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LOT 1075
Historic Documented Outlaw Jesse James Attributed Smith & Wesson First Model Schofield Single Action Revolver with Tooled Leather “Slim Jim” Holster, Factory Letter, and Provenance Documents - Serial no. 273, 45 Schofield cal., 7 inch solid rib bbl., blue finish, walnut grips. This iconic Smith & Wesson First Model Schofield revolver was shipped on July 12, 1875, to the Springfield Armory per the factory letter. The included documentation indicates the revolver and accompanying holster were acquired by Milton Shanton in Missouri and that the revolver and tooled left handed holster had belonged to the famous outlaw Jesse James. They were then passed down through his
68 family in Ohio after his death and remained in the family until it was sold
by Bernice M. Gilmerr in 1975. In addition to the family history, the holster is particularly important. Another First Model Schofield, sn. 366, a right handed holster with virtually identical designs, and a cartridge belt are also attributed to Jesse James and were part of the set of guns displayed by Jesse James Jr. Pages from “Fired in Anger” by Robert Elman, “Outlaws of the Old West” from the November 1982 issue of “Western Frontier,” and “Guns and the Gun Fighters” from Guns & Ammo are included showing that Schofield and holster rig. The holster with sn. 366 and the current one are indeed very, very similar.
The revolver is a classic Smith & Wesson First Model Schofield. Only 3,035 First Models were manufactured in 1875, mainly for the U.S. Army. They
were issued to the 4th, 9th, and 10th U.S. Cavalry, the latter two the famous “Buffalo Soldiers.” They were also issued to state militias. Some were still
in use in the Spanish-American War, but many were sold off as surplus
in the 1880s, and they saw use in civilian hands in the American West in the late 19th century, including by outlaws and Wells, Fargo & Co. Express agents. It has a pinned, rounded blade front sight as well as a long sighting groove along the top of the rib and a notch rear sight on the distinctive Schofield latch. The left side of the barrel has the two-line patent marking, and the right side has the one-line Schofield patent marking. The cylinder is numbered “146” and also marked “L” and “P” on the rear face. The butt has the serial number “273,” and the right side of the butt under the grip is stamped “A.H. RYAN.” The grips were reshaped and then lined on the