Manufactured from 1870 to 1872, the First Model American was the first top break, automatic ejecting revolver made in the United States. The American model was introduced 3 years before the Colt Single Action Army revolver and is probably, more than any other model, associated with the historic American West. As S&W expert Roy Double pointed out over fifty years ago, "This was a work gun; a big, heavy-caliber holster gun worn openly and ready to hand; a timely gun indigenous to America on the move and a part of America's greatest adventures." Difficult to obtain in solid representative condition, this S&W American Model revolver is indeed a desirable American firearm. The barrel has been shortened, a common practice of the period in order to better fit the needs of the day.