Teddy’s S&W Brings Just Shy of $1,000,000 at Auction

Theodore Roosevelt’s Smith & Wesson New Model No. 3 was shipped from the factory just days after the bespectacled former New York City Police Commish and Assistant Secretary of the Navy had been officially sworn in as a new lieutenant colonel in the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry in May 1898.

Better known as the “Rough Riders,” Teddy would go on to lead his swashbuckling cavalrymen (sans horses, which they had to leave behind due to lack of transport) in the campaign against the Spanish in Cuba.

Later believed to have been used by the famed “Bull Moose” as a nightstand gun late into his life, the vintage .38 Long Colt chambered six-shooter had a provenance that tied it from the late 26th President to his longtime valet and finally to well-known S&W historian Jeff Supica (the guy who wrote the book on collecting Smiths).

In the end, Teddy’s Smith brought just shy of a million, hitting the gavel at $910,625 last weekend.

By Michael Crites

Michael Crites has served as executive editor of AmericanFirearms.org since 2016 and previously held positions as associate editor and range correspondent dating back to 2000. He discovered his passion for precision shooting at age 12 during his first visit to his grandfather's shooting range, eventually earning an Expert classification in three different shooting disciplines before age 18. During his studies at University of Wyoming, he earned four varsity letters on the collegiate rifle and pistol teams, serving as team captain for three consecutive years. He became the first UW student to complete the NRA Range Safety Officer certification while maintaining full-time student status. He graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Communications. His diverse career has included roles as Range Safety Coordinator for the National Rifle Championships in Camp Perry 2001; editor-in-chief, Precision Shooter Quarterly; series editor, Modern Firearms Handbook collection; managing editor, National Shooting Sports Foundation Newsletter; editor, Competitive Shooter Magazine; operations director for Western Arms & Ammunition Co.; senior editor for the Shooter's Reference Annual (Cheyenne); content director for The Firearms Report, published by the American Shooting Coalition in Billings, MT; firearms correspondent for Hunting & Shooting, produced by Outdoor Sports Media Group in Jackson, WY; and publisher for Wyoming Shooting Sports Journal in Casper. He has contributed as a regular columnist for American Rifleman (NRA Publications), technical editor for Precision, a publication of the National Bench Rest Shooters Association (Phoenix, AZ); and as firearms specialist for the Gun Owner's Annual. As a digital content creator, he has written more than 400 articles on AmericanFirearms.org, developed shooting technique coverage for the Brownells Shooting Blog (Montezuma, IA) and Federal Premium "Range Notes" platform (Anoka, MN), and served as lead content strategist for International Defensive Pistol Association (Berryville, AR). Beyond Tactical Firearms, his current endeavors include content development for the Wyoming State Rifle Association (Cheyenne, WY) and technical manual production for High Plains Publishing of Laramie, WY. He has contributed to the 12th, 13th, and 14th editions of Modern Sporting Rifles Guide and edited The Complete Guide to Tactical Shooting and Competitive Shooter's Reference Manual (Gun Digest Books).

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

1
1
1