Showing posts with label wilsonblogclassic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wilsonblogclassic. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Wheeeeeeeeeeeew!
Finally finished archiving my posts from the original wilsonblog over to this new one, 70 wilsonblogclassic® entries in 24 days! I decided to go ahead and just get them done in March because I will probably be shutting down that old blog (unless I can keep it up for free) at the end of the month. I wanted to keep a record of some of my favorite posts from "over there" and also wanted to make them accessible on the search engine over here. When I first decided to do this I thought that I would end up transferring 20-30 entries at most, but going all the way back to the beginning in August 2007 I found more and more, the list just kept growing! Now that this job is done wilsonblog can begin April with a fresh start.
People with guns collection # 23 - Originally posted Sunday, February 28, 2010
From my own personal collection!
People with guns collection # 22 - Originally posted Sunday, January 31, 2010
From my own personal collection!
"GIRLS IN U.S. COLLEGE RECEIVE MILITARY TRAINING
These young girls are members of the Women's Auxiliary Training Corps, an organization for the voluntary training of American college girls in military tactics, courtesy and discipline. They belong to the first unit of the WATC, formed at the University of Indiana in the U.S. Midwest. The WATC, whose members wear bright red uniform coats and white flannel skirts, is similar in organization and routine to the Reserve Officers Training Corps, which prepares men students in American Colleges for commissions in the Army.
Here an ROTC officer explains the workings of a machine gun."
"GIRLS IN U.S. COLLEGE RECEIVE MILITARY TRAININGThese young girls are members of the Women's Auxiliary Training Corps, an organization for the voluntary training of American college girls in military tactics, courtesy and discipline. They belong to the first unit of the WATC, formed at the University of Indiana in the U.S. Midwest. The WATC, whose members wear bright red uniform coats and white flannel skirts, is similar in organization and routine to the Reserve Officers Training Corps, which prepares men students in American Colleges for commissions in the Army.
Here an ROTC officer explains the workings of a machine gun."
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
People with guns collection # 21 - Originally posted Sunday, December 27, 2009
From my own personal collection!
Since this time of the year is about family I thought this 1950s photo would be a great way to end People With Guns for 2009...
Since this time of the year is about family I thought this 1950s photo would be a great way to end People With Guns for 2009...
wilsonblogclassic® Originally posted Monday, December 21, 2009
Read late last night where Brittany Murphy died, she was 32. I thought she was a very talented young actress and could certainly be counted on to give an interesting performance no matter what the part. I don't recall ever disliking anything that I watched her in, but I especially liked her roles in films like Clueless (1995), Freeway (1996), The Devil's Arithmetic (1999), Just Married (2003) and The Ramen Girl (2008). She was the best thing about the movie Sin City (2005).
wilsonblogclassic® Originally posted Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Impromptu group shot
I was wiping down some of my N frames and on the spur of the moment decided to take this group shot. Yes, I know it's a crummy picture but it was the best I could do indoors and without the use of my lightbox, which is much too small for this many handguns.
In case you can't tell Smith & Wesson's large frame .357 is my favorite revolver ever! I like all model 27s but the 3 ½ inch incarnation is my most favorite. I just like the heft of it, the way it balances in my hand, the way it looks. The Model 27 is just an impressive piece of workmanship and has a lot of cool history behind it too. Yeah, I know it is a big hunk of steel, probably too much steel for the cartridge it fires but it does make shooting hot magnum loads easy. All that steel is actually good for something, sucking up recoil.
I've lost count of all the S&W N Frame .357s I have owned over the years, both "Pre" and Model 27s. I've owned every barrel length too except for the 5-inch. All were great guns. Wish I kept them all. Unfortunately being a "gun nut" on a limited budget does have its drawbacks. One being that when you really want some new gun some old gun usually has to go.
