Please help with .44 5 screw

Sure 'nuff Triple Lock. What amazes me is the state of the finish. It sure doesn't look like this revolver was carried for any length of time in a policeman's holster. Or used much, for that matter. Unless S&W refinished it when it was sent back . . .
I hope that is not nickel I see on the trigger and hammer. Can't see any evidence of case color there. On the other hand, the extractor star is not nickel plated. That's a good sign.
What do you other guys think?
Jack
 
Congratulations on a fine revolver with a lot of history! Others may know better than I, but the nickel plating on the hammer and trigger are usually a sign of a non-factory refinish. Even so, the gun appears to bein fine shape. Thank you for sharing this and its history with us!
 
That triplelock and the history with it is good as it gets. Outside of replaced stocks the one thing bothering me is the nickle hammer and trigger. Were they originaly nickle on a nickle gun or cased?
If not, were it mine I would get them cased plus a factory letter is mandatory were it mine.
 
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Not that it matters as a priceless family heirloom, but I think it has been refinished. The serial number is (re)stamped being readable with the muzzle pointed left, but the original would be read with the muzzle to the right and the font is different.
 
Hate that it appears the gun was maybe refInished. Me and mom are going to try to find out names and all the information on the officers who carried it then redo the shadow box with the story in it. Maybe put more pictures of my granddad in there. Hopefully we can find one where he was still carrying this gun. Thanks again for all the info and the compliments.
 
It's a great gun any way you look at it and if it was your grandad's it something you can treasure forever. I am happy for you. With that said I think it's always good to be honest and let you know that it has probably been refinished at some point in time. The finish looks to be non original and the barrel may have been replaced or shortened. A true 4 inch barrel should have roll marks on the side and not on top as the 5 and 6 1/2 inch guns did. For the simple fact the roll mark wouldn't fit on top of a 4 inch barrel.....Again you have a treasure. At some point in time someone thought highly enough of the piece to have it spruced up with a refinish. No matter what, you have your grandad's gun and on top of that it's a Triple Lock. We should all be so lucky!

Chad
 
What are the roll marks you are referring too? Sorry but I'm not educated on this gun.....not yet anyway. Learned a whole lot about it from the posts.
 
The mark is on the side. I don't see anything on the top. Is this right?
 
My first thought was that the hammer and trigger look plated. If so, a sure sign of a so-so refinish as these parts were not originally plated. But still a very cool gun although it appears to be jinxed. two men killed while carrying it? I am not generally superstitious but I would have the creeps about dropping it in my holster.
 
Brillo, I just couldn't see it in the pic. That is great that it's there. It means there is no question it's a factory 4 inch barrel.

Chad
 
I'll see if I can get a good pic of the markings tomorrow. I says Smith and Wesson and Springfield Mass USA on the right side of the barrel. It's hard to see maybe because of the finish or wore down from holstering. You have to move barrel around in the light to see the writing but can easily see a symbol before the writing.
 
If you can't read the lettering easily, it's,probably been badly polished before refinishing.

But unless the nickel has tarnished at the top of the trigger, I think I see some color case hardening.

BTW, the Second Model dates from 1915, not 1917 as one member posted here. The British ordered a great many in .455.

I detest nickeled guns, and know that some solvents can ruin the finish. Someone else who likes them can advise you what to use to clean the gun without mishap.
 
Brillo,

It is unfortunately a definite re-finish. It may be re-nickeled or nickeled over an originally blued gun. The hammer, trigger and third lock that identifies it as a Triple Lock should all be color case hardened. The rollmark on the barrel would be deep and clearly readable if the finish was original or if it was a factory re-finish or nickeled finish.
There's more subtle tell tale signs but the major signs are unmistakeable. As someone noted in an earllier post, the serial # on the butt reads upside down and has to have been re-stamped and in the wrong font. I have a four digit # gun the same as yours with original finish and made very close to yours.

But so what! It's not a collecter's gun, it's a family heirloom and doesn't have to be original to be invaluable. It looks nice and has history and you know some of that history; that's what's important.

Just don't use Hoppe's #9 gun cleaner. That's the main one that can damage the nickel finish. I would not take it apart to clean without previous experience on a Smith & Wesson revolver. Just use a CLP (cleaner, lubricater, preservative) sprayed into the action and wiped down with it on the exterior. Breakfree, MPro7, or the like.
 
I would coat the inside parts with baricade and the outside with ren wax. It is a fine revolver and has a rich history. The additional pictures give us a lot of more clues to its original condition. As stated by others its a part of your family history and law enforcement guns are very intersting when you can put together the history. I'm amazed buy the arm chair experts here, unless you look at the gun in your hands is the only way to evaluate a nickle gun and its parts. I agree its top shelf revolver.
 
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