A blued 4" Triple Lock proved to be ever elusive, until I picked this one up from my FFL today. Shipped 20 May 1911, Mucklow Sulfur Co, Grand Junction, Colorado.
Blued Triple Lock, 4” barrel, shipped 1911, Mucklow Sulfur Co.
- Thread starter mrcvs
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Dang, what a great find!
Typical lack of care of the company equipment. But still very, very nice.
Typical lack of care of the company equipment. But still very, very nice.
StrawHat
Member
4" barrels were not all that common before WWII, nice find. And lettered to a Company not an individual. I have an early 455 that shipped overseas for WWI, but it went a little later that yours did.
Glad you found it, now, enjoy it!
Kevin
Glad you found it, now, enjoy it!
Kevin
That's a nice one! Some wear from carrying, but a little cleaning and she'll be good as gold.
Congrats Ian!
Congrats Ian!
That's a nice one yes it has been used, but that's whst they were made for. Zero guilt in shooting that one.
Beautiful gun! Congratulations.
Ol' Drover
Member
Richard Mucklow and his four brothers owned several companies, the biggest being Mucklow Coal in the town they named for themselves in West Virginia. They were noted for their heavy handed (and armed) response to miners wanting to unionize. Apparently, they wanted to be prepared if the labor troubles followed them to Colorado.
Congratulations on a great find!
Now get ready for PMs with offers to buy it if you ever decide to sell! I get emails & messages every so often with people asking to purchase mine and it's not nearly as nice as yours.
I've read that the 5in TL are more scarce than the 4in, but I've seen more 5in offered for sale than 4in. Either way I think people just don't let go of 4in TL as often because they are so cool!
Now get ready for PMs with offers to buy it if you ever decide to sell! I get emails & messages every so often with people asking to purchase mine and it's not nearly as nice as yours.
I've read that the 5in TL are more scarce than the 4in, but I've seen more 5in offered for sale than 4in. Either way I think people just don't let go of 4in TL as often because they are so cool!
I'm SO jealous! I've been obsessed with finding a blued 4 inch Triple Lock, to no avail. And yes, I'm the guy that keeps private messaging everyone, asking if they'll sell their 4 inch guns. That one must not have been on GunBroker, GunsInternational, or one of the online auctions. Or if it was, I failed miserably!
Nice find!! I only have one TL, and its in .455. Went to the Brits in 1914, and looks like it spent some time in the trenches. Proud to have it for the history that goes with it.
You've got a scarce one, and I'm glad you found it.
You've got a scarce one, and I'm glad you found it.
No, it was a private sale. It's rather fortuitous that I even got it at all.
I cannot even remember how I even discovered it might be for sale, and that was nearly a year ago, I am guessing. And then I waited a few months for photographs, which made it look worse in condition than it actually is. And so I declined several months ago, thinking it was too much money for too little gun. The seller said his neighbor was interested, anyways, and he would probably just sell it to him.
Last month I contacted the seller, to see if he sold it to his neighbor. Fortunately, that happened. In the meantime, seeing what Triple Lock revolvers are selling at now, and not being hung up on what they were a few years ago, I concluded that it was indeed worth the seller's asking price, and so we struck a deal.
I was still a bit apprehensive, thinking I sacrificed the condition I wanted just to own a 4" example. It didn't have to be pristine, but I didn't want deep scratches and extensive wear, at least not at the seller's asking price.
Well, it arrived and the condition is much better than expected!
Another lesson learned: I cannot be hung up on what Triple Lock revolvers sold for only a few years ago. The reality is, Triple Lock revolvers are probably fairly valued for what they are and it really was a situation for at least a decade before coronavirus hit that they were significantly undervalued. Almost downright cheap compared to other larger bore revolvers made during the same era, this being about 1900 to WWII (think Colt Single Action Army and Registered Magnum revolvers).
NewDeparture
Member
Beautiful New Century. I had a chance of buying a 4in TL many years ago but it was refinished so I ended up passing on that one. I´ve never seen another one in that same barrel length since then.
It looks like the pin that retains the locking bolt is missed on your TL. That could be easily done and replaced.
It looks like the pin that retains the locking bolt is missed on your TL. That could be easily done and replaced.
Absalom
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
Indeed. With only one gun shipped, but on the company account, it most likely was for a VIP at that location, like the security chief or site manager.
Another interesting example of ship dates.
I have a nickel 4" Triple Lock that is 15 earlier than your, mine is 2486, and it was shipped to Kentucky May 13, 1912, nearly a year to the day after yours.
Tim
I have a nickel 4" Triple Lock that is 15 earlier than your, mine is 2486, and it was shipped to Kentucky May 13, 1912, nearly a year to the day after yours.
Tim
mrcvs,
Is the serial # penciled on the back side of the right grip?
Is the serial # penciled on the back side of the right grip?
I will pull the stocks later this weekend and let you know.
Interesting…after pulling stocks!
I pulled the stocks and they are very snug fitting, such that I thought they had never been removed from the revolver. And the fact they are the appropriate early and less common non medallion stocks with some aligned blemishes at the butt transversing the butt and the stocks strongly suggest they are contemporary to this revolver.
I'm glad I pulled them as what I found is interesting! The right stock is devoid of any markings. Ideally, the serial number would be pencilled inside the right stock, but, again, I have no reason to question the originality of the stocks. The left stock AND the left side of the frame prove interesting!
Let's start with the frame. Stamped a single digit month in 1921, but the month stamp isn't clear, but it appears most likely to be a "2" or "3", meaning February or March. I already e-mailed the Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation to see what they have on file, as records they might have begin in 1920.
The inside of the left stock appears to have something scribbled on it or, rather, scribbled out, and what is legible seems to say "LARRY" and "Nov. '11". I wonder if it might be possible to identify an employee of the Mucklow Sulphur Company who worked there in 1911?
I pulled the stocks and they are very snug fitting, such that I thought they had never been removed from the revolver. And the fact they are the appropriate early and less common non medallion stocks with some aligned blemishes at the butt transversing the butt and the stocks strongly suggest they are contemporary to this revolver.
I'm glad I pulled them as what I found is interesting! The right stock is devoid of any markings. Ideally, the serial number would be pencilled inside the right stock, but, again, I have no reason to question the originality of the stocks. The left stock AND the left side of the frame prove interesting!
Let's start with the frame. Stamped a single digit month in 1921, but the month stamp isn't clear, but it appears most likely to be a "2" or "3", meaning February or March. I already e-mailed the Smith & Wesson Historical Foundation to see what they have on file, as records they might have begin in 1920.
The inside of the left stock appears to have something scribbled on it or, rather, scribbled out, and what is legible seems to say "LARRY" and "Nov. '11". I wonder if it might be possible to identify an employee of the Mucklow Sulphur Company who worked there in 1911?
Attachments
Great observation! I have some pins, but none are the correct length or diameter. Any ideas where to find such a pin? Also, what is the length and diameter of pin needed? I have no way to determine the exact diameter. Calipers would give me the width, which I can obtain later today, but how much longer or, more correctly, how "proud" should the pin ends be, other than trying to visualize a correct length?
