Gun Show: Rationalizations and Birthday Presents

I went back to the gun show this afternoon. I guess I am still looking for that fellow walking in, who wants to trade a real M&P revolver for the new and improved tactical M&P. There were plastic M&Ps there, selling for around $500. I don't know just when I began to spurn the black tactical pistols. At one time, back in the mid 1980s, I was a large capacity 9mm fan, fond of saying it wasn't the size of the hole, but how many holes were made. I considered the 1911 to be a dinosaur back then, but when my son acquired one, I decided to try it. After one magazine, I was hooked on the 1911, and soon bought my own. The 1911 has been my favorite pistol ever since.

I still shunned wheelguns though. Then, one day, tired of toting a 1911 on my hip, and wearing a Hawaiian shirt to cover it in Louisiana's sweltering heat (an all to obvious cover garment), I began to investigate pocket carry. The one thing that convinced me to try a J frame was the fact it is not thrown out of battery if the muzzle is in contact with the aggressor. I bought a S&W Model 49, and began to enjoy the benefits of pocket carry. Once I opened the door to revolvers, I realized the wonderful world I had been missing out on. Better than new, slightly used .357 magnum revolvers priced at half the price, or less than the latest models. I checked the gun shows, but quickly found that the dealers had learned of this gold mine years ago. I began to crawl the pawn shops and watch the walkers in gun shows to find my deals. I limited myself to .38 Special or .357 magnum guns, pinned and recessed. I wanted only guns I could shoot easily. There were just so many deals out there I had to set limits. Which brings us to this afternoon.

Yesterday, I traded outside my self imposed limitations. I acquired a breaktop 44 DA Smith & Wesson. Regardless of whether I got a deal, like a kid who catches his first fish, I could not go back. The fish had caught me too. I either had to throw that fish back and go home, or wet a hook again. The S&W 44DA was fascinating. I decided to keep it as soon as I held it next to my Model of 1899 and saw they were the same size and wore the same grips. It was the apparent predecessor of the M&P, my favored gun.

I wandered about a bit, looking over numerous handguns and rifles. I tasted the relish being offered on little crackers, and sampled the beef jerky. I chatted with the chrapoptractor who was doing spinal adjustments. Hell, I even squeezed a beanie baby. I just wasn't seeing any old Smith & Wesson's being brought in. Then I spied one of my old dealer friends swinging a deal on a K frame Smith a man had just wandered in with. The man was selling a couple of rifles, which the dealer was getting a good deal on, but to do the deal he had to pay the asking price of $250 for the K frame Smith. They haggled as I lurked nearby overhearing the conversation, and ready to pounce when the deal fell through. Unfortunately, it did not. The dealer bought the K frame Smith for $250. A short while later he had it on his table. It was a C serialed Model 10-5 with original grips, and about 90% blue. The dealer had tagged it at $350.

As I wandered on, I spotted a new pistol on another dealer's table. "Oh crap", I thought......It was a topbreak something or another. It was, however, priced attractively at $150. I picked it up and fondled it. The grips were intact. It had some nickel left on it. It functioned. Problem was, I did not know what the hell it was or what it was worth. But the fish had caught me. I bought the little revolver. I decided it could be a birthday present for my wife. She likes old antique guns, and as a matter of fact, she was fascinated with the Double Action 44 topbreak I brought home last night.

When I arrived home with the little pistol, I began my research. I found that I was the new owner of a S&W .32 Single Action, early variation. Judging from Supica's Armchair Gunshow, I didn't get skinned to badly. I tucked the little pistol away, for a couple of weeks until my wife's birthday arrives. She always did like antiques......