I took delivery of a triple lock today: this .455 Hand Ejector First Model. The serial number is 358, which pretty much means it had to have shipped in October of 1914. It probably went to Remington in NY, which was the designated recipient for revolvers produced under S&W's British contract. I may letter this gun at some point, but I don't feel a burning need to do so as there is less mystery about the dates and destinations of military contract guns than there is for commercial products.
The barrel, cylinder and ejector star also have the 358 number on them. I didn't look to see if the crane number was the same.
The gun now chambers .45 Colt. The chamber case shoulders are deeper than for the .455 Webley Mark II round.
Not surprising in a gun of this early date, the top strap has a fouling pocket.
This wouldn't be a triple lock thread without a photo of the characteristic crane wedge associated with the mechanism that gave the gun its name.
Inside, the gun is very clean. A previous owner obviously went through at some point, but it may have been a while ago. The lockwork, though clean, was bone dry. The last lubrication it got was some time back. Check out the case coloring on the hammer!
I think the gun has been refinished, but it was a long time ago and it was very well done.
[EDIT: Changed my mind on this. See posts below on why this is probably the original finish.] There are a few minor dents and dings that have been blued over, and there are many more scratches, dings and rough spots that have accumulated since the presumed re-blue. I think the logical time to refinish it would have been when it was converted to .45 Colt. But if that's when it happened, the gun was not much shot afterward. The cartridge impact circles on the recoil shield are very faint, which suggests to me that it did not see a lot of use in recent years. The stocks fit well and may be original to the gun. I think I see some numbers written on the back of the right panel, but I cannot determine what they are even with bright angled sunlight.
The fitting of the sideplate shows how careful the refinishing was. Also, protruding pins and studs were not flattened in an over-aggressive pre-blue polishing.
The gun carries proof or ordnance marks, including crossed flags, facing broad arrows, and a crown over a couple of characters I can't quite read. If someone can tell my what these mean or symbolize, I would appreciate it.
The crossed flags are also on the rear cylinder face.
The lockwork is smooth and precise. There is no push-off. Endshake and side play are minimal and within spec. The chambers are shiny, as you can see in the photo above. The bore has a few spots in it that may come out with repeated cleanings. If not, the flaws will be few. Overall, the bore is in excellent condition.
I have been hoping to spot an affordable TL for some time, and this one fills the bill very nicely. A little rough outside, but to all appearances mechanically sound. I intend to shoot this. I presume that low-speed cowboy loads are in order?
