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LOT 104
Famed Marksman and Olympian Walter
Winans Shipped, Inscribed, Gold and Nickel Plated Smith &
Wesson New Model No. 3 .450 Eley Target Revolver with Rare Long Extractor
and Factory Letter - Serial no. 28021, 450 Eley cal., 6 1/2 inch solid rib bbl., nickel/gold
finish, hard rubber grips. The accompanying factory letter lists this revolver with a 6 1⁄2 inch barrel in .450 Eley caliber, rare special order long extractor housing, target sight and black hard rubber grips. Finish is not listed. This revolver
was part of a shipment containing four units of this model that was shipped on January 5, 1893 and delivered to famed marksman and Olympian Walter Winans, London, England. The revolver in the next lot was also part of this January 5, 1893 shipment delivered to Winans. Known to us is a second January 5, 1893 dated shipment bound for England which contained 10 New Model No. 3 target revolvers invoiced to Birmingham retailer W.C. Scott & Sons. At least one of the 10 revolvers, no. 27906, ended up in the hands of Winans and is also in this auction. The Standard Catalog (page 103) confirms that Winans received 22 New Model No. 3 revolvers. This revolver has certainly been modified by Winans. The pinned blade front and “U” notch rear sights are period replacements and are the type of sights found on other New Model No. 3 target revolvers known to have been owned by Winans (see LOT 106 and LOT 1281) that are also in this auction). The frame and cylinder are plated in gold, and the barrel is plated in nickel.
In “The Art of Revolver Shooting,” Walter Winans tells in his own words his reasoning for choosing flamboyant finishes: “I have my revolvers gold-, silver-, or copper-plated all over, not for show, but to prevent, if I leave my revolver inadvertently on the firing-ledge in a competition, a man using it, and saying: ‘So sorry; thought it was mine, don’t you know.’ By having the colour of the plating varied, you know at a glance if you have the right revolver for the particular work in hand: your ‘gold’ for twenty yards; ‘copper’ for rapid firing; ‘silver’ for fifty yards, etc.” (page 21). The revolver is fitted with a special order target hammer. British proofs appear on the barrel and each cylinder flute. Matching serial numbers are on the butt, right grip panel, cylinder and barrel. The barrel latch is numbered to a different gun (“27899”). The side plate is lightly marked, likely in Winans
own hand,
“45” for the caliber .450 Eley. The area behind the hammer is engraved “RAPID” in a slight upward arch. The area below the inscription is grounded. ”RAPID” likely references a rapid fire shooting match. In Winans own words, “I won all my rapid- firing revolver competitions using the single action and cocking with the thumb, as this rested my trigger finger.” In 1893, Winans was the winner of the North London Revolver Championship
with a score of 205 out of a possible 210. More impressively he took 13 first prizes at Bisley that year. He was one of the most famous and highly esteemed handgun shooters of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He participated in the 1908 and 1912 Summer Olympics and won a total of two Olympic shooting medals: a Gold in 1908 and a Silver in 1912. He authored ten books including “The Art of Revolver Shooting,”“Practical Rifle Shooting” and “Automatic Pistol Shooting.” Apart from his shooting successes, Winans was a noted horse breeder and sculptor who exhibited his art 14 times at the British Royal Academy and won
an Olympic Gold Medal in the Arts Competition
in 1912 for his statuette “An American Trotter.” He is the only American to win medals in both art and sport at the Olympics. His Olympic career was not without controversy. At the 1908 Olympics, Winans’ eligibility as an American competitor
was questioned because he had never set foot in the United States. Winans was born to American parents in St. Petersburg, Russia where he lived for the first 18 years of his life. Before taking up residence in England, Winans took the oath of allegiance at the U.S. Embassy. He did not visit the U.S. until he was 58 years old. To compete at the Olympic Games, Winans was required to swear his allegiance to the U.S. Consul General.
CONDITION: Very fine. The barrel retains 98% of the period applied nickel finish. The cylinder and frame retain 95% plus of the period applied gold plating. The grips are also very fine with minimal handling marks and crisp checkering overall. Mechanically excellent. A genuine Walter Winans’ owned New Model No. 3 target revolver that will be a welcomed addition to any S&W or target shooting collection.
Provenance: The Dr. Gerald Klaz Collection. Estimate: 7,000 - 10,000
Collector’s Fact
This revolver was in the same shipment to Olympic Shooter Walter Winans as the following lot.
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