Yes, they work perfectly, and I know because there are several M-27 and M-28 revolvers around that have been "legalized" in just this way.
However...I don't want to have to do that to Phil's unless it's "change it or lose it". I have an old clunker NOW in my possession that has the right markings to pass any "home inspection".
Should be no need to touch Phil's.

Now, if Mexico actually destabilizes to the point that it's TIME TO LEAVE (and that's possible. Things are getting pretty bad down here as the Government trips over itself trying to screw things up more than they already are.), THEN I would have to make the swap.

With a permit to "leave the country for competition" I could transport the gun to the U.S. line -- or Canada by plane I suppose -- and just never come back. The original barrel would have to make it's way out overland, but that would be easy. The package wouldn't be large enough to present "shipping problems" if you know what I mean.

Mexico's really got problems at the moment, and there is no way the current administration here can address them. They are simply too pompous and stupid to be able to make the complex moves required. The change you were all promised up there might happen here first, and it might as not be a "Chavez-style change". We can only hope that things turn-around, but with the current pack of morons in power, well...we'll have to wait and see.

Calmex

How are you?

As this is one of the great threads I am hoping you and yours
are well and your situation is safe and stable.

__________________
I Love This Site

Guacho: I am fine. Thank you for asking. Things are real ****** here, economy wise, but we're not living in any danger or anything. That is more in the Northern Cities like Tijuana or Juarez. My heart goes out to anyone with a business in those cities.

Phil's gun is fine. In fact, funny enough, the friend who is guarding it is up in the U.S. at the moment to attend the SHOT show. Friends of mine from Canada are hoping to meet him there and perhaps amongst other things discuss "the gun".

I am hoping to get photos of it soon. 29aholic will also soon have a factory letter I suspect. We will get some action this year to be able to add to this thread. I think -- and hope -- that 2010 (and especially the END of 2010 when things go to vote) will be a better year for the Shooting Community all the way around.

I would like to add that the faltering Mexican Economy is not so much due to the drug violence, which has been going on for quite some time, but due in fact to the Mexican Government closing down the economy for two weeks last May in the "Swine Flu" scare -- a move that did absolutely nothing to prevent the spread of the flu, but sure as all get-out really buggered things here. So, me and mine are well and fine and truly complaining. We need "change" here just as much as you need it there, but we sure don't need the "change" they promised us that seems to be for sure.

Thanks for thinking of us, and I am very hopeful we'll have interesting things to add to this thread soon enough. Oh, by the way, I saw Holly Roettinger (Phil's ex wife) during the Christmas Holidays on the street here in town. She looked good and seemed to be in good health, so there are still some survivors of the story around!

Walking back from the bank today, a friend who was a U.S. Marine in the late '50's (too late for Korea, too early for Vietnam as he puts it) called me over to where he was sitting on a bench in the Town Square. Beside him sat an older man with some serious burn scars on his face.
"Let me introduce you to Joe," my friend said, "who was an Old Corps marine."
Anyway, we got to talking and Joe was on Guadalcanal and Bouganville, and some other islands -- his exact quote was "I was on a few more, you got to see a few, but the fighting islands for me were Gualalcanal and Bouganville."
We discussed how long ago it was and I guessed his age at 86. He said I was real close, it was 87. He mentioned that he certainly KNEW Phil Roettinger and his daughter Susan, but that he had met them here in San Miguel after the war. He did not know of Phil during the fighting.
"There were more than a few of us there, you know, although by today's standards, I guess it was just a few of us."

Anyway, he knows where my store is, and says he has been in there more than once but did not know about me. He says he will stop by for an Ice Cream (I told him to come by when I'm there and he won't even have to pay for it, to which he laughted). Exciting stuff! The people you meet when you least expect it!

I will look forward to hopefully seeing him again and finding out more about him.

I got Cal's letter a while back, but I have been busier than all get out. I hope to have pics of it soon.

What a great firearm and what great history! I'm almost speachless!

This is such a great thread.
I very much regret not getting my father to talk. He was in uniform only days before being recalled for the top secret electronics work he was doing. The only paper work I could find was his copy of the official secrets act. My Mother told me that he was designing & building RDF (Radio Direction Finding) equipment. When the other engineer could not work the hanger catwalks, he also installed them. Also early radar.
Dad's later work involved radio & television including pioneering color. I have found some of his patents on line but there is so much I will never know now. Not exactly the front lines but interesting none the less.
Russ

Finally took the time to read this thread. Very good stuff.

