10mmauto
Member
In 1990, my best friend asked me about getting a NY State pistol permit. (Mike and I had been friends since the second grade. That's 53 years this year. My best man - he never married - godfather to two of my kids, etc.) He had never had a gun, but he was moving out to the boonies – edge of the Adirondack State Park – and was thinking of getting a pistol. So we discussed safety, training, mental state, etc., and he decided it was what he wanted. I helped him through the process, served as a character witness, and lo and behold, 1991, he had his pistol permit (to carry concealed.)
I told him I wanted to buy him the gun. So he came down (I live near Buffalo), and we headed off to the range. We spent a lot of time shooting a lot of guns. We had discussed all the different aspects about what to get. Size, caliber, semi-auto vs. revolver, concealed carry, etc. Mike (6'4', 250) didn't seem too concerned about the size aspect, and (probably partly based on the fact that my carry gun at the time was a 1006) decided on a 10mm. We headed over to the LGS, and we left with a brand new S&W 1066, an Uncle Mike's holster, and a cleaning kit. Back to the range, more ammo, more training and a couple of days later Mike was headed back to his place. (Along with a rolled up paper bag of about 500 various rounds that I gave him.)
Over the years, on the few times we were able to get together, we would do a little shooting. Mike always with the 1066, me with whatever I had at the time – 1006, 1076, 1086, Delta Elite, Glock 20, 610. I always brought the ammo - I had a source ;-). One time we got together was fairly special – Mike had me bring his godson along, and we introduced him for the first time to the 10mm. At 11, it was probably a little early, but he's developed into a very good shot, so I guess it was ok. Mike was pretty pleased that day.
Time passes. You wonder sometimes where it goes. Fast forward to this May. I got a call out of nowhere. Mike was very sick. Pancreatic cancer. I had to track down his attorney during the ordeal because the hospital needed to know who his health proxy was. It was me. He also listed me as his executor. He never asked or told me, but he didn't have to.
Mike passed in August.
So there I am, at Mike's house, starting to do what I have to do. I knew he had the pistol, so it was one of the first things I took care of (in order to make sure I complied with this state's draconian laws.) I opened a drawer in his dresser and there it was. The 1066. In the same Uncle Mike's holster. On top of the original box. Empty, but with a loaded magazine next to it.
I opened the box, and everything was there. Second mag, all of the papers, tool kit – everything – was still there. He even had the original grip. (Back when we got it, I always replaced the OEM grip with a curved back strap grip from Smith.) He also still had the original invoice with all of my info from the day I bought it in 1991, and the cleaning kit. It was like he had never done anything other than put it away in the drawer. All of the ammo I gave him was still there, still in the rolled up paper bag. The gun, cleaning kit and ammo were the only things in the drawer.
So the 1066 has since come back to western NY. Proudly/sadly registered to me. I thought it deserved some special treatment. Something like the M.A.S.H. episode where the soldiers made the tontine. After all, the next owner will be my son – Mike's godson. So I headed off to Ritchie Leather down on Niagara Falls Boulevard. I've been buying holsters there since the vaunted Lou Alessi was there and it was Alessi Holsters. I told Skip and Bob I wanted something special. A few weeks later (they still had the mold in stock) I got my close quarter – quick release/thumb break. (I normally don't get the thumb break, but I do on a holster I'm sure my kids will be getting.) Beautiful, dark, maroon/wine colored leather accented with black sharkskin. Something special.
So, here are a few pics. The holster appears lighter in the pictures, even though I didn't use a flash. But the contrast of the colors is nice. And I swear that while you are wearing this, it doesn't feel any heavier than a Glock. Great design, great manufacture. (And maybe someone looking out for me.)
Just a quick edit. When I dropped off the gun at Ritchie Leather, I didn't have a mag with it. Although they had the mold for the 1066, they didn't have a mold for the mag. So I dropped a mag off a couple of weeks later and they made the matching mag holder. I'm just getting a chance now to post a pic. You can also tell that the colors are darker and richer than they appeared when I took the pics outside. Anyway, here's the completed set:
I told him I wanted to buy him the gun. So he came down (I live near Buffalo), and we headed off to the range. We spent a lot of time shooting a lot of guns. We had discussed all the different aspects about what to get. Size, caliber, semi-auto vs. revolver, concealed carry, etc. Mike (6'4', 250) didn't seem too concerned about the size aspect, and (probably partly based on the fact that my carry gun at the time was a 1006) decided on a 10mm. We headed over to the LGS, and we left with a brand new S&W 1066, an Uncle Mike's holster, and a cleaning kit. Back to the range, more ammo, more training and a couple of days later Mike was headed back to his place. (Along with a rolled up paper bag of about 500 various rounds that I gave him.)
Over the years, on the few times we were able to get together, we would do a little shooting. Mike always with the 1066, me with whatever I had at the time – 1006, 1076, 1086, Delta Elite, Glock 20, 610. I always brought the ammo - I had a source ;-). One time we got together was fairly special – Mike had me bring his godson along, and we introduced him for the first time to the 10mm. At 11, it was probably a little early, but he's developed into a very good shot, so I guess it was ok. Mike was pretty pleased that day.
Time passes. You wonder sometimes where it goes. Fast forward to this May. I got a call out of nowhere. Mike was very sick. Pancreatic cancer. I had to track down his attorney during the ordeal because the hospital needed to know who his health proxy was. It was me. He also listed me as his executor. He never asked or told me, but he didn't have to.
Mike passed in August.
So there I am, at Mike's house, starting to do what I have to do. I knew he had the pistol, so it was one of the first things I took care of (in order to make sure I complied with this state's draconian laws.) I opened a drawer in his dresser and there it was. The 1066. In the same Uncle Mike's holster. On top of the original box. Empty, but with a loaded magazine next to it.
I opened the box, and everything was there. Second mag, all of the papers, tool kit – everything – was still there. He even had the original grip. (Back when we got it, I always replaced the OEM grip with a curved back strap grip from Smith.) He also still had the original invoice with all of my info from the day I bought it in 1991, and the cleaning kit. It was like he had never done anything other than put it away in the drawer. All of the ammo I gave him was still there, still in the rolled up paper bag. The gun, cleaning kit and ammo were the only things in the drawer.
So the 1066 has since come back to western NY. Proudly/sadly registered to me. I thought it deserved some special treatment. Something like the M.A.S.H. episode where the soldiers made the tontine. After all, the next owner will be my son – Mike's godson. So I headed off to Ritchie Leather down on Niagara Falls Boulevard. I've been buying holsters there since the vaunted Lou Alessi was there and it was Alessi Holsters. I told Skip and Bob I wanted something special. A few weeks later (they still had the mold in stock) I got my close quarter – quick release/thumb break. (I normally don't get the thumb break, but I do on a holster I'm sure my kids will be getting.) Beautiful, dark, maroon/wine colored leather accented with black sharkskin. Something special.
So, here are a few pics. The holster appears lighter in the pictures, even though I didn't use a flash. But the contrast of the colors is nice. And I swear that while you are wearing this, it doesn't feel any heavier than a Glock. Great design, great manufacture. (And maybe someone looking out for me.)
Just a quick edit. When I dropped off the gun at Ritchie Leather, I didn't have a mag with it. Although they had the mold for the 1066, they didn't have a mold for the mag. So I dropped a mag off a couple of weeks later and they made the matching mag holder. I'm just getting a chance now to post a pic. You can also tell that the colors are darker and richer than they appeared when I took the pics outside. Anyway, here's the completed set:
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