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Smith & Wesson triple lock .44 special caliber
Guns International #: 102199145 Seller's Inventory #: 73
Category: .44 Revolvers - Antique Pistols - Cartridge
Seller's Information
When emailing or calling sellers direct, please mention that you saw their listing on GunsInternational.com
Seller: Double Haul
Member Since: 1/19/20
First Name: Jack
Last Name: Thompson
State: Oregon
Zip: 97846
Country: United States
Phone: (541) 577-3214
Seller: Private Seller
Return Policy: 3 day inspection and return policy on used guns.
USPS registered mail
Payment Types Accepted: cashiers check, money order
Description:
Up for your review is a bit of an unusual and rare revolver. It came into being according to its serial number somewhere a little before 1915. As Smith & Wesson was coming into the 20th century they felt a need to produce a revolver which would meet the standards the company had long established and at the same time modernize their already in production swing out cylinder guns that were very successful in the late 1800's. Out came the first of their N-frame revolvers in a brand new, powerful for the time, .44 caliber Triple lock. Not only was this a brand new caliber for the market but it was an intricately designed masterpiece of construction which according to some has no equal even in today's market. Elmer Keith, a well known gun writer from the past, used this gun in his effort to set the stage for the company's later development of the .44 magnum pistol that came out in the 1950's. A little over 15 thousand of these Triple locks were produced between 1907 and 1915. At the outset of World war I the British ordered around 5,000 of these pistols and they were quickly put into service. Unfortunately the tight tollerances and intricate mecanisms in these revolvers didn't allow continued funtioning of the guns under harsh muddy conditions during trench warfare so the guns had to be discarded by the military. Interestingly, the British government ordered some of the redesigned 2nd model Smiths which weren't quite as delicate and so functioned well under rugged field conditions. Most of the triple locks were produced with a 6.5 inch barrel in the .44 caliber. A very few were made in 38/40, 44/40 and 45 calibers as well as, of course, the .455 british caliber guns. Many were nickel platted and a smaller number were produced blued with 4 inch barrels. This pistol up for your review was one of the latter ones. It has a few very minor handling marks on it but I would say the original bluing is 95% or better and on careful inspection it must have been fired very little as the bluing on the cylinder face shows essentially no wear. The grips are close to blimish free and the action is about as smooth as they get. The lock up is very tight and the bore is mint as might be expected. The most notable blemish on the pistol is the cylinder line which most likely came to be over the years as people handled the pistol and tested its action. Hopefully my pictures will support this description of the firearm. It's the nicest conditioned triple lock I've ever seen and would remarkably add to any Smith&Wesson aficionados collection. Always remember rarity and condition dictates the actual value of any antique weapon and not the blue book. Thanks for taking a look and if there are any questions I'll do my best to answer them via the telephone or through the Guns International site.
Jack
SOLD
Curio/Relic: Yes
Handgun Caliber: .44 Special
Manufacturer: S&W
Model: triple lock
Serial Number: 11154
Barrel Length: 4 inch
Condition: excellent
Metal Condition: excellent
Wood Condition: excellent
Bore Condition: mint