I have a beat on what appears to be a 1st or 2nd Model hand ejector in 44 special. It has diamond wood grips that number to the gun, they have gold medallions. It has an adjustable rear sight and a tall front blade with the gold dot on the top.

I believe it's a 5 screw with 4 number serial, but I didn't write it down. Best I can tell it's factory finish, and other than a little blueing wear on the barrel and cylinder it's in fantastic shape. Lockup and timing feels incredible. It has a half lug ejector shroud.

Price is $900 - Go or no go?

SVT28

Edit: I bought it. Unfortunately I was mistaken on the original grips (memory is hazy nowadays, but everything else checked out. Factory finish has no rust or pitting, just a little blueing wear on the barrel. Lockup is bank vault tight and timing is perfect. Serial number is 270X. Cylinder matches. Pics below.

With those stocks it could be either a 1st or 2nd model .44 HE Target from the 1910 decade. Both were 5-screw frames; the 4-screw didn't start until the late 1950s. If it has an ejector rod shroud ("half lug") it is a 1st model or Triple Lock.

If it is factory original, run (or click, call...) to get it right now!

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

A 4-digit SN would almost certainly make it a .44 first Model (triple lock). And it should have an extractor rod shroud. Pay cash and don't turn around when you leave.

I would be happy to check it out for you 😊

Regards,
Bruce

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Regards,
Bruce

Either way, I would not have left it in the shop or wherever, for $900!

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I had to consult the team first! I'll pick it up first thing in the morning and post pics as soon as I do. Does anyone have one of these they can post a picture of?

SVT28

Good grief not sure I could sleep even if it was 2nd model I don't see how you could get hurt. If it was a shop they would have to ask me to move so they could unlock the door in the morning (Think Black Friday madness).

That's what I was thinking, camp out in front of the store! Of course with my luck they'd call the police on me.

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Look at the Triple Lock in this thread:

One of the First Triple Locks Made in 1906

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

1st Model Triplelock Target





2nd model 44 Target

Googling images, I found this pic. The barrel is shorter than this one but everything else is spot on. I'm coming to the conclusion it's a 1st model 44 special target.

If the barrel is shorter than the one in the picture above, it is either very rare or it has been modified. Most of them will have a 6.5" barrel, if I am not mistaken.

Probably still worth $900, even if the barrel has been shortened.

Can't wait to shoot her!

I think the barrel is standard length, 6.5".

The bad news is the stocks are not original. The good news is they are prewar N frame Magnas that are probably worth more than a set of originals .

If it shipped before 1910, the proper stocks are service with flattened tops and no medallions, scarce (the Triple Lock was the only gun at the time that came with these). After 1910 they would have been of similar design with gold medallions, easier to find. A letter of authenticity would let you know and for a gun like this, I would send for it.

Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation - Letter Process - Insuring that the rich history of Smith & Wesson will continue for generations to come

Enjoy!

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

What a great find!!! Absolutely fantastic. I sure would like to find one like it at that price!!!!

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Richard Gillespie
FBINA 102

Go out and buy some lottery tickets, your obviously on a roll.

Excellent! I don't understand the advice to go buy lottery tickets, you've already used up your good fortune.

Here's my target Triple Lock. It came with some kind of custom grips more suitable for Bill Jordan than me. I've replaced them with other custom grips more suitable for my human-size hand.
Score! Triple Lock Target #2629 - updated grips, post #12

WOW!! Beautiful gun, just how I like 'em. A little honest wear, so you don't mind shooting them!! We await a range report!

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PTLAPTA!

The pre-WWII N-frame Magna grips are very interesting and desirable, and can bring pretty good money all by themselves. I notice there is some wood damage which can be repaired if you wish. There are craftsmen which can do such restoration work. It won't make them any more valuable, but they will look better. For $900, you did very well.

Oh woe is me------the wrong grips! Whatever shall I do?!!

How 'bout this? Ship the grips off to DWFan. Wait a spell because he's pretty well stacked up---and still recuperating---or at least getting back into fighting trim. When the grips come back, and your jaw drops so hard your teeth fall out, put them on a gun they belong on.

As an alternative, sell 'em----and you may very well come close to what you paid for the gun---------not counting what the Grip Master charged you-----which isn't near what he's worth!!

And as an aside, that kind'a sort'a looks like a 7 1/2" barrel. If it kind'a sort'a is, the value of what it would be if it was 6 1/2" just kind'a sort'a doubled. Sometime when you don't have anything better to do, check out the value shown for your new toy in SCSW lV. It's a sure cure for sleeping sickness------will wake you RIGHT UP!!!

Ralph Tremaine

Congratulations !!! you can probably triple your money just like it sits. Great gun at a bargain.


Dan

This give us relative newcomers hope, great find just spectacular !

Sometimes we are in the right place at the right time. And have the funds to get it.

I go from pawn shop to pawn shop, gun shop to gun shop with that glimer of hope that something similar happens to me.

