My Triple Lock Target 7 1/2 inch shipped February 1910, 110 years old this month.
What a great gun - I love it!!!
Thanks for sharing,
Celebrate the Years - Post Your Oldest S&W Hand Ejector
- Thread starter RKmesa
- Start date
What a great gun - I love it!!!
Thanks for sharing,
I have some little 32s that may be earlier, but this is my oldest N frame a 455
and here is a Lady Smith
and here is a Lady Smith
gordonrick
Member
1899 shipped to graduating West Point cadet
This revolver is serial number 1254, shipped June 11 1900, to Leroy Hillman at West Point. He was a West Point 1st class member that graduated June 13 1900. Its original box is very faintly numbered to the gun. The letter states black rubber grips. and does not mention a lanyard swivel.
The first two pictures show the gun with period checkered walnut grips.
The butt swivel goes right through the middle of the serial number, which was common for the time period. In this case, the factory also stamped the serial number on the grip strap, under the grips. The '4' is the only visible butt serial number digit, and it is exactly the same font, and size, as the '4' stamped on the grip strap.
The next picture shows the serial number on the grip strap.
Following his graduation from West Point, Leroy Hillman married the sister of one of his West Point instructors, who had rotated back to West Point after graduating 11 years earlier. He himself was married to one of descendants of John Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition. This marriage made Leroy Hillman a member of the Clark family, and he was known to many of the later-generation descendants as Uncle Leroy, one of whom remembers seeing the gun after Leroy died in 1918, of the Great Flu Epidemic. These later generations included two West Point graduates. It appears that the gun went through both of these subsequent West Point families, and was finally sold after the widow of the last West Point graduate had passed away.
Anecdotally, one of the descendants of John Clark told me that she remembers, as as young child, playing with the original leather-bound diary of Meriwether Lewis, which contained the notes of the Lewis & Clark expedition. She even took it to school to share with her classmates. At some point, the Government figured out where the diary was, and came and took it away!
Hillmans career is well-documented. After being stationed in Europe as a military advisor in WW1, he returned to the States, and was named Commander of the Rock Island Arenal in 1918. His picture still hangs in their gallery. He was the youngest officer to attain the rank of full Colonel.
Regards, Mike Priwer
This revolver is serial number 1254, shipped June 11 1900, to Leroy Hillman at West Point. He was a West Point 1st class member that graduated June 13 1900. Its original box is very faintly numbered to the gun. The letter states black rubber grips. and does not mention a lanyard swivel.
The first two pictures show the gun with period checkered walnut grips.
The butt swivel goes right through the middle of the serial number, which was common for the time period. In this case, the factory also stamped the serial number on the grip strap, under the grips. The '4' is the only visible butt serial number digit, and it is exactly the same font, and size, as the '4' stamped on the grip strap.
The next picture shows the serial number on the grip strap.
Following his graduation from West Point, Leroy Hillman married the sister of one of his West Point instructors, who had rotated back to West Point after graduating 11 years earlier. He himself was married to one of descendants of John Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition. This marriage made Leroy Hillman a member of the Clark family, and he was known to many of the later-generation descendants as Uncle Leroy, one of whom remembers seeing the gun after Leroy died in 1918, of the Great Flu Epidemic. These later generations included two West Point graduates. It appears that the gun went through both of these subsequent West Point families, and was finally sold after the widow of the last West Point graduate had passed away.
Anecdotally, one of the descendants of John Clark told me that she remembers, as as young child, playing with the original leather-bound diary of Meriwether Lewis, which contained the notes of the Lewis & Clark expedition. She even took it to school to share with her classmates. At some point, the Government figured out where the diary was, and came and took it away!
Hillmans career is well-documented. After being stationed in Europe as a military advisor in WW1, he returned to the States, and was named Commander of the Rock Island Arenal in 1918. His picture still hangs in their gallery. He was the youngest officer to attain the rank of full Colonel.
Regards, Mike Priwer
Last edited:
LOVE LOVE LOVESecond Model Target, special barrel length, 45 Colt caliber, shipped in 1916.
Bill
Amen! That would be the coolest concealed carry gun EVER!
