15 Years

Fifteen years ago today, I was young, free, and I did not give a damn. I threw my leg over the top of my bike and I resolutely rode away from the US Navy at Treasure Island California. I understand Treasure Island has been closed for a while now. My old grey home is now a museum.

I left the Navy with a wild decision to find the right woman to spend the rest of my life with. At that point in my life, I had no roots. There was absolutely nothing to prevent me from settling anywhere in the world. I had my boots, my bedroll and my bike. The rest was in a pack-out somewhere between Desert Storm and somewhere.

I was ready to begin the greatest adventure of my life. I had no idea what was in store for me. After six months back in the States, I was planning to join the Peace Corp with a nursing degree so I could get back to the "real world." The States I had known before I left did not exist anymore. Perhaps it did, but I was no longer the same person, and I could no longer understand it's people or politics. I was ready to return to the home I had found in the South Pacific. Then, when I least expected it, I met my future wife, and my greatest adventure began.

Heritage Models Part Deux!

According to Tom Gresham, Smith & Wesson will be coming out with more "Heritage" guns.
These are revolvers produced by the Performance Center, that are reminiscent of past S&W models. The new Heritage guns will include a Model 29, a Model 36 Chief's Special, and a Model 21. These will be available in case colors, blue or nickel.

I'm not certain if these revolvers will have the lock, but I am glad S&W is going to produce them. The Heritage Smiths are far from the favorites of many S&W cognoscenti, but they are eminently shootable guns. I am very pleased to own my Model 15-9 shown here.

Pawn Shop Circuit: High Prices & Resolutions

I drove by Dave's shop after work today. He still had the Llama .45 pistol on the shelf, along with his Smith & Wesson Model 64. To this assortment, Dave had added a little H&R revolver of some sort, and a SW1911PD. I have been hankering for a SW1911PD. It seems to me Smith & Wesson has a good thing going with the scandium frame. It's lightweight but still durable. The example Dave had was in geat shape, with a nice trigger. Unfortunately, Dave had it tagged at $749. I started to say I could buy the pistol new for that, but I bit my tongue. I simply checked it over, and handed it back to Dave without criticism. Dave asked if I wanted to look at the stainless S&W revolver again. I saw the $279 price through the glass, and told Dave no. I exchanged a couple of pleasantries and bade him goodbye. He can set his prices. I can decide whether to buy or not. Lately, it seems Dave has been on the high side of normal.

I drove over to Kenny's shop to find that he managed to sell his Colt Hammerless. He was wanting quite a bit for it considering it's condition. I'm glad he found a buyer. Kenny had a Rossi Model 68 that he wanted to show me. I humored him and looked over the South American revolver. It was an early Rossi, and was pretty crude, irregardless of it's nickel finish. The trigger felt gritty, and even swinging out the cylinder felt gritty. Kenny was wanting $159 for this gun, but that was too much for me. I handed it back.

I guess I was a little disappointed there were no new guns to buy, but that is OK too. I drove over to Neil's pawn shop, to find a Smith & Wesson Model 65-4. It had rubber grips and a four inch barrel. Neil started to take it out of the case for me. I told him no, and handed him $150 to place towards the Colt Commander I have on layaway. I also have a S&W Model 65-5 on lay away at Neil's place. Unless I come across a whale of a deal, these two will need to be brought home before another purchase.

Boxes & Stuff On Ebay!

Smith &Wesson Pre-War .357 Registered Magnum Picture Box


Winning bid: US $1,009.99





Smith & Wesson Pre-War 38/44 Heavy Duty Picture Box


Winning bid: US $382.77




Smith & Wesson Pre-War N frame Magna Grips


Winning bid: US $937.00

But just when you think you have seen it all..........

Colt Patent Firearms Co 1908-1910 Cash Ledger.
This is a unique book, as it was the Cash ledger for the company for the fiscal years June 1908 to June 1910. This was a significant period in the company's history as the 1911 pistol was in development and government contracts as well as suppliers were recorded.

The book is sewn, heavy leather bound and the pages are machine numbered 1 to 500. Entries start at page 1 and end at page 499. Interesting, yes, but.........

Starting bid: US $4,999.99

No bids yet........

I think my gun money will go to stuff that shoots!

Retro GI45

I first heard about this Springfield GI45 at the range. It had been owned by a blowhard who shot it very little before he sold it. I tracked it down at a pawn shop and purchased it for $350. I was not, at first very interested, but at $350, it was good trade fodder. I could shoot it a bit and trade it off, or keep it as a beater gun. I might even drop it off at Clark's for a meltdown. For the money, it was a deal that would be hard to lose on. Still, it was an unispiring utilitarian pistol. Then, one afternoon, I screwed some sambar stag grips onto the stainless gun. The pistol immediately became reminiscent of the GI 1911s that one often saw decades ago, nickeled and wearing stags. Suddenly, the pistol interested me.