When I bought my first Model 27 over 15 years ago they weren't very popular. Revolvers in general were on the decline and it seemed that nearly every shooter wanted a autoloader, especially the high capacity 9MMs which were all the rage at that time. A big revolver that only held 6 rounds and weighed more than those hi-cap nines holding 20 bazillion rounds was a hard sell for most gun stores. Many revolvers spent a lot of time collecting dust on gun dealer's shelves before finally finding a buyer. One of the reasons I originally began looking at S&W revolvers was the value. Even as a new gun person I recognized the excellent bargain that they represented. Used Smith & Wesson revolvers were really undervalued for the level of quality that they had. I paid $220 for my first 27, it was a bargain price but even at that time you could regularly pick up lightly used shooter 27s in the $275-375 range. That was when similar quality (and condition) autos like Colts, Berettas etc. were usually within short reaching distance of the $500 price tag. Of the first 5 or 6 Model 27s I bought I don't recall ever paying over $400 for any of them and that included a couple that were in pristine, possibly unfired condition. As the 1990's continued prices slowly went up, but even as late as 2000 I remember you could still regularly find extremely nice M27s below the $500 mark.
But by the very late 1990s and into the 2000s all of that began changing. I blame the internet. First you had sites on the web starting to sell guns, even ebay sold guns! Secondly, and more importantly, you had gun sites like the S&W Forum (and other gun forums) where S&W nuts like me could hang out and talk about their favorite handguns, SMITH & WESSON! All of this web chatter created new interest in old Smiths and the numbers of collectors looking for those old S&W handguns swelled, driving availability of these guns down while sending prices up. I am of course way oversimplifying here, there are other factors at play but I believe the world wide web significantly changed the gun collecting game forever.
In the years since I first started collecting Smith & Wesson handguns collector's interest has increased substantially, and so have prices. While I use to watch nearly new S&W revolvers languish on dealer's shelves for weeks or months before finding a buyer now they might only sit on display for days, or maybe hours, before being snatched up. On one hand I am glad that there are so many more now that appreciate fine Smith & Wessons. I am glad that these guns are finally getting some of the recognition that they should have received all along. I'm also glad that more and more people are finding out what many of us already knew for some time, how great those old S&Ws were. But on the other hand I do miss those days when I might go into a gun shop and find some hidden treasure in a display case that most other shooters looked right over. Kind of felt like I was in some special little club that only a chosen few belonged to. Like I had special vision and could see diamonds where others could only see lumps of coal...
I was wiping down some of my N frames and on the spur of the moment decided to take this group shot. Yes, I know it's a crummy picture but it was the best I could do indoors and without the use of my lightbox, which is much too small for this many handguns. In case you can't tell Smith & Wesson's large frame .357 is my favorite revolver ever! I like all model 27s but the 3 ½ inch incarnation is my most favorite. I just like the heft of it, the way it balances in my hand, the way it looks. The Model 27 is just an impressive piece of workmanship and has a lot of cool history behind it too. Yeah, I know it is a big hunk of steel, probably too much steel for the cartridge it fires but it does make shooting hot magnum loads easy. All that steel is actually good for something, sucking up recoil.
I've lost count of all the S&W N Frame .357s I have owned over the years, both "Pre" and Model 27s. I've owned every barrel length too except for the 5-inch. All were great guns. Wish I kept them all. Unfortunately being a "gun nut" on a limited budget does have its drawbacks. One being that when you really want some new gun some old gun usually has to go.
When I bought my first Model 27 over 15 years ago they weren't very popular. Revolvers in general were on the decline and it seemed that nearly every shooter wanted a autoloader, especially the high capacity 9MMs which were all the rage at that time. A big revolver that only held 6 rounds and weighed more than those hi-cap nines holding 20 bazillion rounds was a hard sell for most gun stores. Many revolvers spent a lot of time collecting dust on gun dealer's shelves before finally finding a buyer. One of the reasons I originally began looking at S&W revolvers was the value. Even as a new gun person I recognized the excellent bargain that they represented. Used Smith & Wesson revolvers were really undervalued for the level of quality that they had. I paid $220 for my first 27, it was a bargain price but even at that time you could regularly pick up lightly used shooter 27s in the $275-375 range. That was when similar quality (and condition) autos like Colts, Berettas etc. were usually within short reaching distance of the $500 price tag. Of the first 5 or 6 Model 27s I bought I don't recall ever paying over $400 for any of them and that included a couple that were in pristine, possibly unfired condition. As the 1990's continued prices slowly went up, but even as late as 2000 I remember you could still regularly find extremely nice M27s below the $500 mark.
