This Early production No. 2 Lever Action Repeating pistol was manufactured by Horace Smith & Daniel Wesson in Norwich, Connecticut c. 1854. The pistol has a six inch, part round/part octagon barrel with integral 10-shot magazine, 'Type I' frame with pronounced hump behind the trigger. The two-piece rosewood grips have a flared butt. The barrel has a flat muzzle that is flush with the end of the magazine and flat magazine lock spring attached to the end of the spring chamber by a screw. The barrel has a pinch-top front sight blade and the magazine has a steel, clam-shell follower with slotted top. The top barrel flat is roll stamped: "PATENT SMITH &WESSON/NORWICH CT. CAST-STEEL". The steel frame has the distinctive cocking lever with finger spur, screw-fastened rear sight, cartridge carrier with single lever spring screw, ejection port with flat front and rear ends and hammer with fine knurling on the spur. The sides and top of the frame, back strap and top of the hammer are factory engraved with open scroll and floral designs. The barrel was originally browned, the frame blued and the hammer, trigger and lever blued or casehardened. The two-piece rosewood grips have a high polish piano finish. The serial number, "52" is stamped on the left side of the butt beneath the grips, on the back face of the rear sight and penciled on the inside of both grips. All of the visible serial numbers match. Smith & Wesson manufactured fewer than 500 No. 2 Lever Action pistols in 1854 and 1855. Early production No. 2 Pistols are rare, especially with the shorter 6 inch barrel.

Very good plus. This pistol retains small amounts of the brown finish on the barrel/magazine and traces of the blue finish on protected areas of the bolt. The barrel/magazine has a very pleasing gray-brown patina with smooth metal surfaces. The edges of the barrel are sharp. The S&W legend on the top barrel flat is crisp. The steel frame has a smooth silver-gray patina. The simple but well-executed factory scroll engraving is deep and crisp. The grips are in fine condition and retain most of the original piano varnish with a few minor handling marks. This is a good looking example of a rare, early production short barrel, S&W No. 2 Lever Action Repeating Pistol. Provenance: Dr. Gerald Klaz collection.