Smith & Wesson Hand Ejector First Model (Triple Lock) Revolver A Comparative Rarity
A comparative rarity of Hand Ejector First Model (Triple Lock) revolvers in all calibers, most commonly .44 Smith & Wesson Special, followed by .455 Webley, and then, less commonly, .45 Colt (factory chambered), .44 Russian, .44-40, .38-40, and .22 LR; as well as barrel length (4”, 5”, 6”, 6 1/2”, & 7 1/2”), and finish and embellishment (Blued, Nickeled, Other, and engraved or not), has long been in order, and so I will attempt to tackle that, using published data (which isn’t always necessarily correct, or doesn’t seem practically correct—in that observations belie “what the data says”—and my personal observations, which are likely not statistically significant, and may differ from the observations of others on the forum. And so, this is a working document, I’ll take my best guess and modify based on the observations of others. And, as certain configurations become increasingly rare in occurrence/as observed, the comparative rarity of one unusual configuration vs another becomes increasingly complex.
And so, let’s begin. Of the 15,375 “.44” Hand Ejector First Model Revolvers, SCSW4 states that 13,753 were in .44 S & W Special, 23 were factory chambered in .45 Colt, and 1226 in .450 Eley. Surely, this last figure is incorrect, as I’ve never observed even one in .450 Eley. Not to say one or more don’t exist, but with supposedly 1226 in this caliber, they should surface more often. It most probably references 1226 units commercially produced and numbered in this series, but in .455 Webley, as such revolvers exist, and in numbers suggesting that 1226 of these might be about right. But, when you take these 1226 revolvers and add in the 13,753 in .44 S & W Special and those in factory chambered .45 Colt, the figure is 15,002. Which suggests that the remaining 373 revolvers are chambered in .44 Russian, .44-40, .38-40, and .22 LR. That’s possible, but since these calibers surface so very rarely, it seems 373 to be an overestimate. But it’s the best data available.
Then there’s those in .455 Webley in their own serial number ranges, 812 being .44 Hand Ejector First Model revolvers converted to .455 Webley and ~5802 being manufactured in .455 Webley.
15,375 + ~5802 + 812 = ~21,989 in total.
The .455 Webley revolvers were exclusively blued. All, or nearly all, were manufactured with a 6 1/2” barrel, so this is about 30% of production.
The remaining 70% of production was the commercial production, already briefly addressed. My observations are that about 1 in 3 or 1 in 4 revolvers were nickeled, probably closer to 1 in 3, when you take into account the fact that the Target Model variation is nearly exclusively blued.
In order, most common to least common:
6 1/2”, blued, standard configuration, .44 S & W Special
61/2”, Nickel, standard configuration, .44 S & W Special; about a third as common as the 6 1/2” blued, standard configuration, but still more common than shorter barrel lengths.
5” blued, standard configuration, .44 S & W Special
Now, it starts to get a bit more complicated. I’ll have to group various configurations together and explain why.
The .44 S & W Target Model seems to be about 10% of these 15,375 revolvers. So, about 1500 or 1600, the vast majority with a 6 1/2” barrel, those grouped here. The nickel 5” standard configuration seems to abound with similar frequency.
1226 in .450 Eley in this series (probably .455 Eley).
4” barrel, blued, .44 S & W Special, about 375. Reasoning: About 1 in 3 revolvers are blued, and 3 times 125 is 375. See 4” barrel, nickel, below.
Any potential barrel length and finish, in .44 Russian, .44-40, 38-40, and “reported” .22 LR: 373
7 1/2” barrel, blued, Target configuration. My guess is in the 300 to 500 range.
4”, nickel, .44 S & W Special, somewhere I had read “about 100” or “about 125” of these were manufactured. That seems about right.
In the 4000 to 4300 serial number range, a few Target Model .455 Webley revolvers were produced, presumably all blued. So, perhaps 100?
Perhaps 25 or 50 of factory engraved examples in all barrel lengths, finishes, and configurations? Also included in this range, give or take, would be Target Model revolvers with a barrel length of less than 7 1/2” or 6 1/2”, being a Target Model revolver. And, we should consider production in this range of revolvers of various barrel lengths with a target rear sight and fixed front sight.
Out of production numbers of ~21989, some were scrapped. I am open to input here, but let’s guess 1 out of a thousand didn’t pass muster. So, less than two dozen here. -21,989 - ~22 (1 per thousand), suggests total production might be closer to $21,967.
12 prototypes, serial numbered 088 to 099, 7 1/2” barrel, Target sights. Perhaps another dozen, maybe less, were Target Model examples of various barrel lengths, most or all 6 1/2”, with nickel finish.
<20 Bisley Target Models, for use at Bisley, England. Fixed front sight, windage-adjustable-only rear sight.
<20 (< 10 each), chambered in .44-40 and .38-40.
Roy stated in a question I posed to him that 98% of revolvers with 71/2” barrels were target Model revolvers, and so, when you extrapolate, the figure here should be 10 or less.
<10: Early production 4 screw models.
Probably 2: In SCSW4, a pre production revolver in .45 Special (probably.45 Frankfort) serial number 09. Edit: Probably a second existed as well. Both were likely destroyed during army trials rust testing.
0 (Zero): Smith & Wesson revolvers with 6” barrels. Mentioned in publications and various contemporary documents, but, to date, I don’t think one has ever surfaced.
