Whether your interest is in martially marked examples or the colorful guns that won the West, this book is for you. Both collectors and shooters will agree that the level of detail is unprecedented, including many hundreds of technical drawings and close-up photographs showing the very markings and features that are discussed in the text. This is the kind of hands-on, useful guide that will be your constant resource - a true "standard reference" on all aspects of these fascinating sixguns. No one with an interest in historical firearms can afford to be without it. This is the story of the revolvers that made Smith & Wesson's reputation on the frontier, the battlefield and the shooting range - and no detail is left out. Hardbound, this 480 page book is filled with black and white photographs and drawings.

The Table of Contents includes the following:

• Chapter 1 - The History
• Introduction
• The History of Smith & Wesson's Top-Break Revolvers
• What is a Top-Break?
• Built on an Old Work Ethic
• Radicals!
• Was it Talent, or Was it Luck?
• Life Imitating Art, or How We Forgot the Smith & Wesson Top-Break
• Smith & Wesson: Where Did These Guys Come From?
• Just What is a Gunsmith?
• Acquaintances
• That Robbins & Lawrence Armory
• Seeds of Industry
• The Railroad Cars
• Mr. Smith of Smith & Wesson: Horace Smith 1808-1893
• Mr. Wesson of Smith & Wesson: Daniel Baird Wesson 1825-1906
• Now, a Partnership: The First Smith & Wesson
• The Model No. 1 Pistols and a Second Partnership
• A New Era, the Top-Break is Born
• The First U.S. Military Contract: Smith & Wesson Goes Over the Top
• Enter the Russians
• "More Smith & Wessons for the U.S. Army," insists Col. Schofield!
• New Developments Come in Medium and Large Sizes
• Single Actions, Large and Small: The Final Phase
• Small and Medium Double Actions: The Mainstay
• 1881: Finally, Big Double Actions!
• 1882: A "Favorite" Year
• Phasing Out
• Smith & Wesson's Roots... Who's Who
• Chapter 2 - Identifying the Models No. 3
• Introduction to the Identification of Smith & Wesson Top-Break Revolvers
• The Top-Break Frame Sizes
• Identifying the Finishes Used on Smith & Wesson Top-Break Revolvers
• Color Case Hardening
• Bluing
• Plating
• Rejected and Factory-Flawed Guns?
• Summary of Normal Finishes
• Model No. 3 Barrel Patent Marking
• Critical Dimensions Measured and Compared
• The Guns
• The American Models
• Model No. 3 First Model
• General Information
• Engineering Changes: The Early First Models
• Significant First Model Americans
• Transition Model Americans
• Model No. 3 Second Model
• Identifying Serial Numbers, Assembly Numbers and Locations
• General Information
• Engineering Changes: A Third Model American Emerges
• Significant Second Model Americans
• The Russian Models
• American or Russian?
• Model No. 3 Russian, First Model
• Serial Number Locations
• The Russians Came Back
• Model No. 3 Russian, Second Model
• Serial Number Locations
• Another New Model
• Model No. 3 Russian, Third Model
• Serial Number Locations
• The .45 Schofield
• First Model Schofield
• Second Model Schofield
• The New Model No. 3 Revolvers
• Frontier Models
• New Model Rifles
• New Model No. 3
• New Model No. 3 Turkish
• New Model No. 3 Frontier
• New Model No. 3 .38 Winchester
• New Model No. 3 Target
• Model .320 Revolving Rifle
• Double Action Models
• .44 Double Action First Model
• .44 Double Action Frontier
• .44 Wesson Favorite
• .38 Winchester Double Action
• Chapter 3 - The Collecting and Purchasing of Smith & Wesson Top-Break Revolvers
• Buying Large Frame Smith & Wessons
• Learn About What You are Looking at - Meet Other Collectors
• What About Values?
• Pay Attention to All the Details
• What the Finishes Should Look Like
• Paying Attention to the Mechanics
• Getting to Know Them
• Action Operation: Smith & Wesson's Single Actions
• Action Operation: .44 Top-Break Double Actions
• Chapter 4 - Basic Care and Maintenance, Shooting, Disassembly & Cleaning
• Shooting and Managing the Top-Break
• Disassembly Instructions for:
• 1st Model American
• 2nd Model American
• 3rd Model American
• 1st Model Russian
• 2nd Model Russian
• 3rd/New Model Russian
• Model No. 3 Schofield
• New Model No. 3
• .44 Double Actions
• Navy Arms/Uberti Schofield
• Navy Arms New Model Russian
• Black Powder Cleaning Procedures
