Ugly Gun Sunday

I love the Lone Star state.. It's a land of big ideas, expansive personalities, Texas justice, and of course, Texas women. While a ten gallon hat can be a good thing, and greasy sticky bar-b-que can be delicious, occasionally the over the top attitude of Texans can result in horrendous hideousness.

Now I suppose this gilded lily is supposed to represent a Texas Ranger gun, but a Texas Ranger gun comes with a certain provenance. There is an expectation that it was carried at some time by a Texas Ranger. Rangers were known for embellishing their pistols and even converting them to Fitz Specials, and Texas Rangers not being the shrinking violet type, 1911s were often a sidearm of choice.

Was the Texan that had this Colt engraved had more cattle than brains? Or is this Hank Williams Jr. or Flavor Flav's gat? This nickeled and gilded atrocity wears the brands of Texas ranches, making me suspect the owner was a rancher that was wondering what he should be doing with his extra greenbacks in an inflated cattle market.

I have to wonder......If a man is going to lay this kind of embellishment on a pistol, shouldn't he first chose a pistol with a classic non-enhanced frame? If he wants a beavertail grip safety on such a pistol, shouldn't the gun have a fitted one instead of the old Colt duckbill? The one saving grace about this pistol is a M1911A1 was not used. But perhaps it should have been. (Did I just say that?!!!) As it is, this pistol gives me the same head shaking response I reflexively give when I drive past an epileptically lit and brightly tinseled trailer park nightmare with Santa Claus and sixteen blinking reindeer on top at Christmas time.

Hey look! It's up for auction! But it now for $6,500.00