In the thread:
Model 3906. Good things are produced in small numbers.
I talked about the fact that I actually have a S&W 3904 down here -- how I wish it was a 3906 -- and I've had several little adventures with it. It's a rockin' gun to own as a Canadian civilian living in Mexico.

Recently, my best friend and fellow gun-club member Michael bought himself a sailboat in the harbor of Mazatlan. The boat was going for a very low price as it was wooden hulled and not "de moda" but had an excellent history and was in excellent shape with no rot or detioration. He bought it from the former owners who had owned it for a quarter-century and had kept up the maintenance. Michael himself has sailed across the Atlantic several times, once all alone which I guess is a bit of a trick, so he knows sailboats. This is the boat, although it's name has changed (to protect the innocent):



As we are entering December, Ice Cream sales are at rock-bottom until the kids get out of school for Christmas. I hate this time of year. We don't sell enough to cover the bills and it's kind of cold up here in the Central Highlands at night and day-time tempuratures hover in the low 70's. Brutal. Even reading books about Stalingrad can barely shake off the shivers. So when Michael asked me if I'd like to go down to Mazatlan with him to "prepare the boat" for the winter boating season, I couldn't refuse. Mazatlan is on the coast, and it's WARM right now. Mid-80's. None of this low 70's rubbish.

A quick check of my handgun transportation permit (yes, here they even list the amount of ammo you can transport and in which calibers) confirmed that Sinaloa is a State I can transport in.



So, it was off to the boat for us. A 10 hour drive from San Miguel (through two different Police/Military check-points) put us in Mazatlan around 9:00 PM and it was warmish. The next morning I tood a quick photo of myself with the 3904 below-decks. Yes, I'm dressed like a tourist. Did I mention it was warmish?



Most of the time, the gun sat quietly in the top drawer of the little storage area to the left side of the photo here of where I slept during the trip. Forward cabin and all that.



Why get the SUV out of the parking lot and maybe lose the spot in the shade when you can take Mazatlan Taxi's to provision? 35 years ago when I first visited Mazatlan, the Taxis were golf carts outfitted with VW Bug engines. Now, they are a mass-produced fiberglass body on a VW chassis. But they are a riot all the same.



There's a great Walmart (and a Diary Queen!!) close to the marina and when you get back, there's a "community wheelbarrow" to get provisions out to the slip.



And then we were off! We stayed out for a couple of days on the "shake-down" cruise. We caught some fish and we BBQ'd steaks from the fridge and ate Idaho mashed potatoes and drank a reasonable amount of Pacifico Beer. I kept playing with the steering wheel. I rather enjoyed it. Here's a just after sunset shot of us coming into the Lee of Venado (deer) Island off the coast of Mazatlan to anchor down for the evening.



While anchored off-shore, I hung the 3904 just above my berth in the Galco holster. The white lettering on the slide is part of an engraved "Marine Custom Shop" logo, the shop in Queretaro where I had the frame baked back when I got the gun.



I load the gun with a 140 grain Saeco lead-cast SWC loaded to 1,020 fps from the 4 inch barrel. I originally had the .204 sight on the gun and it shot high so I installed a .228 sight and then it shot low. Right now, I have cut down the .228 sight to impact where I want it to and lightly serrated it and painted it orange. Purists might agonize but it works well for me this way.



All in all, a great trip! My friend's "boat gun" is a 2.5 inch Model 19/15 nickled version loaded with the Elmer Keith Heavy Duty load in .38 cases. I simply was too stupid to photograph it, but have requested he send me a photo of it today (he's still on the boat, although now with his family for the Christmas Holidays). I should get that later today or tomorrow and I'll add it to the thread.

Another adventure for my Model 3904 here in Mexico! I'm back in San Miguel now, and it's definitely long-sleeve-shirt and long pants weather here. Which is a total turn-off, but what can one do? In another month it will be warming up again.

Yeah, those low 70 temps can be absolutely BRUTAL

Just kidding. We have people in Miami that would throw on some fleece at low 70 too.

Glad you had a good time.

And nice gun too

Doc

Cal, I missed this post cause I was in San Jose Baja Sur.
I did hear that Don Johnson was sailing around Mazatlan. Must've been a case of mistooken identity.

And no, I didn't track El Chapo down in Los Mochis (everybody knew he was there anyways). Must've been good sailing weather because Baja had strong north westerlies the whole ten days I was there.Wore a sweater and long pants the whole time.
No adventure at all for me this time...(gracias a Dios)

BTW, when I first went to Mazatlan the pulmonias were the taxis! Love to have one of those little rascals to drive around my home town now!

__________________
Halfway and one more step

I even took my Miami Vice outfit, but never wore it. It was too warm for that. Next time, though. The boat owner's sister-in-law, who happens to be our Club Secretary, just sent me this photo of the boat "Model 19".



She also sent a photo of herself in her bikini with the 19 taken on the foredeck of the boat in Mazatlan marina but that had to be deleted so quickly it would make your head spin. My wife would decapitate me just for having knowledge such a photo ever existed and it won't be showing up here anytime soon. When I see our secretary next week when she's back from the beach I'll tell her to send the photo to The Blue Press. Then maybe she'll get herself an American or Canadian husband. She got to the beach after I left, just to be clear on that. It wasn't THAT much of an adventure!