But by the very late 1990s and into the 2000s all of that began changing. I blame the internet. First you had sites on the web starting to sell guns, even ebay sold guns! Secondly, and more importantly, you had gun sites like the S&W Forum (and other gun forums) where S&W nuts like me could hang out and talk about their favorite handguns, SMITH & WESSON! All of this web chatter created new interest in old Smiths and the numbers of collectors looking for those old S&W handguns swelled, driving availability of these guns down while sending prices up. I am of course way oversimplifying here, there are other factors at play but I believe the world wide web significantly changed the gun collecting game forever.
In the years since I first started collecting Smith & Wesson handguns collector's interest has increased substantially, and so have prices. While I use to watch nearly new S&W revolvers languish on dealer's shelves for weeks or months before finding a buyer now they might only sit on display for days, or maybe hours, before being snatched up. On one hand I am glad that there are so many more now that appreciate fine Smith & Wessons. I am glad that these guns are finally getting some of the recognition that they should have received all along. I'm also glad that more and more people are finding out what many of us already knew for some time, how great those old S&Ws were. But on the other hand I do miss those days when I might go into a gun shop and find some hidden treasure in a display case that most other shooters looked right over. Kind of felt like I was in some special little club that only a chosen few belonged to. Like I had special vision and could see diamonds where others could only see lumps of coal...
People with guns collection # 20 - Originally posted Sunday, November 29, 2009
From my own personal collection!
"FIRE AT WILL! - These Miami, Fla., bathing girls have the makings of good marksmen as they are showing in a new sport of air pistol target shooting." OCT 26 1941
I don't know why this idea didn't catch on. Swimsuit model shooting competitions seems like a brilliant idea to me.
"FIRE AT WILL! - These Miami, Fla., bathing girls have the makings of good marksmen as they are showing in a new sport of air pistol target shooting." OCT 26 1941 I don't know why this idea didn't catch on. Swimsuit model shooting competitions seems like a brilliant idea to me.
Monday, March 29, 2010
People with guns collection # 19 - Originally posted Sunday, October 25, 2009
From my own personal collection!
"DETROIT, DEC .28 -- GUN THAT SHOOTS AROUND CORNERS -- Sergt. Donald D. Hector, of Muskegon, Mich., demonstrates how a newly developed barrel makes it possible to shoot around corners with a standard sub machine gun. The barrel, which fits on the Army's standard M-3 'grease gun', was developed at the Detroit Arsenal for use by tank crews and infantrymen. It fires a standard 45 caliber bullet at the rate of 450 rounds a minute." 12-28-1951
Somehow, I'm thinking this idea just didn't work out...
"DETROIT, DEC .28 -- GUN THAT SHOOTS AROUND CORNERS -- Sergt. Donald D. Hector, of Muskegon, Mich., demonstrates how a newly developed barrel makes it possible to shoot around corners with a standard sub machine gun. The barrel, which fits on the Army's standard M-3 'grease gun', was developed at the Detroit Arsenal for use by tank crews and infantrymen. It fires a standard 45 caliber bullet at the rate of 450 rounds a minute." 12-28-1951 Somehow, I'm thinking this idea just didn't work out...
Sunday, March 28, 2010
People with guns collection # 18 - Originally posted Sunday, September 27, 2009
From my own personal collection!
"DETROIT COP WHO COPPED CAMP PERRY PISTOL TROPHY.
Camp Perry, Ohio..... Detective James Parks, Detroit Policeman, who was the winner of the Pangrish Trophy at the national rifle and pistol matches which were held there. Policemen from 43 cities competed in the contest." 9-1-30
"DETROIT COP WHO COPPED CAMP PERRY PISTOL TROPHY. Camp Perry, Ohio..... Detective James Parks, Detroit Policeman, who was the winner of the Pangrish Trophy at the national rifle and pistol matches which were held there. Policemen from 43 cities competed in the contest." 9-1-30
wilsonblogclassic® Originally posted Friday, September 25, 2009
Classic TV Collection - From my own personal archives!
