Lot 2007
Antique San Francisco Police Marked U.S. Smith & Wesson Second Model Schofield Single Action Revolver. Manufactured for the U.S. military and later issued to the San Francisco Police Department by Benicia Arsenal. Approximately 300 Schofield models were issued to the San Francisco Committee of Safety during the labor riots and civil unrest of 1877-78 caused by the great railroad strikes that sprung up in many large cities across the United States. Records do exist for these 300 revolvers being issued; however, no records exist of them being returned and it is popular belief that once the riots were put down all the revolvers were obtained by the California militia. This example is stamped with the rack number "85" behind the hammer. The butt is stamped "US," U.S. Ordnance sub-inspector stamps "W" and "P" are on the rear of the cylinder and underside of the barrel lug, and matching serial numbers on the butt, and cylinder. The left side of the ejector housing is clearly stamped in two lines, with a Maltese Cross at each end of the legend: "SMITH & WESSON SPRINGFIELD MASS. U.S.A. PAT. JAN. 17TH & 24TH 63. JULY 11TH 65. AUG 24TH 69. JULY 25TH 71." The right side of the ejector housing is marked in a single line: "SCHOFIELD’s PAT. APR. 22D 1873" Caliber/ Gauge: .45 S&W; Serial Number: 6113 Working Order: Firearm has not been tested; Background Check: FFL Not Required; Keywords: Firearms, Guns; Ref: BD1983
- Dimensions: 7" barrel
- Circa: 1876-1877
- Notes: Another interesting chapter in the story of the Smith & Wesson Schofield occurred in the San Francisco area during 1877 and 1878. In 1873, an economic depression had afflicted most of Europe and had migrated to American shores. While the combination of factors creating the crisis were multidimensional, one that directly affected the American West was the Coinage Act of 1873, the decision to move from a gold-silver monetary system to the gold standard. This ended the minting of silver coins in America, which had a disastrous effect on the silver mines of the west, as the value of silver plummeted with the government no longer buying it for use in coins. Additionally, the economic collapse had started in the major cities of the east, primarily New York, Boston and Chicago, and the lack of jobs and economic opportunity had caused many Americans to move west. The pressures placed on western US economies by the precipitous drop in silver value and the increased population resulted in widespread unemployment, particularly in urban centers like San Francisco. The end result was that thousands of unemployed and disenchanted people struggling to survive and in search of hope. Many found a hopeful message with the Workingman’s Party of the United States, a socialist labor movement. On July 23, 1877, some 8,000 members and interested parties gathered near the San Francisco City Hall for a “meeting”, which by the end of the night had devolved into a massive riot that lasted well into the next day. One of the points of tension, and a classic cry of those who would incite violence during hard economic times, was that the problem was the “foreigners”. Little thought was given to the fact that nearly all of those who gathered for this meeting were immigrants themselves who had only been in the United States for one or two generations. The chosen scapegoat were the Chinese laborers, whose massive influx over the last decade had resulted in lower wages and fewer job opportunities for newly arrived easterners. The cry of “Chinamen must go!” echoed through the night and would become the rallying cry for the Workingman’s Party, which would be the genesis of the Socialist Labor Party of America. The riots eventually petered out after heroic efforts by San Francisco Police, supported by the state militia which was called out as well. Soon thereafter a group of concerned citizens known somewhat derisively as the “Pick Axe Brigade” was formed to assist with the suppression of the violence and to discourage further rioting. However, it would take more than a year before the constant threat of possible riots would pass, and much longer before the racial tension would moderate. During this time, the San Francisco Police determined that they were woefully ill-prepared and under equipped to deal with such mass civil unrest. To that end some three hundred US army Schofield revolvers (both first and second models) were issued to the San Francisco Police Force during 1877 and 1878. According to research by Charles Pate (see his Man At Arms article on the subject), the guns were issued from the Benicia Arsenal (about 35 miles north-east of San Francisco). Since 1851, Benicia had been the primary US arsenal on the west coast and would remain so through the mid-1960s. According to Pate’s research, all the revolvers issued to the SFPD from the Arsenal were stamped with large, individual inventory numbers on the backstrap, behind the hammer. Although there are records of the guns being issued, there is no evidence that they were ever returned it seems likely that since the guns were already falling out of favor and most were soon to be sold off as surplus, that the US Army simply did not put any effort into retrieving the three hundred revolvers. The guns no doubt remained in service with the SFPD until they were obsolete, and likely replaced with double action .38 caliber revolvers around the turn-of-the-century. Today, they remain an interesting footnote in the story of the Smith & Wesson Schofield revolver, and make a particularly scarce and desirable variation for the advanced Smith & Wesson collector.
- Condition: This beautiful and rare 147 year old revolver is in fair condition with signs of wear commensurate with age and use. Action is strong. Cylinder indexes correctly with slight play. Finish has a nice deep brown patina. Bore is in fair condition with visible rifling. The grip panels are in poor condition with signs of heavily wear and no visible cartouche/markings on the outside or serial number visible on the inside. Please review the photos for details and complete condition.
Accepted Forms of Payment:
American Express, COD (cash on delivery), Discover, MasterCard, Visa, Wire Transfer
Shipping
LOCAL PICK-UP INFORMATION:
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LOCATION: 15210 N 99th Ave Sun City, AZ 85351
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Arizona residents MUST pick-up in person at Bradford's Auction Gallery with a scheduled date of pick up. Details and information will be included on the winning bidders invoice. Any local Arizona Buyer of Post 1898 firearms MUST complete all necessary registration forms at Bradford's Auction Gallery. Local Buyers MUST have a Valid ARIZONA ID with Current Physical Address. If your Arizona ID does not reflect your current address you MUST provide us with a secondary form of ID that contains your correct address. Arizona Gun Dealers must have a signed copy of their Federal Firearms License in order to accept delivery of modern weapons. ANY DENIED BACKGROUND CHECK WILL RESULT IN A REFUND MINUS A 25% RESTOCKING FEE.
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Shipping for Out-of-State Buyers must be done through our 3rd Party Shipper Westside Mail Center. All firearms Post 1898 must be shipped to a valid holder of a Federal Firearms License on ALL Modern Weapons. The full cost of shipping and packing will be at the winning bidders / buyers expense. It is your responsibility to provide Westside Mail Center with the FFL dealer of your choice and they are responsible for sending the 3rd party shipper a copy of their FFL information. FIREARMS UNABLE TO BE SHIPPED TO YOUR STATE WILL RESULT IN A REFUND MINUS A 25% RESTOCKING FEE AND SHIPPING COSTS IF APPLICABLE.
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| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $99 | $5 |
| $100 | $199 | $10 |
| $200 | $999 | $20 |
| $1,000 | $4,999 | $50 |
| $5,000 | $9,999 | $100 |
| $10,000 + | $200 |