Saturday, June 6, 2020

Life is good ....

What you are seeing in the photograph (if your eyes are open) is a Smith & Wesson Military & Police pre-Model 10 in .38 Special caliber wearing Altamont grips with two sets of Hogue grips and the original S&W grips alongside it. My opinion, based on internal and external wear of the revolver, is that it has been carried a lot in a holster by a right-handed shooter and fired very little. This means it probably spent much of its life prior to Fram as a weapon carried by civilian or military police or by private security personnel.
Included here are three videos, the first is Hickok45 talking about and firing a S&W Model 10 .38 Special. Hickok45 is Greg Kinman, a retired middle-school English teacher and former law enforcement auxiliary officer, who resides in Tennessee. The second features Katelyn "Katie" Francis, a 16-year-old young lady from Missouri who participates in three-gun (handgun/rifle/shotgun) shooting competitions around the country. It is my opinion she can outshoot me and anybody I know. Also included -- ironically -- is John Lennon performing his Instant Karma. It is here because I like Lennon and adore the song. Besides, the lyrics are appropriate for our times. The more I listen to Lennon's music and watch videos featuring him, the more I appreciate what a gifted person and talented music man he was. He was instantly likeable and innately funny (from my point of view) and, evidently, he found a means to secure perpetual happiness.
Yeh, I remember what was going on 76 years ago today .... ok, not remember per se, but know from story and study about World War II. Military units from 12 or 13 countries (so much for the absoluteness of history) took part in the invasion of Europe with landings at Normandy in France. I have relatives who were a bit late for that party, not arriving in France until September. They survived the war, but one was killed in an unsolved murder in Holland after it was over. Actually, war never is over. It only changes in alliances and in enemies and in locations .... qué será, será ....
Barrel lengths & grips & uffff ....
Sometime in late 2016 it occurred to me that I never have fired, much less owned, a revolver with a five-inch barrel. The remedy? Buy one and shoot it, of course, preferably one which would not cost me an arm and a leg because curiosity would be my only reason for obtaining it.
Here you see the results of that realization and curiosity. I will not tell you what I paid for it, but I will mention that I purchased it on January 3, 2017, more-or-less locally. I also will mention that according to the third edition of the "Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson," by Jim Supica and Richard Nahas it was made in 1947, give or take a year in either direction. Without going into detail, I will say S&W firearms often are very difficult to date.
I cannot hit with it nearly as well as I am able with a traditional Colt Model 1911 semi-automatic pistol in .45 caliber and its five-inch barrel, for instance, but that is no surprise because ever since I bought my first handgun I have significantly favored semis over revolvers and shot them almost exclusively.
Presumably, simply looking at the original grips should be reason enough to understand why I will not use them. They are "tiny." I cannot understand how law enforcement people put up with such unremarkable, barely useable grips on an otherwise outstanding revolver .... booooooo .... hisssssss ....
The black Hogue grips are a set I have had for some time. They are ideal in every possible way other than visual appearance. They are rubber, fit my hand perfectly and I use similar sets on most of my handguns for actual shooting. The other set of Hogues is wood, much more attractive and also fit my hand perfectly. However, wood is not "squeezeable," so I could not shoot as well with them if I could get them on the handgun. Somewhere between the revolver and the grips there is a design problem and this one-piece set does not fit the firearm.
All is well with the grips now actually on the S&W. They are attractive; they fit my hand perfectly; they fit the firearm perfectly .... what more could a resident of Neverland ask? I cannot hit as well with them as I can with the rubber Hogues, but since this "baby" never will be a regular "carry gun" for me, so what?
As for shooting a revolver with a five-inch barrel -- which was the root of my curiosity and the source of this experiment -- my opinion is that there is no significant difference in terms of my accuracy with it than there is hitting home with revolvers with a four-inch or a six-inch barrel. The only actual difference for me, perhaps, and perhaps for most people, is in the matter of concealability, and that is a moot point for a "semi guy."







11 comments:

Kelly said...

I think we only have one revolver in the house and I've never shot it. Maybe sometime I will. It might be the same everywhere, but here if you get your CCL, you can carry either a pistol or a revolver if you qualify on a pistol. However, if you qualify on a revolver, you're limited to that. The rules may have changed, though.

