Iowa, the newest "shall issue" state

humpback · #1 02-24-2013, 02:00 PM

Newly retired optometrist interested in hobby gun smithing & technical aspects of the firearms made before our times....
"humpback" is my handle and many of my own have that type of hammer. My first was a second model hand ejector in .44 spl. and a five inch barrel. It loves 6.0 gr. of Unique and any 240.
My last (one week ago) was a nice model 58 kept by a SD Highway Patrolman for his house gun after the department went to semi autos.
I am not from a firearms home, and had to borrow the neighbors guns to clean and shoot as a teenager. My interest was started while reading Guns and Ammo which was in the high school library by subscription in 1961. Elmer Keith was in there every month. I have all of his signed books and a personal letter from him.
My special interests and shop work will involve improving sight pictures for people as they age and continue to shoot iron sights. There are some methods that will help.
My current projects are: slugging and evaluating all of my handguns for getting them to shoot well.......those that don't all have smaller or larger than ideal throats, the worst also have thread/frame pinch and or forcing cones too deep. I am looking to learn barrel setback or replacement and the subsequent fitting involved after that. Firelapping and throat adjustments I am already doing. Most of my Smiths shoot well as received.
I have taken four deer with handguns...first was with a Realtree Anaconda, second 6.5" Magnaport RugerBlackhawk .41 (pink front sight and Ragged Hole rear peep sight)..third was 65yd shot with a 5 1/2in. FA 97 in a driving blizzard with open sights. Last was with my custom cylindered .45 Colt four inch Anaconda at fifty yds. in a heavy rain......Iowa has early December deer season. I've also had several spectacular easy shots that I completely missed. The mental aspects of shooting sometimes elude me.
I'm going to iron sights on everything from now on....like to hunt hard and be in a position to have closer shots.
I may have a few questions for the forum......maybe even some some answers.