This turned out to be pretty easy as I have all my S&W letters in a binder, arranged by ship date. First one up is my .32 S&W Model 1896, shipped November 27, 1901
Since it is nickel and has replacement pearl grips and shipped to New Orleans, I like to think that it was once owned by a pimp as postulated by G.S. Patton.
Second oldest is my Triple Lock Target shipped January 11, 1909, which came to me with a gigantic set of custom made grips. (Perhaps it had been owned by Bill Jordan?)
I have since replaced them with a set of factory grips of appropriate vintage and style.
Since it is nickel and has replacement pearl grips and shipped to New Orleans, I like to think that it was once owned by a pimp as postulated by G.S. Patton.
Second oldest is my Triple Lock Target shipped January 11, 1909, which came to me with a gigantic set of custom made grips. (Perhaps it had been owned by Bill Jordan?)
I have since replaced them with a set of factory grips of appropriate vintage and style.Attachments
Last edited:
"He himself was married to one of descendants of John Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition. This marriage made Leroy Hillman a member of the Clark family, and he was known to many of the later-generation descendants as Uncle Leroy, one of whom remembers seeing the gun after Leroy died in 1918, of the Great Flu Epidemic."
I'm guessing you meant to type William Clark.
BTW, Elmer Keith was a descendent of William Clark.
I'm guessing you meant to type William Clark.
BTW, Elmer Keith was a descendent of William Clark.
Ol' Drover
Member
This Model 1902 1st change was shipped January 16, 1905. In 1950 it was used by Wood Co. Constable Will Whittle to kill Mineola, TX Chief of Police Wesley Taylor in a gun fight in which both men died. It started with a dispute over who had jurisdiction in a traffic accident.
Attachments
I can see me slicing myself open with that front sight, drawing from under a coat.
I would get a holster for it and deal with it. I is a pinned sight so you could run one with a angled rear. I am a 45 colt guy. Doc's early 4"and the 45 colt triple lock target owned by Jim Fisher are my Grail Guns.
Cool. Mineola is half way between my home and my office. Drive through it every day.
Sent from my SM-S506DL using Tapatalk
DeplorabusUnum
Member
Just to turn this thread upside down, I decided to post my NEWEST Hand Ejector. Truth be told, I don't get into the modern stuff and, given the rest of the stuff I collect, it's amazing I have anything this recent. A Registered Magnum dating from 1937.
It was a good excuse to post this one.
I wouldn't have posted this if it wasn't somewhat earlier, at least pre WWII.
It was a good excuse to post this one.
I wouldn't have posted this if it wasn't somewhat earlier, at least pre WWII.
Attachments
Muley
You are right -William Clark is the Clark of Lewis & Clark. John Clark was William's father.
Regards, Mike Priwer
You are right -William Clark is the Clark of Lewis & Clark. John Clark was William's father.
Regards, Mike Priwer
MY OLDEST AND 1 OF THE NICEST shipped to ,Philip Bekeart , San Francisco,Ca. April30,1897. S/N8216 32 cal 1st model
Last edited:
Just have flip phone and don't know how to do the picture thing, but I love my Triple Lock .44 spl. New Century 1st Mod. Hand Ejector. Like many have said, you don't find the quality of fine machine work these days no matter what they say of CNC.
Shipped September, 1918.
hkcavalier
US Veteran
Shipped August, 1917.
Chrissearle
Member
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2021
- Messages
- 7
- Reaction score
- 10
I don't know a lot about this firearm, it was in my dads gun case when I inherited them. It might not even be a model 10.
Attachments
Last edited:
Welcome to the forums from the Wiregrass! You're right...it's not a Model 10. It's a .38 British Service Revolver from 1943-44 and that's about 14 years before S&W released the Model 10...and Model 11 which is what the M&Ps chambered for the .38 S&W cartridge were called. It appears your BSR has been reamed for .38 Special which was a pretty common modification to these guns when they were imported as surplus. Have you shot it?
Chrissearle
Member
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2021
- Messages
- 7
- Reaction score
- 10
Is that a V I see on the cylinder?
It is a V I found the serial number starts with a V under the grip. What does it mean?
It means it is a Victory revolver from WWII as I said in post #118.
Similar threads