Can't help but think of my grandpapy that sailed with the Navy all over the world. He became a well known Navy recruiter up and down the Pacific Coast. I am sure he was involved in some of the same pacific battles that have been discussed here. He was an enlisted man that made it to rank of Captain. His specialty was supplying ships to make them ready for war. He went by Bud Coontz and would fly banners all over the bay area recruiting for the Navy. He was also a chef at the Sir Mandrake Hotel at Union Square in downtown San Fransisco. His life is like the ones described here, full of meaningful moments that shaped our world for us whipper snappers.

I think that is why I like to collect smith's because I know it would make my grandpa Bud proud.

All I can say is that they just don't make men and smiths like they used to.

Oh, c'mon Curtis, give us a little tease! Is it interesting the letter? Or does it say something like "Uh, yeah, that serial number belonged to one of our guns as far as we know." I mean, just a little snippet of info to wet the lips with the tongue over wouldn't hurt, you know.

I can't wait to see what the letter says, although I know about being busy. Take your time...but feel free to tease as you will.

In the lounge at the moment, there is a thread I started titled "The Pacific". In the post by Lee in Quartsite is a link to photos of Iwo Jima. If you go through them, and it's quite the worthwhile link to those of you interested in these things, you will find a captioned photo (shown here as well as in "The Pacific" thread) of the Colonel Phil Maher -- former American Consul here in San Miguel and mentioned various times during this thread -- as a Lieutenant on Iwo Jima.

The entire series of photos, as I mentioned, are worth a look. Maher is the guy 3rd from the left, pointing at the map.

Actually the letter is kind of disappointing. It basically just says it went to Phil, but that Trophy guns of that period were not invoiced. Sorry I am behind on pics.

Well, you know, that's good though. I mean, I personally wasn't expecting the Webster's Dictionary in terms of detail. I'm looking forward to when you get time to post the letter. But at the same time, I'm looking forward to going and photographing the gun. I am not keeping it at home right now, but in a much safer place. With all the B.S. going on in Mexico right now, it would not surprise me to get a "surprise visit" from the Police or Military the check up on my guns.

Although it hasn't happened HERE, areas in Mexico with lots of crime problems are also experiencing "authority problems". The Police and Military cannot (or will not) do anything about the drug gangs, so when there ARE major problems like shoot-outs and stuff, they go around and try to confiscate the legally registered stuff so they can say they are doing SOMETHING. I have not heard of legal stuff being confiscated outright, but they look for ANYTHING out-of-place and then they swoop in like jackals and you have to pay out of your pocket the legal fees to get your stuff back.

There is a ****** old Model 10 -- actually it's a pre-10 -- with an amazingly similar serial number sitting in the safe so that the item can be "ticked off" if an inspection comes. (And it may never). But I look forward to getting some more and better photographs when I can get around to it to post here.

So we both have stuff that we're looking forward to. Oh, and the economy sucks here. And the weather has been bad, and yaddah, yaddah, yaddah, so I've been putting out fires with no cash to back me up. But the sun's shining today, and that puts a positive mark on things!

Finally got time to take a pic of the letter.



sorry it took me so long

Curtis;
MOST cool! Send me a photo-copy, and you keep the original. Sure as God made little green apples, if you send me the original, it will get lost, stolen, or disappeared by the great Mexican Postal service.
A nice photo-copy will do. You paid for it, you should have the original in your collection.

Phil didn't have long to play with the gun before he took it to Guadalcanal.
Cal

Great update, Curtis and Cal.
Thanks for keeping this fascinating history lesson active!
I checked with Mr. Jinks the other day on a Combat Magnum (the sixth one made) which I'd seen some years back in the possession of a retired Major General of the NC National Guard. He told me he got it at the Camp Perry shooting matches in the mid-1950's. Mr. Jinks says it's "open on the books" and was probably a promotion gun.
I'm glad Col. Roettinger's gun has his name attached to the factory records.

__________________
John

The letter lists his name on record as P. L. Roettinger but the gun is correctly engraved as Phillip C. Roettinger. His middle name was "Clay". But the gun is correctly engraved and I guess that's all that really matters. He would not have had time to send it back for re-engraving over a spelling error before shipping out to Guadalcanal.