The stag grips I had screwed to the pistol were cut for an ambi-safety, and would look bad without one. I began to make a list for Brownell's. I ordered one Ed Brown ambi-safety, a stainless steel wide spur hammer, and a flat mainspring housing. I already had a Dlask trigger in my parts box. The Dlask trigger has a magnesium shoe and titanium stirrup, and is fully adjustable. It normally sells for $45 or so, but I got this one for a steal on ebay. The lightweight trigger is only part of a trigger job though. I cut the hammer hooks to .020, and polished all the lockwork. I installed a Nowlin sear spring, and I placed a 19 pound spring into the flat mainspring housing.

The barrel that comes in the Springfield Mil-Spec and the GI45 is a two piece barrel made by Storm Lake. It is not a bad barrel, but my Springfield Mil-Spec benefitted greatly from a fitted bushing, so I installed an Ed Brown fitted bushing in the muzzle of the stainless GI45. By tightening the barrel in the slide, I hope for increased accuracy. Although the pistol was reliable, it's accuracy was pretty grim. If the bushing and trigger job do not improve the accuracy sufficiently, I may consider a Kart or BarSto barrel. I smoothed out the sandblasted rounds on the pistol using scotchbrite and 400 grit sandpaper. I am one of those people who prefer the feel of a smooth gun.

The resulting 1911 is reminescent of a bygone era, when custom 1911s were crafted, not bought. I can hardly wait to get to the range and try it out.

Idiots With Guns #59

The purpose of Idiots with Guns is not to humiliate, but to educate. Over the years we have seen photos of people who, upon picking up a gun, just cannot resist pointing it at something they should not, with their finger on the trigger. This is usually the camera, another person, or themselves. These photos are often difficult to google up, because of the pages they are shown on. If you have archived any of these photos, feel free to send them in to bayouroversATjamDOTrrDOTcom

The Four Rules
1. All firearms are always loaded
2. Never let the muzzle of a firearm point at anything you are not willing to destroy
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot
4. Be sure of your target and what is behind it

Stainless GI 45 Progress

I spent the afternoon working on the stainless Springfield GI 45. The stainless steel widespur hammer required me to stone the hooks to .020. The longer Springfield grip safety tang gives just enough protection from hammerbite. I installed a flat mainspring housing with a lighter mainspring.

Next, I installed the Ed Brown extended ambi safety. It required just a little metal to be taken off the lug, and it nicely covered it's hole at all times. The Brown barrel bushing was practically a drop-in part. It only took a little sandpaper to fit. I'm still waiting on my Dlask trigger from ebay.

Springfield GI 45 Parts

I got a package of parts from Brownell's for my Springfield GI 45 today. My aim is to massage it into a retro custom gun. Among the parts are a Brown Bushing, a Brown ambi safety, a flat mainspring housing, a stainless widespur hammer, and Nowlin springs. It looks like I'll be doing a bit of gun smithing on Thanksgiving.

Day by Day

Estate Sale Victory

When I got home from work tonight, my wife mentioned that she had visited an estate sale and seen a revolver. She swore it was a Smith & Wesson with white grips, so I went with her to have a look. A half hour later, we drove down a brick driveway to an old Tudor style house. Inside, the heavy green drapes and musty shag carpet revealed a home that had not been updated in 35 years.

"OK, where is the gun?" I asked as my nose began to run. My wife led me to a room in the rear. This was obviously the "man's" room, with rusty tools, crusty plumbing supplies, and a revolver on a table. A white haired lady was seated in the corner reading a crumbling Harlequin novel. She looked over her chained reading glasses at me suspiciously as I picked up the Smith & Wesson Victory revolver.

I swung the cylinder open to insure the gun was not loaded. I found six empty cylinders. I took the price tag and placed it on the recoil plate to reflect light up the bore. The bore was in good shape. The serial numbers on the cylinder, barrel and frame all matched, plus, it had it's lanyard loop. It wore white plastic Franzite magna grips. The revolver had a US Property stamp on the topstrap, and the finish was mint. The case colors were strong and sharp. Technically, this was a S&W 38/200, originally chambered in the anemic .38S&W caliber. It had a five inch barrel, meaning it was likely imported back to the States from duty abroad during and after WWII. Even so, I could find none of the usual British proof marks on this revolver. Many 38/200s were rechambered, poorly, to accept the more popular .38 Special cartridge prior to importation. I could find no revised caliber markings, and I had no snap caps or .38 Special cases to check the chambers. Regardless, for such a gun, the finish was a bit too good.

