Welcome, if you are a newcomer to this fun bi-weekly segment of AllOutdoor.com! The last time around, we took a small detour from our usual format to talk about the Scientific Products Targ-A-Launch. Today we’re jumping into something completely different – a Smith & Wesson that most people have never heard of. The Smith & Wesson Model 1913, chambered in the equally obscure 35 S&W Auto cartridge. This was Smith & Wesson’s very first attempt at making a semi-automatic pistol, and let me tell you upfront – it was a bit of a commercial disaster. But that’s exactly what makes it fascinating!
Curious Relics Coverage on AllOutdoor
Welcome to our recurring series of “Curious Relics.” Here, we want to share all of our experiences, knowledge, misadventures, and passion for older firearms that one might categorize as a Curio & Relic – any firearm that is at least 50 years old according to the ATF. Hopefully along the way you can garner a greater appreciation for older firearms like we do, and simultaneously you can teach us things as well through sharing your own expertise and thoughts in the Comments. Understanding the firearms of old, their importance, and their development which lead to many of the arms we now cherish today is incredibly fascinating and we hope you enjoy what we have to share, too!
History Abridged: Smith & Wesson Model 1913
By 1910, Smith & Wesson found themselves in a real pickle. The semi-automatic pistol market was booming, and their main rival Colt was crushing everyone with John Moses Browning’s designs. Everyone was making autoloaders except the company famous for revolvers.
Enter Joseph Wesson, Daniel Wesson’s son, who was quite the automatic pistol enthusiast. In early 1909, Wesson met with Charles Philibert Clement, a Belgian firearms designer who had developed a series of pocket pistols that caught Wesson’s attention. Seeing promise in the design, Wesson bought Clement’s patents in 1910 and began adapting them for the American market.
“Three Clement Patent Semi-Automatic Pistols.” Rock Island Auction Company, https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/1027/2578/three-clement-patent-semiautomatic-pistols. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
The Clement design was actually pretty clever for its time. It used a recoil spring positioned above the barrel, which gave it a lower bore axis similar to Browning’s FN 1900. But instead of using a slide like most pistols, the Clement design used a small reciprocating bolt that rode within the receiver with exposed sides so you could grab it when charging the weapon.
Now here’s where Smith & Wesson made their first mistake. They originally planned to use the popular .32 ACP cartridge, but engineers got spooked about feeding problems and barrel wear from the copper-nickel jacket. So instead of using what everyone else was using, they developed their own proprietary cartridge. On top of that they were hesitant to have “ACP” (Automatic Colt Pistol) since their gun would sport another brands name. Similar to what Colt did to many of their early double action revolvers.
The .35 Smith & Wesson Auto was developed in 1912 specifically for this new pocket pistol design. The idea was to create something that sat right between Colt’s popular .32 ACP and .380 ACP offerings. But here’s where things get murky regarding the actual bullet diameter.
“COLLECTIBLE REMINGTON-UMC .35 S&W AUTO AMMO.” Switzer’s Auction & Appraisal Service, https://www.icollector.com/COLLECTIBLE-REMINGTON-UMC-35-S-W-AUTO-AMMO_i47701264. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Sources disagree on this important detail. Some sources indicate the bullet diameter was .312 inches, making it the same size as .32 ACP. Other sources claim it was actually .320 inches, about .008 inches larger than .32 ACP. From what I can determine, the .35 S&W Auto was the same diameter as .32 ACP. I believe the smaller measurement is more likely correct, given that most 1913 owners claim you can safely shoot .32 ACP, albeit with probable cycling issues. What’s clear is that Smith & Wesson basically created a marketing fiction. They called it .35 caliber to position it between the .32 and .380, but it was actually about the same size as the .32 ACP.
The cartridge itself was genuinely unique though. .35 was rimless while 32 was semi-rimmed. It used what Smith & Wesson called a “half-mantle” bullet – the nose was jacketed for reliable feeding, but the bearing surface that contacted the rifling was left as bare lead to reduce barrel wear. This was Smith & Wesson’s attempt to get the feeding reliability of a jacketed bullet while preventing the barrel wear they were worried about.
