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LOT 82
Scarce Early Factory Deluxe Engraved Serial Number
8 Smith & Wesson No. 2 Type
1 Lever Action Pistol - Serial no. 8, 41 cal., 8 inch part octagon bbl., brown/blue finish, rosewood grips. Gunsmiths Horace Smith
and Daniel B. Wesson are most famous for their revolvers, but the pair’s first
partnership together
engraving with bird head accents on the
right side plate, double lined borders, an
adjustable steel notch rear sight secured by a screw behind the ejection port, the distinctive early hump behind the hammer, single spring screw on the bottom of the frame, and early lever with spur at the rear. The matching serial number “8” is marked inside the grips, on the butt under the left grip, and inside the side plates.
on February 14, 1854. Only around 1,700 pistols were manufactured c. 1854-1855
before the company changed to become the Volcanic Repeating Arms Company. Of those, only 500 were these larger No. 2 pistols. These pistols are the early ancestors of the famous Winchester lever actions and
marked an important step in the evolution of repeating arms. This very early example is serial number 8. It has
a part-round, part-octagon barrel with a flat muzzle and flat T-bar spring, ten-shot magazine, round follower with knurling, a “pinched” brass blade front sight, uncommon “CAST-STEEL/PATENT/ NORWICH, CT./1854” marking on top of the breech section, and band of engraving at the breech end. The frame has elaborate scroll
as some patches
of mild pitting. The
engraving remains
crisp, and the
markings are legible.
The grips are also
fine and have some
attractive natural
grain, a small chip
on the upper right,
slight chips at the
heel, and minor scratches and edge wear. The elevator needs some work, but the hammer and trigger function fine. This is a very attractive early Smith & Wesson No. 2 Type 1 Lever Action Pistol. These early pistols paved the way for the famous lever action rifles of the American West!
Estimate: 15,000 - 25,000
manufactured not revolvers but lever action repeating pistols they patented
CONDITION: Very good finish on the barrel and aged gray
and brown
patina as well
plus. This pistol displays traces of original magazine and otherwise has an attractive
Issue No. 1 revolvers is visible on the left of the frame.
CONDITION: Very good plus, retains traces of the 30% of the original silver finish and traces of brass or a mostly smooth grey patina with some scattered light pitting. The grips are also very Provenance: The Dr. Gerald Klaz Collection.
Estimate: 4,500 - 6,500
83
LOT 83
Early Production
Smith & Wesson No. 1 First Issue Second Type Spur Trigger Revolver with Early “Bayonet” Style Latch
- Serial no. 516, 22 RF cal., 3 1/4 inch solid rib bbl., blue/silver finish, rosewood grips. Manufactured c. 1857-1858, this is an example of a Second Type Smith & Wesson No. 1 First Issue revolver. These No. 1 First Issue revolvers are considered to be the first successful American metallic
cartridge revolver with a bored through cylinder. This example has the distinctive “bayonet” barrel latch visible on the front bottom of the frame and lacks the visible key fastening the recoil plate which was a defining feature of the First Type, while still having the
revolving recoil plate. The single line Smith & Wesson address is on top of the barrel rib and matching numbers are present on the toe,
barrel lug, front face of the cylinder, and inside both grips. The patent date is rolled on the cylinder in a single line. The distinctive round sideplate of the First
the original blue finish with the balance having thinned to either an attractive antique good with some scattered light dings and scratches. Mechanically excellent.
SERIAL NUMBER 516