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Joined: Nov 2006
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Nov 2006
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If I have a grail gun it would be a S&W .38-44 Heavy Duty, 4 or 5 inch, blue or (preferably) nickel. The same configuration of a Model 28 as well. Neither is really impossible to find, just a matter of spending the time and money. Not a good time now, as we are getting ready to get out of this God-forsaken state and move South, also sending a boy off to college in the fall and his brother right behind him the following year.
Mathew 22: 37-39
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 3,153
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 3,153 |
I'm not a collector, so my "grail" is the right gun with some history and the cosmetic blemishes to prove it, plus a perfect bore and mechanicals.
I'm not an automatic guy at all--all five-speed and six-speed "manuals" for me.
So far my best buys are a 4" round butt S&W 651 "Stainless Magnum Kit Gun" w/red ramp front, and a Colt "New Service," 44-40 w/7 1/2" bbl. and old stags, made in 1914. Outside has character; inside is pristine. And she shoots the same loads as my '92 short rifle very well. Now I'd like a .38-40 NS or Bisley to go with my Win 1885 High Wall in that caliber (that's right, HIGH Wall).
In spite of my general aversion to autos, the First Model Colt "Woodsman Sport" that "Huntsman22" showed is one of the best small carry pistols ever made. I have a plain, worn one that is a great companion when I'm wandering and just feel like carrying "something." The only caveat I have for those is that they need to have the marking on the front strap that has parallel lines on it, NOT the earlier one with crosshatched lines. The latter are too early for modern high velocity .22 LRs, not to mention Stingers or Velocitors.
Sorry, I'm picher illiterate.
Last edited by Mesa; 03/16/19.
Was Mike Armstrong. Got logged off; couldn't log back on. RE-registered my old call sign, Mesa. FNG. Again. Mike Armstrong
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 843
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 843 |
1) Triple Lock 44 special.
2) S&W #3 in 44 Russian
3) Freedom Arms 44 Mag.
I'ld even throw a SAA 44 special on the list...
Probably in that order, and I'm poor enough, blue or nickel wouldn't matter, sights, or barrel length. Would just like to have a decent example in condition to shoot occasionally.
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 46,268 Likes: 2
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 46,268 Likes: 2 |
Oh, great, something else i gotta have...đł
Probably something modest: a 2nd gen colt saa 44-40, 5.5â, nice, solid, but shooter grade. Have had one in my mitts a few times over, priced accurately but were collector condition and price, and canât bring self to shoot the sheet out of one of those, itâll be gone forever.
Someday itâll line up. Likely well before gunner calls out of the blue to sell me that London best .303 brit sxs. Not now, dammit, my fireâs full of irons.
LOL Doc, I noticed that at the Tennessee pig shoot, if you'd have mentioned it, you may have wrote a check and left with that 303 Brit double rifle, my Colt SAA 45 and that A5 Belgian light twelve that you couldn't miss clay birds with.
Trump Won!
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 1,937
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 1,937 |
I found my two grails; 1957 Smith 4" pre 29's in both colors:
Ken
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 22,950 Likes: 21
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 22,950 Likes: 21 |
I'm pining for some Ivories just like that! I'd take a pair, but without the dairy cow.....
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 46,268 Likes: 2
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 46,268 Likes: 2 |
I need to put some better grips on it but these are the ones it came with. I always wanted a Linebaugh built 500 Linebaugh. I bought it used a couple of years ago. The workmanship is unbelievable on a Linebaugh revolver. They lock up like a vault. They truly are tremendous power in a very packable revolver. That's a damn nice hand cannon Mart, congratulations! I'd love to shoot it.
Trump Won!
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 4,867
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jul 2008
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Yessir. Youâve a knack for finding âem and appreciating them, clearly.
