bigbore45colt
Hunter
During our annual Shootists Holiday last week, as part of our normal Thursday morning schedule (unfortunately), we have a memorial service for Shootists who have left us in the past year. One of those was Don Wilks, whose eulogy I gave, and who was a fellow Ruger collector from NW Ohio that passed away in early February. One of the others memorialized was Terry Murbach (who was a Ruger Forum member, AKA Wes Dakota), who was a very, very dear friend.
Terry was instrumental in making the first Shootists Anniversary gun, the Tom Ruger Bisley 22 LR, happen. He worked with John Taffin, who contacted Bill Ruger and worked with him to make it happen. As John told me, he was sitting in WBR's office discussing the project when Bill received the phone call notifying him of Tom's illness, which is when it was decided to commemorate him with the barrel enscription. Bill called down to the factory floor and spoke to his production manager asking him for 52 of these guns. He was told that it couldn't be done, to which he replied "it's my factory, you will make this happen". Not surprising from WBR. 2 were for him, the other 50 were for The Shootists who ordered them. They were ordered with optional Thad Rybka holster and the owner's name engraved on the back strap. Some Shootists ordered them with these, others didn't, so there is a mix of what options are on what guns.
If it weren't for Terry, we probably wouldn't have today the 6 Shootists Anniversary guns that we have today.
In any case, we always perform a 21 gun salute for each departed Brother after the memorial service, and always with a 44 special sixgun. The empty brass is collected and a plaque is delivered to the family. Because Terry was so instrumental in the Tom Ruger Bisley, we decided to make an exception for him and to shoot the 21-gun salute with these little 22s. We had 8 of them together there on Thursday morning (7 for the salute, and one spare just in case!). It was pretty special to have them there, all together, for this memorial.
To further help commemorate my dear friend Terry, I commissioned Mike Barranti, of Barranti leather, another fellow Shootist, to provide 7 of his Northwest Mountain Companion cross-draw holsters, carved with Terry's monogram (TM). I gifted one of these to each of the owners of the guns so that the holster could stay with the gun and help further solidify the importance/significance of this gun, Terry Murbach, and the Shootists. Not all of the guns' owners were able to be present, but they were able to get their guns to the Holiday for the memorial service. As such, they will get the holsters when their guns are returned to them shortly.
Thanks to fellow Brother Shootist Boge Quinn, here's a picture of 6 of them, ready to go for the salute. I had one of mine already in a holster, already on my belt, and my spare was under the table, so neither made the picture (would have been neat to have all 8 in one picture, but oh well!). The 5 left most guns are sitting on the table with the TM hoslters in front of them. The right most gun is shown in its original Thad Rybka optional holster that was ordered with the gun back in 1994.
Cool stuff!!
Thought you guys would enjoy the picture...
God speed, Terry. I miss you, every day. Love you, Brother.
BB45C
Terry was instrumental in making the first Shootists Anniversary gun, the Tom Ruger Bisley 22 LR, happen. He worked with John Taffin, who contacted Bill Ruger and worked with him to make it happen. As John told me, he was sitting in WBR's office discussing the project when Bill received the phone call notifying him of Tom's illness, which is when it was decided to commemorate him with the barrel enscription. Bill called down to the factory floor and spoke to his production manager asking him for 52 of these guns. He was told that it couldn't be done, to which he replied "it's my factory, you will make this happen". Not surprising from WBR. 2 were for him, the other 50 were for The Shootists who ordered them. They were ordered with optional Thad Rybka holster and the owner's name engraved on the back strap. Some Shootists ordered them with these, others didn't, so there is a mix of what options are on what guns.
If it weren't for Terry, we probably wouldn't have today the 6 Shootists Anniversary guns that we have today.
In any case, we always perform a 21 gun salute for each departed Brother after the memorial service, and always with a 44 special sixgun. The empty brass is collected and a plaque is delivered to the family. Because Terry was so instrumental in the Tom Ruger Bisley, we decided to make an exception for him and to shoot the 21-gun salute with these little 22s. We had 8 of them together there on Thursday morning (7 for the salute, and one spare just in case!). It was pretty special to have them there, all together, for this memorial.
To further help commemorate my dear friend Terry, I commissioned Mike Barranti, of Barranti leather, another fellow Shootist, to provide 7 of his Northwest Mountain Companion cross-draw holsters, carved with Terry's monogram (TM). I gifted one of these to each of the owners of the guns so that the holster could stay with the gun and help further solidify the importance/significance of this gun, Terry Murbach, and the Shootists. Not all of the guns' owners were able to be present, but they were able to get their guns to the Holiday for the memorial service. As such, they will get the holsters when their guns are returned to them shortly.
Thanks to fellow Brother Shootist Boge Quinn, here's a picture of 6 of them, ready to go for the salute. I had one of mine already in a holster, already on my belt, and my spare was under the table, so neither made the picture (would have been neat to have all 8 in one picture, but oh well!). The 5 left most guns are sitting on the table with the TM hoslters in front of them. The right most gun is shown in its original Thad Rybka optional holster that was ordered with the gun back in 1994.
Cool stuff!!
Thought you guys would enjoy the picture...
God speed, Terry. I miss you, every day. Love you, Brother.
BB45C