"ROCKFORDS IN HAWAII -- A free trip to Hawaii turns into a frustrating experience for Rocky (Noah Beery, left) when his son, Jim Rockford (James Garner), is 'shanghaied' into working on a dangerous government intelligence mission, in 'The Hawaiian Headache', on NBC-TV's 'The Rockford Files' Friday, Nov. 23 (9-10 p.m. NYT). The episode was filmed entirely on location in Hawaii. (10/26/79)"
Spanning seven years and 122 episodes NBC's The Rockford Files took the well-known genre of the TV Private Eye and turned it on its head. Private Investigator Jim Rockford, wonderfully portrayed my James Garner, was nothing like the TV detectives that came before him, we had never seen a "Private Dick" like this before. Rockford was an ex-con who dressed in cheap suits and lived and worked out of a rundown trailer parked on the beach. Many times he would find himself with impossible cases, deadbeat clients and quite often left holding the short end of the stick. Unlike previous depictions of screen P.I.s as macho types who never turned from trouble, Jim Rockford tried his best to stay away from trouble, in fact given the chance he would usually run the other way! And although he did have a gun like other TV detectives it was seldom seen or used and spent the large majority of its time hidden away in a cookie jar. Mostly James "Jimbo" Rockford tried to use his brains and instincts (sometimes aided by dumb luck) to get himself out of the dangerous situations that nearly always found himself in. Along with his meddling, but well meaning father (Noah Beery), his long suffering police Sgt. friend (Joe Santos), former cell mate and perpetual con artist Evelyn "Angel" Martin (Stuart Margolin), and often much needed attorney and friend Beth Davenport (Gretchen Corbett) Rockford did have plenty of exciting adventures, although he rarely collected his much quoted "$200 a day, plus expenses". With smart scripts, an award winning theme song and a great collection of guest starring actors over the years The Rockford Files would become a high water mark in TV detective shows that few others would ever be able to reach.
"ROCKFORDS IN HAWAII -- A free trip to Hawaii turns into a frustrating experience for Rocky (Noah Beery, left) when his son, Jim Rockford (James Garner), is 'shanghaied' into working on a dangerous government intelligence mission, in 'The Hawaiian Headache', on NBC-TV's 'The Rockford Files' Friday, Nov. 23 (9-10 p.m. NYT). The episode was filmed entirely on location in Hawaii. (10/26/79)" Spanning seven years and 122 episodes NBC's The Rockford Files took the well-known genre of the TV Private Eye and turned it on its head. Private Investigator Jim Rockford, wonderfully portrayed my James Garner, was nothing like the TV detectives that came before him, we had never seen a "Private Dick" like this before. Rockford was an ex-con who dressed in cheap suits and lived and worked out of a rundown trailer parked on the beach. Many times he would find himself with impossible cases, deadbeat clients and quite often left holding the short end of the stick. Unlike previous depictions of screen P.I.s as macho types who never turned from trouble, Jim Rockford tried his best to stay away from trouble, in fact given the chance he would usually run the other way! And although he did have a gun like other TV detectives it was seldom seen or used and spent the large majority of its time hidden away in a cookie jar. Mostly James "Jimbo" Rockford tried to use his brains and instincts (sometimes aided by dumb luck) to get himself out of the dangerous situations that nearly always found himself in. Along with his meddling, but well meaning father (Noah Beery), his long suffering police Sgt. friend (Joe Santos), former cell mate and perpetual con artist Evelyn "Angel" Martin (Stuart Margolin), and often much needed attorney and friend Beth Davenport (Gretchen Corbett) Rockford did have plenty of exciting adventures, although he rarely collected his much quoted "$200 a day, plus expenses". With smart scripts, an award winning theme song and a great collection of guest starring actors over the years The Rockford Files would become a high water mark in TV detective shows that few others would ever be able to reach.
wilsonblogclassic® Originally posted Sunday, September 13, 2009
By the late 1960s Colt had just about priced themselves out of the revolver business. Handguns like their old model Trooper, which required considerable amounts of time consuming hand fitting to be done during the assembly process, had become too costly to make. Colt simply could no longer compete with other revolver manufacturers. A newer, less expensive method of construction was needed and in 1969 the Colt "J" Frame Mark III was the result. The new Colt was a major step forward in that most of the internal parts were made using a new "sintered" steel process. This process, which was an early version of the MIM (Metal Injection Molding) that is so popular now, formed the internal parts from powdered steel that was injected into a mold and then heated until it fused together forming the basic part. What this innovation did was to allow the new Mark III to be assembled with almost no hand fitting, saving the company in production costs but at the same time still making for a strong and reliable gun. The double action Mark III was initially offered in four models all with a new (for Colt) transfer bar safety system. The new offerings included the Trooper, the Lawman, the Official Police and the Metropolitan. The Trooper was the top of the line heavy barrel .357 Magnum model with adjustable sights. The Lawman was the same but with fixed sights. The Official Police offered the buyer a .38 Special with a lighter contour barrel, while the Metropolitan was essentially the heavy barreled Lawman but in .38 Special.