How frustrating would that be? Going into combat with a nice new .357 Magnum that you won on your own merits with your name spelt wrong on the side. He was gracefully spared that.

In going through the upcoming James Julia Auction on-line catalog, I ran across a reference to Phil Roettinger. In Session I, Lot #1405 is a pre '64 Winchester M70 which belonged to Bill Jordan. In Jordan's firearms record book is the notation "Belonged to P. C. Roettinger" and additional information about Lt. Col. Roettinger's trophy for rifle shooting in 1954. There is also info about Jordan's and Rottinger's link in the Marines and Jordan's role with S&W in developing revolvers for the .357. That gun has a link to two famous "shooters".

Mods: I hope this doesn't violate the rule about outside links but I thought the reference to the man who is the topic of this thread outweighs the infraction. If not, please delete.

Bob

I'm bumping this for some guys in the Lounge who were asking about revolver use in the Pacific.

I somehow missed this thread's resurrection earlier this year, and it is good to see that Curtis got the letter, etc. I wonder tho if Roy misread the entry, the C for an L, as a flyspeck could make one think the C an L. Anybody check with him on that?

Cal, sure hope things are going better for you down there as the year progresses.

Cal,

I need an address to send the letter to.

All,

I tried to find the letter request I sent for the gun to see if I mistakenly put the "L" in it instead of the "C", but I guess I deleted it.

In addition to Bob's references linking these two famous Marines, I would like to point out another interesting link. The cover photo on the March 1954 RIFLEMAN shows a denim-clad Bill Jordan with a drilling over his shoulder and an Alabama turkey hanging from it. The photo was taken by Phil. Additionally Phil wrote the article "Spring Turkey Hunting" in that issue.
Good shooting.

Thanks Onomea.

Well, with THE PACIFIC on T.V., I want to go get Phil's gun and have it at home again. Oh, and photograph it. Things are still "bad" in the news, but there is sure nothing much happening here. Business has picked up a bit, and the tourist season was not all bad. I mean, sales are down. The U.S. economy is hurting (idiot in charge) and this economy here is hurting (idiots in charge). But it seems to be a little better than last year. I hope things keep picking up.

I have been watching THE PACIFIC as I am sure all of you have (wasn't that invasion of Peleliu sequence outstanding?) and telling my wife; "You know my big revolver we have out at your relative's place? Well, that was in a lot of this stuff." She's impressed.

I have sent my address to Curtis, and Curtis, a COPY of the letter will do me fine. You really deserve the original. I would be afraid Mex-Post would lose the original, personally. They're idiots.

I wish to hell that Phil was still alive and well, and Colonel Maher too. I would have loved the chance to sit and watch THE PACIFIC with them (and I am happy to say that I am sure I could have arranged to do that if they were here), in the same way I would have loved to have been able to watch "Saving Private Ryan" with my Dad had he still been alive when it came out. Would have just loved to hear their take on it all.

There's a guy living here I was introduced to in January who was on Guadalcanal and I had hoped to glean more info out of him, but I have not met up with him again. The mutual friend who introduced us has been gone for a couple months (he's a fairly well-off retired friend) travelling, but when he gets back, hopefully I can still move on that tack.

Cheers all!

What's the most dangerous thing in the World? It used to be any 2nd Lieutenant with a map in one hand and a compass in the other. Now, it's Calmex with his new cheap digital camera and Phil's revolver in the other.

Things are calming down around here, and tourism is slowly going back up. I mean, if you listen to the news, it's a free-for-all War Zone down here, but it's actually not. Up at the border, though, that's a different thing. I went and coddled Phil's revolver the other day and took along a friend who is a real artist (as opposed to playing one on T.V.) and he photographed the gun. Talking about it, I decided "to hell with it" and brought it back home. Well hidden, of course.

But, what the hell, I got a cheap digital camera myself now and thought "the first shot should be one of mine."

Here it is, dedicated directly to Handejector and Curtis for being such cool guys. It's called, simply enough "Phil's revolver with Cokes." Yes, I removed the little cut-up grip-adapter Phil had on it for this photo, but yes I still have it and will allow it to come to no harm. I just took it off, that's all. Now take away my camera.

The shots Michael took when we went to pick it up from "the hide" are gonna be MUCH better, I'm sure. And I'll post them when I get them. Slowly. One-at-a-time. With delays. Deliberate.