“COLLECTIBLE REMINGTON-UMC .35 S&W AUTO AMMO.” Switzer’s Auction & Appraisal Service, https://www.icollector.com/COLLECTIBLE-REMINGTON-UMC-35-S-W-AUTO-AMMO_i47701264. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Tooling for Joe Wesson’s new pistol was completed late in 1912, and production began on May 3, 1913. It was simply known as the .35 Automatic Pistol, and it was available in blue or nickel finish for $16.50. That pricing was problematic because the S&W cost 10% more than established Colt and Savage models, which sold for $15.00.
The pistol had some genuinely innovative features. One of the coolest was how you could access the barrel for cleaning. You’d pull the rear of the trigger guard down and forward to rotate it, which released a lug on the barrel and allowed the whole barrel assembly to pivot up for easy cleaning access.
Because the small bolt didn’t have much mass, it required an extremely heavy recoil spring. This made the gun difficult for shooters with weaker fingers to operate. Joseph Wesson came up with a nifty solution – a crossbolt lock that disconnected the bolt from the spring, allowing the weapon to be easily loaded. This crossbolt lock is visible on the left side of the receiver.
The safety system was, well, controversial. It consisted of a very small rotating cam in the upper part of the backstrap that was knurled and could be moved somewhat awkwardly by the thumb. When rotated up, the pistol was on safe. Rotated down, the pistol could fire. Smith & Wesson’s logic was that this would prevent unauthorized use – someone not familiar with the gun would take time to figure out why it wouldn’t fire.
The pistol also had a grip safety located on the front grip strap under the trigger guard. This was patented by Joseph Wesson in 1910. Despite its innovative features, the Model 1913 was a commercial flop. The proprietary ammunition was more expensive than Colt’s .32 ACP, and the .35 S&W Auto didn’t perform as well ballistically as the .32 ACP it was trying to compete with. Interestingly, many owners discovered they could use the more readily available .32 ACP ammunition, though accuracy suffered.
Sources vary on the production timeline. Production was halted in April 1915 so the factory could focus on making revolvers for England’s war needs. Production appears to have restarted sometime between January 1918 and early 1919 – sources disagree on the exact timing. What’s documented is that production ceased on July 5, 1922, with a total of 8,350 pistols having been made.
Here’s something interesting that often gets overlooked – the Model 1913 did see some federal law enforcement use. According to retired agent Roy McHenry, he was unofficially issued a 1913 by Bureau of Investigation Assistant Chief Albert Pike in 1917. So while it was a commercial failure, it found its way into the hands of agents from the Bureau of Investigation, the forerunner to the FBI.
Smith & Wesson learned from this disaster. They shifted production to a Model 32 self-loading pistol chambered for the standard .32 ACP from 1924 to 1937. But that pistol did even worse – it was discontinued in 1937 with only 957 pistols sold. After that debacle, Smith & Wesson made no further semiauto pistols until the introduction of the 9mm Model 39 in 1954.
End of Part One: Smith & Wesson Model 1913
Well, folks, that’s all for today’s introduction to Smith & Wesson’s first semi-automatic pistol. This gun is a perfect example of how innovative engineering and good intentions can still result in commercial disaster. The Model 1913 had genuinely clever features, but the proprietary cartridge, high price, and clunky appearance couldn’t overcome Colt’s dominance in the market.
Next time we’ll dive into the variations of the Model 1913 – and yes, there have been eight different types or variations recognized by collectors. We’ll also cover dating, specifications, and eventually take one out for some range time. These pistols are getting increasingly rare and expensive, but they represent a fascinating footnote in Smith & Wesson’s history.
In closing, I hope our Curious Relics segment informed as well as entertained. This all was written in hopes of continued firearm appreciation and preservation. We did not just realize how guns were supposed to look and function. It was a long and tedious process that has shaped the world we live in. So, I put it to you! Is there a firearm out there that you feel does not get much notoriety? What should our next Curious Relics topic cover? As always, let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.
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