FALL 2019
According to S&W historian Roy
Jinks in his book 125 Years with Smith &
Wesson, total Model 3 production in all
variations reached 250,820 by 1912. And
then Uberti entered the picture in 1994.
The late Val Forgett Sr. was one of the
greatest catalysts for developing new
models at Uberti and Pietta. But at
Uberti, Forgett’s influence and friendship
with Aldo Uberti led to the company
building an interesting variety of models
for Navy Arms and other retailers. With
the S&W designs, Uberti almost skipped
to the end of Model 3 production by start-
ing with the First Model Schofield in 1994,
which was designated as the 1875 Schofield
Cavalry Series. The Second Series was
added in 1999 along with the New Model
Russian, and while there were a few other
variants,todayUbertioffersprimarily
Schofield, Russian and Frontier models.
The Frontier made for Taylor’s & Co.
is offered in .44 Special and .45 Colt.
Its design combines a little of the Third
Model Russian (with the cylinder retain-
ing screw and Russian-type barrel hinge)
with the correct New Model No. 3 grip
frame and an adjustable rear sight that
is better than the one on S&W’s original
Target Model. The Taylor’s Frontier also
has a 6½-inch barrel, compared to the
original New Model No. 3 Frontier in the
photos, which has a 6-inch barrel. Original
barrel lengths for the New Model No. 3
ranged from 3½ to 8 inches, and the guns
were offered with blued or nickel finishes,
so just about every aspect of the Taylor’s
GUNS OF THE OLD WEST 59
As you can see in this image of a
New Model No. 3 Target Model, the rear
sight is somewhat smaller and thinner than
the one used on the Uberti reproduction. The
original guns have a shorter ejector housing
with a finger extractor cam, while all current
Uberti models follow the Schofield design.
TurnbullRestoration
condition. An authentic restoration can provide a look into the past while preserving important history.
And just as importantly, restoration preserves cherished memories.
RestoredMarlin 1893
RestoredWinchester 1892
It’s for the trophies on the wall. For the stories,
for the laughter. It’s for breathing free, and for
every experience that takes your breath away.
It’s for the memories.
