My first handgun, as you say sip, was after a .22 rifle. It was in 1960, and was a "mail order" .22 magnum copy of a Colt's SAA.
It was SO much like the Colt, the trigger/cylinder bolt spring broke. So often, I later,decided to learn "spring metal tempering", to keep them replaced. I still have the old thing, it is a "Hy-Hunter" imported by EMF, located in Miami at the time.
I had it delivered to my mom and pop's house,as I was in the Army at the time. They delivered it to me on a visit the weekend after it arrived.
Right to the "day-room" of my barracks, where all my buddies gathered around to look and handle. I doubt you want to try that these days !
Seems unlikely now, but I was able to keep it in the platoon armory, and check it out and go to the range whenever I wanted, if no other details were there.
Worked out great.
I worried the armorer so much we became friends, and he showed me more about the 1911s than anybody I have met since.
He was a "lifer", and had been to armorer schools all over. He often requested me as a helper following a week by our outfit in the "boonies", to help clean weapons.
Although us "grunts had to clean our own stuff, it was unusual for a field grade officer to be bothered with such. I didn't care, the more I got to break-down and clean, the better.
I realize now, I could have dug into those non-inventory, parts bins and loaded my pockets with spare 1911 parts, but, I was brought up honest, and the thought never crossed my mind.
