Cimarron Schofield
The Cimarron Schofield is a reproduction of the Smith & Wesson Model 3 Schofield—the top-break single-action revolver adopted by the U.S. Army in 1875 and favored by figures including Jesse James and Buffalo Bill Cody. Unlike the Colt SAA, the Schofield breaks open at the top of the frame to simultaneously eject all six spent cases with a single stroke, enabling the fastest reloads of any single-action revolver of the era. Available in .45 S&W Schofield and .45 Colt, the Cimarron Schofield is built by Uberti in Italy to Cimarron’s specifications with color case-hardened finish and walnut grips.
Read our full Cimarron Schofield Buying Guide ↓
Top-Break Design: The Schofield’s Practical Advantage
The Colt SAA loads and ejects one round at a time through a loading gate on the right side of the frame — adequate but slow compared to the Schofield’s top-break mechanism. When the Schofield’s latch is released and the barrel rotated downward, a star extractor simultaneously pushes all six spent cases out of the cylinder. The shooter can then load six fresh rounds and close the action in a fraction of the time required for a SAA reload. This speed advantage made the Schofield popular with cavalry and professional shooters who carried single-action revolvers before double-action designs became dominant. In SASS competition, the Schofield’s reload speed is a genuine stage advantage.
.45 S&W Schofield vs. .45 Colt: The Caliber Decision
The original Schofield was chambered in .45 S&W Schofield — a shorter cartridge than .45 Colt designed to reliably feed through the top-break’s loading system. The Cimarron Schofield is available in both .45 S&W Schofield and .45 Colt. The .45 Colt chambering allows use of the more widely available cartridge and compatibility with ammunition used in Cimarron’s SAA revolvers; the .45 S&W is the historically authentic choice. For SASS competition, confirm which caliber is legal in your shooting category before selecting.
Schofield vs. Model P SAA: Different Firearms, Different Appeal
The Schofield and the Colt SAA were direct competitors for U.S. Army contracts in the 1870s and represented genuinely different design philosophies. The SAA is stronger, handles higher-pressure cartridges, and has the larger aftermarket. The Schofield reloads faster and has more historical character associated with outlaw and civilian use rather than the cavalry. For SASS competitors who want reload speed, the Schofield is the choice. For collectors who want the broader Colt SAA ecosystem, the Model P is the starting point. Many serious cowboy action shooters own both.
Historical Context: Jesse James and the Schofield
The Schofield’s association with Jesse James has made it one of the most recognizable revolvers in American outlaw history. James reportedly preferred the Schofield for its fast reload capability—practical for someone who might need to reload quickly under pressure. The U.S. Army issued approximately 8,000 Schofields between 1875 and 1878. Many were subsequently sold as surplus and entered civilian hands, where they became widely distributed across the frontier. The Cimarron reproduction captures the same design that defined a generation of American history.
Related Pages
Browse the full Cimarron lineup, compare the Colt-pattern alternative on the Cimarron Model P page, or explore all revolvers.