Made in 1885, this revolver has been in my family but never shot since the 70s. Excellent condition. Here is what the Smith and Wesson historical society was able to tell me.

“The Model 3 line of revolvers was varied and complex, and decoding the guns can be a challenge. That said, what you have is a Smith & Wesson .44 Double Action revolver. This was the last of the long line of large frame Model 3 revolvers, and it was the only in that lineage to have an action that could be fired in single or double action.

The serial numbers of the Frontiers only went up to 15,340. Since yours is higher, I believe that yours is the standard variation of the .44 Double Action that was probably chambered in the .44 Russian cartridge. This was the predecessor to the modern .44 Special and .44 Magnum cartridges. Serial number 16460 dates this revolver to December 1885.”