I looked at the tag. It read $400.I pulled out three hundred dollar bills and politely offered them to the lady with the Harlequin novel.

She curled her lip and sniffed "This was Mr. Maynard's personal gun that he carried on Guadacanal with George Patton! It has ivory handles that General Patton gave Mr. Maynard himself! Surely you can do better than that!" I learned a long time ago not to argue with those who know nothing regarding a subject. I placed the revolver back among the rusty tools and scratched .45 records. Perhaps it will show up in one of the pawn shops in a week or so. I'll keep my eyes open.

ΜOΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

In 480BC, in the mountain pass of Thermopylae, Xerxes, emperor of Persia, with his 800,000 invaders, offered to spare the lives of Leonidas and his few hundred Spartans, if only they would lay down their arms. Instead, Leonidas told Xerxes to come and take them. Molon Labe.

Idiots With Guns #58

The purpose of Idiots with Guns is not to humiliate, but to educate. Over the years we have seen photos of people who, upon picking up a gun, just cannot resist pointing it at something they should not, with their finger on the trigger. This is usually the camera, another person, or themselves. These photos are often difficult to google up, because of the pages they are shown on. If you have archived any of these photos, feel free to send them in to bayouroversATjamDOTrrDOTcom

The Four Rules
1. All firearms are always loaded
2. Never let the muzzle of a firearm point at anything you are not willing to destroy
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot
4. Be sure of your target and what is behind it

Jeff Cooper on Glocks

"The continued sales triumph of Glock pistols demonstrates the virtues of skillful marketing. The Glock is okay. It is generally reliable, it is comparatively inexpensive, and it is available in respectable calibers. Above all, its aftermarket service is superior. The great part of its sales comes from police departments, where maintenance and quick service are of primary importance. It may not be the best choice for the expert pistolero, but such people are not in the majority."

Courtesy of Oleg Volk

Pawn Shop Circuit: Going Back

Neil grinned when I walked back through his door today. The round butt three inch Model 65 Ladysmith was still there. I placed $50 down on it, and it went back into the safe on lay away. Neil said "I knew you would be back." Two guns on layaway. I guess he thinks he has my number.

I drove over to Kenny's shop to see what he had out of hock. He had sold both his "ring of fire" guns. In their place, Kenny had placed a Colt 1903 Pocket Hammerless Type 1 pistol. Looking up the serial number, this pistol left the Colt factory in 1905. Unfortunately, it had lived a rough life and was pitted and devoid of any finish. The walnut grips were worn smooth and the slide rattled on the frame. The bore resembled a sewer pipe. The good thing about the pistol was it's originality. The bad thing was the price. Kenny had it tagged at $249. It was an interesting pistol. I handed it back to Kenny. Perhaps it is worth two-fifty to someone, but not to me.

S&W Rollmark Die on Ebay

Up for grabs on ebay is an ultra rare S&W rollmark die.

Winning bid: US $701.00

Pawn Shop Circuit: Missed Opportunity

I went back by Dave's pawn shop after work today. He told me the Browning 22 Auto rifle had sold right after I looked at it. He also told me he took another one in trade on Saturday, and sold it on Monday for $159. Dave had a Smith & Wesson Model 64 on the shelf with the Llama. I suppose he thought he saw me coming for that one. I looked it over, and it was in fair shape. The cylinder was a little loose, and it wore Pachmayr Presentation grips. Dave had sold the scoped Wesson .44 magnum. He had the Model 64 priced at $279. I decided to leave it in his case with the tag looking at him. Perhaps he will be more careful when he prices the next Smith, and perhaps it will be more desirable. The stainless Smith just did not do much for me. I handed it back.

Over at Neil's shop, a Model 65-5 Ladysmith was in the case. Neil had it priced at $299. It was a nice carry revolver with a round butt and fixed sights. The three inch barrel and Ahrends grips made this .357 into a sweet CCW piece. I thought about it a bit as I went through the Jim March Revolver Checkout on it. The gun checked good, and it had no zit lock, but I am just not a stainless fan. I own a few stainless revolvers, and this was a nice one, but I have to draw a line somewhere. I gave it back to Neil.

Thus, I left two good Smith & Wesson revolvers on the shelf. Hopefully I will spot another undervalued five screw gun soon. Hunting season is upon us, and I expect to see more and more handguns in the cases.

