Kahr TA5 1927A-1

Yeah Baby! I know what I'm gettin' for the Obamanation!

S&W Model 27-2 Jinks Letter

One of the real treasures in gun collecting is a "Jinks Letter" from the Smith & Wesson historian Roy Jinks. Often chocked full of information, and with the specifics of the date of shipment and configuration at time of shipment, a Jinks Letter is considered to be authoritative proof that a given Smith & Wesson gun is what it appears.

Mr. Jinks recently raised his price for a factory letter to fifty dollars, up from the thirty dollar fee he previously charged. Never the less, it is still one of the best investments a collector of Smith & Wesson handguns can make on a rare or unusual specimen. Here is a three page Jinks letter on a Model 27-2 that I had lettered for a friend. Click the photos to enlarge and read.



It turns out my friend's revolver was shipped on September 21, 1970, to Woodward Wright & Co. in New Orleans. It had a three and a half inch barrel and walnut grips.

Even though nothing extraordinary was discovered, the barrel configuration was confirmed to be original. Three and a half inch Model 27s are some of the hottest guns on the collector market, although a collector would desire a much more pristine revolver than this. This is on you don't have to worry about shooting.

I still wish I had beat Lester to that gun show table.

Design Excellence

Here is a brilliant idea for a concealed carry revolver that I wish had survived the pit of cast off designs. Obviously, the person who designed this hammer understood the problem.

Revolver is a Hopkins & Allen XL Double Action .32 caliber revolver. The hammer appears to be an aftermarket device. Sweet.

The Astra 400

I remember seeing the advertisements for the Astra 400 in Shot Gun News. That was a while back. Surplus M1911A1s were still on the market, and it seems like Nixon was yet to resign. Nobody back then would buy a twenty dollar pistol chambered in a funky 9mm Largo when a combat proven 45 could be had for just a bit more. The Spanish Modelo 1921 had a hard time finding a market back then. I remember examining a strange tubular type pistol at gunshows, and putting it back on the table every time. The strange surplus gun remained a gun show staple for at least half a decade.

Over the years, the prices rose from twenty bucks to over two hundred, and that was when the pistol was readily available from any dealer. A twenty dollar pistol. Yeah..... I should have bought.

While I was perusing Gun Broker I found this example....

"This weapon I think was used during the Spanish Civil War. Note the Hammer and Sickle on one side of the grips and "Viva La Repulica" on the other side of grips. Weapon still has original box, 2 boxes of ammunition and original shipping box (Shipped from Klein's Sporting Goods in Chicago)."

I don't know if the carvings are authentic or not, but the pistol is certainly interesting. It does seem strange that the cardboard box would survive with a well weathered sidearm of a South American revolutionary. Chances are the pistol was placed in the box for importation.

I doubt that I would have shot this pistol much, if at all, since the 9mm Largo ammunition is not readily available. I suppose some folks would ask what the purpose is in having a pistol you would not shoot. Well, to me it's kind of like having money you don't spend. The possibility of shooting the pistol is always there. The pistol is more interesting to hold and wonder about than currency. And for any price under $100, I would not be having any regrets.

Since I have never owned one, I still don't know much about the Astra 400, except I wish I had purchased one back then. Today these pistols usually change hands for $250 or so, a little more for well preserved examples with the box. Handguns are not getting any cheaper. If I see one today that interests me, I purchase it.

Pawn Shop Circuit: Undercover

I drove back over to Neil's pawn shop after work today to take another look at the Charter Arm's revolver he had in the case. It was a vintage Charter Arms Undercover, a 38 special snubnose. In it's day, the Undercover was a cost effective concealed carry piece favored by many cash strapped peace officers as a back-up gun.

Neil's example was a good one. A good bit of the finish was still there, although the frame had turned plum and the cylinder had bare metal showing. The Undercover was never the prettiest gun on the rack, it was just a hard working carry gun, so that was OK. Functionally it was a winner. The cylinder locked up well, and the trigger, although heavy, was smooth.

I thought about it a bit. Neil was wanting $159 for the Undercover. I decided to wait a while, not because the revolver was a bad gun, not because the deal wasn't decent, but because I wasn't sure I wanted to open up that door.

Now, I'm still thinking about that little hideout gun. $159 ain't bad.

JPG gives an expert synopsis of the Charter Arms Undercover.

The $40 M1911A1

I knew I had this Shotgun News advertisement somewhere.

Yes, they used to sell as surplus for under fifty bucks each. Now they start at $500 for extreme beaters, and go solidly over $2000 for excellent examples.



Here's a Colt M1911A1 up for auction on Gun Broker.

Started at $1,660.00

Buy it Now for $1,895.00

On Getting Beaten

I am often asked how I find the deals I do in firearms. I have a simple answer, I show up with cash and I look for them. I look at estate sales, garage sales, gun shows and pawn shops. I put the word out of what I am interested in. Often, putting the word out among women can be more fruitful than putting it out among gun nuts. Sometimes though, I am a day late or a dollar short, just like anyone else.

At a gun show last year, I was only ten minutes late. I had entered the auditorium on the West side, but one of my good friends entered on the East. When we met in the middle and shook hands, Lester opened his jacket to show me the Smith & Wesson revolver he had just purchased stuck in his belt.