This is my best attempt to quantify this data. Comments and corrections welcome.
A comparative rarity of Hand Ejector First Model (Triple Lock) revolvers in all calibers, most commonly .44 Smith & Wesson Special, followed by .455 Webley, and then, less commonly, .45 Colt (factory chambered), .44 Russian, .44-40, .38-40, and .22 LR; as well as barrel length (4”, 5”, 6”, 6 1/2”, & 7 1/2”), and finish and embellishment (Blued, Nickeled, Other, and engraved or not), has long been in order, and so I will attempt to tackle that, using published data (which isn’t always necessarily correct, or doesn’t seem practically correct—in that observations belie “what the data says”—and my personal observations, which are likely not statistically significant, and may differ from the observations of others on the forum. And so, this is a working document, I’ll take my best guess and modify based on the observations of others. And, as certain configurations become increasingly rare in occurrence/as observed, the comparative rarity of one unusual configuration vs another becomes increasingly complex.
And so, let’s begin. Of the 15,375 “.44” Hand Ejector First Model Revolvers, SCSW4 states that 13,753 were in .44 S & W Special, 23 were factory chambered in .45 Colt, and 1226 in .450 Eley. Surely, this last figure is incorrect, as I’ve never observed even one in .450 Eley. Not to say one or more don’t exist, but with supposedly 1226 in this caliber, they should surface more often. It most probably references 1226 units commercially produced and numbered in this series, but in .455 Webley, as such revolvers exist, and in numbers suggesting that 1226 of these might be about right. But, when you take these 1226 revolvers and add in the 13,753 in .44 S & W Special and those in factory chambered .45 Colt, the figure is 15,002. Which suggests that the remaining 373 revolvers are chambered in .44 Russian, .44-40, .38-40, and .22 LR. That’s possible, but since these calibers surface so very rarely, it seems 373 to be an overestimate. But it’s the best data available.
Then there’s those in .455 Webley in their own serial number ranges, 812 being .44 Hand Ejector First Model revolvers converted to .455 Webley and ~5802 being manufactured in .455 Webley.
15,375 + ~5802 + 812 = ~21,989 in total.
The .455 Webley revolvers were exclusively blued. All, or nearly all, were manufactured with a 6 1/2” barrel, so this is about 30% of production.
The remaining 70% of production was the commercial production, already briefly addressed. My observations are that about 1 in 3 or 1 in 4 revolvers were nickeled, probably closer to 1 in 3, when you take into account the fact that the Target Model variation is nearly exclusively blued.
In order, most common to least common:
6 1/2”, blued, standard configuration, .44 S & W Special
61/2”, Nickel, standard configuration, .44 S & W Special; about a third as common as the 6 1/2” blued, standard configuration, but still more common than shorter barrel lengths.
5” blued, standard configuration, .44 S & W Special
Now, it starts to get a bit more complicated. I’ll have to group various configurations together and explain why.
The .44 S & W Target Model seems to be about 10% of these 15,375 revolvers. So, about 1500 or 1600, the vast majority with a 6 1/2” barrel, those grouped here. The nickel 5” standard configuration seems to abound with similar frequency.
1226 in .450 Eley in this series (probably .455 Eley).
4” barrel, blued, .44 S & W Special, about 375. Reasoning: About 1 in 3 revolvers are blued, and 3 times 125 is 375. See 4” barrel, nickel, below.
Any potential barrel length and finish, in .44 Russian, .44-40, 38-40, and “reported” .22 LR: 373
7 1/2” barrel, blued, Target configuration. My guess is in the 300 to 500 range.
4”, nickel, .44 S & W Special, somewhere I had read “about 100” or “about 125” of these were manufactured. That seems about right.
In the 4000 to 4300 serial number range, a few Target Model .455 Webley revolvers were produced, presumably all blued. So, perhaps 100?
Perhaps 25 or 50 of factory engraved examples in all barrel lengths, finishes, and configurations? Also included in this range, give or take, would be Target Model revolvers with a barrel length of less than 7 1/2” or 6 1/2”, being a Target Model revolver. And, we should consider production in this range of revolvers of various barrel lengths with a target rear sight and fixed front sight.
Out of production numbers of ~21989, some were scrapped. I am open to input here, but let’s guess 1 out of a thousand didn’t pass muster. So, less than two dozen here. -21,989 - ~22 (1 per thousand), suggests total production might be closer to $21,967.
12 prototypes, serial numbered 088 to 099, 7 1/2” barrel, Target sights. Perhaps another dozen, maybe less, were Target Model examples of various barrel lengths, most or all 6 1/2”, with nickel finish.
<20 Bisley Target Models, for use at Bisley, England. Fixed front sight, windage-adjustable-only rear sight.
<20 (< 10 each), chambered in .44-40 and .38-40.
Roy stated in a question I posed to him that 98% of revolvers with 71/2” barrels were target Model revolvers, and so, when you extrapolate, the figure here should be 10 or less.
<10: Early production 4 screw models.
Probably 2: In SCSW4, a pre production revolver in .45 Special (probably.45 Frankfort) serial number 09. Edit: Probably a second existed as well. Both were likely destroyed during army trials rust testing.
0 (Zero): Smith & Wesson revolvers with 6” barrels. Mentioned in publications and various contemporary documents, but, to date, I don’t think one has ever surfaced.
This is my best attempt to quantify this data. Comments and corrections welcome.
Last edited:
