Triple Lock sn# 2747 chambered in .22 Long Rifle

[Nedroe]

I tried to buy one like that.......

about 5 years ago off one of the auction sites, I think Gunsamerica. My funding ran out at $1700. I don't know if was the same one, but it was done like that. I, too was intrigued by the ejector star. That is truly an outstanding piece of work, congrats on pickin' it up.


Ned

 

[Art Doc]

The gun laws in England came incrementally. At one point law-abiding citizens were only allowed to own 22 caliber firearms and you see a bunch of guns converted like this one. Eventually, of course, the guns were simply all banned and many were sold to exporters who shipped them to the U.S.

It is a well done conversion. Must be the heaviest 22 revolver in the world. Well, maybe the one Reg Mag in 22 has a longer barrel making it heavier.

 

[red9]

That is one beautiful gun. I'm surprised Saxon Pig didn't mention it, but you can fire high velocity ammo in that one.

Bob

 

[rct269]

Genius artists are where you find them. I once had occasion to visit the home of a retired gentleman for some long forgotten business reason. The house had an attached garage---and another detached garage----or so it seemed. It was a COMPLETE prototype machine shop!

He could (and had) make anything----from scratch! His passion at the time was steam engines----small, medium, and large. He gave them away as presents----to his friends, also to schools and whatnot.

Now, if I could only find someone to make a .22 caliber Triplelock for me!!

Ralph Tremaine

 

[Pontiaker]

Wow just stunning beautiful revolver and machine work! My Dad and I were just talking about converting a cute little nickle 3 inch .32HE I picked up the other day cheap. It has a crack over one chamber in the cylinder. I also have the perfect TL donor gun to do one just like this. Mine is a cut down 4 inch nickle gun that was refinished, over polished, etc... Was going to letter it and restore it. If the letter came back as just a plain jane TL I was going to convert it to a 4 inch target model, already have the pre war rear sight for it. If the letter showed it was something a little more rare I would restore it to original specs. After seeing this I have to start one of these projects! I will do the first one on the little I frame, also might add target sights to it, but would be kind of cool to have it in .22 and in a config that S&W never made. That is pre war round butt .22 I frame, fixed sights and 3 inch barrel.
Matt

If there is enough interest I might take a break from knife making and do a few of this conversions.

 

[gjamison]

WoW!!!! Would have bought it in a heartbeat...

That is outstanding work and a great find!

Couple of years ago I saw a S&W 1917 converted to 22LR, the
work was no where near as nice as yours.

Congrats on the find...

 

[Grayfox]

That is without a doubt the coolest gun I've seen in a very long time.
Well done, Sir!

 

[Lee Barner]

you sir, are ready for squirrel season. that is truly awesome. if there are others i'll bet not many. thanks for sharing. lee

 

[rhmc24]

Same theme but not a S&W, my conversion of a repro Colt '51 Navy to .22RF. Sorry I don't have better pix because I gave it to my Son, a couple states away.

Barrel and cylinder are sleeved, a conversion ring made that fills the gap in cylinder length where nipples were removed and has the loading gate. Most metal removal was opening the frame for the loading gate and making a long slot to receive the ejector.

 

[2152hq]

Very nice conversion job.
FWIW, blank NOS extractor 'stars' used to be available some years back for the older revolvers. Numrich sold them in the US
They were available in K and N frame IIRC.

They still sell extractor blanks for newer models.
Extractor Blank - Needs Chamber Cuts. For Guns w/ Left Hand Ejector Rod Threads

Could be what was used in that part of the conversion.
Certainly no 'drop-in' part,,but a good start none the less and saving much machining time for the craftsman.
There's other ways to the conversion of course.

Looking at the proofs and markings,,I think the conversion was done outside of the UK on a surplused exported 455.

Just my opinion of course. Doesn't mean much,,and doesn't change the fact that it's one great looking revolver!

A nice job all the way around.
That too would have to come back home with me if I had seen it at a show.
Congrats.!

 

[DHENRY]

Outstanding!
Given the opportunity, I'd have bought it in a New York minute.
Don

 

[Dan M]

Very Nice, I have seen at least 2 New Model # 3 Top breaks that were converted to 22 LR also in the same style and configuration that this Triplelock was done in. The owners of those guns valued way too much for me to chase them. I may have some pictures of one of them somewhere in my archives. I think maybe the Handejector (Lee) may have seen one at a Tucson show a few years ago when he came out to the SWCA convention in 2010, I cant remember if it was there then.

Dan

 

[Hondo44]

Very nice conversion job.
FWIW, blank NOS extractor 'stars' used to be available some years back for the older revolvers. Numrich sold them in the US
They were available in K and N frame IIRC.

They still sell extractor blanks for newer models.
Extractor Blank - Needs Chamber Cuts. For Guns w/ Left Hand Ejector Rod Threads

Could be what was used in that part of the conversion.
Certainly no 'drop-in' part,,but a good start none the less and saving much machining time for the craftsman.
There's other ways to the conversion of course.

Looking at the proofs and markings,,I think the conversion was done outside of the UK on a surplused exported 455.

