The Schofield, of course, was originally a black powder gun. But if you're going to shoot black powder in your reproduction, you may have a problem.
.45 LC is a longer cartridge than .45 Schofield. So the repro makers, to sell the gun in the commonly available .45 LC, had to lengthen the cylinder. This meant that the gap between the front of the cylinder and the frame, had to be made smaller. This gap is the place where black powder fouling can harmlessly accumulate. So, with a small (or no) gap, BP fouling quickly builds up to the point that it locks up the cylinder. Some people try to overcome this with lots of grease, etc.
If you stick to smokeless powder, you don't have this problem. But the Schofield, nevertheless, is an awkward gun to shoot. I have one because I'm primarily a collector, not a shooter. Otherwise, I would pass on it.
Howdy
Close but not quite.
ALL the old #3 Smith and Wesson Top Break revolvers used a cylinder 1 7/16" long. S&W made over 150,000 Russian models with cylinders that long. This length cylinder was perfectly suited for the 44 S&W American cartridge with the heeled bullet, as well as the later 44 Russian Cartridge. Colt had government contracts for the Single Action Army dating from 1873. The SAA of course was originally chambered for 45 Colt. When S&W approached the government for a revolver contract in 1875, the government specified the caliber had to be 45. This was not a problem, opening up the chambers and bore for a 45 caliber cartridge, but the 1 7/16" cylinder was too short for the 45 Colt cartridge. S&W was not about to retool for a longer cylinder and frame while still producing all those Russian revolvers. So a compromise was arrived at. The new Schofield model would be 45 Caliber, but the Schofield cartridge was a little bit shorter, to fit into the 1 7/16" cylinders.
When Uberti decided to make a replica of the Schofield model, they chambered it for the longer 45 Colt cartridge. In order to do so the cylinder had to be longer than the original 1 7/16" cylinders. Rather than lengthening the frame for the longer cylinder, the gas collar at the front of the cylinder was reduced, so the longer cylinder could fit in the new frames. The gas collar was not completely removed as some folks think, but it was shortened so it no longer did a good job of shielding the cylinder arbor from Black Powder fouling blasted out of the barrel/cylinder gap.
This is an original Smith and Wesson Scofield, 1st Model. It left the factory in 1875.
This 1st Model also shipped in 1875.
This is the cylinder from an original S&W Schofield revolver. Note the pronounced gas collar pressed onto the front of the cylinder.
This is the cylinder removed from the frame. Note the spring loaded extractor rod will fit INSIDE the hollow arbor, while the gas collar will ride outside the arbor.
Here they are assembled. Note the front of the gas collar contacts the frame considerably in front of the barrel/cylinder gap. Fouling blasted out of the barrel cylinder gap blasts out in a plane. So the arbor is protected from the powder fouling by the horizontal separation between the barrel/cylinder gap and the front of the gas collar.
This system worked quite well.
When Uberti and ASM shortened the gas collar at the front of the cylinder, Black Powder fouling blasted out of the barrel/cylinder gap was able to find its way onto the arbor, causing the revolver to bind up after not too many shots.
The Schofield Model of 2000 was chambered for the 45 Schofield cartridge, but S&W did not anticipate them being fired with Black Powder, so the gas collar was shortened, and they do not perform well with Black Powder.
Personally I prefer the frame shape of the S&W New Model Number Three. This pair is chambered for the most popular cartridge of that model, 44 Russian, and I can shoot them all day long with cartridges loaded with Black Powder without any binding.