Old Smith DA Frontier

O

oldegun

Inactive
Hi,
I've recently aqquired a Smith & Wesson DA Frontier, or New Model Navy. It supposedly is .44 Russian but on the left side of the barrel all it says is
'44 S & W CTG'. It's a nice pistol, with what look like original ivory grips, very tight mechanically with serial numbers on the cylinder, base of the backstrap and barrel lock #49418. I've tried to attach a picture of it, it's in really good shape.
Anyway can someone tell me how to find a manufacture date and more information on it? Wouldn't it say .44 Russian if that was truly the caliber?

thanks for any help
 

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They were all made between 1881 and 1898 and are therefore BATF "antiques" although they were selling guns from inventory and built from parts on hand until about 1913.

By 1881 the .44 S&W American was long gone and .44 Russian was the only S&W chambering in that caliber, except for the few .44-40s which were marked .44 Winchester CTG. So .44 S&W Ctg pretty well covers it.
 
According to my copy of The Standard Catalogue of® Smith & Wesson-by Jim Supica & Richard Nahas, the .44 Double Action Frontier Model was chambered in .44-40 Winchester and marked 44 Winchester Cartridge on the barrel. Your revolver appears to be a 44 Double Action 1st Model(New Model Navy No. 3 Revolver) and as Jim Watson noted, is chamber for the .44 S&W Russian. The dates of manufacture are only given in a range of 1881-1913.

As to value, I won't offer a guess, but in the condition its in, it would probably bring a handsome sum at a collectors auction.
 
Thanks for the information, I don't suppose there is any where I can go to get a manufacturing date is there? 1881-1913 covers a lot of years. It's still a pretty nice antique though. Thank you for your help.
 
Call S&W, chances are you will be able to talk personally with their historian Roy Jinks. He will be able to tell you if more specific dating is available.
 
It is not a Frontier as Frontier serial numbers didn't go that high. It is a .44 Caliber Double Action, First Model, aka the New Model Navy No. 3. Most were made in .44 Russian, but a few were made in .38-40 or .44-40; those made for .44-40 and .38-40 had 1 9/16" cylinders vs the 1 7/16" cylinder of the .44 Russian. S&W made 54,668 and cataloged them until 1913, but S&W says all the frames were made prior to 1899 so they are all antiques.

I am puzzled by the contrast between the finish on the frame and that on the cylinder. The frame finish appears to original, and quite nice, where the cylinder has lost its finish, reducing the value considerably.

Jim
 
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