially intact example of one of Smith & Wesson’s most desirable late-19th-century large-frame top-break variations. Please see our photos for a better understanding of the condition and good luck with your bids! -MY