Welcome to immediately’s Photograph of the Day! Right here we now have a Smith and Wesson high break revolver. This particularly is important since it is a South Australian Smith and Wesson New Mannequin No 3 police revolver. These particular revolvers got here into being due to some somewhat inconsiderate planning. When South Australia was based as its personal free state again within the 1830s it was ill-equipped for crime. It’s because regardless that all different established Australian territories and states used jail labor, therefore the entire “jail colony” time period you might hear every so often. South Australia didn’t have something like that so it was assumed that there can be subsequent to no crime in any respect. This didn’t cease criminals and like-minded people from making the most of the shortage of defenses. The end result was the South Australian authorities ordered a bunch of those Smith and Wesson New Mannequin No 3 revolvers for his or her police pressure (which was additionally ramped up). They had been chambered within the 44 Russian cartridges, had notched machined for a shoulder inventory, and had been nickel plated.
“Solely roughly 310 Smith & Wesson New Mannequin No. 3 Australian revolvers had been manufactured, all with nickel end, 7 inch barrels, and removable shoulder shares. They had been shipped to Australia for the Southern Australian Colonial Police and carried in holster and scabbard on horseback within the wild Australian outback. The primary cargo was for 250 revolvers and was despatched to Smith & Wesson’s massive New York distributor M.W. Robinson for the Australian Authorities on December 14, 1881. Mr. Robinson had acquired an order for 250 Smith & Wesson New Mannequin 3 revolvers from the Australian Authorities earlier within the 12 months. The revolver has the two-line handle/patent dates barrel rib marking, matching serial numbers on the butt, cylinder, barrel and barrel latch, and an Australian broad arrow proof stamped on the butt. The leather-based flap holster is marked with an Australian broad arrow proof together with the rack quantity “69” on the within of the flap. The walnut shoulder inventory is numbered to the gun and marked with an Australian broad arrow. The unique Australian leather-based inventory scabbard is stamped with the rack quantity “91” and an Australian broad arrow on the within. Provenance: The Dr. Gerald Klaz Assortment”
Lot 1288: Australian Smith & Wesson New Mannequin No. 3 Revolver – Uncommon Australian Contract Smith & Wesson New Mannequin No. 3 Single Motion Revolver with Holster, Matching Smith & Wesson Shoulder Inventory and Scabbard [Photograph found in Auction Catalog #83, Rock Island Auction Company]. (n.d.). Retrieved September 13, 2022, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/element/83/1288/australian-smith-wesson-new-model-no-3-revolver