Oh, and incidently, Lee got his Cokes in Tulsa. I brought him up a 6-pack of "The Real Thing". 1950's formula Coca-Cola in the 7.5 ounce bottles.

Cal
Did you ever get the copy of the letter I sent, I never heard. If not I'll send another.
Glad all is well my friend

Curtis;
Nope. Never came. And I don't doubt you sent it. But you see WHY I didn't want the original? It would have been lost had you sent the real thing.

By the way, speaking of the real thing, those Cokes ARE the "Real Thing". I drank one as I downloaded the photo and posted it. No "New Coke" or "Coke Classic" liquid soda there, my man. True 1950's formula in Spanish Lettered bottles. (Well, Coca Cola is the same...but all the small print is Spanish, and the bottles are in ML not Ounces.)

Here's looking at the bottles from the other side.

Well, my friend Michael sent me three of his images he took today. Yeah, they're better than my photos, but nowhere near the quality some of the guys get on this website. It's embarrassing to admit, but photogs we're not.



As you can see, Phil's gun shows the wear and tear of having been literally through the war. Mechanically, she's fine. Also, being hidden for two years from potential problems from the Mexican Army checking houses hasn't caused any additional wear or tear; it was in a safe place.



In the third photo, you can see some of the 207 grain Saeco mould bullets that loaded to a LOA (in a .38 Special Case) of 1.595 ahead of 7.8 grains of Blue Dot give one a nice 1,050 fps and a positive "thump" on firing. I had worked up this load before moving the revolver out of the house to have a full power load around that was instantly identifiable -- so as not to accidently be put into a normal .38 -- but was in a .38 Special casing. Remember; .357 is Verbotten here.



Also, one of the S.L. Variant Speedloaders for the 6-shot N-frames that I got in 2003 when Dillon was selling them. Right now, Bobby Mac is selling the S.L. Variants again, and he now has the 6-shot N-frame Model. I have purchases a couple more as I sort of like them, although they are somewhat modern to be used with Phil's gun. Since I rarely can take the chance to go anywhere with Phil's gun to shoot it, I suppose it doesn't matter so much if I get more or not. It would be so stupid to lose the gun at some Police or Military road block...which, here in Central Mexico, are far less common than they were even a few months ago. (For all the good they ever did anyway.)

The lettering of "Guadalcanal, Koromokina, Cape Torokina, and Piva Forks" is just engraved into the steel and not blued or painted. The lettering of "Smith & Wesson" and the engraved bit about the presentation and the caliber designation had been filled with white paint which has peeled or fallen off to leave the blueing underneath. The presentation engraving WAS blued, as I believe that was done by S&W before Phil got the gun. The place names from Guadalcanal and Bouganville would have been done after the war, probably by Phil using some jewelry engraver or something like that. A friend of mine who has seen the gun several times and does hand engraving says that the presentation engraving was done by hand, and I suppose he would know.

Phil's homemade cut-down grip adapter is in place in these shots.

Anyway, I hope these photos are helpful. It's taken me long enough to get them done. Excuse the wait.

What a classic piece of history, calmex I am still envious... thanks for sharing your pictures. Stay safe

Dan

Cal
Send me your address again, and I'll mail several copies separately...maybe one will make it.

Okay, you'll have it in a minute. One copy will probably do, as most of the mail makes it. It's just really important stuff, or ANYTHING that looks like it might contain money or a cheque that you can just kiss good-bye.

Mexico. You know?

Another shot from my friend's photos of Phil's gun...



...and another of mine from the Coke bottle series.



I hope you like them.

Calmex,
Thanks for a very enjoyable, but long, read---loved every minute of it.

BTW, you must have superceded me as the youngest Section Coordinator---I was 25 when we started our club and 26 when Jeff gave us "Section" status and appointed me Coordinator. I was also at the early Bianchi Cups--our paths have undoubtedly crossed.

Thanks again for a great story.

I wrote to Gunsite to Cooper in the fall of 1979. I heard nada, zip, goose-egg, but was not surprised. Winter came and went and in March of 1980, I bounced into the house and checked the mailbox. There was a small letter with the Gunsite return address.

My heart went "thump" and I walked to my room and sat on the bed and just looked at the letter wondering what it might contain. I started to open it and the damned phone rang.

Answering it, on the other end, was a guy named Murray D. Gardner who explained to me that he was the Canadian Regional Director and that he had just got a letter from Jeff Cooper directing him to call me to tell me that I was being deputized to create an IPSC Section in the Province of Manitoba.