There are quality guns, high condition guns, rare guns, but theyâre just guns in the end. Then thereâs working art like that .303, likely traveled the world, built in dim lighting with tooling thatâs considered antiquated today, by a small cadre of committed craftsman of modest stature but extraordinary commitment to say nothing of astounding talents. Belt-driven machinery. Hand to cutter, to file, to graver, to scraper. 6 months gestation to get there, maybe a year, and even then there will be minute dimensional âshortcomingsâ youâd never find in say a modern Blaser shotgun, whose cnc tolerances are so stringent every single part is plug-n-play, is perfect.
But the latter is just a machine money can buy, thatâs all itâll ever be. Scratch it, itâs worth 50% less. The first example, however, is live art and will always feel alive, and perfect in itâs own skin, and be a touchstone to craftsmanship and history worth reflecting on. Yes, a wealthy shiek can order one up today new from Holland & Holland for $400-500k - but wonât be the same. Iâd save my pennies for the 120 year old version.
Havenât quite put a finger on what that would translate to in a handgun, yet. Different bird. Still, lots of sweet handguns on folkâs grail list. Provenence is interesting amongst handguns i think, not because of scarcity but for the history and story attached where someone previously held that grip. And why.
Golldammed motion detector lights. A guy canât even piss off his porch in peace any more.
"Look, I want to help the helpless. It's the clueless I don't give a [bleep] about." - Dennis Miller on obamacare.
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 46,268 Likes: 2
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 46,268 Likes: 2 |
Yessir. Youâve a knack for finding âem and appreciating them, clearly.
There are quality guns, high condition guns, rare guns, but theyâre just guns in the end. Then thereâs working art like that .303, likely traveled the world, built in dim lighting with tooling thatâs considered antiquated today, by a small cadre of committed craftsman of modest stature but extraordinary commitment to say nothing of astounding talents. Belt-driven machinery. Hand to cutter, to file, to graver, to scraper. 6 months gestation to get there, maybe a year, and even then there will be minute dimensional âshortcomingsâ youâd never find in say a modern Blaser shotgun, whose cnc tolerances are so stringent every single part is plug-n-play, is perfect.
But the latter is just a machine money can buy, thatâs all itâll ever be. Scratch it, itâs worth 50% less. The first example, however, is live art and will always feel alive, and perfect in itâs own skin, and be a touchstone to craftsmanship and history worth reflecting on. Yes, a wealthy shiek can order one up today new from Holland & Holland for $400-500k - but wonât be the same. Iâd save my pennies for the 120 year old version.
Havenât quite put a finger on what that would translate to in a handgun, yet. Different bird. Still, lots of sweet handguns on folkâs grail list. Provenence is interesting amongst handguns i think, not because of scarcity but for the history and story attached where someone previously held that grip. And why.
Dang Doc, that was deep, and oh so true.
Trump Won!
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,771
Campfire Regular
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OP
Campfire Regular
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,771 |
Lots of nice guns here. Sandcritter, thatâs very succinct and I feel the same way. I have a shop full of old tools and machines. Thereâs just something different about them. If only they could tell stories.
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 5,846 Likes: 8
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 5,846 Likes: 8 |
That's a damn nice hand cannon Mart, congratulations! I'd love to shoot it. Thank you sir. It's a handful with full throttle loads. I've been playing with some Trailboss and some 440 grain SWCs. Only about 750 fps but they ring steel with some surprising authority.I wouldn't be surprised but what that load would traverse a deer lengthwise. I did use it last year with a heavy load to finish off my bull moose, but that's the extent of its game getting so far. Anyone who is a single action revolver fan should, once in their life, own a custom by one of the big names: Linebaugh, Bowen, Huntington, Clements to name a few. They produce using works of art.
Chronographs, bore scopes and pattern boards have broke a lot of hearts.
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,856
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,856 |
Model 41, and 45 Colt Mountain Gun.
I keep looking for a bargin, I just need to buy them.
The 41 will never happen. I just cant justify the cost for my use.
