Here is some perspective. Hondo's 455 research thread here on the forum with the most interest in all things S&W has only turned up 24 triple locks in 455 of the 6964 that where produced. That is only about 1/3 of 1 percent of those produced. Where the rest? In a 100 years a lot can happen to military arms. Lost at war, plain old lost, destroyed by anti gun governments, hidden and forgotten, rusted into slag, blown up and ruined by various means like fired with barrel obstructions etc, some are out in the wilds of Canada, Australia New Zealand and parts unknown. If there are actually 3000 survivors world wide I would be surprised.
The vast majority of these guns saw military service. Very few went to officers who never wore them. The British didn't have huge numbers of officers who never left an office and kept one in a desk to show off. Most of the triple locks were sent in the beginnings of the war and immediately pressed into real service. Guys spending all day and night in war conditions hardly spend as much time on their revolver as their rifle. Finish loss on them is not very high on their list of immediate concerns.
So the number of the surviving guns with better external condition are not common. The number with good chambers and bores are also uncommon given the ammunition and the conditions these guns were used with and in. Many of them were reamed to accept 45 colt (mine) and some had cylinders faced off to accept 45 acp.
Mine is in better exterior condition, butt has been reamed to 45 colt. I would never sell it for $1000. I doubt your going to find very many functioning triple locks of any kind for less than $1000 unless the seller is uninformed. The list of people that want 455 in original condition may be kind of short, but so is the supply. If one of those is only interested in pristine or 95% or better guns I wish them luck. They are out there and I am sure they are priced accordingly. If they are not interested in anything less thats fine. Even if they do extent their expertise and opinion as to value they will do it with some tact. Most will just leave it alone if they are not interested.
I paid $700 from mine mismarked as a 1917 in a pawn shop wearing 1917 grips and missing the lanyard. $200 for a decent set of correct grips and had the correct type lanyard loop in my parts pile from a 1917 with issues. The fact that it was reamed and slightly recessed bothers me some, but not huge. It is still a great looking triple lock, 45 colt is a great round and it will still fire 455 as they have a larger rim diameter. Have you priced 455 brass or ammo? No way mine is going down the road for less than $1200 and even if offered that I would rathe have the gun sitting in my safe than $1200 to piddle away for something else.
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