Shapleigh Hardware .455. The Last "Triplelock"?

[Sebago Son]

.455 HE, 1st. Serial 15,0xx.

Shipped just after Christmas, 1917, to Shapleigh Hardware, St. Louis, Mo.

Some detail...

Unconverted and original, which is remarkable in it's self, this one came out of the woods in Western Maine recently. How it got from St. Louis to here is a mystery.....

Are there any later New Century guns among the members here?

Drew

 

[29-1]

.455 HE, 1st. Serial 15,0xx.

Shipped just after Christmas, 1917, to Shapleigh Hardware, St. Louis, Mo.

Some detail...

Unconverted and original, which is remarkable in it's self, this one came out of the woods in Western Maine recently. How it got from St. Louis to here is a mystery.....

Are there any later New Century guns among the members here?

Drew

Drew I'm curious how it got to Maine myself since sled dogs are in short supply in St Louis. Beautiful gun though and I'll bet your happy it got there however the way.
Chuck

 

[DCWilson]

Beautiful .455 TL!

15100 is known, but I don't know who owns it. It was also in the 12/29/1917 shipment to Shapleigh.

Do we know how many guns were in the Shapleigh shipment? I found a reference to another one that seems to have ended up in Australia.

 

[wordsmith]

Drew,

At least two of the factory engraved Triple Lock's that were decorated by Oscar Young, prior to his death in 1912, were not sold and shipped until 1920. I can't recall the exact s/n's at the moment; ....11115 (??) may be correct on a 5" blue, .44 Spl. fixed-sight version that was done in Grade 3 engraving.

Also, to add to the list, s/n 12900 is one of the .455's shipped to Shapleigh on 12-29-1917.


David

 

[phenson]

I look at these guns you guys share with us and think, should I say nothing at all or something really insignificant like oh that's really nice? This is the kind of revolver I love looking at, and someday hope to have something like, but as every day passes, I think these treasures are rarer and more sought after. That being said, I learn more every day looking and reading about revolvers like this treasure.

 

[Art Doc]

I sold 13747 last year. It was converted to 45 Colt by boring the chambers leaving it counter-bored like the Magnums. It shipped in 1917 (may have been the 12/29 order) to Shapleigh.

 

[rburg]

I get confused often. Its an affliction of getting older. Having a .455 in the commercial sequence, but with a high serial is unusual enough. I don't see my way clear on this one at all.

When I saw the title of the thread, I was going to say I used to own one of the highest know T/Ls with a serial of 5218. But that was a gun in the "military sequence" of numbers.

And the question always come up with someone pointing out the idea the guns weren't manufactured in numeric sequence, so anything is possible.

We also have the situation where a 2nd model was found a while back with a serial lower than the accepted 15,376, and someone else having a T/L with a number higher than that, up in the 2nd model numbers. Its one of those things that almost makes you wish for gun registration, so you could sort out the details.

 

[old bear]

sir, great looking revolver, your two detail pictures were a great help to me in understand what the third lock looked like and how it functioned. Thanks.

 

[Sebago Son]

Glad to do it.... Thanks fellas for the information about these late guns.

 

[JohnK]

I agree, these are the BEST pictures, that show me how the forward lock works.

Have never seen ANY triple lock, in the flesh, now I know what they look like.

 

[Sebago Son]

Drew I'm curious how it got to Maine myself since sled dogs are in short supply in St Louis. Beautiful gun though and I'll bet your happy it got there however the way.
Chuck

Thanks Chuck!

No sleighs in St. Louis? No wonder you can't get there from here! ...

I did buy a Winchester Model 54 Carbine out of a Dog Sled once long ago, but that's a story for another telling....

Drew

 

[dewey]

DREW-
How do YOU locate all the best guns in the NE? You must have feelers out everywhere.
All the Best
Dan

 

[rburg]

DREW-
How do YOU locate all the best guns in the NE?

Its not a secret, he has low standards! Its been leaked out that he crawls all over the place looking. Even goes into chicken coops looking.

On top of that, he doesn't even seek boxes! Worse, he takes K22s with nothing but a ratty old gun rug for protection. You'd think a man of his stature would be more demanding......

 

[ditrina]

Drew,
Simply stunning.. what a great find... and thanks for sharing..

Sal

 

[BruceHMX]

Better yet when I go up in August we are going to shoot that beauty with some custom loaded Navy wadcutters...

 

[DWFAN]

Nice one Drew. Can't wait to see it.
Paul

 

[bopester]

I HAVE A TRIPLE LOCK 1917 SHIPED TO SHAPLEIGH IN 1917 ALL ENGRAVED.I NEED IN FO ON THIS GUN 413 436 5885 OR [email protected] BOPE

 

[Muley Gil]

Welcome to the Forum, bopester.

Please post pictures of your revolver, as a Triple Lock and a 1917 are two different animals.

At the least, please describe in as much detail as you can-barrel length (measured from the front of the cylinder to the end of the barrel), all markings, caliber, the lack or presence of an underlug on the barrel, type of sights, etc.