The first handgun I bought was a S&W Bodyguard .360.

That is quite a remarkable young lady in the video. Impressive.

Kelly said...

I mistyped. That should have been S&W Bodyguard .380 🙄 I've also been informed that we do have other revolvers in the house - all S&W. Many of his guns have been around longer than I have (I'm a second wife, though we've been married for decades), so I can't always keep up with everything. ;)

Fram Actual said...

I have purchased two Colt revolvers, one of which I still have. It is a Model 1877 Lightning in .38 Long Colt. Mine was made in 1888. According to Colt records, it actually was shipped to a Saint Paul gun shop then located only a few miles from my current residence in the year it was made. Then, it sort of disappeared from sight for more than a century. I spotted it on the internet in 2015 for sale in New Mexico and told myself I had to have it. Now I do. I brought it home, in a manner of speaking.

The other Colt was a Python I traded away when I was living in Michigan. Otherwise, I currently have seven more revolvers, six Smith & Wesson, four of which are new and never fired, and a Lipsey Ruger Bisley .454 Casull. I also have two other Hopkins & Allen revolvers which are antiques, one owned by a great-grandfather and one by a great-uncle who were small town cops once upon a time. Neither is "shootable" and they are in the hands of my son, so, I guess, technically they are his revolvers.

I am pretty much derelict in keeping up with carry laws. I have been legal in three states, with South Dakota the only one where no training is required. I know there are some states in which the handgun or guns you intend to carry specifically have to be registered as such with local police, but cannot recall ever hearing of the semi/revolver distinction you mention.

Yes, Ms. Francis really is something. If you "cruise" the internet, you will discover there are many women and girls like her. I think it is great.

Thank you, for being here and for your comment, Kelly. The perfect weather day has turned into a rainy weather day .... time to shut windows ....

Simply Me said...

Hello again, Fram. Your gun is a very nice one. I like the wooden handle the best as it is very attractive. The small wood one almost looks as though it is for a child. Maybe it was, although in 1877 people were much smaller than today so maybe not. Maybe it was for the lady of the house :-)
We have many problems here in Los Angeles now and I don't feel safe. It is disheartening what is going on and the world has become such a scary place to me. My gun was stolen so I have no gun and it is difficult to purchase one in California. The wait times are very long and according to one of my friends, you can only buy a small amount of ammo at a time. She, like the young girl in the second video is a very good shot. She is from Georgia and she enjoys shooting and evidently has won many competitions shooting when she lived there. I'm going to ask her to teach me to shoot. My deputy at work suggest that I buy a shotgun because I don't have to be a good aim. He says get a shotgun and buckshot and you'll be good. So much for his confidence in my shooting abilities...but, he is probably right. The first gentleman, the teacher is also a very good shot. As far as Yoko Ono, what the heck is with the blindfold? She is such an odd duck :-)
I think it's pretty neat that you could trace the history of your gun and bring it home....I like that.
Stay safe!
Hugs <3

Fram Actual said...

Hmmmm .... why is Yoko Ono blindfolded and knitting while sitting next to John Lennon as he plays piano and sings?

Sorry, Simply Me, aka California Kelly, but I do not know. I was late for the recording session that day and everyone had gone home by the time I arrived. I would hazard a guess that since the song was written and recorded in 1970 and reflected the composer's frustration with the world as it was then, his "soul mate" was showing her agreement with his sentiment.

Purely for information purposes, this is what History Command has to say about the song: "I wrote it for breakfast, recorded it for lunch and we're putting it out for dinner." That's the way John Lennon told the story of "Instant Karma," one of his most memorable songs as a solo artist and the third Lennon single to appear before the official breakup of the Beatles. The only exaggeration in John's description was the part about dinner: "Instant Karma" wasn't actually released to the public until 13 days after it was written and recorded over the course of a single Tuesday, on January 27, 1970."