Basically, Cooper's letter said the same. I still have Cooper's original letter back in a briefcase in Canada, probably along with some correspondence that Cooper sent over the next two years of just "stuff he was thinking about at the time." It was all photo-copied or Gestetnered stuff, and I assumed that all Section Coordinators got it to keep everyone on the same page. Years later, talking with Gardner when he came here to visit Puerto Vallharta in 2004 (now THAT was a vacation. Murray and I talked guns and IPSC for 7 days straight, with many of Jeff Cooper's insights thrown in as Gardner had known Cooper quite well, although I never met Cooper personally and just got some mail from him), Murray told me that perhaps he had told Cooper to C.C. me on the mail that regularly went to him as a Regional Director or something, because he did not think that the other Canadian Section Coordinators had received it.

"Why me?" I asked Gardner, and he simply shrugged.

"I guess I just took a liking to you or maybe I thought you needed a hand up or something."

Anyway, if any of it still exists, it will be in my sister's garage in Brandon in some suitcase with old gun magazines and stuff. Far out of my immediate reach at the moment.

Yes, you and I, we probably walked right past each other a time or two without ever knowing it!

This is not exactly a gunshot, but I happen to have a shot from P.V./2004 taken by some passing tourist of me, M.D. Gardner and Murray's wife along the shore there. About the only time we stopped talking about guns and IPSC was to take this photo.
I mean, it is off topic I admit, but I include it anyway.

Nice thread, I've enjoyed the personal side of the story. THANX

__________________
dd884
JMHO-YMMV

Ironically after reading this very enjoyable thread, I started reading the second volume of Deadliest Men by Kirchner (the fellow who illustrated all of Cooper's books). The first story is about Hank Adams--quite a guy. It seems that he's the one that Cooper was talking about that carried a .357 in the Pacific. Very interesting reading:

Amazon.com: More of the Deadliest Men Who Ever Lived (9781581606904): Paul Kirchner: Books: Reviews, Prices & more

Sounds like a good book. I will put it on my Christmas list!

A Happy New Year to all of you. RKmesa gave me the inspiration to add something to this thread for the end of the year. Let's hope 2011 looks up somewhat. Here's a picture of Phil's gun that I thought I had lost to history, but found it on an old USB. Saved!

The best to all of you.

Curtis:
Well, I walked into the store today and there were two letters from what I believe were your OLD address. I know you just moved to a new job (yes, I read the post, I just didn't comment on it). I hope you are happy in your new job and place of residence, by the way.

Anyway, two copies of "the letter" from Smith & Wesson that you sent me arrived today. Both in good shape. So, I have a copy for the store to show friends, and another copy for the house to have near the actual revolver!

Thanks so much. I know you did this feat of kindness while you were out of work and running on steam and believe me, I appreciate all you have done on my behalf. Left to me, in this economy, it STILL wouldn't be lettered.

So again: I thank you, Sir. I hope things are now coming together for you. And yes, I am MORE than happy just to have copies. I don't need the original, YOU should keep it. You did all the work.

Cheers!
Cal

I have been on the forum since 2004 and SOMEHOW this thread eluded me. I spent the weekend reading all 24 pages. Calmex - thank you for taking the time to bring this wonderful history lesson to us.

__________________
Pete T.

Just checking in with my favorite gun thread. Glad The Gun is back home with you and things are going well.

Sorry I missed this one. Yes all is well though somewhat boring since tax season is over. I will say I am happier than I have been in a LONG time. Glad the letters showed up.

Yes, Clyde, things are fine and the Magnum is fine. Tourism is picking up a bit here in Central Mexico, although the Northern Border area is still very dicey. It's too bad, too, but I don't see that situation getting better anytime soon.

I hope to be able to dig up some more info on Phil soon. I am trying to track down some leads and maybe get an old article or two to post. Also, Holly (his ex) had a nice photo I have been trying to get a copy of taken of Phil standing in a doorway in what Holly said was "the way he stood when he was spying on someone". It made me chuckle when she said that because he looked just like any other tourist Gringo hanging out in a doorway, which I suppose was what he wanted. I emailed her about it, and am waiting to hear back. She lives back up North now.

Anyway, all's well here. And here's an image Michael took that I have not posted yet, go figure! Cheers!