Built on Colt's forged steel "41" frame all were rugged and reliable weapons. Many gun experts still consider the MK III Colt and its descendants to be some of the most, if not the most, robust medium frame revolvers ever made. Eventually the Mark III would evolve into the Mark V, which would later turn into Colt's famous King Cobra. While the new handgun didn't have as much "sex appeal" as other Colt offerings like the Python, what the MK III did offer to potential buyers was an accurate, well designed and constructed revolver that could easily stand up to a lifetime of shooting.
I purchased the Lawman shown here over a year ago but then sold it to my Dad when I was trying to raise funds to purchase a Smith & Wesson "Registered" Magnum. I recently re-acquired it in a trade. This is an early "snubbie" Lawman built in 1972. The Lawman was originally offered with a 4-inch barrel only but beginning in 1971 a 2-inch barrel was offered. The 2-inch Lawman in effect looked like a Colt Detective Special on steroids, but having considerably more "beef" the Lawman could easily handle higher pressure magnum loads. Earlier production guns like mine had an exposed ejector rod but this particular style was only in production for about two years before Colt changed over to a barrel with an enclosed ejector rod and a ramp front sight. The size and shape of the grip frame for the 2-inch Lawman was also different than all other MK III guns which does make purchasing aftermarket grips even more difficult. The revolver is built like a proverbial tank and lock up is like a bank vault door. Mark III Colts are solid, under appreciated weapons that offer their owners considerable bang for the buck.
wilsonblogclassic® Originally posted Saturday, September 12, 2009
Shoot 'Em Up starring Clive Owen is another in the genre of gunfire and explosion filled, testosterone fueled, male adolescent fantasy action films all in a similar vein to Smokin' Aces, which I recently reviewed. The biggest difference between that film and this one is that here Writer/Director Michael Davis makes no attempt to take himself seriously, this movie is just silly action fluff and director Davis never implies otherwise. The shooting starts very early in the film and doesn't really end. Nearly every movie gunfight cliché that you could think of is written into the script and then taken to the extreme. The rules of common sense, logic or physics are not needed or welcomed because they would just slow down the story. The "story" is about a mysterious gunman named Smith (Owen) and his efforts to save the life of a newborn baby from a fanatical hired gunman (brilliant character actor Paul Giamatti) who is intent on killing him. Monica Bellucci is Smith's hooker girlfriend who is along for the ride and is at least nice to look at in the brief down times when everyone is reloading. I must admit that I liked this movie. I guess that means I'm not over my male adolescent fantasy phase yet. Maybe in the next forty years...
Saturday, March 27, 2010
wilsonblogclassic® Originally posted Tuesday, August 25, 2009
After watching Smokin' Aces a second time I must admit that I like this movie. I guess you could call it a guilty pleasure kind of thing because there really is no reason to like it as much as I do. The story is full of clichéd, waaaaaaay over the top characters, weak dialog and an unbelievable and contrived script that has to be literally explained to the audience at the end because it's so inept. This film does nothing that has not been done before, and done better. Look no further than Tarantino or Guy Ritchie to see how much better this type of material can be. And yet here I am writing a marginally positive review of it. Despite the many problems with this film it still does hold your attention. Much like watching a car wreck you just can't look away. There are many good actors in this production but that is irrelevant as there is no script. Essentially the actors are flung from one absurd, violent scenario to the next and in that regard whatever acting talent they have doesn't matter a bit, just so long as they are on their mark when the guns and squibs start going off! There are however a few "acting" moments in this film, my favorite would be involving character actor Jeremy Piven. I like him in most everything he's in and this film is no exception. His character is central to the "story" and watching him slowly disintegrate thru this bumbled production is truly a pleasure. So if like me, you're into a lot of inane dialog and overblown violence, caricatures instead of characters, and more guns being displayed than at the last SHOT show, this is the movie for you.