It wasn't a collector's piece by any means. This was no revolver that had been purchased and then stuck on a shelf in the original box having never been fired. It was more interesting than that. This was a Smith & Wesson Model 27-2 with a three and a half inch barrel that had been carried. Whether it started as a blue gun or not was anyone's guess, but now the remnants of it's finish resembled parkerizing. It was honest wear, and a lot of it. The big N frame had spent it's life in someone's holster, not someone's drawer. To me, that was beautiful. To Lester and his daughter, it was beautiful too. He bought it for her, and then she left to go look at jewelry.

I was dumbstruck as I handled the weathered .357 magnum revolver. Here was one of the most desirable Smith & Wesson revolvers today, in a condition that invited carry rather than investment. The revolver locked up like a new Model 27. Then Lester told me the price he paid, and I almost fell over. $265. From a dealer. The dealer had tried to tell Lester it was a Model 28, and then had talked down to Lester when Lester tried to inform him otherwise. Lester's daughter had been the wise one. "Just buy the gun Daddy, I want it," she had said. Over the past year, Lester did do a couple of things to the old revolver. He swapped out the beat up original grips for stag, and he replaced the damaged rear sight blade.

Often times I feel like I have found a mini oasis in the gun collecting accumulating world. I enjoy the guns that show time spent in a holster. I enjoy the firearms that have been modified to make them more suitable to the job at hand. This gives me an opening and a chance to find many different firearms that I enjoy. Even so, I occasionally still get beat to the table.

Pawn Shop Circuit: Three Rugers

I swung into Neil's pawn shop today to check out the handgun stock. Neil had a nice four inch tapered barrel Ruger MKII earlier this week priced at $199. I passed on it, citing the price. Today, Neil had lowered the price to $175, and had added another MKII, a 50th Anniversary Model to the mix. It was $175 as well. I recognized the pistol as one that had been on Neil's shelf in January. Perhaps someone had placed it on layaway and failed to pay. I did not ask. I simply examined the pistol and talked about other things. If the price drops to $150, I'll bite.

I went on to Kenny and Dave's pawn shops, and I found little that rang my chimes. I guess I'm still hoping for a 1911 to show up again, or perhaps an old M&P. Then, when I got home, and began reading blogs a bit, I found that PawPaw had purchased a Ruger MKII this morning. I feel a little better about leaving my two behind now. I can't get 'em all. I wonder what he paid..........

1960's Prices

At one time in the United States, handguns could be ordered by mail. Advertisements were in all magazines. Here is one such ad.

US MOD 1911 ARMY
The old reliable standby for more than 50 years; 7-shot, outside hammer, grip safety, new style Parkerized grey finish or blued. Perf. mechanically, VG bore. $55.00

S&W TRIPLELOCK
GOLD SEAL MILITARY MODEL
6-shot, solid frame, swingout cyl, DA, rebounding hammer; 6 & 1/2 barrel, extra housing integral to barrel into which crane and cylinder pin lock, making the action strong enough for the heaviest handloads. On the Gold Seal series, hammer & trigger have inserted bearing points to reduce friction, which together with the superior workmanship of these pre-war guns makes for exceptionally fine smooth crisp actions unequalled by most guns today. Made for the British Army, have now been rechambered. Almost VG in and out $60.00 Bore VG or better $67.50

Yes, there are decimals in those prices. Read them and weep.

Mass Destruction of Weapons

It's enough to make a Com Bloc Collector sniffle....

Flat Creek Trading

It was a rainy and dreary day today as I cruised down the highway towards the Flat Creek Debate Society. Cussin' Bob had told me that a member had a 1911 he wanted to trade off. From Bob's description, it sounded like a Sistema. I'm not really in the market for another Sistema, but I forged ahead anyway, knowing that if a deal was not struck, the company would still be good.

When I arrived 43 miles later, I found the Debate Society solving the world's problems around a fire in a huge steel pit. A hog was smoking and veggies and a taco salad were on the grill as well. Five or six members were separating fact from bullshit via the Socratic method as they tried to avoid smoke from the flames. A couple of curmudgeons were grousing about the weather and other topics of distain. Several wet dogs were curled up by the fire.

One of the members, Bud, brought a cardboard box out of his truck and opened it to reveal a Colt Sistema from Interarms. Bud was really wanting a .38 snubbie to tote around. Unfortunately I do not have a .38 snub I am willing to let go for another Sistema. I had brought along a S&W Model 60 just in case Bud had pulled out a M1911 or M1911A1. My Model 60 stayed in the Jeep.

A couple of queries were made as to just what this pistol was, and I explained how the Sistema came to be. Surprisingly, nobody at the debate society wanted to debate that. I guess I was the designated gun historian of the hour.

Bud asked how much I thought his gun was worth. I told him honestly it would be sold at retail for between $350 and 450, but if he tried to sell it to a dealer he could expect $200 tops. I explained to Bud that I already had two Sistemas, and I revealed my carry gun to show him and Bob what a Sistema could become. I told Bud all I could offer him was $240.

We set a few cans out and shot our pistols, as the others stayed circled around the fire. The Interarms Sistema shot reliably, but was not very accurate. My Sistema, with a Wilson barrel and bushing, drilled the cans with precision.

After we rejoined the group, Cussin' Bob wandered over and asked me if I was interested in Bud's gun. I told Bob that I wasn't interested at the price Bud deserved to get. Bob asked me if I would work it over for him, I told him certainly. Bob wandered over and slipped Bud $300 for his pistol. Bud was happy. Bob was happy. I was happy.

We ate some hog and taco salad, debated the location of Bin Laden, the ulterior motives of Iran, and whether Paris Hilton's personae is an act or reality. None of the world's mysteries or problems were solved this afternoon, but several men went home with full bellies, feeling better about it all. That is good enough.