Would a 4" blued w/ a serial number in the 34xxx range be considered a Triple Lock?

Nope!

The "regular" ones stop at 15375, then there's maybe 5,000 more-------- most/all/?? of these went to the Brits. Folks who care about these extras can tell you much more.

What is/isn't a Triplelock, pretty much sticks out like a sore thumb. There are three locks (locking the cylinder (assembly) to the frame/barrel)---one in the recoil plate and another in the lug under the barrel, same as any other hand ejector (besides the very early which had only one---a la Colt). Then there's a third one which locks the yolk/crane to the shroud under the barrel. Conventional wisdom suggests they were made like this so S&W could show off their (considerable) machining skills.

Ralph Tremaine

As an aside, a gun in the 34000 range is going to be a 2nd or 3rd model (with just the two (typical) locks). The difference between those two also sticks out like a sore thumb (and then some)---the 3rd having an ejector rod shroud under the barrel---and the 2nd not having such shroud.

What would a fair price be for a 4" blue .44 spl in 34xxx serial number range in 60-70% condition (conservative)?

Year of manufacture??

It sounds like a model 1926 aka 44 third model. Mine is s/n 32846 and was shipped in March of 1929 so your gun would likely be from late 1929 or 1930. I can't help with a price as I've had mine for about 15 years.

Picking a nit-------------------------------

You cannot differentiate between a 2nd and 3rd model by serial number. My 3rd model target is #54911 (shipped January 28, 1941). My 2nd model target is #58669 (shipped May 14, 1940).

Ralph Tremaine

Picking another nit-------------------

It occurs to me I should have said you cannot differentiate between a LATER 2nd model and a 3rd model. Another way to say the same thing is 2nd models didn't stop when 3rd models started. And no, I don't know why. It's just so!

You're right, Ralph. It could be a second model. I'm guessing that since he thought it could be a triple lock that it has the shrouded ejector rod. It would be nice to see a photo of the revolver in question.

It does have the shrouded ejector rod. I'll post pics later today.

Hold it up to the monitor so we can see it.

You want fair! Don't attend gun shows.... Those guns are in great demand and your price can vary all over the place. About 10 years ago I picked up a nice one at a tiny show in Kentucky. The next week we went to the big show in Louisville. I brought my new treasure along to show my partner, not to sell it to him. When things slowed to reasonable, I got my gun out and was looking at it. He walked over to look. And asked "how much". So having paid $550 for it, I told him $1100. Only to scare him off. A little while later he walked up and threw down a pile of $100 bills, demanding his new gun. Ug. So later that day I noticed the gun gone from his pile of stuff. He'd sold it for $1650 to the guy behind us! And that probably was a fair price for that gun, 10 years ago.

A few years back I bought a package from our friendly dentist. 2 44s, one an orignal finish Triple lock (you can tell by the roll marks) and the other a refinished 3rd model. I paid $1250 each, and feel I got a bargain. Either would sell today for more than I paid.

__________________
Dick Burg

Ralph: As long as we are picking nits, eggs have yolks,, S&W revolvers have YOKES.

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Tom
1560

GGGGGGGGGGGGAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!

RT

Once upon a time, I wanted to use the word "dissect". I wrote "disect". It didn't look right, so I looked it up in the dictionary----tried to anyway. It wasn't in there---at least not spelled any of the several ways I tried to spell it. I gave up---and called my mother----who could spell any and everything. (Stage Setting: I hadn't seen my mother for the better part of a year---hadn't spoken with her for several months.) She answered the phone. I didn't say Hi Mom or anything else one might regard as a greeting----just asked, "How do you spell dissect?" Her response: "Two s's, DUMMY!"---and hung up!! She was right!!