Of late, I have seen several clones of the old S&W New Century Triple Lock in 44 caliber. Does anyone have one in their collection or experience with them? They look the same as the S&W TL except for the 2 pins in the shroud, they have only one. Please post some photos and your thoughts on the quality of the firearm.
Here is mine. This is the second I have had. The first was a perfect copy externally, but with Colt-type V spring lockwork.
This is a Tracoula (TAC), marked Buenos Aires Police. Interestly, Century Arms imported it from Argentina and stamped it MADE IN ARGENTINA, even though it is Spanish.
What do you think of the quality of the material, workmanship and shooting function vs. the S&W. Although I have several S&W Triple Locks in my collection, I have only seen photos of the Spanish guns. How would you rate them? I've been thinking about adding one as a contrast to my TLs. Your thoughts!
On the guns I have seen, the workmanship ranges from mediocre to equal to Smith & Wesson. Lockup and trigger are generally acceptable. Spanish revolvers have a reputation for inferior metallurgy, but the triple lock design is so sturdy I don't see any problem.
Although I have done so, I wouldn't recommend buying one without a hands on exam.