Smith & Wesson Triple Lock

Boldly going into a recent century, it's fitting to begin a novel series of articles called "Classic proof Reports" in which we will make submissive historically significant old guns to the same sort of experiment we'd give a brand novel one. For the first article in the series, what better fire-arm to use than Smith & Wesson's recently made known Century?

Very small in number gun names are more descriptive or have like charisma as Smith & Wesson's modern Century. Properly known as the 44 Hand Ejector First example the Triple Lock is the predecessor of a whole line of big bore revolver made by way of Smith & Wesson--almost from the earliest days of swing-out cylinders.

It is the first in a whole line of revolver that culminates with the mighty 44 Magnum. Writing in the March 1979 issue of The American Rifleman, Pete Dickey said, "The Triple enclosure is thought by many to be the finest double-action always made."

The gun's subtitle name was the fresh Century and it brought us a cartridge that became the launching pad to the 44 Magnum. The 44 S&W Special was formed by means of simply lengthening the .44 S&W Russian to accommodate an increase in the charge of blackpowder from 23 to 26 grs

The Winchester ammunition catalog of 1906 lists a velocity of 680 fp for the Russian and 755 fp for the Special, as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but loaded with a 246 gr lead bullet Interestingly enough, 755 fp is still the velocity that Winchester lists in its catalog today.

The Name Game

It's farcical how the nomenclature changes. S&W's historian, Roy Jinks, wrote the definitive History of Smith & Wesson and he appertains to it as .44 Hand Ejector First design with the Triple Lock name mentioned chiefly in passing. The New hundred years subtitle isn't mentioned at all.

It was united of the swing-out cylinder revolver known everywhere the factory as "Hand Ejectors," unless that nomenclature didn't seem to have long appeal to the public. Back then mostly S&W revolvers had a name -- this individual was the New Century -- moreover the Triple Lock is the moniker that stuck Nobody assumes to know who coined the phrase, moreover it accurately describes the revolver's locking system

In his classic Sixguns written in 1955 Elmer Keith wrote "In 1907 Smith & Wesson brought revealed their Triple Lock, perhaps the finest revolver always manufactured anywhere, at any time. Today no example of finer revolver making is to be had. The rear conclusion of the barrel and the cylinder sabre of the old Triple grapple are not as strong as in the instant 1950 Model Target S&W 44 calibers or the 357 S&W Magnum, nevertheless the old New Century was, and still is, common fine gun in any company."

with equal reason even if the nomenclature isn't official, and near might not know what you're talking about if you say 44 Hand Ejector First archetype everyone has heard of the Triple Lock

through the whole extent of a great many years I have acquired a scarcely any older S&W revolvers and have always been quite taken with their fit and finish, especially those made in the period between the pair World Wars and up until the 1960 single gun that has lived peacefully in the safe for many years is a 44 Special Triple lock-up bearing serial number 11444. It has a 65" barrel and nickel finish.

It came to me as a follow of having another gun that person wanted worse than I did. It was a upright trade -- one of those win-win deals where I got a fire-arm that was worth more than what I traded for it, nevertheless the other guy was happy too because he didn't have plenteous in the Triple Lock. The barely thing wrong with it was the original grips had been replaced by the agency of some old pearl grips.

Now if they had been Smith & Wesson pearl grips, I would have been tickled-- of course the price would have been doubled too-- in this way I set out to find a pair of the original walnut stocks. (Thanks to John Taffin for locating a pair in his junk box)

I should point without that, back when the Triple lock-up was made, every major part of the fire-arm bore the serial number-- including the grips-- in the same manner it's easy to see that these are replacements. Anyone thinking of buying an old-fashioned S&W should check to descry that serial numbers match.

I should also mention a discrepancy in nomenclature here. S&W calls them stocks, I call them grips. They're the same part with either name though

Shooting A Legend

When the editor and I first discussed the idea for the "Classic criterion Report" series, the old Triple lock-up was the first gun that came to mind. After all, with a of the present day century upon us the tie-in is obvious. yet it also dawned on me that I'd at no time even shot it. When I want to let fly .44 Special-- and it's united of my favorite calibers-- there are a link of other guns that usually earn to go.

The Triple enclosure is often referred to as a "long" action and while it works exactly the same as present S&W revolvers, the hammer change is longer. It is also same smooth. When you cock the hammer you can really perceive the cylinder rotation, and just as it reaches replete cock, everything seems to fastening up just right.

S&W's standard lengthy barrel in those days was 65" and, steady though the barrel isn't particularly heavy, the extra amplification adds a little stability. Shooting it doesn't really be impressed different, although the small grips don't provide as a great deal of support as we're used to. The dutiful news here is that if you want to discharge it, you can put onward a set of modern N-frame target grips and fare to it. They fit.