The Gun Counter

Eugene was out visiting me and he and I stopped by the Emporium of Happiness.

We totally scored.

Totally.

I spotted, and called attention to, two pairs of Roper Grips. $60 bucks each. If I didn't like Eugene so much, and if we weren't looking for grips for him explicitly I might have hogged them to myself.

Instead I forbore and now we each have a pair to adorn an old pistol.

That was a trip made of win, to borrow the parlance of the younger generation.

Have I mentioned I love my local shop? I get more deals there than I can shake a stick at.

Eugene's are probably going on his 1917, what are you going to grace with their presence?

Well, I have a 1917, but the lanyard is in the way. I also recently sold or traded off a ton of older S&W pistols which weren't getting any love. At the moment I don't think I have a gun to put them on! I guess this means a shopping trip!

Brilliant. Well wear, for the a303 too!

I second (or third) the WIN.

AZMARK wrote:Eugene's are probably going on his 1917, what are you going to grace with their presence?

Well, I have an M1917, but it says "US RIFLE" rather than "Smith & Wesson" on it. I got this 1920s vintage K-frame M&P for pretty much nothing recently, though I had to go buy the grips for it. I am going to give it to a friend of mine as a gift. She likes guns, seemed to love my 28-2, and in addition to endearing me to her, it will create another gun owner. In other words, win-win situation here.
The gun needs some renickeling (original factory nickel, but it is pretty bad at this point). It's something that can be done in a kitchen, especially if it is done the same S&W did it in the 1920s (copper coat, polish, nickel coat, buff, no chrome layers) and she is scientifically minded, so I am planning to make this into a long-range project that necessitates her coming over a lot.
Mechanically, however, that gun is great. I took apart the lockwork and cylinder/yoke assemblies this morning, cleaned off some rust and crud, oiled, and put it all back together. Excellent trigger and mechanical function. I plan to test fire it before I give it to her, but the condition of the finish really belies the condition of the lockwork.

p.s. I actually talked to CC about this today. I have heard a lot about how you should never take the sideplate off, and never mess with the lockwork. Frankly, it was a piece of cake and I was confused why anyone thought it was difficult. I took it all apart and reassembled it all without even having to look up any instructions.

esa5444 wrote:

AZMARK wrote:Eugene's are probably going on his 1917, what are you going to grace with their presence?

Well, I have an M1917, but it says "US RIFLE" rather than "Smith & Wesson" on it. I got this 1920s vintage K-frame M&P for pretty much nothing recently, though I had to go buy the grips for it. I am going to give it to a friend of mine as a gift. She likes guns, seemed to love my 28-2, and in addition to endearing me to her, it will create another gun owner. In other words, win-win situation here.
The gun needs some renickeling (original factory nickel, but it is pretty bad at this point). It's something that can be done in a kitchen, especially if it is done the same S&W did it in the 1920s (copper coat, polish, nickel coat, buff, no chrome layers) and she is scientifically minded, so I am planning to make this into a long-range project that necessitates her coming over a lot.
Mechanically, however, that gun is great. I took apart the lockwork and cylinder/yoke assemblies this morning, cleaned off some rust and crud, oiled, and put it all back together. Excellent trigger and mechanical function. I plan to test fire it before I give it to her, but the condition of the finish really belies the condition of the lockwork.

p.s. I actually talked to CC about this today. I have heard a lot about how you should never take the sideplate off, and never mess with the lockwork. Frankly, it was a piece of cake and I was confused why anyone thought it was difficult. I took it all apart and reassembled it all without even having to look up any instructions.

Wow, this is serious, guys... He's giving a girl and M&P and putting Ropers on it. Man, she must be something else.

esa5444 wrote:I have heard a lot about how you should never take the sideplate off, and never mess with the lockwork. Frankly, it was a piece of cake and I was confused why anyone thought it was difficult. I took it all apart and reassembled it all without even having to look up any instructions.

It's not that it's particularly difficult... the warnings are because of the number of people with no mechanical aptitude and/or the wrong tools who manage to gunther a perfectly good revolver by trying to get inside it. With the right screwdrivers, a block of wood and some little thought, there's not much to it (although getting the rebound slide spring in without the right compressor tool is a pain).

I like the "use a gun to keep her attention" approach!