I'm pretty sure I was told is is, but all the pictures I can find seem to show slightly different features like screws where this one has pins and side plates.

Can you guys fill me in on the details of this old revolver? I thought it was broken, initially, because you have to pull the hammer back to reset the trigger. Once I read how the single action models work, I'm convinced it works correctly, although it could be tighter overall. I'm considering trying to find a local smith who can tighten her back up. It'd be neat to put a few rounds through this gun, once I find some .38 S&W.

A pic of the bbl markings with patent dates, and the first 3/4 of the #sn will actually allow us to tell you what you have

Crap, I was going to incluse the SN and totally forgot!

SN 2547xx

No markings on the barrel, save for the top. If there was a model or date, they were polished off or wore off. The sides/bottom of the barrel are smooth and don't appear to ever have had anything stamped on them. Forward of the .30 Smith & Wesson looks to have had something originally, but it's illegible now.

That's a Spanish S&W copy.....

Tell me more.

It'd make some sense, I guess.

Are these safe to shoot? Any idea when it was made?

Honestly, this is nearly as fascinating to me as it being an actual Model 3, in a way.

I'd stick to strictly black powder loads....and then only if the lockup was good.

"safe" depends on how brave you are....... no way to determine the metallurgy in something like that.....Some Spanish copies are of fairly good quality.....you may want to see if there are additional markings/logos under the grip.

I'd guess Late 1890's - 1910's as far as production.....

So better as a display/curiosity piece.

That's really what I bought it for, in the first place, and I paid accordingly so I'm OK with being what it is.

Thanks for the information. Someone told me years ago that it was a Model 3, but every time I started to look them up, things didn't quite add up.

I have been collecting 38 s&w top breaks for years. Yours looks like a Euskaro that has been refinished, it looks like there is also a faint trade mark on the right side. Can you post a close up of that side?

Smith&Wesson top breaks where very popular in South America, the Spanish manufacturers took full advantage and made all kinds of knock offs,   The most common ones were:

Orbea Hermanos
Euskara
Eibar (More than one manufacturer marked their guns Eiber because they were made in the city of Eiber. They were, Armeria Elgobaressa y Cia, Echealasa y Vincinai y Cia, Hijos de Angel Echeverria y Cia, and Iraola Salaverria y Cia)

They would mark them in very deceptive ways, the very early models would be marked with some variation of "Smill & Wilson Sprangfield, MUS EUA, " I have several that are marked like that ,  Euskaro changed its later production guns to a variation of " 38 Smith & Wesson ctgs are those that fit best the "euskaro" revolver". Or they say the "Eurakaro revolver is best with 38 Smith & Wesson ctgs". That is why I think you have a Euskaro. I have 5 marked just like this, and the font and position of the markings on the barrels are the same as yours.  I think when it was refinished some of the writing was polished off, they usually had blued triggers, hammers, and barrel latches or some combination as well. With the later writing and font on it, it would put the manufacture date between 1899 and about 1920. They switched design around this time.

Your trigger also looks like a double action trigger that is not returning properly and that is why it is only working in single action, I have bought these in various conditions and with various types of "expedient repairs". It is common for them to only work in single action or double action but not both. It really needs to have the action gone over.

Small top break revolvers are weak by design, even in top condition, they were made to be carried more than shot.