... that the UPS guy brings cool stuff to your door.
Bought this from an out of state pawn shop. It was offered as a .455 British Triple Lock that had been converted to .45 Colt (commonly done on these). It's reblued (badly) but seems to work OK and the price was $245. Eh, probably too much but I'm a sucker for an old gun.
When it arrived I noted that there were no British proof marks. Also, the serial puts it from 1913, too early for WW I production. Reading the Standard Catalog of S&W I learn that some of the first 15,375 Triple Locks (author says in the 12,000-13,000 serial range and mine is 12,747) were made in .455 for U.S. distribution. I have no idea who wanted a .455 but apparently S&W made a few but then the factory converted some to .45 Colt. Maybe the sales of the .455 were pretty bad and some guns in inventory were rechambered to a more common caliber in order to move them? I was told that counterbored chambers was a sign of a factory job rather than a private gunsmith. Mine is counterbored. It also wears a lanyard loop suggesting police sale but then maybe they all had this?
The Catalog stated that a 1st Model Triple Lock in a caliber other than .44 Special is worth a premium. Too bad this old gal isn't in better condition. Looks like it might be sort of a rare gun. I hate to admit it but I think I will have to letter this clunker just to see what S&W has to say about it.
In the meantime I have some "cowboy loads" in .45 Colt left over from my SASS days so I can give it a try. Need soft loads because S&W didn't start tempering the cylinders until about 1917 or so.
I just realized that this gun has bumped my 1916 M&P .38 Special from the top spot as my oldest handgun. The oldest pistol I ever had was Colt SAA made in 1894. I sold it for $300 to show how long ago that was.
Bought this from an out of state pawn shop. It was offered as a .455 British Triple Lock that had been converted to .45 Colt (commonly done on these). It's reblued (badly) but seems to work OK and the price was $245. Eh, probably too much but I'm a sucker for an old gun.
When it arrived I noted that there were no British proof marks. Also, the serial puts it from 1913, too early for WW I production. Reading the Standard Catalog of S&W I learn that some of the first 15,375 Triple Locks (author says in the 12,000-13,000 serial range and mine is 12,747) were made in .455 for U.S. distribution. I have no idea who wanted a .455 but apparently S&W made a few but then the factory converted some to .45 Colt. Maybe the sales of the .455 were pretty bad and some guns in inventory were rechambered to a more common caliber in order to move them? I was told that counterbored chambers was a sign of a factory job rather than a private gunsmith. Mine is counterbored. It also wears a lanyard loop suggesting police sale but then maybe they all had this?
The Catalog stated that a 1st Model Triple Lock in a caliber other than .44 Special is worth a premium. Too bad this old gal isn't in better condition. Looks like it might be sort of a rare gun. I hate to admit it but I think I will have to letter this clunker just to see what S&W has to say about it.
In the meantime I have some "cowboy loads" in .45 Colt left over from my SASS days so I can give it a try. Need soft loads because S&W didn't start tempering the cylinders until about 1917 or so.
I just realized that this gun has bumped my 1916 M&P .38 Special from the top spot as my oldest handgun. The oldest pistol I ever had was Colt SAA made in 1894. I sold it for $300 to show how long ago that was.
