I'm back.  It's been a while since I've posted my one and only entry, but that is about to change.

I've added a couple of new firearms - two (pre) Model 10 S&W's, a S&W K-22 Masterpiece, and a Ruger Super Redhawk for an upcoming hog hunt with my good friend in Oklahoma.  I've done a lot with the SRH, and will write about it on the next post.

I recently purchased two of what appear to be pre-Model 10, 5-screw S&W revolvers in .38 special.  Not for any reason in particular, but it was a good deal and these are neat little pistols.  I've never been a huge wheelgun fan, but I have to admit that the wheelgun is quickly gaining favor in my safe.  I guess it's for the same reason I still wear a mechanical watch but carry around a new Motorola Razr - or drive a big V8 Hemi truck with a built in hard drive for my mp3's.  While I'm still amazed at how far I've seen technology advance in my lifetime, I still appreciate the mechanical things - and the people who design, build, and use them.  I'm still not practiced enough or competent and confident enough to carry a wheelgun for self defense.  I'm just too set in my 1911 style firearms to make the change.

One of the Smith M10s has been chrome plated, probably not by S&W.  I really can't be sure, but the serial number is a 6-digit, starting with the number "2".  It also has a "C" in front of the serial number.  I'm pretty sure that it's pre WWII, but I haven't been able to find a source to figure out the exact year.  It is a nice looking little pistol with a 4" barrel and came with some old Franzite imitation plastic stag horn grips.  They are about the ugliest grips I've ever seen and were removed quickly!  This one has a large S&W logo on the right side.

The other M10 is blue, and at least appears to be older.  The ejector rod is more "round" at the end, and there is only a small S&W logo on the left side.  On the right side, there is nothing more than "MADE IN U.S.A." stamped into it.  It also is a 6-digit serial number, followed by a star.  The barrel is a 4", but appears to have been cut down judging from the missing letters and numbers that are now under the fixed front sight.  I'm told that the star in the serial number indicates that it was sent back to S&W for work.  When I purchased this one, the cylinder would not open and was locked up tight.  I assumed it was dirty or rusted - or both.

I later found out that it was the ejector rod.  It seems that over time these old ejector rods tend to come loose, locking up the cylinder.  As opposed to the newer S&W, it does not have a left-hand thread, and just needed tightened down.  The finish is OK, but not the greatest.  I'll do a little polishing and cleaning, but probably won't do any more than that.

I did have a chance to shoot the chrome revolver before loaning it to a relative for home security (I know, not the best HD firearm, but it makes sense in this case).  I was amazed at how accurate the fixed sights were, and how "easy" it was to shoot.  They are both very finely made pistols, and the craftsmanship is way beyond today's standards.  I realize that neither one is probably worth anything to speak of, but to me they have become two of my many favorites.  The older blued pistol will soon be ready to shoot, and I'm really looking forward to doing a lot of plinking with it as well as using it to introduce new shooters to a caliber greater than .22.

The K-22 Masterpiece.  Wow.  I'd been wanting one of these for years, but never could justify spending that much money for a .22 revolver.  I've already got a few .22 pistols, and use my Buckmark for pistol league.  Then it happened - a friend of mine with a gunshop called and said he just got one in on trade from an estate and it had probably never been fired.  I'm thinking "right, driven by a little old lady on Sundays".  Then I saw it.  He was correct, it had probably never been fired.  After laying down what was probably too much cash for it, I filled out the 4473.

This is just a neat little pistol.  I have yet to get it sighted in to really see how it does.  For some reason, I can't get the rear sight down low enough.  At 25 yards I'm still about 2-3" high - and that's with the rear sight down as far as it will go.  For this reason, it has been sitting in my safe for quite a while now.  I guess I'll take it to someone who knows Smiths better than I do (and I've never claimed to know much about revolvers!).

Which brings me to the other purchase - a Super Redhawk.  Again, I'd never really been in to revolvers, and any that I'd owned I had sold or traded in on something else.  Full story on the next blog entry, but needless to say, this SRH gave me the revolver "bug".