Just measured the barrel, it looks like 6.5 inches. I measured from the end of the cylinder to the end of the barrel. A bore light shows a mint condition barrel with sharp rifling.

The grips are intriguing. I was not aware of the value but after checking ebay it looks like these are very valuable. My question for the team is, should I restore and sell these, and try to find some originals pending the birth date from a letter. OR, restore them and leave them on the gun?

History: I asked the gun shop, which I'll disclaim, about the history. A veteran snowbird from Wyoming came into this small gun store off of I-17, in Cottonwood AZ. He wanted to trade for a colt 1911 so he brought in this triple lock as well as a mid 40's lever gun in rare 308. He owned both of these firearms for over 55 years. This triple lock has been sitting in the back of the case for over 3 months now...I'm glad it's saved and in our community.

Thank you everyone for the support and comments so far. I feel like I finally hit the culmination of my Smith collecting. The only way my weekend could be better is to find Registered Magnum #111 for the same price.

SVT28

LOL Your collecting isn't over if you find another good score. UMMM How many times have I said that's my last gun purchase, I don't need any more?

"...a mid 40's lever gun in rare 308."

The .308 Winchester cartridge wasn't developed until the 1950s. I wonder if this was a .300 Savage M99.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Personally, I would keep the current stocks, perhaps have them restored, and search for the proper stocks for your TL. As you noted, never know when that RM find with the wrong stocks will show up .

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

I believe it was a Winchester Model 88 in 308. Maybe I missed the decade, it sure was a nice rifle though. I think I'll keep my eyes peeled for some correct stocks and keep these for now. I have a tough time separating things the way I get them, and I think they look rather attractive on the triple lock.

What would be "safe" ammo for this firearm? The store tossed in a 50 round box of fiocchi 200 grain SJHP with the purchase. Would this ammo be gtg or should I source a different load? (I don't reload, yet)

SVT28

I would go with cowboy loads in .44 Special or .44 Russian. It IS over one hundred years old.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

That's a tremendous find, period. But at that price, it's extraordinary!

Triple the $900 price and you'll have about what it's worth even with wrong vintage stocks.

The .44 Triple Lock (especially a target model) is one of the Holy Grail S&Ws and very first N frame (large size) Hand Ejector and .44 special Revolver! Officially it's a ".44 Hand Ejector 1st Model 1908 Military - New Century". It was introduced in 1908 along with the brand new .44 S&W Special cartridge. It has the unique feature of a third cyl lock in front of the cylinder, a feature not seen before or since, which gave it the collector nick name of Triple Lock.

This revolver is the pinnacle of S&W engineering design and craftsmanship. Only 15,375 were made, most chambered in .44 Spl and a few in other calibers: 38-40, 44-40, 44 Russian, 1503 455s, and 45 Colt (only 23 made in 45 Colt according to Roy Jinks) until discontinued in 1915 and replaced with the 2nd Model which did not have the 3rd lock or the barrel shroud and had a barrel lug for the front locking bolt like this:



This is an oxymoron: "half lug ejector [extractor] shroud". S&Ws have one or the other, never both on the same gun.

Of the 15,375, 812 and 691 were made as 44 Hand Ejector 1st Model 455 TLs, for a total of 20,836 44 HE 1st model TLs. Add 5461 built as “.455 HE 1st Model TLs” also chambered for the .455 Mk I/II cartridge under contract in the British Commonwealth serial # range for WW I, for a grand total of ~22,339 Triple Locks.

The three locks are under the barrel in the extractor rod shroud, back of the cyl, and the 3rd lock, hence the nickname "Triple Lock", in the yoke at the front of the cyl. They all release simultaneously with a push of the cyl thumb piece.

The front and middle locks are shown below. The TL craftsmanship is superb and a marvel of precision hand fitting, the panache of yesteryear that we will never see again:

Photos thx to Sebago Son




Cyl detent hold open device:
TLs have a classic old feature to keep the cyl open when loading/unloading and prevent it from slamming closed if the gun is tipped to the right slightly and scratching the recoil shield with the extractor star.

The cylinder hold open device or detent was introduced on the very 1st hand ejector, the ".32 HE Model 1896, 1st Model". It was used and continued in pre WW I K frames beginning on the 38 M&P Model of 1902, and used in most pre WWI, pre WW II, and some post war Transitional N frame HEs. Another example of old world panache Smith was known for that we won't ever see again.

Important Note: if you remove the yoke beware of the cyl detent pin and spring! If you aren't aware, it can launch across the room to no man knows where! If it's missing, that's likely what happened to it.

Plunger shown here in bottom of yoke and has a spring underneath it:



You'll likely prefer those stocks to the originals for shooting it. They'e known as pre war "sharp shoulder Magnas". The checkering borders were rounded after WW II and the post war nickled medallions replaced the chrome plated, flat pre war style. Sharp shoulder magnas were deleted by ~ 1950.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Congratulations on your excellent find.
When Ralph states that only 15,375 of these were made, he failed to mention that only 10 % of these, approximately, were Target Models.