Moving on .... actually, I think you and I lost something in translation in regard to the photograph and my written words. The photograph is of a 1947 (give or take a year) Smith & Wesson pre-Model 10, which is the subject of the post. The reference to my 1877 Colt Lightning is altogether a different matter, mentioned only in my reply comment to Arkansas Kelly's comment.

Colt, no doubt, is among the easiest amid all the firearms companies from which to gather data on a particular gun. Simply send Colt the serial number and a check for $50 and it will send you a letter with all the information in its files regarding that particular gun.

I also would be hesitant recommending a shotgun and buckshot as the primary weapon for home defense, largely because it would be awkward to stash and to maneuver within a building -- not to mention difficult to shoot due to recoil. Learning to safely handle and shoot a handgun generally is easier and wiser for a beginner, and two or three handguns certainly would be easier to have situated in two or three rooms than would be two or three shotguns.

Better yet, though not lethal or foolproof, buy a few canisters of a mace-like substance and carry one with you while keeping any others handy at home.

Did you ever fire the revolver you had at one time? Or any handgun? My suggestion would be go to a gun shop which has its own range and test fire two or three or four smaller handguns, then pick one out and take lessons there using it and eventually go through the task of buying one.

I would add that you might want to watch a few Hickok45 videos. The old coot is a hell of a shot and a great source of information about firearms. He is, for sure, windy, but that goes with the "gun nut territory."

All right, Kelly. Thank you, for coming and for writing a comment for me. As "the (first) king" would sing: "Happy trails to you, keep smilin' until then ...."

Simply Me said...

I think your advice is much better than my deputy. I will follow your lead and take the lessons. I never did shoot the gun I had. It was hidden in the closet. Unfortunately, not hidden well enough from the thief that stole it. You too, keep smiling:)

Fram Actual said...

There are any number of precautions an individual could and should take regarding personal safety, Kelly, but the dumb luck factor -- good luck or bad luck -- frequently comes into play. Montana is a wide open country on the eastern side, and I know of an instance where a young man was struck and killed by a bullet which seemingly came out of nowhere. He was standing in the wrong place at the wrong time .... had he been standing a foot to the left or to the right, the bullet would not have hit him. An individual can go to a shooting range and fire a thousand rounds a day, but there is no way to prepare for something as random as that.

The bottom line to me is to be prepared as best you are able, which means try as many firearms as possible. It took me years to discover a couple which are like extensions of my own body. There are some handguns I can shoot all day and never hit the broadside of a barn -- even if shooting inside the barn. But, there are two I have found so far with which I can connect almost magically.

Silly as it might sound, practice a bit of zen on a target range. Envision following a bullet from your gun as it travels to and strikes the bullseye.

Thank you, Kelly, for your return visit .... think about shooting and zen .... worth a try and nothing to lose ....

Simply Me said...

Thank you, Dear Fram. You are sweet to think further of me. I agree about the synchronicity of life's events. We never really know when our time will come. Once while camping I had a zinger sail right past me. I think people were hunting and saw movement in the bush and just missed me. I ducked to the ground and survived unscathed. I was in a rural area, not an authorized campground. I was also about 6 months pregnant with my son Ryan at the time. It was meant to be that he and I survived. I remember when they were bombing in Israel and my best friend told me she had to hang up the phone and get to the bomb shelter. It was her friend's birthday and she needed to get the birthday cake and flowers to take to the shelter for the night. I may have told you that story before. I always marveled at her story. I said, "They're bombing and you are worried about getting flowers and cake?" She replied, "If there is a bomb with my name on it, I'm dead anyway so I may as well enjoy the journey as I am still living." What a beautiful attitude. When I feel down about life's circumstances I will remind myself of her words. We must live and live to the fullest. We never know what tomorrow will bring. I believe we have angels to protect us and a purpose to fulfill on this earth. Think of how we can meet a person or be in a place and our lives are totally changed. Random events that lead to incredible places...synchronicity. Is it God, angels, dumb luck or a little of each?

Fram Actual said...

I guess I pretty much categorize all these things as a matter of dumb luck. Questions, especially regarding philosophy and religion, I reserve for a more general view of life and discussions about it. When a guy a few feet away from you drops dead, I am not the sort to ask why him and not me. I am the sort to write it off as the wrong place at the wrong time for him.

