Today I plan to completely disassemble my Triple Lock .44. I've had it several years and have not yet shot it. The action seems pretty gummy, so I suspect there is a lot of old oil or grease in there.

I recently bought two Colt first generation SAAs and took each of them completely apart for cleaning and inspection. I didn't die and neither did they. Now I'm finally going to tackle this guy. Yes, I know it is a very different mechanism. I have stripped other S&Ws before, including pre-War guns. Just never a TL. I know how to "vibrate" the side plate off. Luckily the revolver isn't in that great condition.

Wish me luck!



Rob

My memory is faulty. I HAVE shot this gun before.

Here's some "history" on this gun and the shooting session:

Picked up an interesting shooter-grade Triple Lock today PICS ADDED

A couple of 100-year-olds make it to the range!

Rob

What does vibrate the side plate off.....Never heard that term before, then again I never had to take any of my side plates off...............................M*

Get a shoe box handy ... makes an ideal container to take a disassembled revolver , and all of it's many parts screws and springs , in to the local gun shop . Try not to lose any of the small parts ... and if the gunsmith grins when you pull out your shoebox ... he probably remembers me .
Gary

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Certified Cajun
NRA Member

When the sideplate screws are removed, hold the gun in your left hand with your thumb on the sideplate lightly. Then tap the grip frame with the wooden HANDLE of a hammer or similar and the side plate will pop off. Never pry it up.

Rob

It usually helps to take pictures along the way when disassembling an unfamiliar mechanism.

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SWCA #3356, SWHF#611

I might be inclined to try a liberal amount of Kroil applied internally and see if that resolves the issue before attempting disassembly.

That gun will have a yoke detent. Watch that the plunger doesn’t head off into orbit.

Oh, no. It is already apart.



What ever will I do.

Rob

And this is why it HAD to come apart. It is grungy!



Rob

A question for the guys here. Im thinking about
pulling the sideplate off my 1932 38/44 Outdoorsman. No telling when it was last off.
The Smith works fine in all respects. Just curious what condition it is inside..Like the OP.
Anything I need to watch for when the plate comes off? Any pcs on this model on the plate itself that may come off/loose as it pops loose
as I tap the lower frame? I will have my left thumb on the plate to steady it.
Thanks..

Nothing should fall out. Just make sure you use a proper bladed screwdriver so you don't mar the screw holes. I usually just put a towel or cloth under the gun and let the sideplate fall onto it. Some folks face it up and rap the frame. But, I'm afraid a sharp corner of the sideplate will skid into the frame and mar it. Never tried the thumb method.

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Guy
SWHF #474 SWCA LM#2629

1. use hollow ground screwdrivers
2. arrange the screws so they go back into the same holes
3. the older safety on the plate is captured so you're good. The sliding bar is the one that falls out. Those should be arranged on the action during reassembly.

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SWCA #3356, SWHF#611

Like Wiregrassguy posted above:

When removing side plate, hold with side plate pointing down and let it fall free onto a pad instead of holding side plate facing up and letting it clatter against the frame when it pops loose!

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Jim
S&WCA #819

We once took apart the only telephone system in the world that worked.
Jury still out.
I’m sure you’ll get it together again.

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and what his trumpet saith

Apart is always the easy part :-)

Yep. We haven't seen "back together" pics yet.

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SWCA #3356, SWHF#611

Had to stop last night for Easter Dinner. I've been spending time also getting rid of the "black cancer" on the sideplate before I put it back together.

Rob

I HAD forgotten about that, but I did take it apart very carefully and likely would have caught it if it had popped. But it behaved itself and stayed in the yolk. You can actually see its little head sticking out in the picture. It was a bit gummed up in the hole.

Rob

Except for putting the sideplate back on, the Triple Lock is back together. Much cleaner, but there is substantial staining on the carbon steel parts. the hammer and trigger, which were nickeled, fared better. Seems to be relatively smooth still.



I have most of the "black death" off the large area of pitting/cancer on the sideplate, exposing mostly the copper underlay. Looks better, but still not "good". It'll still shoot just fine, though!

Rob

If you haven't watch any of Mark Novak's Anvil video's here is a link to his youtube channel. What he does to Conserve some really ugly firearms some may consider Magik. Fact is that it's simple rust bluing but the results are well worth the effort.

Mark Novak - YouTube

There's still more work to be done removing the "black death", but I'm tired of working on it for now.



Before:


No cardboard box and no gunsmith needed.

Rob

Hand Ejectors are not that difficult to take apart, and put back together if someone is reasonably mechanically inclined. They do have more parts than a single action, but as long as you understand the relationship of the parts not too hard congratulations. Now Topbreak revolvers a whole different ball game....

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Randy

Everybody knows I just love old dirty guns that are destined for the parts bin. They were used abused and still answered the call to duty. Most were carried daily, some 24 hours a day, passed from shift to shift as prison guns, etc. I believe this is one of them. They collected dirt and muck in all kinds of weather, rarely fired, rarely cleaned but, showed the slickness of holster and leather rub. Your triple lock is head and shoulders above this old 44 S&W Special that came to me via a Jackson, MS gun show a number of years ago. I thought long and hard before I laid down my $200 for it. I did the same thing that you did to the old TL. A few minor parts, fixed the timing and she was ready for duty. I did not re-finish it but left her with the badge of courage for all to see. She shoots as good as the day she left S&W. Now that you have saved an old timer it will not be your last!!!

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I had perfected that part of the process ... it was the other part where the "shoe box" and visit to the gun shop came in .
Gary

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NRA Member

I have owned very few firearms in my life
that haven't been taken apart at least once or twice

" Gutsy move, Mav ". Nice job.