The Young LT's Triple Lock .455

[bigwheelzip]

"I think the gun belongs to the father of the man that's highlighted in the book"

Possible, but I doubt it. The father left the Army in Apr, 1905, 11-1/2 years before this gun was shipped in Nov, 1915!. Maybe he went back in for WW I, but I doubt that also since he had become so prominent.
I recall seeing other Irvines in the Army in WW I, and I assumed one of them may have owned it, and gave it to young AM when he joined up.

Not any kind of provenance to take to the bank, but maybe the father bought it to perform some additional national service after discharge, or to dress up his uniform for formal veteran's remembrances.

Just seemed like less of a stretch than the son labeling a holster for a gun acquired about the time of his birth, with a rank he held only a short time.

No claims, just putting it out there to chew on. Anyway, that is a gorgeous gun, whoever had it first.

 

[RKmesa]

Resurrection time for one of my all time favorite and informative threads!!!

To the TOP so that others can enjoy again or for the first time!!!

 

[Kurusu]

I believe this thread deserves to get to the top every now and then.

So here goes.

 

[Truckman]

Oh great...Now that I've read this thread from one end to the other, I'm compelled to find and own my first triple lock, preferably an original .455...Maybe the hospital can wait a little longer for their next payment for my visit from the previous January......Ben

 

[Muley Gil]

Oh great...Now that I've read this thread from one end to the other, I'm compelled to find and own my first triple lock, preferably an original .455...Maybe the hospital can wait a little longer for their next payment for my visit from the previous January......Ben

Look at it this way. There are a limited number of TLs out there. The hospital isn't going to repossess YOU!

 

[Truckman]

Look at it this way. There are a limited number of TLs out there. The hospital isn't going to repossess YOU!

And there's even less chance my ex-wives would...I like the way you think, Gil......Ben

 

[handejector]

I just edited the paragraph that begins with

The "Glens" as they were called landed on White beach....

to add a little more data about the beach, the Glens, and about Irvine.

 

[hannstv]

I believe this thread deserves to get to the top every now and then.

So here goes.

Thanks for bring this old thread up. I had never seen it and greatly enjoyed reading and admiring the old revolver.

 

[DrBay]

My .455 TL

Great thread. Enjoyed reading and learning. Here are pictures of mine. 900 range. Appreciate any thoughts from those in the know on where it falls in the series. Thanks!

 

[Muley Gil]

Great thread. Enjoyed reading and learning. Here are pictures of mine. 900 range. Appreciate any thoughts from those in the know on where it falls in the series. Thanks!

Very nice. If you look at post #54 above, I believe your TL falls into category # 2, made as a .455 between 1914-1915.

 

[mk70ss]

This post made my day, thanks.

 

[pmanton]

Wow! Now I gotta have a Triple Lock!

 

[opoefc]

As some of you know, the late S&WCA member, Larry Gaertner & I collected WW1 T-Locks associated with the Royal Air Force, etc. We probably had two doz+ between us. His were sold at auction after his death, however I still have about 1/2 doz. (Serial # 800 is my earliest one and has all the complete military unit stamping required by British military regulations, according to David Penn, S&WCA member and Curator of Exhibits at the Imperial War Museum, London ) I'm planning a display at the 2023 S&WCA meeting in Phoenix, of one of them - it belonged to an American aviator who joined the RAF early in the war and became an ace, shooting down over 5 German airplanes. He tranferred to the US's Eagle Squadron, when we entered the war, and again became an ace with them. There a small chunk out of the butt of the frame of his T-Lock from where a German machine gun bullet struck it! (Maybe from the Red Baron? ) Ed

 

[racoonbeast]

All of these .455 TL pics have got me drooling. I love these guns in this caliber. You can almost smell the history on them.

I will share a few pics of mine. Its serial number puts it in the range of guns that made up the last batch, six hundred and something of which were not sold to the Brits, but sold at private sale in 1917 and shipped to Shapleigh Hardware, St. Louis. I hope that I remembered that correctly. It has no acceptance marks, or any marks on it that S&W did not put there. It probably is not quite in the condition that Lee's Lt.'s gun is in. But it is not very far behind it.

 

[Wiregrassguy]

It's not a triple lock but a 2nd Model 455 that shipped with racoonbeast's triple lock to Shapleigh in December 1917. If fired at all, not fired much.

