A couple of Wheelgun Wednesdays ago, we took a look at a Smith & Wesson Model No. 3 revolver from the catalog of the upcoming December 2022 Rock Island Premier Firearm Auction that belonged to one of the most famous figures of American history, Theodore Roosevelt. What we have today is another variation of the Model No. 3 revolver from the same auction’s catalog, a Smith & Wesson First Model Schofield revolver that is attributed to one of the most infamous figures of American history, Jesse James.

Rock Island Auction Company @ TFB:

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• Theodore Roosevelt’s Colt Single Action Army Sold at Rock Island Auction

Jesse Woodson James was born in 1847 in Clay County, Missouri. During the Civil War, he was a member of a bushwhacker group and took part in Centralia Massacre. After the war, he became one of the leaders of the James-Younger gang and was responsible for many bank, stagecoach, and train robberies across the country. At least 17 men were killed by his gang and $200,000 was stolen in about 26 heists. Jesse James was killed in 1882 by Bob Ford, one of the members of his gang.

Smith & Wesson Schofield revolvers are single-action top-break cartridge revolvers named after Major George W. Schofield who redesigned the locking mechanism of the S&W Model No. 3 revolver to make it more convenient for one-handed cavalry use. This particular one is a First Model Schofield (s/n 273) manufactured in 1875. It is chambered in .45 Schofield, has a 7″ barrel with a solid rib, walnut grips and blued finish. The major users of Schofield revolvers were the US military and Wells Fargo & Company, however, they were also popular among lawmen and outlaws alike. And of course one of the most notorious outlaws known to carry Smith & Wesson Schofield revolvers was Jesse James to whom this revolver is attributed.

Now, attributed doesn’t mean it’s proven that this revolver belonged to Jesse James, however, there are three main reasons why experts believe there is an extremely high likelihood that this wheelgun was indeed used by Jesse James or his gang members. First, the documents accompanying the revolver allow tracking of its provenance all the way back to James’ family. Second, under the grips, the frame of the revolver is stamped A.H. RYAN who was a James gang member. Lastly, the left-handed Slim Jim holster that this revolver is consigned with is very similar to a right-hand holster of another Jesse James First Model Schoefield revolver that was once displayed by Jesse James Jr. To learn more about the provenance of this revolver, read the lot description and watch the below-embedded video.

This Smith & Wesson First Model Schoefield revolver is Lot #1075 in the catalog of the December 2022 Rock Island Premier Firearms Auction. The auction will take place from December 9 to 11 with this particular lot scheduled to be auctioned on December 10. The estimated price range that this lot will likely be sold at is $125,000 – $250,000.

Pictures by Rock Island Auction Company, www.rockislandauction.com