The Smith & Wesson Model No. 3 and the Curious Case of the .38-44 Gallery

If you find yourself standing before a velvet-lined case containing a Smith & Wesson Model No. 3, take a moment. Tip your hat. You’re not just looking at a revolver—you’re looking at the American industrial imagination polished to a mirror finish.

Now, most of the folks I’ve run with—railway agents, orchard guards, and the occasional mustached gambler—think of the Model No. 3 as the sixgun that helped tame the frontier. And they’re not wrong. From the hands of cavalrymen to buffalo hunters, from the battlefields of Asia to the shooting galleries of New York, this revolver got around. But I’d like to turn your attention to a particularly curious and refined flavor of the Model No. 3: the Target variant, and more specifically, the one chambered for the enigmatic .38-44 Gallery cartridge.

The Model No. 3 — Backbone of a Generation

Introduced in 1878, the Smith & Wesson New Model No. 3 was the company's final iteration of its top-break, single-action revolvers. Elegant and robust, these arms were chambered in a variety of calibers, ranging from .44 Russian (the preferred round of the Czar’s officers) to .32-44 Target, and yes, our star player: the .38-44 Gallery.

Its top-break design allowed for rapid ejection of spent cases—a mechanical ballet unmatched in its day—and its accuracy made it a darling among target shooters.

Whether blue or nickel, ivory or walnut, these revolvers were often bought with pride and handed down with ceremony. I once traded a beautifully patinated New Model No. 3 to a station master near Corvallis in exchange for an original Wells Fargo strongbox. Both of us walked away grinning like fools.

Enter the Gallery Round

Now, the .38-44 Gallery is no rootin’-tootin’ man-stopper. No, sir. It's a gentleman's round—low pressure, soft spoken, and specifically designed for indoor target shooting. It’s built on the same case as the more powerful .38-44 service round but loaded down for polite parlor matches. In that sense, it’s a bit like finding a well-mannered bloodhound—capable of ferocity, but more interested in sniffing out respectability.

Shooting a .38-44 Gallery round is like listening to chamber music: subtle, refined, and surprisingly satisfying. No bark, no bite—just a clean punch through paper at 10 or 15 yards, and the knowing nod from your fellow shooter.

You’ll often find the .38-44 Gallery chambering in Target Models, built with longer barrels, adjustable sights, and checkered walnut grips. These weren’t guns for cowboys; they were for clubmen, the well-to-do sportsmen who wore neckties to the range and carried silver-handled cleaning rods.

The One Already in the Case

The Abiqua Collection already hosts a fine example of a New Model No. 3 chambered in .38-44 Gallery. It’s the standard model—not the Target variant—but it’s no less interesting for it. A bit more understated, yes, but perhaps that makes it more honest. It speaks to the breadth of shooting culture in the late 19th century, where even modest townfolk might find themselves drawn into the quiet challenge of gallery shooting.

Seeing it beside a true Target model—especially one boxed, factory-lettered, and clad in 98% nickel—would be like listening to a duet between fiddle and violin. Same notes, different souls.

The Search for the Target

There’s one such example I had my eye on. Providence allowed, and another New Model No. 3 Target in .38-44 Gallery recently joined the stable.

It's worth noting that these Target variants are few and far between—especially in such rarified condition. Under 3,000 were made in this caliber, and even fewer survive in collectable shape. One could go a lifetime without encountering another boxed example. When it arrived, I raised a glass to the occasion.

Orme’s Final Word

The Model No. 3, in all its configurations, stands as one of the finest revolvers of the 19th century. But the .38-44 Gallery Target model? That’s a whisper from a more civilized age—where shooting was both sport and ceremony, and a revolver could be a gentleman’s brushstroke on paper.

So if you're looking to expand a collection—or just understand the nuanced evolution of American shooting culture—put the .38-44 Gallery and its refined siblings near the top of your list.

Until next time, may your groups be tight and your loads consistent.
— Orme