Very Rare US Revenue Cutter Service Delivered Smith & Wesson New Model No 3 Revolver with Factory Letter

Spanish American War

.44 Russian. 6" ribbed barrel. SN: 26143*. Blued finish, color casehardened hammer, checkered hard rubber S&W logo grips. Single action top break, tip down simultaneous extraction revolver with fluted six-chambered cylinder notch rear sight and pinned half-moon blade front sight. Barrel rib marked in two lines: SMITH & WESSON SPRINGFIELD MASS. U.S.A. PAT'D JAN. 17 & 24 65/JULY 11 65 AUG 24 69 JULY 25 71 DEC. 2. 79 MAY 11 & 25 1880. Rear face of cylinder, frame catch and frame latch all with the matching serial number 26143. The left frame of the revolver is marked 8.12 under the grip, indicating the date of August 1912 for the factory refurbishment designated by the * after the serial number on the butt. The revolver is accompanied by a two page letter from Smith & Wesson Historian Roy Jinks noting that this gun was identified by serial number as having been shipped by Smith & Wesson to the US Revenue Cutter Service, National Armory, Springfield, MA on June 27, 1890. The Neal & Jinks book Smith & Wesson 1857-1945 - A Handbook for Collectors, notes that a total of 63 guns were in that US Government shipment, although at the time of publication the reason for the purchase or to what branch of the government they were shipped was not known. This is an extremely rare gun, as the records suggest that only 63 were acquired in that order, another 44 in an order on September 17, 1890 and possibly another 33 as some references note as many as 140 being acquired by the Revenue Cutter Service. Interestingly at least one other extant example is marked as being factory refinished like this gun, suggesting that the harsh life on a Revenue Cutter was rough on the guns, and at least one boat's commander wanted them to be in tip top shape and looking good. From the Collection of Charles Worman, co-author of the two volume set Firearms of the American West.

The US Revenue Cutter Service was established by an Act of Congress on August 4, 1790 to provide customs and tariff enforcement along the coast of the new United States. Originally called the Revenue-Marine, the service grew from a handful of coastal cutters to a more complex group of ships including tugs, inter coastal boats and ships on the Great Lakes. In January of 1915 the Revenue Cutter Service was officially merged with the US Life Saving Service to form the US Coast Guard. Due to the small size of the USRCS, small arms and related items identified to them are extremely rare and desirable to both US Navy and US Coast Guard collectors.

From the Collection of Charles Worman