Arrest in the 9th Ward

1911 Safeties

Occasionally, a photo is taken that succinctly shows exactly how a mechanism works. I try to save these for future reference. This is one such illustration, provided by John Holbrook.

Veterans Day

Tell a vet thank you today.
Don't forget.

Pawn Shop Circuit: Brownings and Lorcins

I went by Dave's pawn shop after work. Dave had a nice selection, including a Browning Auto 22 on his rifle rack. I looked over the little Browning, and remembered the first time I ever held one. The Browning bottom chucking rimfire rifle looks kind of funny, but it feels fantastic. Dave was wanting $249 for his, and it was in great shape. I thought about it, then decided to hand it back to him. It had a Tasco scope on it, and someone had removed the rear sight to mount the cheapo scope. I decided to stick with my Ruger 10/22s. I may end up regretting handing that rifle back. Dave also had a Llama .45 and a Wesson .44 magnum with a scope on it. Neither handgun really interested me.

At Kenny's shop I found a couple of junk guns, both priced under $100. Kenny didn't have anything else. He said the Jennings and Lorcins tend to sell pretty quickly. I asked him how much he loans on them. He replied 10-20 dollars. Just enough to buy a rock. Interesting. I have occasionally pondered buying one of these cheap guns just to learn about them. Then again, I might just buy a spritz bottle of Tabasco sauce and squirt my eyeballs.

I left Kenny's and drove over to Neil's place. Neil had nothing new, so I paid another Franklin and a half on my nickel Commander. I guess that's what I should have done to start with.

Idiots With Guns #57

The purpose of Idiots with Guns is not to humiliate, but to educate. Over the years we have seen photos of people who, upon picking up a gun, just cannot resist pointing it at something they should not, with their finger on the trigger. This is usually the camera, another person, or themselves. These photos are often difficult to google up, because of the pages they are shown on. If you have archived any of these photos, feel free to send them in to bayouroversATjamDOTrrDOTcom







The Four Rules
1. All firearms are always loaded
2. Never let the muzzle of a firearm point at anything you are not willing to destroy
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot
4. Be sure of your target and what is behind it

Stags and Stainless

I screwed some stag grips on the stainless Springfield GI45. It transformed before my eyes. I'm thinking about modifications towards a retro shooter. Maybe a tighter bushing, a square triggerguard, a wide spur hammer, and perhaps S&W adjustable rear sights with a ramp front sight.

Yep, the stags got me to thinking......

Light Blogging Ahead

Intensive Training.
Please stand by.

Pawn Shop Circuit: A Twin Commander

I drove back to Neil's after work today, to see what there was to see. Imagine my surprise and chagrin when he had a Colt Combat Commander in electroless nickel behind the glass. The grips on this example were the original Colt logo Pachmayr grips. It was entirely original.

A few weeks ago, I horse traded for an electroless nickel Combat Commander at a gun show. The seller had wanted $675, but I traded him a Kahr K40 and $200 for it. Once I had purchased it, I realized the ejection port had been flared, so the pistol was ripe for customization. Still, I felt queasy working the pistol over.

Neil, as usual, simply wanted to liquidate collateral that had secured a profitable loan. Neil had the pistol tagged at $475. I looked it over. I field stripped it. It did not take me long to make up my mind. I gave Neil fifty bucks and told him to put it on lay away for me.

Carnival of Cordite #79

Carnival of Cordite #79 is up at Spank that Donkey!

Idiots With Guns

An open letter to those who criticize my Idiot With Guns series as being fodder for the anti-gun crowd:

While I would like for all gun owners to be responsible, I realize that some, indeed, many are not. Whether a girl steals her mother's loaded revolver for some gothic graveyard photography, a new Glock owner decides to point his gun at the camera, or a college student places an airsoft pistol to his head for a photo, I have tired of seeing these pictures spattered about the internet. You will note that on each of these entries in my blog, I state the same thing, that these posts are to educate. Then I state the four rules.

If you think these posts in my blog are meant for humor, you are wrong. These photos are not humorous. They are dangerous. They are dangerous to the people depicted and to the kid who sees them and wants to take some gun photos of his own.

These posts are not meant to educate those in the photographs. Chances are, I'll likely never reach them. These posts are meant to educate the kid who has been wondering about that handgun in Dad's closet. These posts are meant to educate that parent who places the loaded gun on the closet shelf. These posts are meant to educate the college student who buys a Glock and gets no instruction. These posts are meant to educate the gun owners who think there is not a problem with irresponsible gun use. These posts are meant to educate the viewer, not the people who are depicted.

