Roscoe, the Triple-lock, has arrived

[Pig Hunter]

Well played! Those days mods were done because the end user was pretty sure it would be used in defense of their life. Whoever did the mods wasn't a hack. Money was really hard to come by in the late 30's and that kind of work wasn't cheap. While a pristine collectable piece that is never used is desired by most collectors, to me they sterile. A handgun is meant to be a tool. Atool not used is just a hunk of metal no matter how well done. ymmv

 

[keith44spl]

Eighty or ninety years ago...

That is something I would have done !

.

 

[Hondo44]

Broke out my other triple lock and snapped a picture.

I'd love to know the weight difference of those two, or between the "Roscoe" and a 4" TL.

The more I look at it, the more I appreciate it and it's intended purpose.
I'd still need a full trigger guard and more hand filling stocks, something like these customs but in a RB:

Photo credit: jmace57

 

[Modified]

I'd love to know the weight difference of those two, or between the "Roscoe" and a 4" TL.

The more I look at it, the more I appreciate it and it's intended purpose.
I'd still need a full trigger guard and more hand filling stocks, something like these customs but in a RB:

Photo credit: jmace57

Out of curiosity, who made those "Magnas", do you know?

I've seen a set just like that on a picture of one of Phil Sharpe's guns.

 

[Hondo44]

I wish I knew, as I recall the owner didn't know either.

I finally made some copies for a K frame and a Baby J frame Chiefs out of damaged factory target grips I had for each.

 

[Modified]

The kiddos were occupied briefly with a large pile of dominos so I popped to the gunroom with a scale real quick to answer a question people keep asking me. Please forgive the quick and dirty pictures, the scale is set in ounces:

Roscoe weighs in at 34.2oz

The closest competition for carrying that I have is this pre-war snubby M&P, weighing in at 28.2oz

For reference I grabbed my Model 19 and tossed it on the scale, that weighed in at 35.85oz

At this point children yelling drew me away from this activity so I didn't have time to dig out my Triple Lock. If anyone can weigh a stock 4" Triple Lock I would love to know just how much weight was actually shaved off of Roscoe.

 

[Messer]

Here is my 4" - unloaded, but it has a S&W Grip Adapter (still missing the rubber insert)

 

[Tom K]

After re-reading this thread I have to think that if Elmer Keith had done the modifications and written about it and called it the #6, everyone would have loved it.

 

[Modified]

Hah, maybe. Certainly would be a lot more of them out there to find.

In any case I'm increasingly happy with the gun, every time I hold it I like it a little more.

Here is my 4" - unloaded, but it has a S&W Grip Adapter (still missing the rubber insert)

Hah, so he only managed to shave 5 ounces off! That's a lot of work for such little return.

 

[Borderboss]

Hah, so he only managed to shave 5 ounces off! That's a lot of work for such little return.

But I'm sure the handling characteristics are much better with Roscoe.

 

[Hondo44]

Here is my 4" - unloaded, but it has a S&W Grip Adapter (still missing the rubber insert)

That's a beautiful TL.

Just FYI, it's fairly easy to shape the rubber piece for the grip adapter until or if you find a replacement. A rubber sanding block from the hardware store is cheap and works very well. Cut out a chunk with a fine tooth saw or hacksaw. Then sand to shape with fine grit sand paper on a belt sander or sanding disc in a power hand drill mounted in a vise. Use a small sanding drum in the power drill for the inside curve. Then drill the screw hole.

Hope that helps,

 

[Buford57]

Well played! Those days mods were done because the end user was pretty sure it would be used in defense of their life. Whoever did the mods wasn't a hack. Money was really hard to come by in the late 30's and that kind of work wasn't cheap. While a pristine collectable piece that is never used is desired by most collectors, to me they sterile. A handgun is meant to be a tool. Atool not used is just a hunk of metal no matter how well done. ymmv

Some time in the next 20 years someone will get on this forum and show off the "classic" M28-2 that they picked up and someone else will moan about how all the collector value was destroyed by the green front sight insert "Bubba" added. If I live to read it I will plead guilty to commissioning the desecration and point out that if the name of the smith who did it appeared on a custom rifle they'd all drool. Then I'd mention how visible it was in a dark alley against a white outline.

 

[Muley Gil]

Hah, maybe. Certainly would be a lot more of them out there to find.

In any case I'm increasingly happy with the gun, every time I hold it I like it a little more.



Hah, so he only managed to shave 5 ounces off! That's a lot of work for such little return.

