1955 38/44 HD Bar-b-que Gun!

Bullseye 2620 · #1 08-25-2009, 10:40 PM

I really wasn't looking for this, but when I saw it, I just couldn't help myself. This is sure a far cry from the walnut and blued steel toward which I normally gravitate, but I think this piece is sweet.

S/n is S148xxx making it 1955 production, I believe. At some point it was refinished by Ford's. The nickel is mirror-bright; no micro-scratches, and the grips are Philippines' Mother of Pearl. The case-coloring on the hammer and trigger speak for themselves.

My only disappointment is that I do not have one just like it in .44 Special.

I'd welcome seeing photos of others' revolvers in this genre.

Bullseye

MKT · #2 08-25-2009, 11:08 PM

Very nice. Also, very interesting on the refinish of the color casehardening. The colors are very vibrant (that or my computer screen is acting up

).

Bullseye 2620 · #3 08-25-2009, 11:15 PM

That was what caught my eye when I saw it -- the case-coloring. It is not your computer screen. Really strong colors. Here are some close-ups of the hammer and the barrel.

Thanks for the kind words.

Bullseye

1Aspenhill · #4 08-25-2009, 11:18 PM

Bullseye,
Here is my Heavy Duty Bar-b-que gun:

Enjoy,
Bill

MKT · #5 08-25-2009, 11:40 PM

Wow Bill. Is that a factory Pinto HD, or a "built" Pinto. Very nice either way.

Bullseye 2620 · #6 08-25-2009, 11:53 PM

I'm just stunned, actually.

bubbajoe45 · #7 08-25-2009, 11:54 PM

Bullseye, sweet HD! I've personally never seen case-coloring with that intensity of coloration. As you mention, the nickel is flawless. I am also more of a .44 fan, but I couldn't have passed that up either.

panamajack310 · #8 08-25-2009, 11:56 PM

Hey, Great looking HD. I like the refinished nickel.

yugolovr · #9 08-26-2009, 04:52 AM

Those are some great six guns!

twaits · #10 08-26-2009, 07:11 AM

I get that "Bar-b-que" guns are flashy, but where does this term come from? Is it just a showy gun to wear to impress people while you are grilling?

Wyatt Burp · #11 08-26-2009, 07:33 AM

You can shoot standard .38 Spl. rounds in it without fear of cracking the pearls. I did that once with identical grips with a .44 Spl. and saw a crack. Moderate loads. I gotta ask. Can you tell us what it cost? It's as beautiful as it gets.

fyimo · #12 08-26-2009, 07:44 AM

Great looking handgun and the case coloring is awesome

Bullseye 2620 · #13 08-26-2009, 07:47 AM

On .38/.357 caliber guns with pearl grips, or whose actions have been tuned to fine as frog-hair specifications (e.g., Pythons, whatever those are), I shoot only mid-range 148 grain .38 Special wadcutters. This mild target load does not pound the action, will not cause the grips to fracture (unless these was an internal flaw and poor workmanship to begin with), and is effective against raccoons up to 40 pounds (but that is another story).

If I shoot this gun, that's the fodder I'll fed 'er.

As to the price I paid, let me answer the question this way: what do you think I should have paid for it? I don't want to color your replies by revealing the actual sales price until I get the benefit of all y'all's estimates. I promise to fess up after I get your views on what a fair price should have been.

Thanks to everyone for the kind words.

Bullseye

Bullseye 2620 · #14 08-26-2009, 08:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twaits

I get that "Bar-b-que" guns are flashy, but where does this term come from? Is it just a showy gun to wear to impress people while you are grilling?

Twaits,

In some parts of the country, mostly the South and Southwest, bar-b-ques are social occasions, and over time, the tradition grew up of wearing your best boots, your best hat, your best belt and buckle, etc., to those events. Naturally, since open carry is typically not restricted in those regions, pistols followed suit. I am sure there are others on this board who can share more details of the history of this tradition.

Up Nawth, I have heard tell that people refer to this sort of revolver as a "pimp gun." They may indeed, but no one has ever dared do so around me.

Bullseye

1Aspenhill · #15 08-26-2009, 04:44 PM

MKT,
to my knowledge, S&W did not make any Heavy Duty Pintos, so I had Gene Williams make me one.
Bill

Onomea · #16 08-26-2009, 05:52 PM

Nice lookin' HD you have there, Bullseye!