Just my opinion of course. Doesn't mean much,,and doesn't change the fact that it's one great looking revolver!

A nice job all the way around.
That too would have to come back home with me if I had seen it at a show.
Congrats.!

Thanks for the link. They have the date partially wrong; left hand thread is correct as 1951 for J frames but it's 1961 for K and N.

The OP's gun has bluing on the grooves of the ratchets but the plate does not, and I believe I see brown soldering flux residue if it's not grease from when the extractor plate may have been soldered on.

The gun should be stamped "Not English Make" if sent out of the UK as surplus which it looks like it is but then X'd out.

 

[Hondo44]

Gripper,
I'd like to see one of your excellent photos of the hammer side of the frame mounted firing pin if it's not too much trouble.
thx,

 

[gripper]

Gripper,
I'd like to see one of your excellent photos of the hammer side of the frame mounted firing pin if it's not too much trouble.
thx,

Here ya go Hondo44.

2152hq, Here is a pic of the underside of the ejector star.

Note the above matching serial number on the extractor star and below on the barrel. It's kind of cool this conversion was made from an all original gun and not one all cobbled up with mix matched parts.

 

[Hondo44]

Thank you Gripper. Your photos are masterpieces, it's like looking thru my 5X gunsmith glasses.
I truly like what you pointed out, the fact that all the original numbered parts of the gun have been utilized and with the least possible modification. I was very curious if the original slot for the hammer nose (firing pin) had been welded up. But no, not necassary. And a simple extractor plate added to the original again to work with the protruding cylinder sleeves to close up the cyl/breechface gap to .22 dimensions.

A very unigue acquisition, indeed.

Thanks again for not only grabbing it but sharing it here as well.

 

[lebomm]

Gripper, I'd like to add my thanks and appreciation for your post & pix. I've been a shooter for 50 yrs, a machinist for 35, and a tool & die maker for 15. This piece was right in the middle of my cup of tea !
Enjoy it well !

Larry

 

[wundudnee]

What a beautiful gun and what a wonderful talent to make such a conversion. I am totally amazed. I have worked with some guys like that. They can see the finished product in their mind before they start. Genius.

 

[Tom K]

I've stumbled across a few .22 conversions myself. Here's a post about a converted Model 10, shortly after I had joined the forum: Model 10 - chambered for .22LR

Here's a thread showing a converted big-bore break top that I picked up at the Wanenmacher show last year: Tulsa gun show haul - Nov 2011

I've also posted before about a S&W 1917 converted to .22, but I don't think I've ever shown pictures. I bought it at a gun show in 2007. The seller also had a Colt 1917 similarly converted and I did not get it - probably should have. Here are some pictures. You can click on the pics for larger versions.

The underside of the ejector star has the same serial number as the frame and barrel, 30133. So it's the original ejector but modified with a plate added to it. The cylinder appears to be sleeved and with a ring added around it on the breech end, for correct head spacing. The hammer nose is original but modified in shape, and the breech face has been modified as well.

The rear sight looks to be slide adjustable for windage, and the front sight blade has been replaced with a narrower blade, presumably of appropriate height. All very interesting, a lot of work nicely done, and the gun doesn't shoot worth a flip as far as I can tell.

 

[2152hq]

Thanks for the link. They have the date partially wrong; left hand thread is correct as 1951 for J frames but it's 1961 for K and N.

The OP's gun has bluing on the grooves of the ratchets but the plate does not, and I believe I see brown soldering flux residue if it's not grease from when the extractor plate may have been soldered on.

The gun should be stamped "Not English Made" if sent out of the UK as surplus which it looks like it is but then X'd out.

It sure does look like they used a plate soldered onto the original star. Great pics.

What proofs & marks are on the revolver would indicate to me that it was Surplused ,,Sold from Service' mark >/<,,,but the conversion not done in England.

The 'Not English Make' stamp was a proof house required stamping.
It was placed on all non-English mgf firearms proofed at their facilitys (London and Birmingham).
Everything was proof fired, so foreign arms got that mark in addition to the required proof stamps.
In use from 1904 to 1925.
But sometimes you see it on arms proofed a little later than that.

The other proof marks are Birmingham View 'BV' (frame & bbl), Nitro Proof 'NP' (bbl), and third on the bbl I can't read but is probably the Birmingham Military Arms proof ''BM'.

All (each) of the proof marks are inside of a circle,, indicating the proof of a non-English made firearm.
On English made firearms, they stand alone,,no circle around the mark.

Then the application of the 'Not English Make' (corrected) marking to complete the process.

All those would have been applied when the revolver went to the English Military from the US.


If the revolver had been converted after surplus sale while still in England, the 22 conversion process would have required it to be presented for re-proof.
A new set of proof marks would be stamped on it indicating the caliber, again nitro proof, and depending on the time it was done, the cartridge length and pressure in tons/sq in ('54 law).
The laws and markings changed in 1925 and again in 1954, with updates to both.

Better it wasn't cluttered up with all those stamped markings.
It looks great just the way it is.

I like the 1917 and the 1851 repro conversions too. Custom projects always catch my attention.