Hey, this is great. I haven't seen this thread in a year or so, so it was great catchin' up.

Calmex, you most definitely have the absolute coolest gun of any of us!

Hi, Onomea. I hope all is well with you. You started this post and look how many hits it has had.

I don't know if it's the coolest gun or not, there are many very nice ones to see on this forum owned by forum members. However, I am happy I have it -- not just as a momento of my friend Phil -- but because it is a desirable example of the Pre-War S&W fine art, albeit mine has been through the war so to speak.

When I first found this forum and started posting on it occasionally, I thought I was more-or-less well up on my Smith and Wesson revolvers, and especially post-war examples of all frame types because I had owned or shot pretty much everything available over the years. I did not know much about the pre-war stuff except for some 1917's and Victorys I had seen -- and I didn't care.

Over the years of reading and learning since joining this forum, I will have to admit that if I didn't HAVE a Pre-war .357 sitting right here while I type (I am admiring it), I would by now covet one. AND, because of where I live and the fact that I am NEVER rolling in bucks -- or even pesos, it would be a probably unfulfillable desire. And that would be distasteful.

So many of the forum members (and they all know who they are) who are so good with the cameras and have such desirable examples laying around to photograph would have, by now, brought me to my knees in tears of frustration for not being able to have even ONE of the "neat pre-wars". Were it not, of course, for my great good luck in having Phil's bequeathed to me. So I have one. And a neat one, with a great story and a great man behind it. And it's got a buttery-smooth action.

And I don't covet. At least, not so much that it bothers me. But keep posting those great photos of those great guns guys, because there are times when I am given pause and almost start to covet.

Covet: to desire (what belongs to another) inordinately or culpably.

calmex... It's good to hear the you are safe and all is well. Every time I read about the violence in Mexico, I've thought about you. Between the violence in Mexico and the economy in the US, my business (vacation rental homes on Cozumel) is just about gone. Stay safe and be well!

__________________
Centennial Every Day

Thank-you, Photoman. I am sorry to hear that your business in Cozumel has been trashed by this current predicament. No telling when it's going to get better, either...or if it ever will. Business has been way, way down here since the Swine Flu scam of 2009 as well. It is slowly coming back, but maybe 50% of our tourism here in SMAGTO was drive-down from Texas, and there sure ain't nobody drivin' down in big numbers these days. All tourism here now is fly-in (and we got no airport) or Mexican national. So 2011 is SO FAR better than 2010 was...but things are NOT back to even a "slow normal".

We are getting a pretty nice Gunclub set up in Queretaro, with a complete NRA Action Pistol range. Soon we will be able to offer the Mexican version of the Bianchi Cup. We also have a new gunrange soon to be approved near here, on the road between San Miguel and Dolores Hidalgo. So, it's not all doom and gloom. And the weather's still pretty nice. Gun laws still are really bad, though. However, the .38/44 offers us Major Caliber revolver power should we desire it, and here it's a revolver World and S&W's rule in the legal civilian firearms community.

In my limited 20-year-plus experience with living in this country, I will say that the Mexicans can always be counted on to do whatever it is they decide to do. It may not be the reasonable thing, and may not be the right thing, but once they make a collective decision, they tend to move in that direction. The Mexican people are thoroughly fed up with the current situation. The News MAY be oppressed (and it is, they kill you if you report the truth often), but public sentiment is what it is. I am sure that "changes are a-comin'" but I cannot tell you whether they will be good or bad, better or worse, smart or dumb. But over the next couple of years, stuff is going to happen down here. Myself, I hope that it gets better, because it doesn't need to get worse. But then, I'm not in charge, either.

Thanks for thinking of me!

Cheers!

Yes, the Swine Flu joke was the beginning of it all. The people on Cozumel were more in fear of the Americans bringing the flu to them! Not a single case on the island and yet, from the way the media was reporting it, you would have thought everyone was dropping dead in the streets.

It's good to hear that the Mexican people are getting fed up with the narcos. I just hope the government hears them and has the will to take care of business.

Very good news about the Action Pistol range! It sure would be nice if the gun restrictions were changed for the better in Mexico. That would increase participation and interest in the sport, not to mention the obvious benefit of self defense.

__________________
Centennial Every Day

Interesting things are starting to happen in Mexico as people get "fed up" with the situation and realize that their very leaders are involved and not helping the situation at all.

