Fact is yours truly would consider up to and including such barbarous acts as baring one's buttocks whilst upon the courthouse steps - at high noon, of course - if such would lead yours truly to securing that Venezuelan 39-2 (Pics are about four, maybe five posts back) - now possessed by The Cougar - for Ol' DC's own self.

Truth be told, years ago this then-collector of all things Smith & Wesson 9mm, saw within this Forum a "line-up" of a half-dozen-or-so Model 39s neatly arranged in a row with the help of something like a 3/4-inch dowel. Such made for a neat, concise image indeed envied by your faithful correspondent.

Lacking a dowel, this soon-to-be gun photographer found in our household's flooring - first, in a family room's parquet flooring (below) and, much later, in a kitchen rug (below the below)(think about it) - geometric patterns upon which this collector's "massive" gun S&W collections would soon be amassed.





Sometime later, Cougar would admit to seeing the above layouts as at least partial inspiration to do more with respect to his collecting and he has . . . with a key difference.

Cougar has pursued a path one might liken to eating at private dinner clubs whereas Ol' DC is more of the Burger King type (IF WE ONLY could HAVE an In-and-Out!): Cougar gets guns with pedigrees well established; Ol' DC pursues something a little less. Okay, a lot less.

Whereas Cougar maps and eventually finds the crème de la crème of his pursuit, Ol' DC has often preferred McDonald's "milk shakes" that really aren't. You know what I mean?

It's like Cougar's and Ol' DC's recent postings of Venezuelan sidearms festooned with that country's crest. Insofar as this collector is aware, the Venezuelan crest is found on only two S&W models, the 39-2 and the 469.

Cougar's Venezuelan Model 39-2 is replete with clear pedigree whereas Ol' DC took a Venezuelan 469 slide and mated it to a 469 frame only for as long as it took to take pictures of the misbegotten combo.

Someday, Cougar will realize a clear return on his investment while Ol' DC . . . well . . . will realize he's older still.

While Cougar's Venezuelan 39-2 has some Roy Jinks' authenticity to it, Ol' DC has a slide with a Venezuelan crest on it. Mr. Jinks doesn't do "just slides" (if you catch my drift).

Cougar has attended Smith & Wesson Collector Association National Conventions, where he's learned, displayed exhibits and established friendships through which knowledge is gained while Ol' DC, also an SWCA member, has done his business thing each and every SWCA convention weekend since becoming an SWCA member.

Now, if we, the body politic of the United States, elects Sanders or Pocahontas or Eh-See-Oh to the presidency, I'm sure they'll make things right or, shall we say, "equal" by forcing Cougar to stay at home one day for each day he's spent at conventions so I'd have a better chance to catch Cougar - because he, today, is clearly ahead of yours truly in the collecting thing - by bringing Cougar down to my level instead of, well, you know. Right? I mean, thataway it's a lot more easier on Ol' DC?

I'm glad we, as a society, have finally realized that "equal opportunity" isn't the same as "equal outcome" and we, as a society, will finally force the latter instead of just providing the former. Or should that be "former" and "latter?"

Yep, I can hardly wait. In fact, I suspect The Cougar is right now dividing his stash so that he can offer it to me before the weekend is out (Cougar, I won't be able to take that stuff from you until the hurricane passes).

In the meantime this "collector" will continue looking for that Venezuelan-crested slide, for it was mated to a frame for only as long as the photographs (one posted earlier herein this Forum thread) were being taken. Then I'll sell it on some web-based auction site by hooking it up with an ugly frame I don't want, anyway. I mean, I won't really SAY it's a four-figure collector's item. We'll just let everyone think it is.

I mean, that's "equal" and "just," right? Let 'em look at the pretty pictures and, you know, don't tell anyone anything, right? Just let viewers draw conclusions and don't answer any questions. Finders keepers and losers are losers, right?

Right?

Later.