Tell Me About These

tabs · 04:20 AM

This is what as known as a S&W MDL of 1950 (4th MDL Hand Ejector) 44 SW caliber, with Target Sights and 4" B. It is known as a pre Mdl 24 or 5 Screw Smith. Circa 1955

The 2nd one is known as a S&W 1st MDL Hand Ejector or Triplelock. It too is a 44SW Caliber, 4" B with Target sights. Circa 1911.

These are for sale, and I want to know how much I should pay for them. How rare & desirable are they? A friend of Mothers, husband passed and these were offered to me.

HardDrive · 10-06-2007, 10:57 PM

Bullets can be inserted into the cylinder of the weapon. When pressure is placed on the trigger, a chain reaction is started that results in the bullet being ejected from the barrel at a high rate of speed. The muzzle of the weapon, where said bullet is ejected, is otherwise know as the 'business end'.

Any other questions?

tabs · 10-06-2007, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HardDrive

Bullets can be inserted into the cylinder of the weapon. When pressure is placed on the trigger, a chain reaction is started that results in the bullet being ejected from the barrel at a high rate of speed. The muzzle of the weapon, where said bullet is ejected, is otherwise know as the 'business end'.

Any other questions?

It seems like I taught U well my son....BUT tell me about these items, do people even like old revolvers and how much are they worth those are the questions I would like to have answered. I need someone with some knowledge of these things to clue me in.

on2wheels52 · on2wheels52's Garage

Has the pre-24 had some sight work done? I don't imagine it came with the red ramp but perhaps an original can be repinned (if that's important).
Has the other been reblued? I guess if it had you would hve mentioned it.
No refrence books at home, will check on Monday at the shop.
Jim

tabs · 10-07-2007, 04:35 AM

Pre 24 has correct sights...No reblue....as far as I know..and am 90% sure

tabs · 10-07-2007, 01:00 PM

Nobody on this Board KNOWS anything about this kind of thing?

tabs · 10-07-2007, 01:21 PM

You are all a big disapointment to me.

Seahawk · 10-07-2007, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tabs

You are all a big disapointment to me.

So will the guns...did a quick scan on Gunbroker and Guns America and the prices were medium. The caliber and barrel length are unusual...did Marvin Purvis sling these?

tabs · 10-07-2007, 03:35 PM

OK and the Oscar goes to Seahawk for at least having theBALLS to have an opinion. BTW: he is on the way home when he mentions "unsual Barrel lengths"

Pre Mdl 24s usually come in 61/2" Barrels...and as such they are worth between $1800 to $2200 apx NIB, a fairly common gun with a little over 5000 guns produce in that model from 1950 to 1965 or there abouts. . But we don't have a 6 1/2" Barrel on this gun now do we? Its a 4" Barrel...whole different kettle of fish entirely. There were less than 200 produced with 4" Barrels, most likely a special order gun. ActhK Zoooo.... Anybody wish to make a guess now?

I have seen 3 of them including this gun since 2005, and before that I never noticed one.

The second one is a First Model Hand Ejector made from 1908 to 1915 with @ 15,000 guns made. Some people claim the Triplelock as it is nick named is the finest revolver ever made. Target Sighted versions of this gun are estimated at being less than 200 produced most in 455 caliber (English caliber). Probably more than 80% of the Target varaiation production was with a 6 1/2" Barrel, I've seen one recently for $4500 with a factory letter and seen them sell for as much as $13000.00 at auction. However this isn't a 61/2" Barrel this is a 4" barrel Triplelock Target. Rare for Barrel length and SUPER rare for being a Target variation. This had to be a special order gun, meaning a one off. This gun definately needs a factory letter to confirm that it is made of unobtainiam.... If so pick a price...

A friend of mine who has been in the biz for over 40 years has NEVER seen one.

tabs · 10-07-2007, 03:47 PM

Now I have to THANK ole Overpaid Slacker...cause it was the day a coupla years back that we were crusing the Beinfield Show here in LV that I came across a guy who collected nohing but Smith rarities. I picked up a copy of his Smith Rarities pages...and that gave me the heads up on this kind of stuff.

BTW I had to pass on these items as they are way outa my league...

Jeff Higgins · 10-07-2007, 07:12 PM

Well, it looks like I'm a day late and a dollar short (been outa town for a few days). I'm not much of an S&W guy (more into SAA's) but these jumper out right away as something special (pardon the pun).

Keith was a big proponent of the Triple Lock, of course, and somewhat rued S&W's decision to "cheapen" it with the omission of that third lock. That said, he was a big fan of the 4" Model of 1950 with target sights. He had several of them. 4" was actually a "standard" barrel length on that gun; just not many folks ordered them that way. Most 4" carry guns were still fixed sight back then, so the micro-adjustable target rear with a short barrel was kind of mixed bag. That, and the light barrel contour didn't sit well with match shooters even in the longer lengths; it was more of a carry gun feature. So it really was kind of a bastard child, and therefore didn't sell well. It mixed too many features of target and carry guns to appeal to either crowd.

4" was never standard on the first Triple Lock. 5.5" and 6" were standard (why only .5" difference is anyone's guess). The target sights on a short barreled Triple Lock, in the era it was made, put it in an even more rare and unusual niche than the newer 1950. Great gun, but unfortunately to rare to qualify as a "shooter" anymore. Oh, and I think the gold medalion on the stocks may push it further towards the end of production than 1911, but I'm not sure on that one.

id10t · 10-07-2007, 08:08 PM

Dang it, you've gotten my forums.gunbroker.com into my forums.pelicanparts.com !!!

At least there's no Porsche talk over there...

BTW - if you have a gb account on the auction side, you can search for completed auctions. Do that, sort by # of bids, and you know what *someone* thought something was worth

tabs · 10-07-2007, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

Great gun, but unfortunately to rare to qualify as a "shooter" anymore. Oh, and I think the gold medalion on the stocks may push it further towards the end of production than 1911, but I'm not sure on that one.

Thats why I said "Circa" and its serial # is in the mid range of production. So 1911-1912...

tabs · 10-07-2007, 10:30 PM

It good to know there is a Jeff Higgins in the world.

It might interest you to know that a hybrid Whitworth Rifle (combination of Match rifle features and military stock) just sold for 15K.

Jeff Higgins · 10-08-2007, 06:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tabs

It good to know there is a Jeff Higgins in the world.

It might interest you to know that a hybrid Whitworth Rifle (combination of Match rifle features and military stock) just sold for 15K.

I remember when there was no interest in those and they could be had for a grand or less. We had at least half a dozen regulars shooting them in our mid and long range matches, and sometimes winning. Trapdoors for 200 bucks, Rolling blocks for about the same, etc. We would take full length military muskets (.43 Spanish was the most common Rolling Block) and cut about a foot off the barrels with a hacksaw, then trim the stock back to the first band, and make a "citizen's carbine" out of them. I still own, and hunt with, an original Ballard Pacific in .45-70 and a Remington Hepburn in .45-90 that I bought for 200 bucks each. Those were the days...

tabs · 10-08-2007, 03:59 PM

Do U really want to know what they are worth..lets put it to U this way....U ALL should be saying "if you don't buy them I will."