People with guns collection # 17 - Originally posted Sunday, August 23, 2009
From my own personal collection!
"International News Photo, Washington D.C. Oct. 8th '40
Quantico, Va. - F.B.I. Agents demonstrate quick-draw, pistol shooting from the hips, at their pistol and rifle range at Quantico, Va. The exhibition was given for students of the National Police Academy."
F.B.I. Agents demonstrating for the crowd and attending press the classic crouching, instinctive point shooting method that was standard law enforcement training doctrine of the time. Note of the eight agents that can be observed six are using Smith & Wesson 357 Magnum revolvers with 3 ½ barrels. S&W had introduced their revolutionary 357 only five years earlier and the new cartridge and handgun, especially in the shorter barrel lengths, was already very popular with many peace officers of the era. The six shot 357 represented the ultimate in handgun firepower in law enforcement circles and would remain so for many years, only being replaced in recent decades when auto pistols of higher capacities became the norm. Also note the total lack of safety measures on the F.B.I.'s live range, no eye or ear protection and in some cases agents firing their magnums within inches of one another! These men were made of tougher stuff than I!
"International News Photo, Washington D.C. Oct. 8th '40 Quantico, Va. - F.B.I. Agents demonstrate quick-draw, pistol shooting from the hips, at their pistol and rifle range at Quantico, Va. The exhibition was given for students of the National Police Academy."
F.B.I. Agents demonstrating for the crowd and attending press the classic crouching, instinctive point shooting method that was standard law enforcement training doctrine of the time. Note of the eight agents that can be observed six are using Smith & Wesson 357 Magnum revolvers with 3 ½ barrels. S&W had introduced their revolutionary 357 only five years earlier and the new cartridge and handgun, especially in the shorter barrel lengths, was already very popular with many peace officers of the era. The six shot 357 represented the ultimate in handgun firepower in law enforcement circles and would remain so for many years, only being replaced in recent decades when auto pistols of higher capacities became the norm. Also note the total lack of safety measures on the F.B.I.'s live range, no eye or ear protection and in some cases agents firing their magnums within inches of one another! These men were made of tougher stuff than I!
wilsonblogclassic® Originally posted Saturday, July 25, 2009
70 years ago today
On this day 70 years ago, Tuesday, July 25th 1939 my Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum revolver shipped from the factory. The gun was special ordered with the 3 ½ inch barrel (the shortest available barrel length), blue finish, humpback hammer, Magna grips and a King red bead front sight with "U" notch white outline rear sight. Further, it was specified that the gun be sighted in at the factory using .357 Magnum ammunition at a distance of 25 yards and using a 6 o'clock hold. The revolver was ordered by Sutcliffe Hardware Co. Louisville Kentucky. It is not known if the .357 was ordered for a specific individual or to use as company stock.
On this day 70 years ago, Tuesday, July 25th 1939 my Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum revolver shipped from the factory. The gun was special ordered with the 3 ½ inch barrel (the shortest available barrel length), blue finish, humpback hammer, Magna grips and a King red bead front sight with "U" notch white outline rear sight. Further, it was specified that the gun be sighted in at the factory using .357 Magnum ammunition at a distance of 25 yards and using a 6 o'clock hold. The revolver was ordered by Sutcliffe Hardware Co. Louisville Kentucky. It is not known if the .357 was ordered for a specific individual or to use as company stock.
wilsonblogclassic® Originally posted Thursday, July 23, 2009
Finally got the chance to see Quantum of Solace, the most recent 007 adventure. I liked the film but must admit that it was not as good as the first "new" James Bond movie Casino Royale. The film was good but did seem rushed to the conclusion in an attempt to keep the action non-stop. That is great for action junkies but I prefer a little more story and character even in my James Bond movies. Even so Quantum of Solace was quite entertaining and still superior to many previous Bond films. Although this film wasn't as good as Casino Royale I still stand by my statement in an earlier post that Daniel Craig is the best James Bond ever.
Friday, March 26, 2010
People with guns collection # 16 - Originally posted Sunday, July 19, 2009
From my own personal collection!