You may think the photos are inappropriate. I agree. They are extremely inappropriate. Grossly inappropriate. They are like the horse's head at the dinner table. Responsible gun owners had better start recognizing that there are idiots among our ranks, and either try to educate them or eradicate them. Just because a kid is young and stupid enough to steal a parent's revolver for some graveyard photography does not mean they cannot be educated to be responsible with firearms. The first thing to do though, is call them on their actions. Unequivocally. That I have done.

You may want to deny that such ignorance exists. I refuse to do so. You can say my archive of idiots harms gun owners. Fine. I say denial of the problem will lead to the loss of our rights to keep and bear arms. Irresponsible gun use is a widespread social problem, and the solution begins with the recognition of the problem.

What I see in each of these photos is a person with an interest in firearms, but with no idea how to use them appropriately. Each of these people, given the proper instruction, education and attitude, could become a responsible gun owner. The only way to keep our right to bear arms is to educate our young people. The first step to educating them is to recognize their mistakes, call them on it, and refuse to let it slip through the cracks because we are embarrassed by it.

Combat Commander Progress

"Xavier, how is the Combat Commander coming along?"

Well, it's functioning fine. I like the longer trigger and the flat aluminum MSH. The Ed Brown thumb safety is snicking on and off better than a factory part. The McCormick trigger is adjusted to sweet. I have installed cocobolo double diamond grips on it.

I am trying to decide between the original bushing and an EGW Melt bushing at present. It has become a good shooter with the original bushing. I do not know what had it off on the first outing, but it has settled in and gained consistent accuracy. Perhaps it was me after all.......

I am still debating between electroless nickel or hard chrome from Ford's, or perhaps NP3 from Robar. Then again, I've never really owned a 1911 that could be called a "rat gun," an equivalent to the rat bikes I enjoy. I may just keep it as is.....

Jeff Cooper on Snake Pistols

September 1965--"Actually, the idea of a 'snake pistol' eludes me. If you see a dangerous snake first, stay out of his reach. If you don't, what good is your pistol?"

Why I Carry A Gun

It was this day twenty two years ago that Craig got off work, and began to drive home. He worked at the local power plant, on the evening shift. He had a new wife waiting for him at home, with a baby on the way. Craig had recently bought them a new home in the country. It was raining that night, and it was dark. As Craig crested a hill he saw a Chevy Luv pick-up truck in the ditch. A bloodied woman was in the roadway frantically flagging him down.

I went to school with Craig all through grammar and high school. We hunted tadpoles together as kids, and later asked the same girl to the prom. She went with Craig. Like many friends we lived in close proximity and drifted apart. I was in the Navy in the South Pacific on that night.

Craig, being a good country boy, always ready to help a lady in distress, pulled over to see what he could do. As he got out of his vehicle, she shot him once through the chest with a .357 magnum revolver. Craig hit the wet pavement, no doubt in shock, the cold November rain pelting his body. I wonder what he thought. I hope he died thinking of his wife and little girl at home. I hope he did not wonder why he was shot, but I suspect he did.

The woman stole Craig's vehicle, running over his outstretched arm, and left him in the roadway to die. She had just killed her boyfriend, who had been driving the Chevy Luv she was riding in. I did not learn of Craig's death until I returned home from the Navy, and happened to run into his father. We had drifted apart, but Craig's death had a profound effect on me. The country boy world I trusted as I grew up had changed while I was overseas. I began to carry a gun.

Pawn Shop Circuit: Nothing New

I went back to Kenny's shop this morning to purchase the Model 60 he had. Kenny had sold both his stainless S&W revolvers. "You shoulda bought 'em Xav" he said, "Dude walked in a couple days ago and bought them both." Kenny had an increased number of shotguns, but no new handguns.

I drove on over to Dave's shop. Dave did not have anything new out either, unless you are interested in guitars, televisions or jewelry.

I started to go by Neil's shop, but it just did not feel lucrative today. I resolved to go grocery shopping instead. Maybe next time.

Idiots With Guns #56

Morgan and Brittany were wanting some bitchin' photos for the underground school yearbook. They got Jimmy to come over and get behind the camera. Looks like he wanted to get in front of the guns too. Do you know where your guns are?

The purpose of Idiots with Guns is not to humiliate, but to educate. Over the years we have seen photos of people who, upon picking up a gun, just cannot resist pointing it at something they should not, with their finger on the trigger. This is usually the camera, another person, or themselves. These photos are often difficult to google up, because of the pages they are shown on. If you have archived any of these photos, feel free to send them in to bayouroversATjamDOTrrDOTcom

The Four Rules
1. All firearms are always loaded
2. Never let the muzzle of a firearm point at anything you are not willing to destroy
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot
4. Be sure of your target and what is behind it