I think I recall forum member Lefty explaining a while back, as he showed us some work Ford's had done for him, that Ford's uses a non-traditional means of case coloring which leads to especially vibrant colors.

moosedog · #17 08-26-2009, 07:03 PM

Both of those are very nice indeed. Thanks for sharing with us.
P.S. Don't get any Sweet Baby Rays on the bluing.

Muley Gil · #18 08-26-2009, 07:53 PM

"Is it just a showy gun to wear to impress people while you are grilling?"

Grilling is throwing meat, hamburgers, or hotdogs over a bed of charcoal briquettes and is usually done in an hour or so.

Real BBQ involves hardwood like hickory or mesquite, low heat, lots of smoke and TIME, lots of TIME. You can't rush BBQ.

In the South, pork shoulders and butts are prefered. In Texas and other parts of the Southwest, it is beef brisket.

Wyatt Burp · #19 08-26-2009, 08:52 PM

As for the price. $1200 wouldn't freak me out at all. I always bring up the price here even though it makes me feel a little nosey. I like your attitude about giving out prices.

MKT · #20 08-26-2009, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1Aspenhill

MKT,
to my knowledge, S&W did not make any Heavy Duty Pintos, so I had Gene Williams make me one.
Bill

Bill,

One of my first S&W lessons was, with S&W you can never be sure (or never say never), so I had to ask. It doesn't matter one lick to me that it is a built gun, it is gorgeous...one S&W should have made.

Thanks for sharing.

Mike

twaits · #21 08-27-2009, 06:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bullseye 2620

Twaits,

In some parts of the country, mostly the South and Southwest, bar-b-ques are social occasions, and over time, the tradition grew up of wearing your best boots, your best hat, your best belt and buckle, etc., to those events. Naturally, since open carry is typically not restricted in those regions, pistols followed suit. I am sure there are others on this board who can share more details of the history of this tradition.

Up Nawth, I have heard tell that people refer to this sort of revolver as a "pimp gun." They may indeed, but no one has ever dared do so around me.

Bullseye

Thanks for the description. I've got several "pimp guns"

I love nickel and pearl!

Bullseye 2620 · #22 08-27-2009, 01:21 PM

As Muley Gil pointed out, there's nothing about real bar-be-que that has to do with slapping some meat on a charcoal grill. Real bar-be-que is slow cooked, sometimes 10 hours or more. This, along with the right hardwood, and the correct sauce, is what makes it so delicious and different from what most people think of -- hamburgers and hot dogs semi-charred over an open flame.

Because these are such big productions, the smokers are often portable. I am posting some pictures of one of the more common designs (an not an exceptionally large one) and the final product -- ribs, brisket, chicken. My mouth is waterin' just thinking about it and I do believe the Mira Fork VFD is having a bar-be-que fund raiser this weekend. Time to shine up my boots. Enjoy!

Bullseye

GLL · #23 08-27-2009, 04:23 PM

Here is my 38/44 Outdoorsman equivalent to your HD. Not as fancy but it still
looks nice in a carved Tom Threepersons holster when I have a rib in my hand !

Jerry

38-44HD45 · #24 08-27-2009, 04:46 PM

Since I do REAL barbecue, beef and pork, I guess I should start wearing one of these instead of my "Dirty Work" 1st Gen. Glock. Seems a shame, though, since my smoker work is usually done alone, under a deep, thick veil of secrecy, to protect my recipes and methods:

One 4" is a .44 Special, the other two guns are .45 Colts, all by Hamilton Bowen.

Beautiful guns above, gents!

Bullseye 2620 · #25 08-27-2009, 05:45 PM

38/44,

Pray tell, are those revolvers all wearing grips by Roy Fishpaw?

Bullseye

230grfmj · #26 08-28-2009, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GLL

Here is my 38/44 Outdoorsman equivalent to your HD. Not as fancy but it still
looks nice in a carved Tom Threepersons holster when I have a rib in my hand !

Jerry

Jerry ,

That is a very interesting looking Outdoorsman.

Can you tell us the story on it? I presume it has a 5" barrel??

Bullseye 2620 · #27 08-28-2009, 06:10 PM

Yes, please do tell, Jerry. Your Outdoorsman is just terrific!

Bullseye

Joe Kent · #28 08-29-2009, 09:26 AM

38-44HD45, neat guns, Hamilton does great work.