5 ounces can mean a lot if you tote it for 8-12 hours a day.

I carried a 5" full lug M625 .45 ACP for a while as my duty revolver. It soon got too heavy, especially when your Sam Browne has a radio, cuffs, extra ammo, baton, Gerber tool, pepper spray, etc.

At the time, S&W didn't have any 4" Mountain Gun barrels in stock. I found a 3" full lug barrel and swapped that on. It made a big difference.

 

[moosedog]

I realize that many people live in warmer climates than we do here in the
mid-west, so it's hard for them to visualize trying to get your gloved hand into the trigger guard and positioned on the trigger with a lined glove like Midwest police wear.
I applaud your new purchase even though it makes me miss the ones that I've had over the years. A truly iconic example of a hideout gun from the glory years of law enforcement when men used firearms that they tailored to their needs instead of the plastic fantastic, one size fits all ideology of today.

 

[mikerjf]

Roscoe is still my all-time favorite here. There's a 1917 that's close.

 

[ironhead7544]

I read somewhere many years ago the the cut trigger guard had a second reason. It could be "fanned" by using a karate chop on the trigger with the off hand.

The Commissioner on "Blue Bloods" has a Fitz Special that was handed down to him.

 

[6string]

Well awesome, everyone seems to be having fun with this thread! I had really hoped as much. This gun I believe is a type that elicits strong emotions. I love that kind of gun.

Jim summed up a lot of what people have said, I've taken a snippit out here:



First off, I did get it for a low price, not peanuts, but a price that is low enough I am very pleased with the gun, despite it's issues (I must admit that I, like most of you, find the fitz job in particular to be horrifying).

I intend to do nothing to the gun aside from cleaning it well, hopefully finding a nice Star on the butt (and getting corresponding SWHF documents, hey a guy can dream can't he?), and maybe trying my hand at making additional grips for it. I have this dream of learning how to jig bone, but that's a topic for another day.

I believe some, or many, of the questions people have regarding the gun are answered in an article out of the March '35 American Rifleman, along with (what I believe you will agree with me on), a firm resolve not to actually change the gun.



When this gun was pointed out to me I recognized it instantly as an example of Frank Frisbie style butchery, particularly the "complete removal of the much-cussed hump on the grip".

As sad as it all is, the way that Frank fully admits what he did horrified collectors... in 1935 no less... well there's a certain charm there to me.

I hope you all get as much entertainment out of our poor butchered Roscoe as I already have, even before having it in hand.

Oh, last note: this is obviously not the gun in the picture. The sight is different, and the stocks are obviously different. However this gun clearly was inspired by (or maybe inspired?) Frank.

My hope of course (being me) is that someone was reading their new copy of American Rifleman, and found this article, and thought; "This frank guy is onto something, I hate that much cussed hump too! I think I'll send it back to S&W with a copy of this article and have them improve this gun to Frank's specifications!"

Of course I doubt that will happen, but it's fun to dream about.

For some reason, this article by Frank Frisbee changed my opinion on first viewing the original post.
Assuming the modification work is well done, then it seems to have a real historical, and perhaps practical or even aesthetic, value.

As an analogy, it's worth noting that of all the extant Stradivari violins, only one is in its original, unmodified state. Praised for their tone, the Stradivarius violin was treasured for the particular arch and contour of its top which allowed it to be restrung with higher tension steel strings. Everything else was up for grabs: lengthened neck shafts grafted onto the original scroll, new fingerboards, new bridges, new tailpieces, altered string angles. Just about everything.
I think old Antonio would be shocked to see his work held in such high esteem all these centuries later, even if not in the same form in which he created it.

 

[Muley Gil]

I read somewhere many years ago the the cut trigger guard had a second reason. It could be "fanned" by using a karate chop on the trigger with the off hand.

The Commissioner on "Blue Bloods" has a Fitz Special that was handed down to him.

When I went to the po-leece academy in the 1970s, the firearms instructor loaded his M13 with .38 specials and using his index and middle finger, fired all six rounds down range in about 1 second.

 

[mikerjf]

Re: Fitz, read his book - he has a whole section on "tricks" to let you twist away an opponents gun, while breaking his trigger finger.

I immediately realized that, with a cut guard, that didn't happen.

He doesn't spell it out, but clearly this was a primary reason for the mod.

 

[StrawHat]

Not a Fitz Special, not even a New Century but it is 45 ACP and weighs 35.6 ounces.

I carried it for a long time until something else got my attention.

Kevin