Triple Lock Model 10 S&W, Fred Schmidt built #41 of 250

[JRs12Valve]

I knew that title would get some folks hahaha

I have recently acquired a Model 10-8, that has a few modifications ... a few ...

This was a prize gun, built by Fred Schmidt. #41 of #250 of his short cylinder guns (so I've read on PPC forums).

It has an Aristocrat three position rib, what appears to be a 6" pinned slab sided HEAVY barrel, DAO cut on the hammer, shortened cylinder, two extra ball locks on the crane (one to lock with cylinder in, hence "Triple Lock" hahaha, and one to lock the cylinder in place when it is opened), a smoothed and contoured trigger with an over travel stop, and a trigger that breaks at 5 lbs, and feels like it's on ball bearings.

And pics!





Pre Clean-up


And an old 81 issue of American Handgunner on Fred Schmidt revolvers.



There we go, hope y'all enjoyed the pics.

If y'all don't mind, is there any info you folks would care to share, I know a bit about the pistol, but I'd like to know a bit about the builder if possible.

 

[ljnowell]

Beautiful gun! As a bullseye shooter that competes with revolvers and a PPC guy I have to say, I'm jealous!!

 

[JRs12Valve]

And it's still a square butt frame!


Still not sure if I want to sell this thing....

 

[horsemen61]

That thing is awesome

 

[Jim Watson]

Any idea where one would get a Fred Schmidt short cylinder gun refurbished?
A friend has just about worn his out.
(He shoots a lot of PPC, he wore out a barrel on a Strahan.)

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

You really had me going there for a minute with the title. 'Model 10 Triple Lock'

 

[eastbank]

i picked up this S&W 10-5 in 38spl full cylinder with a heavy slab sided barrel with a wichita four postion adjustable rear sight and adjustable front sight on a rail added to the barrel and a ball detent fitted into the crane to help lock the cylinder. the only markes on the barrel, look like G.F.CLOW underneath the barrel. the revolver shoots better than i can. eastbank.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy Again

Hope nobody takes offense if I post a few photos of the third lock on an actual Triple Lock. It was not a spring loaded ball, it was a spring loaded conical rod mounted in the ejector rod shroud.




When the revolver was closed, the rod was pushed in as it contacted the ramp on a hardened steel insert in the crane. As the crane was closed the rod popped into a hole in the insert to mechanically lock the crane in place, unlike a spring loaded ball detent which simply offers a bit of spring resistance to the crane opening.








The rod was integral with the spring loaded pin that engages the front of the extractor rod on all Smiths. That way when the cylinder release latch was pushed forward, it withdrew the conical rod too.



Older Smiths did have a spring loaded ball detent in the crane to help keep the cylinder open. These parts are often missing as they would take off the first time the cylinder was removed if the owner was not careful.

 

[JRs12Valve]

No offense taken here Driftwood, nice .44 special BTW!

 

[farm23]

WOW, thanks for sharing. At one time I lived in Richmond, VA and heard of Fred Schmidt but I never saw any of his work.

 

[CajunBass]

Thanks for sharing that.

Fred Schmidt lived in my home town of Mechanicsville, Virginia, but I never met the man, or visited his shop. I do know that he was highly thought of not only within the PPC crowd, but with the local IPSC shooters of the time. Apparrently he was just as good with a 1911 (meaning Colt in those days) as he was with a Smith & Wesson 38. I remember seeing his flyers in local gunshops and hearing the fellows in the IPSC club I was in for a short time speak of him.

 

[Hometeached1]

Wow!! Very nice!

Thanks for sharing.