 

[Hondo44]

All of these .455 TL pics have got me drooling. I love these guns in this caliber. You can almost smell the history on them.

I will share a few pics of mine. Its serial number puts it in the range of guns that made up the last batch, six hundred and something of which were not sold to the Brits, but sold at private sale in 1917 and shipped to Shapleigh Hardware, St. Louis. I hope that I remembered that correctly. It has no acceptance marks, or any marks on it that S&W did not put there. It probably is not quite in the condition that Lee's Lt.'s gun is in. But it is not very far behind it.

Wow, that's stunning!

You got the story right if it's in the 12000 serial range listed below:

4th variation “44 HE - 1st Model”, ‘Triple Lock’, same as #1 variation, but not likely converted .44s, just unused frames assembled into .455s:

“As the Brit contracts were finishing up in April, 1916, [H of S&W pg. 203] S&W found enough [HE 1st Model TL frames, possibly already numbered as .44s, and .455 barrels and cyls] to build 691 .44 HE 1st Model [per Roy Jinks in various letters] Triple Lock frames [for chambering in .455* like #1 variation]. These guns are numbered in the .44 Spl serial number series. I have no idea why they were not just numbered in the .455 series. Perhaps it was .455 barrels and cylinders that the factory found, and they simply turned again to existing 44 HE 1st Model TL frames to use them up. They were sold commercially.” Lee Jarrett

* #12496 – cal marked, British ordinance marks for acceptance into military; old TL inventory made 1914, shipped to commercial dealers in England, this one to Bigelow & Co, London, order of 300 revolvers, 12/6/16.
Although the last 691 TLs are likely numbered too high (12000 to 13000 and higher and with the caliber stamped on the barrel), to be the version #1. not cal stamped, they are the same. And not likely or possible to have a duplicate number in the .455 HE 1st Model TL Brit contract serial range #1 to at least #5800, but we don’t know much with certainty about these.

NOTE: in the SWCA database there are two entries for .455 TL's with serial numbers 12740 and 12747. Both entries list shipment to Shapleigh HW; Jinks' entry states that 325 units were shipped on 12/29/17. 12742 and 12787 (letter and gun here, post #14: http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-ha...at-they-selling-these-days.html#post139728449) are also known.

 

[racoonbeast]

Wow, that's stunning!

You got the story right if it's in the 12000 serial range listed below:

4th variation “44 HE - 1st Model”, ‘Triple Lock’, same as #1 variation, but not likely converted .44s, just unused frames assembled into .455s:

“As the Brit contracts were finishing up in April, 1916, [H of S&W pg. 203] S&W found enough [HE 1st Model TL frames, possibly already numbered as .44s, and .455 barrels and cyls] to build 691 .44 HE 1st Model [per Roy Jinks in various letters] Triple Lock frames [for chambering in .455* like #1 variation]. These guns are numbered in the .44 Spl serial number series. I have no idea why they were not just numbered in the .455 series. Perhaps it was .455 barrels and cylinders that the factory found, and they simply turned again to existing 44 HE 1st Model TL frames to use them up. They were sold commercially.” Lee Jarrett

* #12496 – cal marked, British ordinance marks for acceptance into military; old TL inventory made 1914, shipped to commercial dealers in England, this one to Bigelow & Co, London, order of 300 revolvers, 12/6/16.
Although the last 691 TLs are likely numbered too high (12000 to 13000 and higher and with the caliber stamped on the barrel), to be the version #1. not cal stamped, they are the same. And not likely or possible to have a duplicate number in the .455 HE 1st Model TL Brit contract serial range #1 to at least #5800, but we don’t know much with certainty about these.

NOTE: in the SWCA database there are two entries for .455 TL's with serial numbers 12740 and 12747. Both entries list shipment to Shapleigh HW; Jinks' entry states that 325 units were shipped on 12/29/17. 12742 and 12787 (letter and gun here, post #14: http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-ha...at-they-selling-these-days.html#post139728449) are also known.

Hi Jim. Serial Number is 12770.

I can add that I do know a snippet of its history. It is reported to have spent the last fifty plus years in a large private collection in Texas. I bought it from the estate of that collector. I know nothing of the first fifty plus years of its life. Not as exciting as the story about the Lt. but probably why it is in the condition that it is in.