Smith & Wesson · Revolver
S&W Schofield
Single action revolver · .45 Schofield · introduced 1875
Also known as Schofield Revolver, Smith & Wesson Schofield, S&W No. 3 Schofield
About the S&W Schofield
The S&W Schofield is a top-break, single-action revolver developed for the U.S. cavalry during the cartridge era of the American Old West. Major George W. Schofield reworked the basic Smith & Wesson Model 3 with a frame-mounted barrel latch that a trooper could release with the thumb of the firing hand, allowing a mounted soldier to open the action, eject all six spent cases at once, and reload one-handed on horseback. The U.S. Army adopted it in 1875 chambered for the .45 S&W (Schofield) cartridge, a shorter, fatter round than the .45 Colt.
Surplus Schofields were bought up and barrel-shortened by distributors such as Wells Fargo, and Old West figures including Jesse James and Frank James are reported to have favored the top-break design for the speed of its simultaneous ejection.
S&W Schofield specifications
General
- Type
- Revolver
- Action
- Single action revolver
- Firing mechanism
- Single action
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Calibres
- .45 Schofield
- Magazine capacity
- 6 rounds
- Magazine
- Rotary magazine
Dimensions
- Barrel length
- 178 mm (7.0 in)
- Overall length
- 318 mm (12.5 in)
- Weight (empty)
- 1.14 kg (2.50 lb)
Barrel
- Rifling
- Right hand
- Grooves
- 5
Materials
- Barrel
- Steel
- Receiver / frame
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- blued
Performance
- Muzzle velocity (typical)
- 244 m/s (801 fps)
- Muzzle energy (typical)
- 444 J (327 ft·lb)
- Effective range
- 50 m
History
- Introduced
- 1875
- Discontinued
- 1878
- Production status
- Out of production
- Country of origin
- US
- Designer
- George W. Schofield
Features
- Top break action
- Automatic simultaneous ejection
- Frame mounted latch
- Six shot cylinder
- Fixed sights
Safety
- Half cock notch
The shorter .45 Schofield cartridge would chamber and fire in the Colt Single Action Army, but the longer .45 Colt would not fit the Schofield's cylinder, causing ammunition supply problems that contributed to the Army surplusing the revolvers.
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