Smith & Wesson 1870 Model 3 Revolver

  

Smith & Wesson Russian Model 3

 

 

• Also known as "Smith & Wesson Russian Model" and the "Schofield Revolver".
• Action: Single Action
• Capacity: 6 round cylinder top break design
• Barrel Length: 7"
• Weight: 2lbs
• Cartridge Caliber: .44 Russian (11mm) and .45 S&W(.45 Schofield)
• Spanish Military Service: 1874 - 1903
• US Military Service: 1870 - 1899

 

 

The Smith and Wesson Model 3 was used by both the US Army and the Spanish Military, as well as the Philippine revolutionary government.

 

The American S&W Model 3 Schofield were issued to the US Military in the early 1870s at the same time as the Colt Single Action Army .45. However, US Army Major George W. Schofield also asked their military version to be chambered in .45 caliber. S&W obliged but made their own .45 cartridge which they dubbed the ".45 S&W". These cartridges were shorter then the .45Colt but can be shot in the Colt SAA Revolver; however, the .45Colt cartridge could not be fired in the Schofield revolvers. Many soldier became confused between the two. Thus the US military created the monikers, ".45 Long Colt"(.45Colt) and .45 "Short"(.45S&W). The .45 S&W cartridge would also be known as the .45 Schofield cartridge. And because the request came in by Major Schofield, these particular Model 3 revolvers chambered in .45 became known as the "Schofield revolver". The US Army variant also excluded the spur guard underneath the trigger. The S&W revolver went mainly to US cavalrymen due to the top break design, which made loading and reloading on horseback easier than the Colt SAA. In 1898 during the outbreak of the Span-Am War, just like the Colt SAA, the S&W Schofield was nearly completely phased out of service by the Colt .38. There were less S&W Schofield revolvers out in the field then the Colt SAA .45. Very few would reach the Philippines and a smaller number would be captured and used by Filipinos. Due to the rarity of the cartridge, I would surmise the revolver was more likely useless for the opposing force. After the Span-Am and Phil-Am War, the US Military completely retired the Schofield .45 revolver for good, selling their entire surplus stock back to S&W and other gundealers around the US.

 

The Spanish counter-part Smith and Wesson Model 3 was not a standard issue for the Spanish, but was the "recommended" side-arm for the Spanish Military. Recommended meaning they had the choice to purchase and carry the revolver. The much older Lefaucheaux pinfire design revolvers became extremely outdated compared to the newly designed revolvers like the S&W Model 3. The Russian Military ordered these revolvers from S&W for their military. They would later see action during the Russo-Turkish War. Many of these revolvers were later sold off to Spain; which is why they were chambered in .44 Russian. Spain would later produce their own copy of the S&W Model 3 with improvements. But these original models would find their way to the Philippines and end up in the hands of some Filipinos of revolutionary force.

 

Colt Artillery Model 1873 Single Action Army(SAA) .45

• Barrel Length: 7" and 5½"
• Weight: 2.3 lbs
• Cartridge Caliber: .45 Long Colt (255 grain)
• Muzzle Velocity: 830 fps
• US Service: 1873– 1893; 1899-1909(reissued during the Philippine Campaigns)

 The Colt SAA .45 became the side arm issued to US Army in 1873. The Colt .45 revolver was considered cutting edge technology at the time. The large caliber was believed to quell conflicts and bring peace. It became known as the "Peacemaker". It would be the most popular revolver of the old west. Today it remains synonymous with the Cowboys of the western frontier.

The original Colt SAA issued to troops had the 7" barrel. By early 1890s the US Army decided to downsize their force as well as find ways to save on spending. By 1893 many of the Colt SAA revolvers were replaced by the Colt DA .38. It should be noted the phasing out of the Colt SAA .45 was a long process and many still found use as the side arm of select few units. By 1898 the Colt revolvers were modified with a shorter 5½" and issued first to Artillery units. The altered Colts with 5½" barrels would be known and later called the "Artillery Model". The most popular unit to carry the old Colt .45 SAA would be Teddy Roosevelts Rough Riders during the Cuban Campaign. The Colt SAA .45 would truly shine just as the the Philippine-American War was coming to a close and the beginning of the pacification through out the Philippines; most particularly during patrols and expeditions in the Visayan and Moroland(Mindanao) regions. The Colt .38 revolvers provided to be insufficient in stopping and dropping frantically charged assailants. Few regulars and volunteers still carried the older Colt SAA .45 and noted the significant stopping and knock-down power the revolver had over the newer .38s. Officers soon requested an immediate re-issue of old Colt SAA .45s to the Philippine Islands. Because the Colt SAA .45 would still be used in service all the way up to the end of the Philippine-American War, it would be safe to say the Colt .45 was never truly retired in 1893.

Colt SAA overhauled and refurbished to Artillery Model at their Hartford Connecticut manufacturing facility and shipped to the Philippines for the US Army. Lower right heel stamped 1903.

