The Smith & Wesson Russian is a 19th-century, large-frame, top-break revolver developed in the early 1870s for the Imperial Russian military. It is chambered for the .44 Russian cartridge, a centerfire black-powder round that became a benchmark for accuracy and later influenced modern .44-caliber designs.

Mechanically, the revolver uses a single- and double-action lockwork with a hinged frame that opens upward via a barrel latch. Opening the action automatically actuates a star extractor, simultaneously ejecting spent cartridge cases. The revolver typically features a 6½-inch barrel, five- or six-shot cylinder (depending on contract), and a blued or nickel-plated steel finish.

Russian-contract models are distinguished by a pronounced grip spur at the rear of the trigger guard, intended to aid one-handed cavalry firing, and by Cyrillic or military acceptance markings. Some variants were manufactured with fittings for a detachable shoulder stock, usually attaching at the grip frame, allowing the revolver to be stabilized like a short carbine.