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Smith and Wesson .44 New Model No. 3 Single-Action Revolver, serial no. 25120

Manufacturer Smith & Wesson American
Decorator Tiffany & Co.
ca. 1888
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 372
Between about 1880 and 1905, Tiffany & Co. embellished a series of deluxe handguns for the nation's leading firearms manufacturers, notably Colt, Winchester, and, most important, Smith & Wesson. The guns were either special orders for Tiffany's well-heeled clientele or commissioned by the manufacturer as show pieces for display in exhibitions such as the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. This New Model Revolver was a special order, recorded in the Smith & Wesson archives as having been shipped to Tiffany's on November 11, 1888. Once in New York, the plain nickel-plated frame received a two-piece silver grip etched overall with scenes of a buffalo hunt.

During the late nineteenth century, Tiffany's often used etching to render large areas of ornament, including complex and often charming pictorial compositions like this buffalo hunt. The revolver complements two other Tiffany-decorated Smith & Wesson firearms from the collection of Gerald Klaz that are already part of the Museum's holdings, one exhibiting an embossed and martelé silver grip, the other with a grip in mokume, a Japanese-style laminated metal.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Smith and Wesson .44 New Model No. 3 Single-Action Revolver, serial no. 25120
  • Manufacturer: Smith & Wesson (American, established 1852)
  • Decorator: Tiffany & Co. (American, established 1837)
  • Date: ca. 1888
  • Geography: Springfield, Massachusetts; New York, New York
  • Culture: American, Springfield, Massachusetts and New York
  • Medium: Steel, silver, nickel
  • Dimensions: L. 11 in. (27.9 cm); L. of barrel 5 in. (12.7 cm); Cal. .44 in. (11.2 mm); Wt. 2 lb. 8 oz. (1123 g)
  • Classification: Firearms-Pistols-Revolvers
  • Credit Line: Gift of Gerald Klaz, M.D., Trustee - The Gerald Klaz Trust, 2007
  • Object Number: 2007.477
  • Curatorial Department: Arms and Armor

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Smith and Wesson New Model No. 3, .44 Caliber Double-Action Navy Revolver, serial no. 23060, Smith & Wesson American, Steel, silver, turquoise, lapis lazuli, American, Springfield, Massachusetts and New York
Smith and Wesson New Model No. 3, .44 Caliber Double-Action Navy Revolver, serial no. 23060
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Smith and Wesson .32 Caliber Single-Action Revolver, serial no. 94421, Smith & Wesson American, Steel, silver, niello, nickel, American, Springfield, Massachusetts and New York
Smith and Wesson .32 Caliber Single-Action Revolver, serial no. 94421
Smith & Wesson
Tiffany & Co.
1892–93
Smith and Wesson .38 Caliber Safety Third Model Double-Action Revolver, serial no. 83097, with Case, Smith & Wesson American, Steel, silver, enamel, nickel, wood, leather, copper alloy, gold, American, Springfield, Massachusetts and New York
Smith and Wesson .38 Caliber Safety Third Model Double-Action Revolver, serial no. 83097, with Case
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Tiffany & Co.
1892–93
Smith and Wesson .44 Double-Action Revolver for George Jay Gould (1864–1923), serial no. 23402, with Case and Cleaning Brush, Smith & Wesson American, Steel, silver, ivory, wood, paper, textile, leather, gold, copper alloy, iron, silver substitute, fiber, American, Springfield, Massachusetts and New York
Smith and Wesson .44 Double-Action Revolver for George Jay Gould (1864–1923), serial no. 23402, with Case and Cleaning Brush
Smith & Wesson
Tiffany & Co.
1888–89
Smith and Wesson .32 Caliber Single-Action Revolver, serial no. 17156, Smith & Wesson American, Steel, silver, copper-platinum-iron alloy, nickel, American, Springfield, Massachusetts and New York
Smith and Wesson .32 Caliber Single-Action Revolver, serial no. 17156
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