Early .44 Hand Ejectors

I actually wrote this for another gun forum I frequent. So this is basically copy and paste. A lot of this will be old news to the folks here. But I do think you'll find it interesting.

I am an accumulator of Smith & Wessons. I say accumulator rather than collector simply because I can't afford collector grade guns. The guns I buy may have worn finishes, been refinished, modified in some way or otherwise imperfect. But they are still very serviceable and good examples of their particular model. I buy shooter grade guns and I do shoot them. Granted, some may sit in the safe for a couple years between firings, but I do shoot everything I own. Ain't no safe queens in my house. 
 I also tend to focus on a particular type or model.  I find one that's interesting and begin a search for every barrel length or variation of it just to have a full set. I have several of these searches going  at any given time.  

I dearly love the .44 Special cartridge and the guns that use it. I also love the early Smith & Wesson Hand Ejector revolvers. My goal was to get one of each of the named models made before S&W started using model numbers in 1957-58.  Yesterday I completed this quest. 



Top left: S&W .44 Hand Ejector 1st Model.  AKA the New Century Model, The Military Model of 1908 but most commonly referred to a the Triple Lock due to its unique third cylinder locking point in the crane. This is the only S&W to ever use this system. Factory letter states the gun was shipped May 21, 1910 to Birmingham Arms & Hardware Co., Birmingham, Alabama.

Top right: .44 Hand Ejector 2nd Model: S&W eliminated the ejector rod shroud and the third cylinder locking point. Factory letter shows gun was shipped January 22, 1924 to Police Department, Joplin MO.

Middle left:  .44 Hand Ejector 3rd Model (prewar). Made in 1930. AKA Model of 1926 or the Wolf & Klar Model. At the request of large gun dealer Wolf & Klar in Ft. Worth, TX , the ejector rod shroud was brought back.  Note: the 2nd & 3rd Models were produced simultaneously up until 1940. 

Middle right: .44 Hand Ejector 3rd Model (post war Transitional) aka the Model of 1926 Military. This new version of the 3rd Model now featured a passive hammer block safety, Magna style stocks and the "S" prefix in the serial number. Factory letter states this gun was shipped July 22, 1946 to George Lawrence Co. Portland Oregon ordered for John H. Young, Portland Police Dept. 

Bottom: .44 Hand Ejector 4th Model aka Model of 1950 .44 Military. Made in 1955. Just an updated version of the previous model with a few engineering changes. Later to become the Model 21 in 1957 when model numbers were assigned and continued in production until `1966. 

Now one to my next quest! ​​​​​​​

Congrats on acquiring the prewar .44 3rd model, Grayfox, it is a nice addition to your collection. You and I are kindred spirits. Most of my .44 Special's are shooters too. They aren't especially pretty but they shoot well. I'll drag my shooters out for a family photo soon.

Hey Tom, please post pictures of yours! I recall shooting your pre-21 at that MG shoot over 10 years ago! You still have it? I finally picked one up...

44 target

OP, you are still missing a 44 Target from around 1923 like mine.

You need to get a "New Sentry" Target. Thats the way the Service Department wrote the description in 1906. By the way 088 is the first N frame listed.

STCM(SW) said:

OP, you are still missing a 44 Target from around 1923 like mine.

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I wish. I can't afford the target models. Even shooter grade guns go well over $2K. Maybe some day.

Here's the rest of my .44 Special family.



The 1st &2nd Models have already been mentioned. But I also have all three barrel lengths of the Model 24-3 from 1983, a 696 No Dash and every .44 Lover needs a Charter Arms Bulldog just because.

Club Gun Fan said:

You need to get a "New Sentry" Target. Thats the way the Service Department wrote the description in 1906. By the way 088 is the first N frame listed.

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Mr. Mundell,
Please don’t take this wrong. But you need either a better camera or some photography training. You have a beautiful collection of revolvers and they deserve better pictures.
The people in shallow end of the pool live vicariously through you and others here on the forum. We need to see sharp properly lit images.
Just kidding…….kind of.

SS336 said:

Mr. Mundell,
Please don’t take this wrong. But you need either a better camera or some photography training. You have a beautiful collection of revolvers and they deserve better pictures.
The people in shallow end of the pool live vicariously through you and others here on the forum. We need to see sharp properly lit images.
Just kidding…….kind of.

Click to expand...

No offence taken. I do need lessons. I tell people I take pictures like Marcia Brady, not like Matthew Brady.

Grayfox said:

Middle right: .44 Hand Ejector 3rd Model (post war Transitional) aka the Model of 1926 Military. This new version of the 3rd Model now featured a passive hammer block safety, Magna style stocks and the "S" prefix in the serial number. Factory letter states this gun was shipped July 22, 1946 to George Lawrence Co. Portland Oregon ordered for John H. Young, Portland Police Dept.D

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Beautiful "accumulation"! And all with equally desirable barrel lengths.

One comment on your .44 Hand Ejector 3rd Model (post war Transitional):

All of it's predecessors also had passive hammer block safeties of some form, albeit that model was the first to have the new post war sliding bar hammer block safety replacing the 2nd style side plate mounted safety that was introduced in 1926 on the N frame.

Just now reading your post. Congrats on the Joplin gun ( happen to be setting on main Street in Joplin) The town has had a rough past, a few blocks down the street the Barrows took two Officers lives.
A bit further west a genuine old west outlaw was zipped up by JPD.
Who knows Roy Daughtry (Arkansas Tom) might have fallen to your .44

That's what I think also...

An old Smith chambered in 44 Special is the one revolver I'd like to have. Alas, they are priced out of my range But then I thought I'd never own a TL for the same reason yet managed to find one. There is still hope!

John

Toroflow1,
Here she be. S68764, shipped 11/7/47 to Sterling Hardware, Hazard, KY. Dan Meigs met me near Casa Grande late in December 2008 to do the deal. It did not have correct stocks, so it was sent to Patrick Grashorn to be fitted with custom-fit elk horn stocks. I shoot it occasionally and consider it to be one of my "nice shooters."

Photos attached: Two of present condition, one sitting on Patrick's bench, and a photo that Dan sent me while it was in his possession.

Tom, that is beautiful! Now we have to see RdrBill's 4" pre-21, that I remember him stealing for a few hundred dollar bills at the Kingman gunshow about 12 years ago! Bill, you still have it, DON'T YOU?!

Ken, Here's a Model 21 that came from Lee in November 2013. It shipped in 1961.

Just absolutely STUNNING Tom!!

A couple of little tid-bits which may be old news, but I (at least) didn't know about them for more than a little while.

You note the 2nd and 3rd Model .44's were produced simultaneously up until 1940. Correct, but W&K had an exclusive on the 3rd's from 1926 to 1936; so if you wanted one it had to come through them. Come to find out, if you wanted a .44 3rd target, it could be had otherwise as well. It seems there was a "caliber option" on the .38/44 Outdoorsman. It could be had with bigger holes in it----pretty sneaky.

Ralph Tremaine

Ralph,

Very true. The Model of 1926 - 3rd Model was not cataloged by S&W until it became an option in the .38/44 section. I believe it pertained to fixed sight and target sighted models once cataloged as a .38/44 optional cartridge.

Restored early model .44 Special

I acquired an S&W .44 Special Triple Lock thru my wife's family. The gun has been in the family since 1910. I had it lettered and it was manufactured in 1908 and shipped to a hardware store in Memphis, TN in 1910. The serial number is 1290!

After many years of debating, I recently sent it off to Custom Shop, Inc. in Hamilton, Montana. Here's the result.