Did a search but couldn't find anything. A buddy said he saw one at a show long ago and had never heard of that barrel length. I haven't either.

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Cheers, Charles
SWCA #2442

Yes, there were 4" TLs built and shipped from S&W.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Came in 4" 5" 6.5 and 7.5 barrel lengths.

Yup. And they shortened some, too!

But the factory original ones are real easy to tell. There wasn't enough room for the multi-line patent information roll stamp between the frame and the front sight. So the 4" guns have it on the right side of the barrel, right where you're expecting to see the caliber.

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Dick Burg

Hi
heres a picture of a original nickel 4 inch Triple lock shipped in 1916
estimated less than a hundred made. Not a good picture but the gun is about 95 %.
jim fisher

Outstanding example Jim! Do you know which Triple Lock barrel sizes were made with adjustable sights?

Here's one-






Like this-

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

Wow, Lee!

I'd trade my yaller tomcat fer that one!

__________________
John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Lee,

I'll take it

Dave

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

I'll give Ya my first born son fer that one!!!!!!!!!

In my book the one that Jim Fisher has is worth more than the one with all the scribley gooop! on it.I just don't like engraved revolvers.

Lee, How many engraved 4 inch guns have you come across over the years?

Chad Gripp

Found this'n hangin on a wall in Waco





Su Amigo,
Dave

__________________
"IN GOD WE TRUST"

Had to dig back in my archives to find this picture of a rare 4" I had years ago...
(How many 4" Nickleled TL's with a jeweled hammer and trigger have you seen....)

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

hi
well I saved the best until last. This is a very late shipment 1917
shipped to Calf as a fixed sight gun and then returned to the factory for the target sights, the factory letter documents this and the rear sight is numbered to the gun. I also have a box for the 4 inch nickel gun boxes for triple locks are just about impossible to find.
enjoy the pictures.
jim fisher

Check with David Carroll on the nickel 4" and box. I sold him a set maybe 5 or 6 years ago. I thought he'd moved it along to a worthy buyer. He said he kept it for his private collection (the one almost destroyed by the tornado last month.) Now somewhere in the bowels of my meager collection I've got another nickel one. Its one of those guns that when you see it, you've just got to buy it.

Now while you're posting pictures, Jim, show us your 4" 2nd model, or better still, the 4" target 2nd Model. Nickel or blue, it doesn't matter!

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Dick Burg

Second models NOOOO! Lol! I just cant get into them when the dont have a shrouded ejector rod... I love four inch guns though!

My first and third, though I dont know what the TR barrel length was originally. When I bought it someone installed a huge long rifle sight on the front of the barrel. Its a future restoration project for sure plus I plan to make it a target 4 inch during the process.It is wearing a later vintage set of service grips with S&W grip adapter. The third model is 100% but has been refinished at S&W a long time ago. Grips were also missing so I had Keith make up the Magnas for me.

I hope you guys dont mind the Auto Mag pic, I cut this one down to 4 inches then Polished/hand engraved the barrel and receiver.I just had to show it off, lol!

Matt

Jim Fisher,Tell me about the hammer on the target tl.Mike

Hi
Mike the hammer is MICO Cockeyed from the 20,s or 30.s
The action is as smooth as glass on this old girl.
Jim

Hi
Dick Berg you will just have to settle for a 4 inch Target 1926 one of two known to exist. You know where the other one is.
As far as 4 inch 2nd models target or fixed sight models in my 35 years
of collecting I have not seen one or had the chance to buy one.
Jim Fisher

I've got the pair...



.44 HE3rd...



THE origional 4" nickel Pre-21....



... but still looking for the 4" Nickel .44 HE1st and .44 HE2... Can somebody deal me in?....

Now that is my grail gun for sure! Third model target 4 inch, so awesome!!!!

Though I would take a TR too;~)

Mid last century famous target revolver smiths like King Gunworks and and later Micro sight modified revolvers for competition including supplying their custom sights and target hammers to S&W and individuals.
Since before Jan. 13, 1950 the Smith factory offered no factory N frame wide spur target hammer option, modified factory hammers were well crafted and popular.

For right handers wide spurs extending to the left and for left handers wide spurs to the right were custom made and referred to as "cockeyed" hammers. A custom hammer widened on both sides was referred to as a "double cockeyed" as shown below:




Hope this helps.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Lee, that is an awsome gun that you have!! Words escape me!

This 4" nickle Triplelock letters as being shipped to New Orleans LA in Nov 1916. Its a project gun with zero finish, previous owner sanded it off!!! An old refinish destoyed the barrel lettering. Mechanical restoration is about complete. I'm looking for somebody to restore the lettering. I love this thread.

Since we're talking about fairly uncommon Triple-Locks, here is a 4" that shipped from the factory as a "Half-Target".

Bob

Gene Williams: Refinishing (re-blue, re-nickel & case hardening; rollmark
recutting) of older S&W guns that the factory doesn't repair any longer. McKinney, Texas Phone: 214-673-5510

Dave Chicoine: Performs repairs on all Tip-Ups, Top-Breaks and Hand-ejectors up to 1920; author of many gunsmithing books.
Phone: 704-8253-0265
e-Mail: [email protected]

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Jim
S&WCA #819

One. Just one. David Carroll told me one other one is known- a Blue 4" Target!




I take it nobody was watchin' it close enough....





Jim,
As I recall, Micro wasn't founded till the 50's by ex King employees.




Has ANYBODY yet seen an original 44-2nd?
I've never even heard a credible rumor!

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

[QUOTE=handejector

Has ANYBODY yet seen an original 44-2nd?
I've never even heard a credible rumor![/QUOTE]

I agree, Lee. I've got a 5" 2nd which is a pretty uncommon animal but never saw a 4". Have you ever asked Supica where he got his info on them?

