Taylor's No. 3 Schofield .45 Colt.

[Exiledviking]

I'm hitting a significant milestone in my time on this planet later this year and for some reason I've had a desire to pick up a No. 3 Schofield. I've been looking at .45 Colt No. 3 Schofields for several years. I just found that a vendor has some Taylor's 5" No. 3 Schofield revolvers in .45 Colt. I already reload for .45 Colt so this caliber makes sense.

In researching I've found that some people prefer the Frontier model due to the adjustable rear sight. Also the frame/grip is different.

I'd really appreciate some input on these guns. Probably won't be shot very much, more just because.

I do have a .45 Colt Ruger Bisley already so this one will be more for show and some fun with bowling pins.

[Borderland]

I'm hitting a significant milestone in my time on this planet later this year and for some reason I've had a desire to pick up a No. 3 Schofield. I've been looking at .45 Colt No. 3 Schofields for several years. I just found that a vendor has some Taylor's 5" No. 3 Schofield revolvers in .45 Colt. I already reload for .45 Colt so this caliber makes sense.

In researching I've found that some people prefer the Frontier model due to the adjustable rear sight. Also the frame/grip is different.

I'd really appreciate some input on these guns. Probably won't be shot very much, more just because.

I do have a .45 Colt Ruger Bisley already so this one will be more for show and some fun with bowling pins.

If you reload for 45 Colt that's your ticket. The problem with these old timer cartridges is ammo. Even 45 Colt is becoming a hard sell for ammo manufacturers. The ammo is primarily for the cowboy action shooting crowd.

I've thought about buying a Schofield. If I were to buy one it would have to be a repro and a common cartridge that I could buy brass for. 45 Colt is by far the preferable cartridge because so many cowboy action shooters use it.

[fatdog]

Pretty sure Uberti makes these for Taylors. I have their 7" cavalry model in 45LC and have shot it in CAS for several years, all BP cartridges.

It is a different manual of arms of course from SAA. A characteristic of mine is that it has to be in the half cock notch to open it. That half cock is like 1/8" back from hammer down. In that position the cylinder also free spins.

The handling is very different from a SAA but I have done well in matches with it. There are no live reloads in CAS which is where it would shine. Like the Bisley models and the Remington replica's, it puts your grip, the hammer and the trigger in a completely different orientation. Not bad, just different. On firing it rolls up in the grip very well just like a SAA does.

I find the sights quite good, better for me than a SAA.

I have found the accuracy to be on par with my 71/2" SAA replica Pietta's and Uberti's.

[Exiledviking]

Pretty sure Uberti makes these for Taylors. I have their 7" cavalry model in 45LC and have shot it in CAS for several years, all BP cartridges.

I find the sights quite good, better for me than a SAA.

I have found the accuracy to be on par with my 71/2" SAA replica Pietta's and Uberti's.

It's my understanding that the Taylor's revolvers are made by Uberti as well. You have a great looking revolver! I like that grip/frame too.

Does your cavalry model have the adjustable rear sight? Does it hit point of aim? I'm trying to figure out if the adjustable rear sight is needed.
Also, I prefer the anesthetics of the regular Schofield vs the Frontier due to grip. Supposedly the Frontier grip is more like the later DA conventional S&W revolver grip and looks less hand filling for large hands like mine.

[fatdog]

Does your cavalry model have the adjustable rear sight? Does it hit point of aim? I'm trying to figure out if the adjustable rear sight is needed. .

Not adjustable rear, and it does POA/POI pretty well, but we are talking handloaded 200gr bullet behind about 35gr of 2F in a starline case with a Federal standard pistol large primer, so I cannot speak what the sights do with a conventional smokeless load.

[Dave T]

fatdog,

I have one of the S&W 2000 Schofields, chambered for the 45 S&W. I am a black powder cartridge shooter and loaded some Starline "45 Schofield" brass with 28g of FFg under the Big-Lube 200g bullet. Big Lube doesn't make a 230g, the proper bullet weight for the 45 S&W.

My first time out to the range was a disaster. After 4 rounds fired the cylinder was binding from the BP fouling so severely I could not cock the hammer to advance to the 5th and final round. I was very disappointed to say the least.

The solution I am going to try is some left over Black MZ, which is supposed to be the same formulation as American Pioneer Powder. The idea is this stuff doesn't leave significant fouling and hopefully will allow me to at least shoot five rounds without cleaning the front of the cyliinder. I'm also trying to find someone to cast 230g bullets and lube them with SPG.

I'm determined to get this thing working, to go along with my USFA single actions. I shoot full power duplicates of the original 45 Colt in them (250g @ 900+ fps). I have to admit, when I can get to the range I am so tempted to shoot this black powder cartridge stuff I have been neglecting my self defense practice. The black powder just puts a smile on this old man's face.

Dave

[fatdog]

Those S&W made turn of the 21st century Schofields are quite different from the Uberti's, I had a dear friend who had a pair he shot smokeless in SASS and he loved his. They have much tighter tolerances, a different internal mechanism, and a few other things that are not the same as the originals. Whereas Uberti just made a very close copy of the original.

It does not surprise me that they are more sensitive to BP loads.

[awp_101]

***warning, necroposting ahead***

A characteristic of mine is that it has to be in the half cock notch to open it. That half cock is like 1/8" back from hammer down. In that position the cylinder also free spins.

Does the cylinder free spin with the hammer down? I handled an Uberti this morning that did that and I didn’t know if that was normal or if it was broken.

[fatdog]

***warning, necroposting ahead***


Does the cylinder free spin with the hammer down? I handled an Uberti this morning that did that and I didn’t know if that was normal or if it was broken.

Yes, there should be 4 hammer positions or "clicks".

1. Down all the way (fired) everything is locked, action cannot be opened
2. Back about 1/16", cylinder still locked but action can now be opened, firing pin now behind breechface
3. Back about another 1/16", cylinder free spins at this position and trigger springs forward a tiny distance, probably 1/8"
4. Fully cocked and ready to fire

You don't want to go into the holster in that #3 position, but rather that #2 position so it guarantees the next round up is the one you intended (presumably a live round).

Me and my CAS friends use that #3 position to spin the cylinder, which is loaded with 5 rounds, so that we can position the empty chamber under the hammer at the start of a stage, when aligned, you can press the trigger and retract the hammer about another 1/8" and release it and the thing returns to what I describe as #2, hammer is down on an empty chamber, firing pin/hammer nose is retracted from the breechface and not exposed or in contact with the round, and cylinder is locked. Hammer is in a position where the action can also be opened.

I have no idea how faithful to the lockwork of the originals that is, or if it is something Uberti did knowing the use case and rules of their primary audience in the CAS sports. It has always been easier for me than trying to slam the action shut just right with the hammer in position #2 and getting the empty chamber under the hammer for the appropriate start condition.

[awp_101]

Thanks! Since I was able to open it without moving the hammer I suspect it really must have been in position 2 or 3. I intend to go back tomorrow with this new knowledge and see if it functions as described.

It’s a .38 and will fit in nicely with the other .38s/.357s I’ve adopted recently…