Triple Lock

[subhuman]

This little beauty was handled by yours truly today and I thought I would share her with you.

was told elsewhere that the barrel is a cutdown job and the nickle finish isn't factory but the end result is fantastic IMO.

The grips are pearl, the gold coins are gold, and the bulls eyes are ruby, kinda gawdy but works of art in their own right.

It has the Tyler T-Grip and a Tyler trigger shoe and they feel great in the hand.

the only wart on the gun is the broken hammer spur but that can be fixed I think.

I left her there at that shop with a heavy heart but $1000 is just too much for me at the moment... the gun is worth it though I think.
Y'all get your towels and drool away now

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

Interesting piece. According to the SCSW, Triple Lock barrel lengths were 4", 5", 6 1/2", and 7 1/2". So there is a good chance the barrel was cut down. It should be obvious. S&W front sights were forged integral with the barrel. So if the barrel was cut down, there should be a joint where the sight was soldered back on. In addition, the sight looks a little bit short. Triple Lock front sights tended to be pretty tall.

I was going to say that the caliber marking would not be properly centered on a cut down barrel until I took a look at my two Triple Locks. Notice the caliber marking is towards the rear of the barrels not centered. So if a barrel was cut down, the marking would not look altered.

P.S. Look at how tall the front sight is on my nickel plated Triple Lock. Notice how tall the lower section is compared to the thinner blade.

 

[lamarw]

I could be wrong, but I think the revolver has lost a lot of its potential value.

The mother of pearl grips and the gold coins are of value. I would surmise the gun is less than 1/2 the price posted on the tag.

 

[AustinTX]

Y'all get your towels and drool away now

Not drooling. Just crying. That butchery makes me sad.

 

[James K]

I can't tell from the picture, but if those grip inserts are $1 gold coins, you might have them appraised; you could get a pleasant surprise as even common dollar coins are bringing close to $2000 today, and rare ones retail for close to the cost of a mid-size car.

Jim

 

[Bob Wright]

Interesting. I've seen several .44 Specials, Triple Lock and Model 1926 Hand Ejectors with 3 1/2" barrels. All I have seen were nickeled and had stag or pearl grips. All purportedly having belonged to some old time sheriff.

Bob Wright

 

[James K]

That front sight is not factory; it should look like the one on Driftwood's gun except higher. I can't be sure from the picture, but I suspect the nickel is not original, and I know the grips are not factory (and might not be real stag).

As to the hammer, the OP may be out of luck. The .44 HE First Model (Triple Lock) hammer is not the same as the hammer on the Second and later models and other N frame revolvers. I don't know if a later hammer can be fitted, since that model happened to hit the changeover point for the DA cam and hammers made to interface with the latter trigger won't fit the First Model.

Jim

 

[burrhead]

Due to the non-collector status and the broken hammer spur I'd be tempted to Fitz it just for fun. If not a full Fitz, at least a hammer bob.

 

[Jim Watson]

John Henry Fitzgerald worked for Colt.
Gutting a Smith & Wesson like he did Colts is just silly.
If you just must feel like a real gunslinger, narrow the guard like Bill Jordan did.

The nickel on the OP's gun is not original, the little third lock is plated which S&W did not do. It doesn't look too bad except for the broken hammer spur.
A good enough welder could fix it, if you could find somebody to fool with it.

 

[James K]

"Fitz" didn't have to worry about messing up or damaging parts; the factory gave him all the guns he wanted. Free.

Jim

 

[5thShock]

Fitz? Collector value? Shoot, that thing'll get you into the best BBQ's in Texas as is. I know I would be a better person with that on my belt.

 

[Model12Win]

Elmer Keith considered the Triple Lock to be one of the greatest combat revolvers ever made.

I would give my left nut to get one in good condition, this is one model Smith & Wesson needs to put out again, but keep the darned internal lock and two piece barrel. Make it a "real" classic!!!

 

[Mike Irwin]

A new hammer likely could be obtained for it from one of the parts guys associated with one of the S&W collectors groups.

It just depends on how many children and/or body parts you're willing to part with...

 

[Model12Win]

The gun is fabulous, I'd bob the hammer the rest of the way since is already half started.

And I'd also switch the pearl grips for S&W walnuts. I think it was Patton who said pearl grips belong on a New Orleans pimp gun.

 

[old bear]

It's sad that someone butchered a fine old revolver like that triple lock, but it was what the owner, at the time, wanted.

The revolver has NO collectors value and is WAY overpriced.

Still good to see an old way horse though.

 

[Deaf Smith]

What kind of gold coins?

Gold is over 1000 bucks an ounce now days.

As for the gun, re-nickeled? See S&W NEVER made nickeled hammers or triggers.

Deaf

 

[SaxonPig]

Finding a replacement hammer would be difficult. Cut, refinished, but the stocks are likely worth $600-$800 by themselves. If I saw this in a shop at that price I would bag it, sell the stocks and slap a set of Magnas on my new 44 shooter that cost me maybe $200...

 

[James K]

Hi, Deaf Smith,

The OP said the insets were gold coins. If that is the case, and they are U.S. coins, they would likely be $1 coins, pre-1933. Those were tiny and were worth exactly one dollar; they were often made into necklaces, bracelets, and the like. Plus, unlike double eagles, they were not held for investment and weren't taken out of the country after the ban, so they are scarce today. Still, the Type 1 and 3 in average condition bring under $800 today; the Type 2 will go over $1k.

Jim

 

[Deaf Smith]

Well James, then just for the coins I'd buy the gun!

One grand it would be worth it.

And cause it was re-nickeled I'd use the .44 as a shooter.

Deaf

 

[James K]

Gold $1 coins were eventually taken out of circulation; they were so darned tiny (smaller and thinner than a dime) that people kept losing them in pocket lint and dropping them. And that didn't make people happy as c. 1900, $1 was worth about $45 or more today.

Jim