A few weeks ago a friend told me he wanted to take an old 44 Spl revolver out to shoot. We finally got to go to the range together yesterday and was I surprised at what he pulled out of an old bank night deposit bag. I was expecting an old HE, but not a triple lock. It had been reblued and the hammer and trigger polished. It dated to about 1910, that's 106 years ago. He said he bought it from a barber 50 years ago for $35 and doesn't remember ever shooting it.

The bore was bright, but a couple of the chambers had some light pits. Stocks were not original.

Range test at 25 feet with SWC ammo. Single action: 6 shots in 1 hole measuring about 1 1/8"; double action 6 shots in about 2 1/2"

I'm looking forward to another range session to find out what else he drags out.

Aren't TLs the best? Now you need to start looking for one of your own! And the pictures are.....?

__________________
Randy
Provenance nerd

I adore shooting my TL so much.

My favorite shooting gun is a single shot .22lr pistol, but a close close second is my triple lock:



Bonus shot. I found Boo hogging the camera in front of another old triple lock I used to have:

At the risk of sounding like a total moron...can someone show how to identify a TL?

At the risk of sounding like a total moron...can someone tell me what kind of bird that is?

Guinea Hen . . .

__________________
Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

California Quail

Look at the photo in post #3.
Below the barrel shroud on the frame you will see the third cylinder lock, hence triple lock. It proved to be an expensive addition with little more support for the cylinder, and was discontinued.

Hey, maybe lacking information, but don't sound like a moron. Smart enough to ask
When you open the yoke you will notice it has a square piece with a groove with a hole in it, the square piece that fits perfectly in a corresponding cut in the shroud. The shroud near the frame has a latch pin that rides in the groove and latches into it at the same time the extractor rod locks up as normal. The shroud also has a mechanism in it that links both pins for operation when the thumb piece is operated. Because of the way it works the center rod in the extractor stays flush with the ratchet when cylinder is opened. This causes another noticeable feature of triple locks . No dimple on the recoil shield for the center pin.

You can see the third lock in this photo of my 455 triple lock.

I thought that was a partridge front sight

You gotta be careful, as it might fly off.

Triple locks are fanatastic shooters, don't own one as of yet but there is still some time left. I love your Quail shot, my dad's father was a big gruff guy but he would talk baby-talk to his brood of quail that lived on his acreage, he purposely left his spruce trees low to the ground for them, it was an almost daily event that he kept bird seed in his big Packard and would stop on the drive out and walk over to the trees and hand feed his "babies". My neighbor lady came over to me earlier this year all flustered, she said "what do I do about my baby quail?" I asked her "I beg your pardon?" She said "They hatched a couple of weeks ago and how will they ever get out of the basement window box?" I told her they would eventually buzz out of their own but if she liked she could put a plank of wood down there. She was much relieved.

That's a Boo. He was a house quail.





He liked perching on guns.

But had some disdain for the pre-model 10, and liked to cover them in dust.

Boo the Quail - YouTube

Is that not known as a Gambel's Quail? That is what we called them in AZ.
Jim

Love your tame Quail. Birds can be great pets

Boo was a California Quail.

He was a wonderful little jerk, being a male he could be kind of aggressive, but being so small aggressive is just cute.

Funny thing is how amazingly social the little guy was, he was like a little puppy. He loved to fall asleep on you, be around you all the time, and following you everywhere you went.

Cute as heck baby too.

Thanks for the info! Now I know.

I once raised a Canadain goose from an egg. Followed me and wife around and was buddies with her little dog.

Triple Locks are amazing, exhibiting the most wonderful craftsmanship in their construction. Operation of the revolver is a dream.

Here's a sequence of photos of another refinished one showing the third lock.

Nice restoration bmcgilvray! The leather looks great, too. I'm looking for a period holster for this .44 TL shipped in 1916.

__________________
Tom in AZ
Respect the Dingbat

Thanks Tom.

Can't take credit for undertaking the restoration which was accomplished by another forum member here.

Here are some "before" photos he took of it when it was a sad "rescue" Triple Lock he'd just acquired.