It Beat Me - .44 to .357

[Neumann]

Every revolver enthusiast should own a .44 Magnum. You can get them at a reasonable price on the used market because early adopters make the mistake of shooting them. I bought a very nice, 3" 629, put some nice grips on it to replace the rubber. FWIW, rubber grips cause skids and blisters under heavy recoil.

Don't get me wrong, I shoot full magnum loads. It is my woods gun, and I don't want surprises if its ever needed. For EDC, .44 Special is perfectly adequate, and make for sweet shooting, very accurate. I'd like to see suspenders for my belt, when carrying an N frame.

 

[rct269]

Hi Ralph,
Love the story. I live in Chesterfield and worked in “Gumbo Flats” for 33 years. You would not believe how it has grown up over that time. I am 71 now and can remember my grandfather taking me to watch people shoot in the quarry right across the river from Gumbo. This would have been around 1960. I would love to be able to figure out what area you were shooting in. By the way, I still love to shoot full house .44 magnum loads in my 629-3 Classic as it handles the recoil very well. I do not enjoy heavy loads in my 4” 29-2.
Mike Russell

Actually, I would believe how much it has grown up----from all green to "This Is Serious Business--Bring Money!!" It's been awhile since I was there, but I'm almost certain I recall a car store where you can buy Lamborghini and Ferrari-----if you brought MONEY. We went shooting in the flats AND at the quarry---depending on what sort of shooting (serious LOOOOOOOONG Range or fun and games)---and often both places on the same day.

We were still there throughout the 60's, then off to Philadelphia for 3 years (and NEVER again), then to Chicago, where we said "Screw It!!" in 1987; and packed up and headed for the farm-----where we can shoot anything, anytime, day or night-----often at varmint critters out of a kitchen window (left without a screen for that express purpose).

Time passes, and things change!

Ralph Tremaine

And as to where we were shooting in the Flats, as best as I recall---south of and fairly close to the river at that point, in between the river and the highway, and east of the bridge adjacent to the quarry. I don't recall for certain, but I also don't recall being able to see the bridge at that point. We were shooting from south to north, and the bridge wouldn't have been in our line of sight. If that doesn't make a whole lot of sense, chalk it up to a lot of years and something less than a perfect memory, along with something other than the world's greatest sense of direction.