I would obtain a set of period N frame grips for this gun and sell the ones you have on it now.

What you have going for you is that the original stocks on your Triple Lock are not unique to a Triple Lock, so an appropriate set of stocks would not necessarily have to have originated from one of the other 15,374 Triple Locks out there (or from the approximately 5,000 additional units manufactured for the British government).

What absolutely AMAZES me about your story is that it languished for sale in an Arizona gun shop for THREE months!!!

You Got to love the Snowbirds :-)


I lived in Tucson for 12 years and used to regularly take 3 day excursions running from Kingman to Tucson, Yuma to Albuquerque hitting all the Gun shops I could, just looking for guns like yours. I found more rare guns than I can remember and sadly Sold almost all of them for the profit. The regrets are really strong so hopefully you can learn from my errors LOL


I say Keep it just like it is. The Magnas will make it enjoyable shooting it and will only increase in value as it gets older.


Oil it. Shoot it, Take care of it and most of all ENJOY your new Baby.


Dan

Have you removed the grips to see if they are numbered? Also, look at the left side of the grip frame for any dates, such as 8.40, which would indicate a trip back to S&W in August 1940.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Gawd! We NEVER see anything like that 'round hyar! What the SN on the magnas? If it matches my RM, I'd be interested even with the chips.

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Guy
SWHF #474 SWCA LM#2629

I could not believe that it was sitting in the store for 3 months either! It was sitting right next to a Glock 43 with a $520 price tag

Got a good cleaning in this morning and removed the grips. Sucks they have this chip as they are in pretty good shape other than that flaw. For those who have been wondering the serial number on the back of the grips, its 59807. Although I really want to keep them, I would consider cutting someone a deal if they have the revolver to reunite them with!

More pics

There are a few Forum members/vendors who can restore that right stock panel chip to where it cannot be detected.

SN 59807 is late 1940 at the earliest and may have been a .38/44 Heavy Duty, Outdoorsman or a non-Registered Magnum. Someone here may be able to find a database entry about the SN.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

out of my Data 59807 is a 4" Registered Magnum.


Dan

Well this just got interesting, thank you Dan for that info. I guess the hunt is on for the matching magnum! I want to buy it if the owner happens to be on this forum. If it was an HD/Outdoorsman I would part with the grips. But if it truly is an RM, then I hope lady luck visits twice.

SVT28

The correct stocks for such an early TL (if produced before 1910) will not have medallions, just dished out at the top and fairly scarce because they were only used on triple locks and only from start of production until 1910.

The next style with recessed gold plated medallions from 1910 to 1920 are many times more numerous. They were used on:

~ 12000 44 1st model HE triple locks
~ 3000 44 2nd model HEs to 1920
~ 6000 455 1st Model HE triple locks
~ 69,000 455 2nd model HEs

For a total of ~ 90,000 pairs of stocks.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

It may be more likely the owner of the gun will buy 'his' stocks back from you! .

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

And this is why a letter is essential on this one. Among other things, to determine a shipping date and the type of replacement stocks to eventually replace with. Shipping dates were not sequential and vary wildly. An early serial number such as this could have shipped surprisingly late, or not.

Pictured are early stocks, this one having shipped June of 1910, also on a Target Model.

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Just snagged a 50 round box of HSM Cowboy Action - Semi Wadcutters - 240 grain - from Sportsman's Warehouse today. Are these safe for the Triple Lock?

I also sent in for a letter - What has the turnaround time been lately?

Thanks in advance
SVT28

Those cartridges will shoot just fine. And Blakely the letters have been turning around inside of a month.

Guy

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Guy
SWHF #474 SWCA LM#2629

I got my letter in the mail today

Its nice to see its all original except for the grips. Now my search is on for some non medallion wood!

SVT28

Congrats.

Now that you have a documented shipping date of 6/24/1910, it's much more likely that the correct stocks are those shown in posts 10 and 11 above: withy the gold recessed medallions.

I too have a target model from 1910 # 2702 and its original grips have gold medallions. Those will be much easier to find than those w/o medallions! As I indicated in my post #43, you now have about 90,000 chances to find them instead of about 4,000!

It appears that target models were in inventory longer and we see many low numbers like yours and mine not shipped until much later than the # might suggest. Although they were never shipped in serial # order and we see 4 digit numbers shipped much later than 1910.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

The letter, though, specifies non-medallion stocks. 3576 shipped in June 1909 so this one was built early then sat until 1910. I'm assuming they wouldn't change to updated stocks upon shipment, correct?

You could also look for dished non-medallion jigged bone or stag. I picked up this pair (not sure why the picture rotated upon upload) on the 'Bay and another pair of dished jigged bone just sold the other day.

Attached Images

IMG_3098.jpg (94.2 KB, 35 views)

Here is my triple lock and letter. Number 889 off the line. Grips added when returned for factory work.


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