Originally Posted by exdetsgt

When I joined the Kern County Sheriff's Department (CA) in 1953 they issued me a 6" Model 10. I had never shot a handgun before. My first night on duty the desk sergeant paired me with an old veteran deputy. I don't recall where he was from, but he had a strong southern accent. We worked the 11 PM to 7 AM shift. So we drove off in our black 4 door 1952 Ford sedan, heading out of Bakersfield toward the honky-tonk bars on Edison Highway. We came to a stop sign, and he looked at me like I was chopped liver and said, "Boy, you ever shot a hand gun before?" "No, sir," I answered. We drove on for a few minutes then came to another stop sign. "Boy, no matter what happens tonight don't you touch that ****** thing." "No sir," I said, "I won't."

After we got off shift at 7 AM he took me out to the river and taught me how to shoot, all on his own time.

A year later I made the department pistol team with that old Model 10.
I left the department in 1956 due to an injury. I have no idea what happened to that gun, because when I joined the Imperial County Sheriff's Department as a detective in 1960 I didn't have it and bought a J-frame. I have a fantasy that some day I'll wander into a GS or a gun show and there it'll be, and that I'll recognize it. Sure. Another old man's dream...