• Normal Maintenance and Deep Cleaning
• Chapter 5 - Model No. 3 Component Parts
• An Outline of the Parts Used in No. 3 Smith & Wessons
• Major Parts Variations
• Components Parts Lists and Parts Interchangeability
• .44 American 1st Model
• .44 American 2nd Model
• .44 American 3rd Model and .44 Russian 1st Model
• .44 Russian 2nd Model
• .44 Russian 3rd Model
• .44 New Model No. 3
• .45 Schofield 1st and 2nd Models
• .44 Double Action
• Dimensional Drawings of Screws, Pins and Small Parts
• Screw Sizes For Model No. 3 Top-Break Revolvers
• Mainspring Dimensions
• Smith & Wesson Top-Break Sights
• Chapter 6 - Gunsmithing the Top-Break Revolvers and Modern Replicas
• How They Work - A Revolver Primer
• Three Important Revolver Terms
• Revolver Hand and Ratchet Systems
• Tools and Disassembly
• Practice Good Craftsmanship
• Screwdrivers: The Backbone of Gun Work
• The Screw Jack
• More Tools for Screw Removal
• Punches and Pins
• Other Special Punches
• Punches That Shouldn't Be Used For Hitting Pins
• Hammers and How to Hit
• Dummy Cartridges
• The Capture Box
• Files
• Pliers
• Drills and Drill Presses
• Gunsmithing Basics
• Screw Repairs
• Making Gun Screws and Pins
• Some Thoughts on Gun Screws
• Vintage Screw Heads and Slots
• What to Make Screws and Pins From
• Making Pins
• To Dome or Not to Dome
• Making Screws - How to Do it
• Screw Threading and Dies
• Steps to Screw Turning and Threading
• Back to the All-Important Screw Slot
• Heat Treatment and Hardening
• For Appearance Sake
• Troubleshooting
• The Damage Caused by Smokeless Ammunition
• Troubleshooting the Top-Break Revolvers
• Bent Frames - A Real Possibility
• Bulged Barrels
• Specific Repair Procedures
• Bent Frames
• Barrel Catch Repairs
• Schofield Eccentric Cylinder Catch Screws
• Hammer and Trigger Work, the Single Action
• Hand Talk
• Hand Springs for Single Actions
• Hand Springs for Double Actions
• Headspace, Cylinder End-Shake Repairs and the Extractor Stud
• Cimarron Schofield Repair Tips
• Revolver Grip Repairs
• History and Explanation of Gun Metal Finishes
• Removing Finishes
• Stripping Nickel Plate
• Chapter 7 - Copies of the Smith & Wesson Top-Break
• The Modern Smith & Wesson Manufactured Schofield Copy
• Dimensional/Parts Comparisons
• The Modern, Italian-Made Copies
• Cimarron Firearms and EMF First Model Schofield
• ASM Schofield Troubleshooting and Repairs
• Navy Arms, Uberti Schofield Revolvers
• Dimensional/Parts Comparisons
• The Navy Arms New Model Russian
• Dimensional/Parts Comparisons
• Chapter 8 - Military Use of the Smith & Wesson Top-Break Revolver
• The U.S. Army Contract
• The Russians and Smith & Wesson
• "Let's try it again"... Major Schofield Takes Another Shot at the U.S. Army
• U.S. Army Model No. 3
• Model No. 3
• The Russian Contract Models
• Model No. 3 Russian, First Model
• Model No. 3 Russian, Second Model
• Model No. 3 Russian, Third Model
• The .45 Schofield
• First Model Schofield
• Second Model Schofield
• The New Model No. 3s
• New Model No. 3
• Military New Models
• Serial Number List
• Another 7th Cavalry Nickel-Plated Smith & Wesson No. 3 Revolver
• Chapter 9 - Famous Guns, Famous People
• Revolvers, Reality and the Theater
• .44 Americans at Little Bighorn
• Target Shooting Becomes the Rage
• Some Good, Some Bad and Some Legends
• Black Troopers and Schofields
• A Few Famous Smith & Wessons, a Few Famous People
• Chapter 10 - Smith & Wesson Top-Break Ammunition
• A Short History
• Ammunition Specifications
• Chapter 11 - Reloading Ammunition for the Smith & Wesson Top-Break
• "Hot" Hand Loads and Smokeless Powder
• Some General Information Relating to Black Powder Cartridges
• Black Powder Cartridge Reloading Tips
• Black Powder, Just What is it?
• Pyrodex a Black Powder Alternative
• Clear Shot: A True Substitute?
• A Bit on Bullets
• Bullet Alloys
• Bullet Characteristics
• Bullet Lubricants
• Bullet Sizing
• Cartridge Cases
• Cartridge Case Preparation
• Primers
• Measuring Bullets, Bores and Cylinder Chambers
• Reloading Tools and Presses
• The Top-Break Cartridges
• Table of Modern Pistol Primer Sizes
• Ammunition Reloading Sources
• Chapter 12 - Miscellanea
• Glossary of Top-Break and 19th Century Gun Terms
• Time-Line of S&W Top-Break Revolvers
• Total Top-Break Production Numbers
• Bibliography
• Sources
• Footnotes
• Index


ISBN: 1-931464-10-3