My nephew texted me last week with a picture and a question. What's this?
It was early and I may have been a little hung over. I told him it was an old Smith and Wesson, probably a .32 or a .38 and not worth much.
He texts back with: Its way bigger than a .38.
OK, now I'm awake. I see its a Double Action .44 Russian. I still don't know anything about them, but it belongs to his foreman. At this point I think my nephew wants to buy it. I tell him its in rough shape and not worth more than a couple of hundred bucks. I really just wanted to go back to sleep, but I didn't want him to insult his boss with a super low ball offer.
Next thing I know, its mine. He thought I wanted it, I thought he wanted it. The guy threw in this holster, which this poor thing had been shoved in and hung up with an old shoe string in his basement.
It was worse on the other side. I didn't have the heart to take a before picture, other than this one.
I used a whole tube of Flitz, two gym socks, and one of my wife's kitchen towels. I know it still looks like........ well, I can't say it here.
As I said, the grips are nice.
Midway had .44 Russian in stock and in no time at all Larry Potterfield had a box winging my way.
I've lived a full life, so today I ventured to my completely empty indoor range and let fly. The sights were ridiculously small and the gun shot a foot high at 10 yards. Still, I left with all the digits I showed up with.
The recoil was stout but it was fun to shoot. Now that I have empties I'll load up some poofy loads with Trail Boss (no BP allowed on my range) and shoot it once a year or so.
Also, the holster turned out to be a nice Perkins Campbell 1911 GI job dated 1917. My CMP 1911 fit like a glove.