Here is a link to a News Article (if I am out of line by posting it I shall withdraw it) that indicates that a State Police Commander in the State of Guerrero is moving to make it possible for normal folk to get firearms for defense. Something like that happening in Mexico would have been unheard of only a few years ago. In fact, the Army or the Government PROBABLY would have killed him for speaking up. Now...well, they probably CAN'T. It would make a martyr of him, you see?

7 killed in attacks in Mexican resort of Acapulco | Deseret News

Certainly don't believe things will change quickly. The caliber restrictions will probably not go away anytime soon. However, all confidence has been lost in the system of government. And that's a good thing, because it will force a change. It's one of those "now we wait to see what happens" sort of things.

As to the Swine Flu, the University of Winnipeg (amongst others, probably) has the 1918 Flu Virus in perfect condition obtained from bodies buried back in 1918/1919 in perma-frost in Northern Canada. They were telling the World Health Organization from about Day 03 that "uh, it's not the same virus at all, calm down...." without it even being MENTIONED on the News. It saddened me to see the flames of panic being fanned by every News outlet in Mexico and up North because I knew the aftermath was going to be bad. As you know, they practically closed down Mexico for two weeks. We're just climbing out of that one now. Never mind that the Cartel violence and the horrible recession in the U.S. have hurt, they HAD to add insult to injury. I don't think it was so much a "conspiracy" as a rush to judgement that had upsetting economic effects.

But hey! The weather's nice, and the .38/44 load fired in appropriate revolvers gives us Major! In fact, friend Michael is off to Queretaro as I type to scoop up an unregistered Pre-23 that the original owner REFINISHED to make it more valuable! (It COULD be a Pre-war! We don't know, we just know what it is, we haven't seen it, and I have workmen in the store cutting out a wall so I can't go. Hopefully, I'll see it this afternoon.) I hope he gets it and gets back okay. Things could be worse. A year ago, remember, Phil's revolver was "buried deep" away from my home because I did not know how things were going to go. Things are unstable...but I do not feel it is as bad as it was, with hopes of showing slow but steady improvement. We hope.

Okay, friend Michael got back okay from his buying trip to Queretaro. He got a Pre-23 that had JUST been refinished. They refinished it, then told us they had it. Disturbing (but common here) that they blued the trigger and the hammer along with everything else.

However, the gun seems solid and cost the equivilent of 825.00 U.S. . Down here, that's a deal for anything that can be registered but offers Major power. Photos will be coming so all can agonize over the refinish that didn't have to happen to an otherwise prize of a revolver, just as soon as Michael sends 'em to me.

Calmex:
I am glad you are well. I was wondering what happened to that nice Reg. Mag.
I am a member of a gun club and I often think that if we had a "gang night" with drive by shooting and target instruction we could save some lives. Here in Calif. the drive by shootings kill more civilians than the gang members they are shooting at.
At your club your police officers could supply instructors and with the cooperation of the local gangs they could take turns as targets.
You could accomplish two thing at once, knock off some gang members and teach the others how to shoot straight.
What do you think of that idea?
DBWesson

In the U.S., it is probably a lot more rare that the Police Officer would also be a gang member than it is here. Some cities are starting polygraph and drug testing of the potential candidates for the job of Police Officer...and in other cities, the Police ARE the major dominant gang in town. It is a complex problem not easily resolved by tinkering with any one item in the Social Set-up. In the U.S. and Canada, the system BASICALLY works, and the bad-guys and girls try to take advantage of it and the good-guys and girls try to catch them. You can foggy it up with a lot of ifs-ands-or-buts however that is mainly how it works.

Here, the "system" has basically never worked since almost forever. I heard a neat thing stated the other day; "you can't expect the average Police or Military low-paid recruit to lay down his (or her) life and even stay basically honest when they KNOW that everyone above them is rotten to the core." So that's how it is, and so a lot of things need to change. There is no one button-push that can do it.

Thus, in your scenario, HERE in Mexico the Police and the gang members would often be one-in-the-same, so the instant you proposed the idea, the "other side" would automatically know what the plan was. It really makes it hard to get anything done -- which I think was the idea behind setting up the system the way it is in the first place. It makes change difficult, and thus those "living off the system" can almost do so with impunity. As I have said before: it's changing slowly, but don't expect an over-night cure, nice as that would be.

Calmex:
You have said it all.
I am sorry.
Larry