Bob

Neal & Jinks says it.
History says it.

__________________
Regards,
Lee Jarrett

Well,yeah. But Columbus said the world was round-and everybody believed him, too- for awhile!

Bob

Hi
Just a note to let you know Gene Williams does not do Smith & Wesson
refinishing work any more, he is doing 1911,s now.
Jim Fisher

There are two 2nd models listed in the data base with 4 inch barrels. Both are listed under Roy Jinks. One gun is listed as as being refinished to nickel and the other just says "no butt swivel", but no other information. I assume he wouldn't enter them into the data base unless they were the real deal. I guess a phone call to him would confirm things.

Chad Gripp

My understanding is that there are two 4" Nickle .44HE2's in a certain sometimes member's safe in the Fredericksburg, VA area. I've been chasing them for several years now... so far, I've not seen them but the source is credible. I've purchased half a dozen HE2's and an HE3 from this fellow over the years and he has very, very nice stuff.

If anyone is still lusting for a 4" Triple Lock, David Carroll has one listed for sale on his web page. But then if Jim says there were less than 100 made, here's a chance for someone to enter the big time! So how well is your 401k or IRA doing this year? At least you can hold the gun in your hand and smile.

http://www.dcarroll.net/catalog/Janu...%20Catalog.pdf

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Dick Burg

Wow! our Silverback brought out the GOOD stuff. I have to get out of here. Too rich for me, I feel faint.

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Wayne
Torn & Frayed

Well, I've just gotten over the shock that Mi Amigo Dave snuck that one right out from under my nose here in my stomping grounds. I'd guess it escaped from the back door at the Ranger Museum in Waco.

For those of you who might be interested, Capt. J. M. Fox was a famous ranger back in the hard decade of about 1910-1920. He was responsible for 140 miles of "The River" in the Big Bend of Texas. That was a lonely and hard land. Frequently, a man's horse and weapons were the only friends to call on when trouble arose.

Unfortunately, those same circumstances still exist today.

Dave, when we figure out how to make these things talk, that would be a good one to start listening to.

Bob

This section of the forum has suddenly grown legs. Two really great threads running at the same time, with two of my favorite guns being featured. If we keep this up we won't need a new SCSW4. I'm impressed.

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Dick Burg

I suspect that 25% of the existing 4" TLs reside close to our forum home.

Jim:
I am glad to know how many were made.
I have through the years acquired twelve 4" T Locks and 4 of them are Nickel.
I think that your box is for a third model not a T Lock.
5 " T Locks are harder to find I only have found six, and two are Nickel.
That is out of 108 T Locks in my collection.
DB

DB
No it,s for a Triple lock if you read Dick Bergs post that where the box came from by way of david carroll
Dick Berg was the owner of it before I got it. I have a couple of 3rd model boxes and they do not look like the one for the triple lock.
The Triple lock boxes is a different color and the card board is thinner
that the 3rd models.

Jim

Jim:
I to have a T Lock box for a 7 1/2" Target.
When I get time I will dig it out and try and take some pictures.
I had it on display with the 108 T Locks in Tucson.
DB

DB
In all your years of collecting Triple Locks how many 7 1/2 inch Targets did you run across. I have two one in 44 Special and one in 44/40.
I have only seen one in 44/40 the one I have.
let me know what you have seen.
Jim

Here are a sample of boxes I dug out of the safe. From left to right, 6 1/2 inch T/L, .455 2nd model, 4 inch nickel 3rd model, and 5 inch blue 2nd model. All boxes number to the guns. Notice how the end lables on the T/L and .455 are on the bottom of the one piece box and the end lables for the 3rd and later 2nd model are actually on the lid. It looks like Jim's box is a righteous T/L box if you take the above into consideration. Thought you all might be interested.

Chad Gripp

thanks
Chad I did not pick that up but you are right the lable is on the box and not the lid. also the boxes are made different.
I have a 6 1/2 inch triple lock box that is just like yours.
Jim

Jim:
Thanks to Chad pictures I can see my mistake I have not seen my box since the Tucson convention.
I have 5 Blue 7 1/2" Targets and 1 Nickel 7 1/2" Target all in .44 special.
What is even harder to find are 7 1/2" standard sight. I have three of those in the hole in Blue.
I have seen several other 7 1/2" Targets along the way none in .44 40.

The only .44-40 7 1/2" Target I owned was a 1925 factory engraved Colt New Service and that is the only one known.
DB

.

DB
Thanks for the reply I do not have a fixed sight 7 1/2 I know they are scarce.
the 7 1/2 Target I have in 44/40 was ordered in 1910 and purchased by a gentleman from Washington I got it from his son. It has been used its about 90 Percent finish. The old gentleman used it for lion hunting in washington. He had a Winchester in 44/40 and wanted to be able to use the same Ammo.
Jim

This Colt guy only has one Triple Lock, and it is a blue 5-inch. It does not seem right that the Gun God would award a scarce Smith to a Colt guy, so are the 5-inch Triple Lock guns really that rare?

JudgeColt,

You are quite right, it isn't right that you ended up with the 5" TL. The only way that I can explain it is someone must have hacked into the Gun God's system and corrupted his files. I'm sure that it should have gone to a Smith person. If you get in touch with me I will do my best to correct the situation.

Bob

Here's my 5" Triple Lock:

__________________
John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

I have TLs, mostly the usual 6-1/2" barrel length. Some of these have S&W letters from Roy Jinks. I noticed that all of my letters mention TL barrel lengths of 4", 5", 6", 6-1/2", and 7-1/2" on page 1 where the introductory background "boiler plate" information appears. I have or have seen all of these except the 6" barrel length. What do the Forum members know about the 6" barrel length TL?