But damn, the ones I've shot,
I couldnt miss. There comes a time when cost and ability doesn't matter. I've wanted a 41 for 30 years and finally got one a few years ago. I was always a very good rifleman but only an average pistol shot. I woke up one day in my mid 50's and said, I want one whether I can shoot it to its ability or not. I've never regretted it. I used to have a 625 Mountain Gun and loved it but ended up selling it. If a gun (or anything else) doesn't serve a purpose, I send it down the road.
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 46,268 Likes: 2
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 46,268 Likes: 2 |
That's a damn nice hand cannon Mart, congratulations! I'd love to shoot it. Thank you sir. It's a handful with full throttle loads. I've been playing with some Trailboss and some 440 grain SWCs. Only about 750 fps but they ring steel with some surprising authority.I wouldn't be surprised but what that load would traverse a deer lengthwise. I did use it last year with a heavy load to finish off my bull moose, but that's the extent of its game getting so far. Anyone who is a single action revolver fan should, once in their life, own a custom by one of the big names: Linebaugh, Bowen, Huntington, Clements to name a few. They produce using works of art. Nice, glad you got to use it for a moose finisher, I don't doubt 440grs at 750 fps will punch a deer lengthways, were I to ever get one, the 440's would be loaded at a reasonably comfortable 1250 fps, with that I think I could call it all good, agreed on the Craftsmen, I've never had any of their work in my hands, need to change that.
Trump Won!
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Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 21,914 Likes: 7
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 21,914 Likes: 7 |
Uphiker, If I "sent unneeded guns down the road" I would have to buy a 41 and a 625 MG and...... to spend the money. I only buy guns i get great deals on, or that I "really can use" now days. Nothing leaves.
Parents who say they have good kids..Usually don't!
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 14,408
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 14,408 |
well if money was no object it would be a s&w registered mag in 3.5" barrel. one in blue and one in nickle. but i settled for a superb 27-2 in 3.5" instead. love that gun. shoots like a laser and hardly kicks.
My diploma is a DD214
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 23,659 Likes: 1
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 23,659 Likes: 1 |
As far as pistols go, I have 2 out of 3....................I'm still missing a '60's-early '70's vintage S&W 41; I've passed on a few but will have to break down soon. I still have my Hi-Standard Trophy Match 22, which is better than all but the very best 41's but there's just something about the fit & finish & blue of the old Smith's. Rifles..........now that's a whole 'nother story. MM Wilson 1911 Christensen Custom 1911 Commander
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Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 2,699
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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Love the 41. Get one and you won't regret it. It can be shot without worrying about wearing it out. Bob
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Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 17,194 Likes: 7
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 17,194 Likes: 7 |
I got mine, the Colt Anaconda
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Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 44,617 Likes: 16
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 44,617 Likes: 16 |
Probably the first revolver I bought at age 17 in 1978 and later worked over by S&W due to a barrel issue. My 5" full lug M29-2. Didn't know there were any 29-2 guns out there with full lug.
Slaves get what they need. Free men get what they want. Rehabilitation is way overrated. Orwell wasn't wrong. GOA member disappointed NRA member 24HCF SEARCH
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Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 44,617 Likes: 16
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 44,617 Likes: 16 |
Colt 2nd gen .357. Not really difficult to find, if you want to pay thru the nose. I wanted a nice one, so I bought a mint NRA commemorative (much cheaper) and had Alan Harton put an extra barrel I had on it, then fit some 2nd gen stocks to the frame. He then tuned the action. It shoots to point of aim at 25 yards with 158 grain HPs and .38 wadcutters. I'm happy. Bob Here's a before pic: I'd be tickled pink with that one. I came close to a very nice one in .45 Colt, 5.5". I was too ignorant at the time to understand that the price I was being offered in the last hour of a gun show was actually a good price.
Slaves get what they need. Free men get what they want. Rehabilitation is way overrated. Orwell wasn't wrong. GOA member disappointed NRA member 24HCF SEARCH
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