Oh my...
The one day I didn't get to go to the gun show!

I'm happy for him...I really am, but extremely envious- he's been looking for one for many, many years- and at a steal of a deal, no less!

He told me he's going to send me some pictures, and I'll post them on here for him.

Serial #77x, 6 1/2" .44 Special- blue finish about 80% with the original stocks.

Some help as to the shipping date would be wonderful.
I am lusting to see it myself. He told me to hold my horses, and I have to get my white gloves out and put on a bib to handle it.

I told him he's simply must get a letter on it, and I hope it shipped to somewhere in Dixie. *fingers crossed*

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Lost it all in a boat accident

With that three-digit serial number, it ought to be first-year manufacture. That means 1908.

We're going to need those pictures, you know. I hope you will follow through with your friend if he is slow to honor his pledge to send them.

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David Wilson

Ok.

I finally made it to meet up with my trading buddy. I
I think he got a great deal, and has got some extremely interesting markings on it- at least to me.

If you notice, it has been reblued, and may have had some other work done on it..

Notes:
There is an S and a diamond on the inside of the barrel, but the barrel is serial number to the gun in the recess for the ejector knob. I suppose that something- possibly a barrel has been replaced, or a major part. What part?

Also, note the marking on the side of the frame. Looks as though it went back to the factory in May 1978...possibly where it was reblued and the new style markings put on the gun? I am not certain as to what the "R-S" stands for...Clue me in if you know.

I'm just very, very suprised that the factory would work on a Triple-lock that late.

Pictures:

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Lost it all in a boat accident

Nice triple lock, looks like it was factory refinished back in 1970.
Congradulations, they are very nice guns and hard to locate.
As you already know.

hi
R-S usually means refinish standard.
and yes the factory did work on old guns up until about 1980.
but they did not have parts to replace if something was needed.
the logo and the 4 line stamp was replaced when it was reblued
the grips look to be from a 1920 to 1930 model.
jim fisher

That is an example of the factory mis-treating a gun. By stamping that
4-line marking on the frame, there goes a good part of its collectibility.
That was suppossed to have been stopped sometime in the late
1970's, or so.

Later, Mike Priwer

Actually, it's marked "78"!

I agree that the factory should not have remarked the gun. However, it's likely that whoever sent it in wanted it to be refinished because he was going to use it. At least, that is what I want to think. Do you suppose that there are any other triple locks in collections that are marked as being sent back later than this gun? I'm not saying that this makes it collectible, but it does show a part of S&W history that is gone (working on old guns).

I'm very curious to see what the letter says about it- if anything special at all.

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Lost it all in a boat accident

My TL went back for refinishing in March of '62. It didn't receive the 4 line address thankfully. It has the date stamp on the gripframe, and a star in several locations.

Thankfully the letter says it shipped just as it is now, so all that they did was refinish it in the original nickel.

Does anyone know the approximate start/stop time frame for the 4 line address stamping practice?

You can see one of the stars in the ejector rod housing here, and if you look closely you can see the serial number just behind the center pin in the front of the housing-

All I know is that Roy Jinks stopped it, when he became Service
Department Manager.

Later, Mike Priwer

Interesting gun. I had 773 a while back. It went the same route as the one pictured. My letter from Roy said it was the practice at that time to put then current marks back on the gun. I hated it and sold it. Great gun, the marking upset me.

I have nothing against a reworked gun if my goal isn't a pristine collectible. I presently have a 4" T/L that at one time was refinished. I think... but its so nice I didn't care, and factory 4" guns are pretty darn hard to find. I go on to commit a real sin. I carry it from time to time, in a rotation with one of my 3rd models (yes, 4") or with my postwar 4" 3rd! Nice guns, but not investment grade. Just honest working guns. On those, it doesn't matter what marks they show.

I'm just wondering if that's my old gun. It also had incorrect grips, just like the ones pictured. Someone converted 1920s grips to the concave style. Had they been original, the concave portion would have a border, not be filed or sanded down into the checkering.

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Dick Burg

PM sent Dick.

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Lost it all in a boat accident

rburg- "I go on to commit a real sin. I carry it from time to time..."

I think that is best complement that any gun could receive. It is much better for a gun spend time in a holster, protecting it's owner, than to languish in the back of a safe.