"Jimmie James F Bonner 12 year old trap shooter - Photo by Bob Dorman Newspaper Enterprise Ass'n" Aug 13 1921
"Jimmie James F Bonner 12 year old trap shooter - Photo by Bob Dorman Newspaper Enterprise Ass'n" Aug 13 1921
wilsonblogclassic® Originally posted Saturday, July 18, 2009
Much Loved Guns
You just have to love a well worn gun. A gun that has been used a lot, but not abused, and has seen countless days serving its owner in the day to day drudgery that is the life of a normal working gun. I Bought this little gem off of the web a few years ago. I had put in a bid on the gun at $1 over the minimum and forgot about it, never thinking I would win. Nearly a week later I'm surprised to get an email informing me that I was indeed the winner, no one else had even bid on it! I am sure because of the condition many potential buyers turned their noses up at this one, just too much wear. This fine old revolver wasn't "collectable" enough for them but it was fine for me, I'll take every serviceable old Smith & Wesson .38 I can get for $100!
This is an early production Chiefs Special made in 1953. It is all original and all matching numbers including the grips. The Chiefs Special went into production in 1950 so the model had only been out about 2 ½ years when this one came out of the factory in Springfield MA. This revolver is an early "5-Screw" gun and has the first type trigger guard but has the later ramp type front sight. Very early Chiefs Specials had a round "half moon" type front sight but weren't produced very long before they went to sights like on this example. Later on S&W would change to model numbers and this gun would become the world famous Model 36.
This gun had obviously been used a lot and that was probably the reason that I had absolutely no one bidding against me for it. The gun has considerable holster wear, especially on the cylinder, but the worst wear is on the grip of the gun. The finish is completely gone on the grip frame and both grips are well worn, the right side grip is nearly worn smooth. This gun had clearly spent many years, if not decades, being carried. It showed all the signs of a gun that had spent a lot of time on someone's belt.
This gun also came with a "gun story" absolutely free! Many old guns have stories that come with them, true or not typically they're worth what you pay for them. The story that came with this gun was that it had originally belonged to a NYPD Officer. The gun was used by him in over 30 years of service on the police department and when he retired he took the revolver that had long served him to retirement with him in Florida. Later his widow would sell the gun to a FL gun dealer and that's how it ended up on a national gun auction site and finally in my safe. I have nothing to prove (or disprove) the story, other than the gun was obviously carried quite a bit and has a lot of wear associated with those seen carried by the police, so the story is at least plausible. It's fun to speculate about where a gun might have been or who might have used it, but the only thing that can be said for certain is that this fine old Smith & Wesson served someone faithfully for a very long time.
You just have to love a well worn gun. A gun that has been used a lot, but not abused, and has seen countless days serving its owner in the day to day drudgery that is the life of a normal working gun. I Bought this little gem off of the web a few years ago. I had put in a bid on the gun at $1 over the minimum and forgot about it, never thinking I would win. Nearly a week later I'm surprised to get an email informing me that I was indeed the winner, no one else had even bid on it! I am sure because of the condition many potential buyers turned their noses up at this one, just too much wear. This fine old revolver wasn't "collectable" enough for them but it was fine for me, I'll take every serviceable old Smith & Wesson .38 I can get for $100!This is an early production Chiefs Special made in 1953. It is all original and all matching numbers including the grips. The Chiefs Special went into production in 1950 so the model had only been out about 2 ½ years when this one came out of the factory in Springfield MA. This revolver is an early "5-Screw" gun and has the first type trigger guard but has the later ramp type front sight. Very early Chiefs Specials had a round "half moon" type front sight but weren't produced very long before they went to sights like on this example. Later on S&W would change to model numbers and this gun would become the world famous Model 36.
This gun had obviously been used a lot and that was probably the reason that I had absolutely no one bidding against me for it. The gun has considerable holster wear, especially on the cylinder, but the worst wear is on the grip of the gun. The finish is completely gone on the grip frame and both grips are well worn, the right side grip is nearly worn smooth. This gun had clearly spent many years, if not decades, being carried. It showed all the signs of a gun that had spent a lot of time on someone's belt.
