Lance0812
Bearcat
All my life I've been most fond of automatic pistols, so when I opted into the buying craze in late '08, I bought autos - several over the next few months.
A day after I completed my CC class - and while going into the Sheriff's office to apply for a permit - I had a sudden death heart attack. It's amazing how such a thing can leave one weakened for so long and even though I finally applied for the permit a month later, it was something of a chore to carry even my Bersa .380 CC model.
So when the Ruger LCP came along, I went for it.
(About that pic: On the Bersa forum it was usually called the Little Cr-p Pistol. I pretended to misunderstand.)
Darned good gun, even though I agree with others that it's not really fun to shoot. But it fits nicely in a pocket (with pocket holster, of course) and can go anywhere without my having to dress around the gun.
Ruger matters rested there until this year, when the fires of spring burned high enough that I thought I needed a SA revolver. Of course, I could justify the purchase: I write western stories and I should know the feel of a SAA. It's a duty to my readers, you see.
Decided to go small with a .22 convertible but just could not get my head around the fact that a Ruger Single Six costs as much as a Blackhawk. (Maybe I'll start a new political party: "The Single Six Is Too Damn High" Party.)
So I bought a Heritage Rough Rider.
Fun gun to shoot, until...
About a week after taking it to the range, I was browsing at a gun show and came across a .357 SS Blackhawk (used) at a price I thought reasonable.
Bought it and a week later my son and I took both revolvers to the range. We took turns shooting, beginning with .38 special semi-wadcutters his stepdad loaded for him and then we shot our way through a box of .357 magnums.
Damn, it was fun!
So much fun, in fact, that by the time we shot the Rough Rider we both found it boring - although firing .22 magnums through it was more interesting than .22LR.
Matters should have rested there but only a week later my son called to tell me about an ad he'd seen on Craig's List (illegal to advertise guns, but people still do it.) The ad was for a SS Vaquero with bird's head grips.
I'm not a fan of those grips but I called the young man who was selling. He told me he had a buyer lined up but would call me if the deal fell through.
Next day he called to say the gun had been sold but he did have another SS Vaquero he'd sell for $350.00 and that he also had a Blackhawk, both in .45LC.
In setting up a meeting, I got the serial numbers from him and on the Ruger site I learned the Vaquero was a new model made in 2007 and the Blackhawk was made in 1972.
Now, I'm no Ruger expert by any means, but I knew 1972 meant a 3-screw model and that many shooters seem to have in their hearts a special place for 3-screws.
Made the meeting, looked the guns over and found they were both tight in every direction. I offered him $500.00 for the pair. He moaned and groaned and said he had to have at least $650.00. (Rather deliberately, I'd taken only $500.00 out of my stash so I wasn't lying when I said I had only $530.00 on me.) We settled for that and I came home with these:
The Blackhawk has a 7.5" barrel and the sights were altered. I didn't know whether that affected the value but I did begin to have doubts. Additionally, I just did not really like the longer barrel.
So I traded it off. Got a good deal more on the trade than what I'd paid for it, so I'm happy. Added to the trade another pistol in which I had invested only $6.00 (long story) and walked out of the store with a brand new New Vaquero SS convertible .45LC/.45ACP with 5.5" barrel.
So now my revolver collection looks like this:
I love shooting the .45LCs. And I'm happy.
I know there are those on this forum who will say my Ruger journey is not complete until I add something in .44SP or Magnum but that will have to wait quite a while - maybe never.
Right now I have a source for reloaded .38SP and .45LC so I can afford to shoot these guns pretty often.
And when tax time comes around, who knows? Maybe an SP101 .357.
Now, about that heart attack: Having one certainly makes you think and makes you start planning. Prior to buying all these revolvers, I'd told my son in all seriousness that my money stash was meant to pay for a tombstone.
Now I have to live long enough to build up my savings again.
A day after I completed my CC class - and while going into the Sheriff's office to apply for a permit - I had a sudden death heart attack. It's amazing how such a thing can leave one weakened for so long and even though I finally applied for the permit a month later, it was something of a chore to carry even my Bersa .380 CC model.
So when the Ruger LCP came along, I went for it.
(About that pic: On the Bersa forum it was usually called the Little Cr-p Pistol. I pretended to misunderstand.)
Darned good gun, even though I agree with others that it's not really fun to shoot. But it fits nicely in a pocket (with pocket holster, of course) and can go anywhere without my having to dress around the gun.
Ruger matters rested there until this year, when the fires of spring burned high enough that I thought I needed a SA revolver. Of course, I could justify the purchase: I write western stories and I should know the feel of a SAA. It's a duty to my readers, you see.
Decided to go small with a .22 convertible but just could not get my head around the fact that a Ruger Single Six costs as much as a Blackhawk. (Maybe I'll start a new political party: "The Single Six Is Too Damn High" Party.)
So I bought a Heritage Rough Rider.
Fun gun to shoot, until...
About a week after taking it to the range, I was browsing at a gun show and came across a .357 SS Blackhawk (used) at a price I thought reasonable.
Bought it and a week later my son and I took both revolvers to the range. We took turns shooting, beginning with .38 special semi-wadcutters his stepdad loaded for him and then we shot our way through a box of .357 magnums.
Damn, it was fun!
So much fun, in fact, that by the time we shot the Rough Rider we both found it boring - although firing .22 magnums through it was more interesting than .22LR.
Matters should have rested there but only a week later my son called to tell me about an ad he'd seen on Craig's List (illegal to advertise guns, but people still do it.) The ad was for a SS Vaquero with bird's head grips.
I'm not a fan of those grips but I called the young man who was selling. He told me he had a buyer lined up but would call me if the deal fell through.
Next day he called to say the gun had been sold but he did have another SS Vaquero he'd sell for $350.00 and that he also had a Blackhawk, both in .45LC.
In setting up a meeting, I got the serial numbers from him and on the Ruger site I learned the Vaquero was a new model made in 2007 and the Blackhawk was made in 1972.
Now, I'm no Ruger expert by any means, but I knew 1972 meant a 3-screw model and that many shooters seem to have in their hearts a special place for 3-screws.
Made the meeting, looked the guns over and found they were both tight in every direction. I offered him $500.00 for the pair. He moaned and groaned and said he had to have at least $650.00. (Rather deliberately, I'd taken only $500.00 out of my stash so I wasn't lying when I said I had only $530.00 on me.) We settled for that and I came home with these:
The Blackhawk has a 7.5" barrel and the sights were altered. I didn't know whether that affected the value but I did begin to have doubts. Additionally, I just did not really like the longer barrel.
So I traded it off. Got a good deal more on the trade than what I'd paid for it, so I'm happy. Added to the trade another pistol in which I had invested only $6.00 (long story) and walked out of the store with a brand new New Vaquero SS convertible .45LC/.45ACP with 5.5" barrel.
So now my revolver collection looks like this:
I love shooting the .45LCs. And I'm happy.
I know there are those on this forum who will say my Ruger journey is not complete until I add something in .44SP or Magnum but that will have to wait quite a while - maybe never.
Right now I have a source for reloaded .38SP and .45LC so I can afford to shoot these guns pretty often.
And when tax time comes around, who knows? Maybe an SP101 .357.
Now, about that heart attack: Having one certainly makes you think and makes you start planning. Prior to buying all these revolvers, I'd told my son in all seriousness that my money stash was meant to pay for a tombstone.
Now I have to live long enough to build up my savings again.