By the end of 1902 the Philippine-American War closed and the US volunteers began mustering out of service. As US troop presence began to drop in the Philippines, Tafts Philippine Commission would establish a native police force known as the Philippine Constabulary to fill the roll of bring law and order through out the islands. The Philippine Constabulary would be issued the old 1878 Colt Alaskan .45 revolver, which would be re-designated the Colt 1902 Philippine Model. Resulting from the effective use of the Colt Single Action Army .45. The SAA revolver would see its last action with the adoption of Colts new commercial .45 revolver dubbed the M1909.

Spanish Remington Rolling Block .43

• Weight: 9.25lb
• Length: 50"
• Barrel length: 35.7"
• Cartridge Caliber: 11.15x58R (.43 Spanish)
• Service in Spanish Army: 1870-1893
• Service in Philippine Army: 1898-1902

The Spanish Armory at Oviedo manufactured the Rolling Block rifle under license agreement from Remington(firearms manufacture in New York). These rifles were used heavily by colonial soldiers through out Spains colonies since the 1870s. In the Philippines the Rolling Block became the primary firearm of the Guardia Civil and was used extensively through out the 1896 Revolution by both Spanish and revolutionary forces. Once Spain sold off the Philippines to America, the Philippine forces seized much of the left over firearms used by Spanish and native soldiers. As well as many Spanish officers and soldiers joined the Filipinos in fighting against the Americans. The Spanish Remington Rolling Block and the 1893 Spanish Mauser rifle became the two primary rifles used by the Philippine Army against the United States military during the Philippine-American War (1899-1902), as well as other rebellions and uprisings from 1902-1913.

In the US, the American varient Remington Rolling Block is also iconic now and of the time, it is best known through out the old cowboy western era as the Buffalo Hunters rifle.

Company of the Philippine Army. (Circa 1899)
Riflemen standing are armed with Spanish Remington Rolling Block Rifles.
Riflemen kneeling are armed with Spanish 1893 Mauser Rifles.

An age old tale about the Philippine Army is that the soldiers removed the rear sights of the rifle and that they were ignorant enough to think the rear aiming mechanism got in their way. The image below disproves that belief and rumor.

Soldiers of the Philippine Army armed with Spanish Remington Rolling Blocks rifles.



The Moros were also armed with Spanish Remington Rolling Blocks during the The Moro Rebellion (1899-1913).



Firearms taken during Pershings Lake Lanao Expeditions 1902 and 1903.(Photo Courtesy of http://morolandhistory.com/)

Springfield Krag Jørgensen Rifle



  

• Manufacturer: Springfield Armory(under license by Krag Jørgensen)
• Design: Norwegian
• Weight: 8.6lb
• Length: 49"
• Barrel length: 30"
• Cartridge Caliber: 30-40 Krag Smokeless
• Capacity: 5 round internal box magazine
• Service in US Army: 1892-1903
• Service in US Volunteers: March 1899-1902
• Service in Philippine Constabulary: 1906-1917

The US Army adopted the Krag rifle in 1892. Springfield would produce several different variants of the Krag from 1892 to 1899 at their plant in Massachusetts. An estimated 500,000 rifles were produced at Springfield Armory. Production ceased in 1904. The Krag would be the rifle credited for winning the Spanish American War, as well as the Philippine American War. It still remains synonymous to the Span-Am War era.

The Krag how ever was very short lived. It only saw two short wars and was already proven to be outclassed, out matched, and obsolete during the first war. The Spanish Mauser proved to be a better all around performer, as well as being a more robust war rifle than the Krag. Loading the Krag was also tedious, as it required loading one round at a time in to the box magazine, where as the Spanish Mauser took 5 round stripper clips that allowed for extremely fast reload. The Mauser was the superior rifle of the two wars, but the American soldiers outnumbered and out-gunned the Spanish and Filipino soldiers armed with Mausers. By 1901 Springfield had developed a new and improved battle rifle that incorporated features and characteristics of both the Spanish Mauser as well as the Krag. The US Army soon adopted Springfields new rifle and named it the M1903. The M1903 were quickly mass produced and outfitted to US Regulars. The Krags however would still find a niche in service. By 1906 the Krags would be re-issued to the Philippine Constabulary and other provincial police departments around the Philippines.

  

US Regulars firing Krag rifles at the outbreak in Manila, Feb 1899.

Famous Krag marching song of the Philippine-American War.

Damn the Filipinos


In that land of dopey dreams, happy peaceful Philippines
Where the bolo man is hiking night and day.
Where Tagalos steal and lie, where Americanos die,
You can hear the soldiers sing this evening lay..


Ch.
Damn! Damn! Damn the Filipinos,
Cross eyed khaki-ak ladrones.
Underneath our starry flag, civilize 'em with a Krag,
And return us to our own beloved homes.


Underneath the nipa-thatch, where the scrawny chickens scratch,
Only place to rest when hiking all day long.
As I lay me down to sleep, slimy lizards o'er me creep,
In that land where soldiers sing this evening song..


Social graces there are few, all the ladies smoke and chew,
And the men do things the padres say are wrong.
But the padres cut no ice, as they dine on fish and rice,
In that land where soldiers sing this evening song.