This gun also came with a "gun story" absolutely free! Many old guns have stories that come with them, true or not typically they're worth what you pay for them. The story that came with this gun was that it had originally belonged to a NYPD Officer. The gun was used by him in over 30 years of service on the police department and when he retired he took the revolver that had long served him to retirement with him in Florida. Later his widow would sell the gun to a FL gun dealer and that's how it ended up on a national gun auction site and finally in my safe. I have nothing to prove (or disprove) the story, other than the gun was obviously carried quite a bit and has a lot of wear associated with those seen carried by the police, so the story is at least plausible. It's fun to speculate about where a gun might have been or who might have used it, but the only thing that can be said for certain is that this fine old Smith & Wesson served someone faithfully for a very long time.
wilsonblogclassic® Originally posted Thursday, July 16, 2009
Pocket Guns
Pocket guns - they might be praised or cursed, daily carried or a "safe queen", but what self-respecting "gun nut" doesn't have at least one in their collection? I own several myself, most of the Smith & Wesson "J" Frame variety. For several years they were all that I used when I carried in public. A steel frame S&W M649 being my main carry gun from 1997 to 2003. That little .38 Bodyguard traveled nearly everywhere with me and it still sees occasional use right up to today. Despite having better carry guns I still know how useful a good pocket gun can be.
Pocket guns have a lot going for them, ease of concealment being one big factor. Their small size and (generally) light weight also make carrying them all day long a minor chore. But ultimately it is the convenience of the pocket gun that has to be its greatest asset. When your little gun isn't much of a burden on you it is much more likely to be taken when you leave the house. And that's the best thing the pocket gun has going for it, since it's much more likely to go with you, it is much more likely to be there when you need it. How many better self-defense handguns get left at home because they're too much a burden?
But you do trade off the convenience of the pocket gun for other important considerations. Generally, they are much harder to shoot well and to make consistent hits with, more practice is definitely needed. The lighter weight guns can actually be painful to shoot (causing you to practice much less with them) and many pocket guns are in less effective "mouse gun" calibers. But whatever else good or bad that might be said about little pocket guns the most important thing you can say is that they are much more likely to be there when you really need them, and that's probably the most important thing that you could ever say...
Pocket guns - they might be praised or cursed, daily carried or a "safe queen", but what self-respecting "gun nut" doesn't have at least one in their collection? I own several myself, most of the Smith & Wesson "J" Frame variety. For several years they were all that I used when I carried in public. A steel frame S&W M649 being my main carry gun from 1997 to 2003. That little .38 Bodyguard traveled nearly everywhere with me and it still sees occasional use right up to today. Despite having better carry guns I still know how useful a good pocket gun can be. Pocket guns have a lot going for them, ease of concealment being one big factor. Their small size and (generally) light weight also make carrying them all day long a minor chore. But ultimately it is the convenience of the pocket gun that has to be its greatest asset. When your little gun isn't much of a burden on you it is much more likely to be taken when you leave the house. And that's the best thing the pocket gun has going for it, since it's much more likely to go with you, it is much more likely to be there when you need it. How many better self-defense handguns get left at home because they're too much a burden?
But you do trade off the convenience of the pocket gun for other important considerations. Generally, they are much harder to shoot well and to make consistent hits with, more practice is definitely needed. The lighter weight guns can actually be painful to shoot (causing you to practice much less with them) and many pocket guns are in less effective "mouse gun" calibers. But whatever else good or bad that might be said about little pocket guns the most important thing you can say is that they are much more likely to be there when you really need them, and that's probably the most important thing that you could ever say...
wilsonblogclassic® Originally posted Monday, July 13, 2009
After a couple of viewings of Taken starring Liam Neeson I ended up liking the movie very much, but this is not the usual shoot 'em up action flick. Taken is a little more intense and realistic than what you would normally see in this type of film. It's a very compelling story about an ex-intelligence agent searching for his abducted teenage daughter and willing to do anything to find her. This movie takes on the subject seen in another great (and underrated) action movie, David Mamet's Spartan, the subject of trafficking in young women to be sold in Mid-East nations. As already stated the film takes itself more seriously than the average action movie of this type. The fight scenes and gunplay in this film are (for the most part) much more real to life, usually brutal and over very quickly. Neeson does an excellent job with the part, showing both sides of his character's personality, the caring father wanting to have a relationship with his estranged daughter and the consummate professional willing to do anything to complete his mission. This is not the usual type of role that he is known for but Neeson shows himself to be more than capable. I purchased the 2-Disc "Extended Cut" DVD that includes both the theatrical release of the film and the extended version, which is a few minutes longer and includes some more action and violence. Both are well worth seeing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)