When I buzzed through Normandy a number of years ago, for instance, the question occurred to me how one place can be the epicenter of death and destruction at a specific date and time, and be a place where girls are running around in bikinis at another specific date and time? Wrong place/wrong time vs. right place/right time.

Why does a guy who survived World War II while winning every medal available die decades later in an airplane crash "caused by the pilot's decision to continue operating under visual flight rules (VFR) into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), combined with his lack of experience in the aircraft type."? Right place/right time vs. wrong place/wrong time.

I think we mere mortals are players/spectators in a game we likely never will understand. It is difficult "talking" about these things in writing as opposed to verbally, so I will leave it at that.

Yes, in the sense you often talk about Kathy, but no, I do not recall that story.

In the meanwhile, Ms. California, thank you, for your continuing appearances here. You are a very special individual ....

Anita said...

Goodmorning America.

Like the first video very much.What a man, what a man.Love his voice and all he knows about guns.Smith &Wesson 38 I have been shooting with as a young girl.I have told you before.But I remember it as a bit bigger and heavier.For me having a gun in my hands gives me great relax and confidence .Too much maybe !I quess for me ,in a bad situation, would be distancing and run away as fast as I can.
The second video is also great.I love her t- shirt, her pants and her belt,house on the country and all the things she do.Most of all I give respect and credit to her father.He, who has taken his time of life, to learn handling guns to his daughter.That is love I quess.The landscape is wonderful.Gives me the thinking America is beautiful:)
Instant Karma.Why do you think this song is so special?In these times?
To answer what Yoko is doing.She shows that she can Crochet without looking

Nice post and photo
Stay Happy Fram.

Mo Chuisle

Fram Actual said...

Life is good .... so is Anita ....

Hickok45 -- aka Greg Kinman -- says "life is good" at the close of every show, and I guess it is for him or for anyone who has his own shooting range and can pop off multiple rounds 365 days of the year. By the way, the "gong" he shoots at periodically is 80 yards away to give you an idea of how good a shot he is no matter what firearm he shoots.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0gYo5I1-zc

Handguns come in many sizes, even those in the same calibers. There are very small, medium-size and large .38 Specials, for instance. One of my revolvers is a .454 Casull, which is very large and fires one of the largest handgun cartridges, and it is very difficult to shoot even with both hands gripping it due to the recoil and noise.

https://youtu.be/UTqo-4KUbA0

There are many young ladies like Katie Francis in this country and many fathers like her father. I think there should be more, and wish there were more.

As for Lennon and his song, by the end of the Sixties, the Kennedy brothers and Martin Luther King had been murdered; thousands of young Americans had been killed in Vietnam; riots had been taking place in Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit and many/many/many other cities, then in January 1970 here comes John Lennon to sing:

Better recognize your brothers
Ev'ryone you meet
Why in the world are we here
Surely not to live in pain and fear
Why on earth are you there
When you're ev'rywhere
Come and get your share
Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Yeah we all shine on
Come on and on and on on on

Seems like a good idea to me. What is different about the world today? What has changed in the past 50 years other than technology? What has changed in the past 50,000 years other than technology? Pretty much the same old world with the same old people doing the same old things to each other .... so, Lennon and his song fit in perfectly, to my way of thinking ....

I believe the song was/is special -- then and now -- because Lennon was stating what should be obvious: We all are brothers and sisters; we all have a spirit that shines on and on .... so, let us all work toward living together in peace and harmony. Think of his song, "Imagine" .... it is another one carrying the same message.

Anita writes: "To answer what Yoko is doing. She shows that she can Crochet without looking ...."

Fram replies: It just might be as that and nothing more. The thought did not occur to me. Too often (almost always), I am looking for meanings and symbolism and messages in song lyrics and poetry and probably miss the obvious. I never have been a student of Lennon or of Yoko, but judging by their time together, peace activism was central to their lives and that is why I think she was sort of singing along with John in her own way.

Thank you, Anita, for coming here and for your super comment. To quote the lyrics from another song writer:

All right now
Baby, it's-ah all right now ....

Something special ....