To me, a modern auto pistol is just a tool, no emotion or ties to history.
The WWI GI 1911 and Colt Woodsman my Grandad had, however did have
those special memories as my brother and I got to shoot them a lot thanks to Grandad. And they had history too.
I got to shoot them a lot when my Grandad was alive, and now that my older brother (retired detective) inherited them, I can still shoot them if I ask nicely.
To me, the revolver seems so much more natural and it can take you places.
When I hold or look at a revolver, even if it is the latest Kimber or PC Smith, I can imagine someone holding a revolver at battles like Gettysburg, Ishlawanda, Little Bighorn, or all the guys in WWI that had revolvers instead of Lugers and 1911's.
Jack O'Connor once said that he had little interest in revolvers, adored nice shotguns, but rifles, he lived rifles. Writing about rifles, shooting with them, and hunting all over the globe.
He could probably look at one of his Custom Model 70's and recall a lot of good hunts.
I carry revolvers much of the year but not in a "social" setting.
When in the outdoors it is almost always the M69 or M66-8 with me.
I like the versatility of bear loads or snakeshot in the same package.
I admit that when the threat might be 2 legged I do grab my Hellcat, or G48, both of which have a TRL light and front Tritium sight.
Not so much that I'll need the 13+1 or 15+1 that they hold, but they are thinner, lighter, and easier to conceal for me.
Both are utterly reliable.
Another is my .45 Shield, it too inspires confidence in a compact pistol.
Not that I couldn't defend myself adequately with the wheel gun.
I've even felt confident out camping and exploring with single action .45's,
and I can load and unload an SA pretty fast.
Hiking up this 150 year old dirt road near here, I can feel a connection with the Calvary troopers under General George Crook, who built this supply road to link the northern Arizona forts in the late 1860's. It was used until the 1930s when a more modern highway (AZ 260) paralleled it.
The soldiers from Camp Verde, Fort Whipple and Fort Apache that built
it probably used horses to move boulders, etc, but much of the work was done by pick and shovel in extreme weather, snakes, threat of Apache, and the occasional Scorpion in your bedroll.
Pretty hard work at $13 a month, but they did get to experience some excitement for maybe 2 weeks out of the year.
Like getting shot, bit, heatstroke or scalped.
These guys served over a hundred years before I did, and when walking that road I feel a connection, especially when I'm carrying one of these:
Or even one of these !
...Ben
