This weekend is the 27th annual event. I remember going when there were a few tables in the basement of my bank building. Now it takes up the two biggest buildings at the County Fairgrounds. Of all the shows I've attended around the state -- this is the one. $5 entry fee gets you in for two days.

No little old ladies selling snake oil to cure what ails you, a very few "junk" dealers, a bunch of wartime guys, too many long guns and semi-autos for my liking, but there were also scads of revolvers of all stripes, including S&W wheelies of every era, caliber, and condition.

Notables I remember... a matched pair of early '60s Models 36 and 37, blue, in the boxes, factory engraved: tags said $1,750 each. Several engraved long-barreled, no dash N frames (with "if you have to ask, you can't afford it" type tags). Lots and lots of I frames, mostly .38 Special, but a few .32s and .22s, one model 35, all priced from "down to earth" to "outer space." There was one ANIB Model 632: $1,450 -- I really hated to leave that one on the table. It seemed that many tables had Models 10 or 14 or 15, mostly with standard barrels, but there was one nice target snub for $775. One gorgeous heavy barrel 10, a few clean 13s, and miscellaneous other K's, L's, and N's. An engraved 6" Model 19-2 was very pretty (I didn't ask). There were a few commemorative models: S&W 125th, ATF, and others that didn't ring my bell.

One vendor told me he'd seen "many" NIB Victory Models at a show in Colorado last weekend. He made it sound believable, but... call me a skeptic.

I put a hard eye on the ammo guys' tables and came away with a 1940s (he said) box of Western Super-X .38 Special.

As always I was packin'. A guy--not a vendor--from the north central part of the state, who I've dealt with before, asked if I had the same stuff I took to Casper in early May. "Yes, and a few extras." I pulled my Trail Boss out of the shoulder rig. He asked... naturally. I pointed to a baby chief on the table in front of us and said, "That plus $400 for the gun and leather." He cringed (the reaction I fully expected). He tried, but I didn't budge. "Give me 5 minutes," he said. Me: "I'm in no rush. See you around the show."

He found me a while later: "Okay."

I dropped off my box of .38s at the truck, donned a spare no-name leather J-frame holster, stuffed my new, worn baby chief in the leather, and went back in.

I'd seen a 617 6" that had interested me earlier. It was the only revolver among Kimbers and long guns. I headed back to that table. I waited till the guy was alone, walked over, exchanged pleasantries again, pulled the baby chief out of the leather and asked, "What can we do with this and your 617?" He checked out the cute-as-a-button, but clearly used, blue-worn pre-model 36 and asked, "What are you thinking?" Me: "I figured you'd give me thirty or forty and we'd call it good." He cringed -- I think that move is taught at a buyers and sellers class somewhere.

The 617 was clean, barely used, sporting target Goncalos, in the box with some paperwork, two HKS speed loaders, and a box of 50 CCI "Standard Velocity" target loads. He was asking $680.

He hemmed and hawed, swayed to and fro, used his phone to look up something on GB.com, and finally said, "The best I can do is straight across."

I cringed (I had to, you know), hemmed and hawed, scratched my chin, left foot, right foot, and finally said, "Okay."

I slid the J leather off my belt and asked if he could use it. "Yes, this is my new carry piece."

One of my grail guns is a baby chief. I owned one for about 20 minutes today, but I left the show with no regrets and my new 617 no dash, 6-shooter. I took it out on the deck this afternoon and went through a box. Spent the rest of the evening cleaning and grinning.

If you're ever near central Wyoming on Memorial Day weekend, drop in to the show. Might be well worth your while.

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Wrangler of stray Chiefs
Bob