Bob Wright
Hawkeye
I'm, we're, going through some pretty difficult times right now and I've had little chance to shoot or even go gun hunting. I've had a lot of time to meditate on things past. So I'll ask y'all to forgive me as I ramble about some things.
I bought my first revolver, a Colt New Service, in the fall of 1954, bought through mail order. It was originally a Canadian Mounties .455 Eley. It was bought as surplus and rebored to accept .45 Colt cartridges. It was my first custom revolver, converted to .44 Special and fitted with custom sights.
At that time Tennessee law prohibited the sale of handguns by dealers. Private sales were common, and unrestricted. And, living in Memphis, Tennessee, it was easy enough to go into Mississippi or Arkansas and purchase your desires. There never was any restriction on ownership. There was no provision for carry permits. To carry, a man could petition the sheriff and if he were deemed suitable, get a commission to carry. In 1959 the law allowing gun shops to operate was passed, and in 1998 carry permits were legalized. The law did allow handguns to be carried for hunting use.
I bought a Ruger Blackhawk .357 Magnum while I was in the Army and did some hunting with that in the area of Camp Roberts, California. Tennessee allowed only small game to be taken with the handgun, and that restricted to .22 r.f. only. In 1971 I approached the Tennessee Game and Fish Commission and proposed legalizing big game hunting with the handgun. About a year or so later a bill was passed which adopted my draft for the regulations. Since then it has been expanded to cover more guns and cartridges.
While my Colt New Service, now a .44 Special, was my pet revolver, I was not too impressed by the introduction of the .44 Magnum. That, and a lack of funds, as I was going through some lean times. But in 1972 a theft separated me from that Colt and I bought a new Super Blackhawk and, as finances improved, more Rugers joined the battery.
I caught a lot of flak over the years, in jest, from my friends who favored the double actin revolver, or even the autoloaders. Rather sad note: I found a list of twelve or so of those friends recently. Of those, all are dead now, with the possible exception of one who has moved out of the Memphis area. But, they were such good friends over the years!
Right now I'm hovering over my wife who is having some serious health problems. I don't know the outcome, as we have an appointment today with her pulmonary specialist. But, WOW, did we ever make memories!
Bob Wright
P.S. Thanks to ya'll here, all of whom I deem to be among my best friends.
I bought my first revolver, a Colt New Service, in the fall of 1954, bought through mail order. It was originally a Canadian Mounties .455 Eley. It was bought as surplus and rebored to accept .45 Colt cartridges. It was my first custom revolver, converted to .44 Special and fitted with custom sights.
At that time Tennessee law prohibited the sale of handguns by dealers. Private sales were common, and unrestricted. And, living in Memphis, Tennessee, it was easy enough to go into Mississippi or Arkansas and purchase your desires. There never was any restriction on ownership. There was no provision for carry permits. To carry, a man could petition the sheriff and if he were deemed suitable, get a commission to carry. In 1959 the law allowing gun shops to operate was passed, and in 1998 carry permits were legalized. The law did allow handguns to be carried for hunting use.
I bought a Ruger Blackhawk .357 Magnum while I was in the Army and did some hunting with that in the area of Camp Roberts, California. Tennessee allowed only small game to be taken with the handgun, and that restricted to .22 r.f. only. In 1971 I approached the Tennessee Game and Fish Commission and proposed legalizing big game hunting with the handgun. About a year or so later a bill was passed which adopted my draft for the regulations. Since then it has been expanded to cover more guns and cartridges.
While my Colt New Service, now a .44 Special, was my pet revolver, I was not too impressed by the introduction of the .44 Magnum. That, and a lack of funds, as I was going through some lean times. But in 1972 a theft separated me from that Colt and I bought a new Super Blackhawk and, as finances improved, more Rugers joined the battery.
I caught a lot of flak over the years, in jest, from my friends who favored the double actin revolver, or even the autoloaders. Rather sad note: I found a list of twelve or so of those friends recently. Of those, all are dead now, with the possible exception of one who has moved out of the Memphis area. But, they were such good friends over the years!
Right now I'm hovering over my wife who is having some serious health problems. I don't know the outcome, as we have an appointment today with her pulmonary specialist. But, WOW, did we ever make memories!
Bob Wright
P.S. Thanks to ya'll here, all of whom I deem to be among my best friends.
